A “Constructed” Definition of Child Abduction to Promote Child Rights and Welfare: A Study of Best Practice in the Search of Stolen Children in Guatemala

Child abduction has become a global concern for governments, communities and families in countries of origin and reception of children adopted internationally. National and international standards and regulations on intercountry adoption have been strengthened to address the trafficking, sale, and abduction of children across nations. Within and among various disciplines, child advocates and human services practitioners alike have offered different perspectives on child abduction. This article offers a “constructed” definition of child abduction drawing from an extensive review of the literature on intercountry adoption, and study results from the author’s dissertation on the experience of Guatemalan women whose children were stolen and trafficked to be adopted internationally. The paper identifies implications of child abduction for human rights and child welfare systems, and offers a practical model for searching for stolen children.