Missing person
A missing person is someone whose whereabouts are unknown to family, associates, or authorities, often prompting efforts to locate them.
Missing-person report: A notification to authorities that someone’s whereabouts are unknown and their absence is concerning. It is often the first formal step in locating a missing person.
Missing person case management: The coordination of reports, leads, records, and investigative actions in a missing-person investigation. Organized case management helps agencies preserve leads and coordinate across jurisdictions.
Runaway: A person, especially a minor, who leaves home without permission and remains away. A runaway may be reported missing even when the departure was deliberate.
Unresolved missing-person case: A missing-person investigation that remains open or lacks a confirmed account of the person’s fate. Some cases remain unresolved despite searches, investigations, and years of new leads.
Missing White Woman syndrome: A media-bias pattern in which missing white women receive disproportionate coverage compared with other missing people. Unequal attention can affect which cases receive sustained public visibility.
Search and rescue: The organized effort to find and assist people in danger or distress. Search teams may look for missing people in hazardous or remote areas.
Human remains identification: The process of establishing who a deceased person is using forensic evidence. It can close a missing-person case when a search finds unidentified remains.
Abduction: The act of taking or carrying away a person, typically by force or deception. Abduction is one possible explanation for a disappearance, not a synonym for being missing.
Ambiguous loss: A loss without clear resolution, in which a loved one is physically absent but psychologically present. Families may face grief without knowing whether the missing person is alive or dead.
Missing Indigenous person: An Indigenous person whose whereabouts are unknown, often amid distinct jurisdictional and reporting challenges. Indigenous communities face persistent concerns about undercounting, delayed responses, and limited case data.