An Examination of the Factors Affecting Persons' Missing and Preventive Approaches

The reasons for persons going missing are many and varied and missing persons have negative consequences of social order. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the causes and factors leading to individuals’ missing within the eastern part of Tehran and offer preventive approaches.

this is a practical research carried out by descriptive survey method. The statistical population consists of the commanders, managers and practitioners of east Tehran disciplinary command that are knowable and experienced on the subject of missing people. The sample size is 260 individual chosen through random sampling method and the information is gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire. The reliability of the research instrument was calculated by Cronbach’s alpha and the validity of the research instrument was found through consultation with experts and police executives.

according to the regression test, the following factors with their respective beta value had an effect on the missing of individuals: the criminal factors (.497), the economic factors (.372), accidental factors (.347), personal factors (.338), and social factors (.300). However, the results of multiple regression analysis which used to test the theoretical model of the study indicate that the social, criminal and individual factors have the most effect on the missing of people and the economic and accidental factors, due to their minor effect, were exclude from the model.

based on simple regression analysis, all the factors have a direct and positive relationship with the missing of people, which means that the missing of people decrease by decreasing the circumstances for these factors and vice versa. However, based on the theoretical model test, social, criminal and individual factors have the most effect on the missing of people.