Study of Thrownaway Cases
Neither the household survey nor the survey of police records is expected to accurately identify cases of thrownaway children, because parents or legal guardians may be reluctant to disclose thrownaway situations. This group of children is included in the study of missing children because they are especially vulnerable to exploitation. This is particularly true for teenage thrownaway children.
Researchers have determined that the best way to collect information about such cases is to analyze data from the Third Study of the National Incidence and Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect, conducted in 1997 by Westat, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The study surveyed a nationally representative sample of local child protective services, police, juvenile court and probation, social services, welfare, and medical professionals to identify cases of child abuse. The neglect cases in this study included several types of mistreatment by parents, such as refusing to take custody of their children, abandoning their children, or forcing children out of the home without making alternate plans for supervision. By analyzing existing data, researchers can add to information on the number of thrownaway children.