A missing person is someone who has disappeared from their usual place of residence or a location of known activity. The term can also be used for people who have disappeared due to an abduction.
The disappearance of a person is often an extremely traumatic event for those who knew them. This is especially true if the person was last seen alive or the cause of their disappearance has not been confirmed. The stress and anxiety caused by a missing person case can also lead to depression, substance abuse and mental illness in loved ones.
It is important to remember that not all cases of missing persons are solved, and those who go unidentified can remain missing for years. This is particularly true for missing children. This can be emotionally painful and even traumatic for families, but help is available. The New York State Missing Persons Clearinghouse, housed in the Division of Criminal Justice Services, works behind the scenes to prevent these cases from going cold.
While missing children tend to be the focus of public attention, missing adults make up a significant percentage of all missing persons cases. Reasons for the disappearance of missing adults can be as complex and varied as reasons for missing children. They may be runaways, victims of family or non-family abductions or may have left home because of a relationship breakdown. They may have been lured into illegal activities such as drug dealing or prostitution or they could have died in circumstances that have not yet been discovered.
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