1.1. How Many People Go Missing?
It is hard to believe that in a well-developed and populated country like Australia about 35,000 people go missing every year . Among them, about 10000 go missing in New South Wales alone . In fact, in Australia the rate of missing persons is as high, or higher, than that of road traffic accident deaths, non-fatal road traffic accidents requiring hospitalisation, and suicide.
While the high number of missing persons is significant it is equally disturbing to learn that for every missing person conservatively about 12 people are affected. This includes family members, friends, work colleagues, and community members. “Therefore, in any one-year in Australia , 420,000 people feel the effect of the missing person's phenomenon” .
This large number means that having a loved one who is missing affects people from all walks of life – regardless of their age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, race, and educational or professional qualifications .
Encouragingly most missing persons are located. In fact, about 99.5% are located, often within a month from the time of disappearance . Typically, the missing person is located because they return home or contact family members and friends of their own volition.
This encouraging news rarely compensates for the devastating effects on the family members and friends of missing persons who are left behind. Although they come from varied backgrounds these individuals share some similar experiences. With news that a loved one is missing they often experience anxiety, fear, confusion stress, and worry; and these experiences can continue for extended periods both while the person remains missing and sometimes when they return.
Understandably, many want to know the whereabouts of their loved one and what led to their disappearance. There are not always clear answers to these questions. Sometimes we do not know why people vanish.
AIC 92007)
Statistic NSW Police Missing Persons Unit 2007
Henderson and Henderson (1998, p. 5) .
Jacques (2002) .
Henderson and Henderson (1998) .
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1.2. The ‘Missing’ Population in Australia
Research co funded by the Australian Federal Police and Attorney Generals Department of NSW in 2008 indicate that:
• There are over 35000 reports made each year about the safety of a missing person
• Approximately 20000 relate to people under the age of 18
• A high proportion of missing persons reports relate to concerns about mental health
• In relation to the aged population reports relate to concerns for those people experiencing dementia and Alzheimer's related illnesses..
Despite this diversity of the reasons why a person may go missing, the disappearance of a loved has previously been defined as voluntary or involuntary - suggesting that an individual either chose to go missing, or did not choose to go missing. As the missing persons sector has developed professionals now define reports within a ‘continuum of missingness' – where cases fall within decided, drifted, unintentional and forced categories.
It can be difficult to understand why someone might intentionally go missing, particularly in light of the heartache and anguish it can cause family members and friends.
Yet, it is important to remember that choosing to go missing is not a crime. Often there are valid reasons surrounding the voluntary disappearance of an individual, even though we may not always agree with them. Sometimes people may be escaping a variety of issues - violence, intimidation, abuse, financial crisis.
In previous national research it was noted that people went missing because of “conflict about authority, rules, or independent behaviour”. Interestingly, before these missing persons were found many of their family members and friends suspected that they had gone missing because of this very reason'
Most missing persons are located within a relatively short period. However, the disappearance of the missing person can be traumatic on their family members and friends – no matter how brief their absence.
The effects on family members and friends are numerous and quite varied. However the common theme is that people just want to know where their loved one is and when they are coming home. It is excruciating to live with ‘not knowing'
“Part of you wants to grieve and get it over with; the other part thinks that just maybe…” Father of a 23-year-old man missing since May 2003.
The next chapter explores some of these effects in further detail.
James, Anderson , Putt (2008 p 16)
Henderson and Henderson
