If a non-family member abducted your child, reunification counseling should begin with an evaluation of the impact of the child's disappearance upon both the family and the child, as well as an assessment of their coping efforts. Non-family abductions frequently involve physical, sexual, or psychological abuse of the child. Although family counseling fosters the communication essential to rebuilding family life, individual counseling of the child may be necessary to address fears and traumatic experiences the child may be reluctant to express in a family setting. If your child's noncustodial parent abducted the child, reunification counseling may need to address the child's feelings of separation or loss from the abductor parent. The custodial parent may find it difficult to talk with the child about such feelings, in light of his or her own anxiety or anger toward the abducting parent.
Counseling can make it easier for such reactions to be discussed.
Running away usually results from a combination of unresolved family problems and individual problems. Counseling can be helpful in identifying these issues, reducing the impact of the problems, and preventing future runaway incidents. Counseling should address all events that occurred during the runaway incident, since runaway children are at high risk for substance abuse, sexual exploitation, and sexual and physical abuse. All rights reserved. Kaneshia Coren Pinckney Missing from Silver Spring, Md., since July 7, 2000.