PARENTAL KIDNAPPING

Parental Kidnapping defined:

The term "parental kidnapping" encompasses the taking, retention or concealment of a child by a parent, other family member, or their agent, in derogation of the custody rights, including visitation rights, of another parent or family member.

Incidence:

In 1988, parents or family members abducted an estimated 354,100 children in the United States. Nearly half of these children were taken across state lines and concealed, or their abductors prevented contact with the other parent and/or intended to keep the children indefinately or have the custody changed.

Harmful effects on children:

Abducted children suffer emotionally and sometimes physically at the hands of their abductors. Many children are told the other parent is dead or no longer loves them. Uprooted from family and friends, abducted children may have their names and appearances altered, and may be under strict instructions not to reveal their true identities or circumstances. Indeed, abducted children may be taught to fear the very people who could help them: police, teachers, doctors, etc. They may be kept out of school to avoid detection through school records. Because of the harmful effects on children, parental kidnapping has been characterized as a form of child abuse.

The above is an excerpt from PARENTAL KIDNAPPING: PREVENTION AND REMEDIES by Patricia M Hoff, Legal Consultant to the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
http://www.abanet.org/child