1. Missing Adult’s and Children’s Behaviours: Exploration of the Narrative Action System Model
Daniel Hunt, Dr Maria Ioannou and Dr Laura Hammond
International Research Centre for Investigative Psychology
University of Huddersfield

2. Missing Persons Background
Around 300,000 reports made annually
Majority remain within a five-mile radius, located within 48 hours, and experience no harm
Majority of research focus on antecedent influences or measurable statistics of the missing period
Complex and challenging nature
Missing Persons Background

3. Narrative Action System Model
Understanding behaviour via individualised psychological meanings
Frye’s (1957) circle of mythoi
McAdams’ (1998, 2012) communion and agency
Canter’s (1994) criminal ‘inner narratives’
Canter, Kaouri & Ioannou’s (2003) offender roles
Narrative action system model
Narrative Action System Model

4. Narrative Action System Model
Role
Mode
Narrative
Potency
Intimacy
Victim
Integrative
Irony
Low
High
Revenger
Conservative
Tragedy
Professional
Adaptive
Adventure
Hero
Expressive
Quest
Note: Sourced from Canter and Youngs (2009, p. 162).

5. Incorporation of Payne’s (1992, 1995) missing typology
Runaways (voluntary)
Throwaways (thrown out)
Pushaways (behaviours of others)
Fallaways (lost contact)
Takeaways (abducted)
Utilised framework of the Narrative Action System model
Mixed methods design
The Present Study

6. Methodology 50 archival missing persons police case files
Differentiated into child (N = 32) or adult (N = 18) groups
Content analysis of police case files
Smallest Space Analysis [SSA]
Methodology

7. Smallest Space Analysis [SSA]
Production of a visual, geometric ‘space’
Relationship of each variable measured with every other variable
The higher the correlation, the closer together their representative points will be
Ability to perform additional analysis based on the clusters of variables
Smallest Space Analysis [SSA]

8. SSA results for missing children sample
Figure 1. SSA geometric plot indicating the four narrative action system model themes within the child sample, comprising of a .14 coefficient of alienation

9. SSA results for missing children sample
Figure 1. SSA geometric plot indicating the four narrative action system model themes within the child sample, comprising of a .14 coefficient of alienation

10. SSA results for missing adults sample
Figure 2. SSA geometric plot indicating the four narrative action system model themes within the adult sample comprising of a .15 coefficient of alienation

11. SSA results for missing adults sample
Figure 2. SSA geometric plot indicating the four narrative action system model themes within the adult sample comprising of a .15 coefficient of alienation

12. Pushaway’s Conservative Tragedy
Individuals feel forced to go missing
Canter’s revenger role
High intimacy, high potency
Previous victims of violent, sexual or theft crimes
Longest time spent as missing
Pushaway’s Conservative Tragedy

13. Throwaway’s Expressive Quest
Missing is a temporary solution
Canter’s hero role
Low potency, low intimacy
High likelihood of substance problems
Mixed distances, locations and times
Throwaway’s Expressive Quest

14. Runaway’s Adaptive Adventure
Missing is the demonstration of unhappiness
Seeking material gains and regaining control
Canter’s professional role
High potency, low intimacy
Prior criminal convictions
Victim of sexual crime
Travelled greater distances
Located in short time frames
Runaway’s Adaptive Adventure

15. Fallaway’s Integrative Irony
Individual has fallen away from social networks
Canter’s victim role
Low potency, high intimacy
Expresses intent for self-harm and/or suicide
Travelled shortest distance
Located in the quickest time
Fallaway’s Integrative Irony

16. Implications and Applications
Development for a stronger, integrated model
Identification of current and future risk factors
Reduction of financial costs required
Ability to build on current findings
Implications and Applications

17. Limitations and Future Research
Small sample size
Use of police recorded data
Incorporate first-hand interviews
Exploration of consistency and change
Limitations and Future Research

18. Canter, D. (1994). Criminal Shadows. London: Harper Collins.
Canter, D., & Fritzon, K. (1998). Differentiating arsonists: a model of firesetting actions and characteristics. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 3(1), doi: /j tb00352.x.
Canter, D., & Ioannou, M. (2004). Criminals’ emotional experiences during crimes. International Journal of Forensic Psychology, 1(2), Retrieved from:
Canter, D., Kaouri, C., & Ioannou, M. (2003). The facet structure of criminal narratives. In S. Levy & D. Elizur (Eds.). Facet theory: Towards cumulative social science. Ljubljana, Slovenia: University of Ljubljana, Centre for Educational Development.
Canter, D., Sarangi, S., & Youngs, D. (2014). Terrorists’ personal constructs and their roles: a comparison of the three Islamic terrorists. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 19(1), doi: /j x.
Canter, D., & Youngs, D. (2009). Investigative Psychology: Offender profiling and the analysis of criminal action. Chichester: Wiley.
Canter, D., & Youngs, D. (2012). Narratives of criminal action and forensic psychology. Legal and Criminological Psychology, 17(2), doi: /j x.
European Commission (2013). Missing children in the European Union: Mapping, data collection and statistics. Rotterdam, NL: Publications Office of the European Union
Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of criticism: Four essays. Princeton: Princeton University Press.
Fyfe, N. R., Stevenson, O., & Woolnough, P. (2014). Missing persons: the process and challenges of police investigation. Police and Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 25(4), doi: /
Greene, K. S., & Hayden, C. (2014). Repeat reports to the police of missing people: Locations and characteristics. Retrieved from: characteristics.
McAdams, D. P. (1988). Power, intimacy, and the life story: Personological inquiries into identity. New York: Guilford Press.
National Crime Agency. (2016). Missing persons data report 2015/ London: NCA. Retrieved from:
Payne, M. (1995). Understanding ‘going missing’: issues for social work and social services. The British Journal of Social Work, 25(3), Retrieved from:
References