Research & funding center
The evidence behind SEEN
For grant makers, philanthropic partners and collaborators: the documented problem, what the research does and doesn't show, how SEEN responds, and how we measure our own results.
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01
The problem
349,557
NCIC missing-person entries, under 18 (2024)
25,493
NCIC missing-person active records, under 18 (2024)
29,568
Missing-child reports NCMEC assisted with (2024)
2,535
NCMEC cases still active at year end (2024)
State-level figures: the FBI's annual NCIC report publishes national totals only, with no state breakdown. Comparable official state-by-state data isn't currently available in one source. See The Facts.
02
The visibility gap
Data year 2013, published 2016
Race and gender disparities in online news coverage of missing persons
Shows: Black and male missing persons were less likely to receive any coverage, and received less coverage when covered. White people and women were over-represented compared with FBI missing-person records.
Doesn't show: Four outlets in one year, and all ages, not only children. Some intersectional comparisons are tentative. It does not show why the disparities happen.
Sommers, Z. (2016). Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 106(2).23,160
NCMEC cases of children missing from foster or state care (2024)
03
The family support gap
1,571
Victims and families NCMEC connected to mental-health services (2024)
What we know: national organizations provide some counseling, advocacy and crisis support. The figure here counts services delivered.
What is not yet documented: SEEN has not found reliable national data on unmet needs for victim advocacy, legal help or counseling among families of missing children. We don't assume every family faces the same barriers. Collecting this evidence, starting with SEEN's own referral records, is a research priority.
04
SEEN's proposed response
Public awareness & verified case information
The public case directory, case pages, printable flyers and tips are working on this site.
Family-support referrals
Families can reach SEEN through the contact form and the resources guide. Staff record each referral and confirm whether the family was connected.
Qualified investigator coordination
Staff can keep a roster of trained personnel, assign them by state, and log every dispatch and acknowledgment. No field results are reported yet.
Geospatial documentation
Mapping of search areas and documented locations. Today the staff dashboard has a map of cases by state.
Technology-assisted monitoring of permitted public sources
Automated checks of authorized public notices for changes. Not built yet.
Community partnerships & training
Training in search safety, trauma-informed care and emergency preparedness with qualified partners.
05
Measurable outcomes
Each metric is defined before it is collected. Values come straight from SEEN's own records, with no targets or estimates, and contain no identifying information. Updated 10/21/2026, 12:06:55 PM.
| Metric | Definition | Actual (to date) |
|---|---|---|
| Verified cases reviewed | Case submissions a staff member reviewed (approved, rejected or returned) in the staff portal. | 0 |
| Public notices published | Cases currently published to the public directory (missing or found safe). | 0 |
| Median hours to first review | Median time from a case being submitted to its first staff decision. | No records yet |
| Visibility gaps referred | Cases a staff member marked as needing more visibility after a documented human review. | 0 |
| Personnel with verified training | People on SEEN's roster whose training has been verified by staff. | 0 |
| Documented personnel dispatches | Assignments of qualified personnel to cases, with logged status. | 0 |
| Published cases marked found safe | Published cases whose status was changed to found safe by staff. | 0 |
| Families referred to support | Distinct families a staff member referred to a support service (counseling, legal, advocacy, emergency, financial or peer support). | 0 |
| Families connected to resources | Distinct families whose referral staff confirmed as connected with the service. | 0 |
| Accuracy & timeliness of published information | Share of notices updated within a set number of days of new verified information. | Not yet tracked |
| Corrections, removals & privacy incidents | Documented corrections, takedowns and privacy incidents. | Not yet tracked |
