Children and young people can go missing for several reasons. Those who are missing, or have run away from home, are more likely to be absent from education. According to the UK Missing Persons Unit, over the last five years an average of 200,000 missing child incidents were reported to the police each year. The Centre for Social Justice also tells us that 140,000 children missed at least 35 days of education in the summer term 2022.
Missing Children
Individuals are missing if their whereabouts cannot be established and the circumstances are out of character, or the context suggests the person may be subject to crime or at risk of harm to themselves or another.
Definition
Missing:
“Anyone whose whereabouts cannot be established will be considered missing until located, and their well-being or otherwise confirmed.”
College of Policing, Authorised Professional Practice: Missing Persons (February 2023)
Absent:
“A person not at a place where they are expected or required to be.”
National Police Chief’s Council

Resources
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Why Do Children Run Away?
Although aimed at individuals who may want to run away, Runaway Helpline’s webpage provides more information about the reasons why children and young people run away from home or care.
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Children Missing from Home
The Children’s Society webpage offers information for parents and professionals about missing children and how to respond when a child goes missing.
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Research about Missing Children
Missing People has conducted several research projects about missing children over the last ten years. Here you will find information covering the vulnerabilities faced by looked after children, the voices of looked after children who go missing from care, the experiences of families whose children were exploited and the value of return to home interviews.
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Missing Children Response Assessment Tool
This benchmarking tool from The Children’s Society and NWG is designed to help local safeguarding partnerships to think about the responses and support they provide to children and young people who go missing from home or care.
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Centring the Child
In collaboration with NWG, Missing People published a resource to support professionals involved in return interview services after a missing child returns home. The resource provides guidance about how to remain child-centred while working with parents, carers and other family members to build up a picture of the child’s life and provide support.
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Addressing School Avoidance
This resource from the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families looks at some of the reasons behind school avoidance and aims to help educational staff address the issue.
You can also watch this video which provides practical ways that educational staff can help students by creating a space that allows them to feel both physically and emotionally safe.
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Lost and Not Found
This report from The Centre for Social Justice analyses the latest data regarding school attendance. It reveals the figures for school absence, examines the reasons behind school absence and identifies the children most likely to be missing from school.
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Working Together to Improve School Attendance
This non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education has been produced to help schools, trusts, governing bodies, and local authorities maintain high levels of school attendance.
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The Ethnicity of Missing People
This report by Missing People is based on findings from the latest police and local authority data, and examines the experiences of people from different ethnic groups who go missing or have a loved one go missing.
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- Training resources for DSLs to use in team meetings
- Reference documents for additional information
- Handout for school staff summarising missing children
- Quiz to test staff understanding