or who they are. Death by natural causes (disease) or accident far from home without identification. Becoming lost accidentally in remote areas, including when participating in outdoor recreation or labour (hiking, mountaineering, hunting, etc.) Disappearance to take advantage of better employment or living conditions elsewhere. Sold into slavery, serfdom, sexual servitude, or other unfree labor. To avoid discovery of a crime or apprehension by law-enforcement authorities, (See also failure to appear.) and punishment after committing a such crime (murder, theft, rape, terrorism, fraud, etc.). Joining a cult or other religious organization that requires no contact to the outside world. To avoid war or persecution during a genocide. As a consequence of war - e.g. missing in action, impressment, collateral damage To escape famine or natural disaster. Death by floods, flash floods, debris flows, hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes. Death in the water, with no body recovered. Aviation accident where no wreckage is found or ship wreck where no wreckage is found Desertion during war or absent without leave (AWOL). To avoid conscription. Hostage. To avoid paying someone or something. Categories of missing children Runaways: Minors who run away from home, from the institution where they have been placed, or from the people responsible for their care. Thrownaways: Minors who are abandoned by their parents or guardians. Parental abduction: Minors who are abducted by their parents or guardians for unknown reasons. Non-parental abduction: Minors who are abducted by non-parental means. (e.g. random kidnapping on streets by random people.) Missing unaccompanied migrant minors: Disappearances of migrant children, nationals of a country in which there is no free movement of persons, under the age of 18 who have been separated from both parents and are not being cared for by an adult, who by law is responsible for doing so. Lost, injured or otherwise missing children: Disappearances for no apparent reason of minors who got lost (e.g., young children at the seaside in summer) or hurt themselves and cannot be found immediately (e.g. accidents during sport activities, at youth camps, etc.), as well as children whose reason for disappearing has not yet been determined or found. Legal aspects A common misconception is that a person must be absent for at least 24 hours before being legally classed as missing, but this is rarely the case. Law enforcement agencies often stress that the case should be reported as early as possible. In fact it is