This is a general profile of a parental abductor. These may not always be the case.
* Both mother and father are likely to abduct their own child.
* Mothers tend to abduct their child/children after a court order is made, while fathers tend to abduct their child/children before a court order.
* Mothers who abduct their children tend to keep them for a longer time than fathers do.
* The age range for abducting parents is anywhere between 28 to 40 years.
* Fathers are usually employed while the mothers are more likely to be unemployed.
* Few studies have identified a psychological or sociological profile of the abducting parent.
* The majority of abducted children are between 3 and 7 years of age.
* Children taken out of the country tend to be 8 years old or more.
* Children tend to be taken from the home. They are less likely to be taken from another residence or from a school yard.
* Most searching parents report the abduction of the child to the police on the day it occurred. There is, however a large proportion of searching parents who delay in reporting the incident.
* Communication in some form usually occurs between the searching parent and the abductor.
* The majority of parental abductions are short-term and resolved within seven days.
* Various modes of transportation are used to move the child.
* Children tend to be taken during weekends or summer or winter holidays.
* The parent abducting the child tends not to use physical force.