Is there an ideal missing person? A theoretical case study using long-term unresolved missing persons cases

Whether a missing person is considered to meet preconceived norms and societal expectations heavily influences the response of the police, public, and media. Nils Christie's ‘ideal victim’ theory therefore lends itself well to the study of missing people. This article examines this using police data from the United Kingdom. A comparison of solved versus long-term unresolved cases are used as a case study to explore the hypothesis that perceptions of weakness, vulnerability, and blameworthiness may be reflected in the outcome of missing persons cases. To test this, a multivariable logistic regression model is used to compare cases and confirms individuals with characteristics of ideal missing persons, such as being a girl, being suicidal or being bullied, are less likely to remain missing long-term. In contrast, individuals perceived as ‘non-ideal’, such as being of Asian ethnicity, those who prepared to go missing, or are recorded in the Child Protection Registry are more likely that their cases remain unresolved long-term. The implications potentially highlight the influence of biases and stereotypes in police missing persons risk assessments, underscoring the need for greater awareness and objectivity in managing missing person cases.