Child theft and child abduction is when someone takes away a minor (a child that that is younger than what the law says is the age of an adult), away from the child's parents or legal guardian.

When strangers abduct (or take away) or kidnap

Some of the reasons why a stranger (or someone that the child does not know, and who is not part of the child's family) might kidnap an unknown child:

extortion to get a ransom from the parents, so that the parents can get the children back
illegal adoption, a stranger steals a child, so that the child can be raised as their own, or sold to a someone who says that they want to adopt the child.
human trafficking, stealing a child with the intent to exploit the child themselves or through trade to someone who will abuse the child through slavery, forced labor, or sexual abuse.
murder

When parents abduct (or take) their children

One type of child abduction is when parents take their children, in what is also called parental child abduction. It has happened when the relationship between two parents, breaks apart.

A parent may take away (or keep away) children, from the other parent.

During a child abduction by parents, the child can be kept in the same city or region or area, or the child can be taken farther away - even to a different country.

Child abduction by parents, can be looked at as one type of child abuse.^[1]

In the United States in 2010, child abduction by parents happened 200,000 times-^[2]

References

↑ Faulkner, Dr. Nancy (June 9, 1999). "Parental Child Abduction is Child Abuse". Prevent-abuse-now.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
↑ Maureen, Dabbagh (2012). Parental Kidnapping in America. US: McFarland. p. 1. ISBN 978-0-7864-6533-0. Archived from the original on 2012-05-09. Retrieved 2012-07-03.