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Dr. Eric Halford
Laura Boulton,
Jessica Phoenix
Aiden Sidebottom
Assistant Professor
Policing & Security Program
Responding to reports of missing children is an everyday occurrence in many
police agencies, and a significant source of police demand. In England, there is a
statutory requirement that all those under the age of 18 be offered a return
home interview (RHI) within 72 hours of returning from a missing episode.
The main purpose of an RHI is to better understand the reasons why a young
person went missing and, where necessary, put measures in place to safeguard
that young person and reduce the likelihood of them going missing again.
Although widely practiced in England, there is currently limited research on the
conduct of and information elicited from RHIs. In an attempt to help fill this
research gap, this article reports the findings of an exploratory analysis of 113
RHIs carried out in one police force area in England. Findings indicate that 42%
(n = 48) of the sampled RHIs occurred within the required 72-hour timeframe.
Absent or incomplete information was common, particularly in relation to the
presence and types of vulnerabilities associated with missing children. In terms
of those interviewed, nearly half of the interviewees did not consider themselves
to be missing. Moreover, many exhibited a high prevalence of mental health
concerns, conflict at home and drug and alcohol use. The implications of the
findings for safeguarding children and preventing missing incidents are
discussed.
Return home interviews with
children who have been missing:
an exploratory analysis
Research & Innovation
Newsletter
Volume 1 l Issue 1 - 2023 t
Page 8
Full article published in:
Police Practice and Research: An International Journal Volume 24 Issue 1 | pp. 1-16 | 2023