National Estimates of Missing Children: Selected Trends, 1988-1999.

Presents results of an analysis comparing selected findings from the second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2) and its predecessor, NISMART–1. The analysis, which is based on household surveys of adult caretakers and covers victims of family abductions, runaways, and children categorized as lost, injured, or otherwise missing, highlights trends from 1988 to 1999. The most important finding is the absence of increases in any of these problems. For some types of episodes, the incident rates decreased. This Bulletin is part of a series summarizing results from NISMART–2

National Estimates of Children Missing Involuntarily or for Benign Reasons.

Provides information on the numbers and characteristics of two groups not often recognized in the literature on missing children: children involuntarily missing because they were lost or injured and those missing because of a benign explanation such as a miscommunication or mistaken expectation. The data are from two surveys conducted in 1999 as part of the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2). Children missing from their caretakers in circumstances with benign explanations constituted 43 percent of all missing children reported to authorities—the second largest category after those classified as runaway/thrownaway. The authors discuss the policy implications raised by these data

Sexually Assaulted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics.

Provides information on the estimated number and characteristics of children who were sexually assaulted in the United States in 1999. This Bulletin is the seventh in the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2) series. Information on sexual assault was gathered from NISMART–2 interviews with victims and their families

Children Abducted by Family Members: National Estimates and Characteristics.

Presents national estimates of children abducted by family members in 1999, their demographic characteristics, and the characteristics of perpetrators and episodes. The Bulletin is part of a series summarizing findings from the second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-2). Of the estimated 203,900 children who experienced a family abduction, 117,200 were classified as caretaker missing and 56,500 were reported as missing to law enforcement or other agencies. Younger children were at greatest risk of being abducted by a family member. Use of threats or physical force was uncommon. The Bulletin also discusses policy implications of the findings

Caretaker Satisfaction With Law Enforcement Response to Missing Children.

Examines satisfaction with law enforcement from the perspective of all primary caretakers who contacted police when one or more of their children experienced a qualifying episode in the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2) National Household Survey of Adult Caretakers. This Bulletin is the eighth in the NISMART–2 series

Nonfamily Abducted Children: National Estimates and Characteristics.

Presents national estimates of children abducted by nonfamily perpetrators, based on surveys of households and law enforcement agencies. The Bulletin, which is part of a series summarizing findings from the Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART–2), also analyzes characteristics of victims, perpetrators, and episodes. During the study period, an estimated 58,200 children were abducted by nonfamily perpetrators; 115 were victims of stereotypical kidnappings. Teenagers were the most frequent victims. Nearly half of all victims were sexually assaulted. In 40 percent of stereotypical kidnappings, the child was killed; in another 4 percent, the child was not recovered. The Bulletin also discusses policy implications of the findings

National Estimates of Missing Children: An Overview.

Presents an overview of the second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children (NISMART-2). First in a series summarizing NISMART-2 findings, this Bulletin describes NISMART component surveys and estimating methodology and defines the types of missing child episodes studied: nonfamily abduction (including stereotypical kidnapping); family abduction; runaway/thrownaway; missing involuntary, lost, or injured; and missing benign explanation. The Bulletin also presents national estimates for children classified as caretaker missing and those reported missing to law enforcement or other agencies, by type of episode and by child\u27s age, gender, and race/ethnicity. The authors note that only a small proportion of all missing children are victims of stereotypical kidnappings

Missing and abducted children: A critical analysis of the Amber Alert system

Originally created from the reaction of a child abducted and murdered by a stranger, the AMBER alert system has since been utilized for a wide variety of child abduction episodes. The AMBER alert system has the potential to provide millions of citizens with descriptive information about a missing or abducted child in the hopes that the child can be successfully recovered by utilizing a wide array of communication mediums. This current study examined a sample of AMBER alerts issued in twelve states during the year 2005. Among the key findings include the fact that the vast majority of AMBER alerts concerned abductions by family members, rather than the stereotypical stranger abductions. This study discusses the findings and provides policy implications for future use of the AMBER alert system

Consequences of subacute intratracheal exposure of rats to cadmium oxide nanoparticles: Electrophysiological and toxicological effects

Cadmium is a metal used in various industrial applications, whereby exposure to Cd-containing fumes is likely. The submicron sized particles in the fumes represent an extra risk due to their high mobility within the organism and high surface area. Toxicity of Cd on the liver, kidney and bones is well known, but there are less data on its neurotoxicity. Here, male Wistar rats were treated for 3 and 6 weeks by intratracheal instillation of CdO2 nanosuspension. The treated rats’ body weight gain was significantly decreased, and in the high dose rats (0.4 mg/kg Cd daily) the weight of lungs and thymus was significantly increased. In this group, the spectrum of spontaneous cortical electrical activity was shifted to higher frequencies, the latency of sensory evoked potentials was lengthened, and the frequency following ability of the somatosensory evoked potential was impaired – even without detectable Cd deposition in the brain. The data support the role of the nano-sized Cd in the causation of nervous system damage and show the possibility of modeling human neurotoxic damage in rats

Gender Differences In Factors Contributing To Frequency Of Victimization Among Youth In Residential Placement

Violence and victimization are common aspects of life for incarcerated individuals, even youth, with a large majority of offenders reporting experiences of some form of victimization during their stay in custody. Routine activities theory argues that most criminal acts require a convergence of motivated offenders, suitable targets, and the absence of capable guardianship. The purpose of this study is to explore quantitatively, facility and individual level factors that may affect experiences of robbery, physical and sexual assault victimization among youth in residential custody, and how these factors might vary by gender. To answer my research question, secondary data from The Survey of Youth in Residential Placement (2003) was analyzed. The final sample included 4,842 male and 1,529 female youth aged 10-20. Findings indicate that for both males and females, time in the facility was consistently related to frequency of victimization. For male youth, individual factors such as experiencing emotional abuse, and the characteristics of other inmates, mattered more in predicting experiences of victimization. While some individual factors were also significant for female youth, facility factors, such as facility type were more consistently significant in predicting victimization in custody