Exploring the Phenomenon of Reported Runaways in Canada 2015 to 2021

Persons identified as runaways and persons who go missing repeatedly represent a large proportion of reported missing person occurrences in Canada. This report examines the number of these cases in Canada between 2015 and 2021. It establishes a definition for the occurrences of interest and a means for classifying individual subjects according to the number of times they have been reported missing (no previous history, repeat and habitual/chronic). The data set is examined in relation to a series of variables: history, age, sex, biological affinity, location, time to resolve, and time of year. This information can be used to inform prevention and investigative strategies, to develop evidence-informed police practices and policies, and to identify future areas of study.

Date modified:

2024-05-29