September 13, 2002

An Epidemic of Child Abductions?

Several high-profile kidnappings this summer have fueled the fear that an epidemic of child abductions is under way. But is that the case? We asked two experts to explain.

James Alan Fox, professor of criminal justice at Northeastern University and author, with Jack Levin, of The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder (Allyn & Bacon, 2001):

The perception is that child abductions are rampant. Of course we get that from media coverage. The number of abductions by