Approximately how many children are abducted worldwide every year by their own parents?

• A. 50,000
• B. 100,000
• C. 200,000
• D. 400,000

Answer: (C)

About two hundred thousand children are abducted by a parent worldwide each year. This figure reflects the global reach of custodial interference and parental abductions, including both within-country cases and international ones, and it acknowledges that many incidents go unreported or are counted differently across systems. The number sits between smaller estimates and much larger ones because reporting practices vary, definitions differ, and some cases are resolved or reclassified before they become full abductions in official counts. In practice, the estimate around 200,000 is used as a realistic, widely cited middle ground to convey the scope to policymakers and practitioners.