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Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the overall demographic characteristics and patterns of missing persons in Ontario, Canada between January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. The data was provided by the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR) exported from the Missing Children/Persons and Unidentified Remains (MC/PUR) database which included 92,394 missing persons that had all been concluded. This concluded status means the person was located and removed from the database as being missing.

The results indicate that in Ontario from 2015 to 2019, the most likely people to go missing were white, aged 12 to 18 years old and those under 18 years old were more likely to go missing more than once. Sex and age also influenced how long it took for someone to be reported as missing and the time it took to conclude the occurrence. There was a significant association between sex in relation to probable cause for going missing, the location they went missing from, history of being missing, and if they had a disability or dependency.

The results further indicate that individuals with different ethnic backgrounds experienced different frequencies of probable cause for going missing, the location missing from and disability or dependency. They also experience different amounts of time before they were reported missing and the amount of time missing for.

The findings of this study suggest that it can be concluded that unique demographics and patterns exist in missing person cases in Ontario. Law enforcement agencies and those with an interest in missing persons can use this information to improve policy, trigger more informed discussions and can be used to justify available programs and annual budgets.

Course: Criminal Justice - MSc - C2681F

Date Deposited: 2023-05-11

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis14132.html