The high number of missing person reports that occur globally each year highlights the need for research in this academically neglected field. This research focuses on establishing whether there are different scenarios or behavioural themes that consistently appear in missing person cases in Spain, which could assist the police investigation process. A representative sample of 341 missing person police reports was collated and up to 27 behaviours, which occur during the disappearance, have been codified, as well as circumstances surrounding the case. Through multidimensional scaling four behavioural themes have been identified: intentional-escape, intentional-dysfunctional, unintentional-accidental, and forced-criminal. These findings entail implications, both in terms of prevention and in the scope of police investigations. Specifically, this research is considered a key step in the development of: (a) a predictive risk assessment system for harmed or deceased outcomes, and (b) in-depth review of forced-criminal disappearances that concur with homicide.

Resumen: El elevado número de denuncias por desaparición de personas que cada año se da a nivel mundial justifica la preocupación por el estudio de esta temática. El fenómeno de las desapariciones es complejo y multifacético, requiriendo de una respuesta adecuada por parte de las instituciones implicadas. Uno de los retos principales a nivel policial en materia de investigación de desapariciones, reside en el establecimiento de herramientas de valoración del riesgo de que la persona desaparecida resulte dañada o fallecida, y, que sean eficaces, fiables y de fácil manejo para los investigadores de las Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad. Se considera idóneo iniciar investigaciones científicas y actuaciones que aglutinen a especialistas y profesionales de procedencia multidisciplinar para la realización de estudios pormenorizados, que permitan la descripción del fenómeno y la identificación de factores de riesgo, que favorezcan el desarrollo de herramientas y la mejora de los sistemas de evaluación existentes.Palabras clave: personas desaparecidas, valoración de riesgo, desenlace fatal, estudio pormenorizado. Title: Missing persons: convenience of encouraging the research in Spain.Abstract: The high number of missing persons reports, which is globally reported each year, explains the interest in conducting research in this field. The missing persons phenomenon is complex and multifaceted, and therefore it requires an appropriate response from the involved institutions. One of the main law enforcement challenges in the investigation of missing persons is to develop risk assessment tools for harm and fatal outcomes, which are effective, acceptable and easy to use. Promoting research among multidisciplinary professionals is essential to accomplish in-depth research, allowing to address the phenomenon's description and the identification of risk factors, as well as to encourage the development of tools and the improvement of the current risk assessment system. Estado actual del tema: contextualización del fenómeno de las personas desaparecidasDefinir "persona desaparecida" constituye una ardua tarea que ha aglutinado numerosas propuestas por parte de diferentes instituciones a lo largo de la historia (BIEHAL, MITCHELL y WADE, 2003). La Recomendación del Consejo de Europa (Rec. 2009/11, de 9 de diciembre de 2009) describe a la persona desaparecida como "aquella que está ausente de su residencia habitual sin motivo conocido o aparente, cuya existencia es motivo de inquietud, o bien que, su nueva residencia se ignora, dando lugar a la búsqueda en el interés de su propia seguridad y sobre la base del interés familiar o social". Además, el estudio científico de este fenómeno (cuantificación y características asociadas a su explicación, valoración, y desarrollo) se ha visto limitado, principalmente, por las diferentes conceptualizaciones del fenómeno utilizadas por los autores ("ausente" vs. "desaparecido"), y las contradicciones que esto genera entre los investigadores policiales (TAYLOR, WOOLNOUGH y DICKENS, 2018, p.2). Así, la...

Although research on missing persons has globally increased during the past few years, most of the studies conducted have focused on the description of socio-demographic and situational factors associated with this phenomenon. The aim of this study is to explore in-depth the relation between missing person’s socio-demographic factors and missing person’s typology and outcomes. A full 1-year sample of police recorded missing persons (n = 24,284) was extracted from the Spanish ‘Missing Persons and Unidentified Human Remains (PDyRH)’ system and a multivariate statistical approach was used. The findings of this research show that, although nationality and gender are mainly important from a descriptive level, age is the socio-demographic variable that better classifies the typology and outcome of missing person cases. These findings suggest that age is a modulating variable of this phenomenon. Thus, there is a need for the conduction of research for each specific age group focused on identifying psychosocial, criminological and geographical risk factors which could explain missing person case outcomes from a multifaceted approach. Considering previous research in the field, the findings of this research are mostly consistent with these previous studies and entail different implications, both at prevention level and in the scope of police investigations.

The study explores in depth the relationship between missing persons’ psychosocial and criminological characteristics/circumstances and violent-fatal outcomes (suicide and homicide). A relational analytical explicative study of 929 cases and controls was designed using a retrospective and stratified design. Data gathering was conducted through the content analysis of judicial and police information, as well as the development of psychological autopsy techniques and semi-structured interviews with the persons involved in the missing person cases including offenders in prison. Bivariate and multivariate statistical techniques were utilised for analyses. The findings showed that there are different risk and protective factors which can distinguish between good state of health, suicide, and homicide outcomes. This research entails implications for prevention and police risk assessment system.

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