Work

Blame attribution and intention: exploring community attitudes towards missing persons in Australia

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Approximately 56,000 missing persons reports were made to Australian police in 2023. Missing persons are often categorised by their intentions and assessed for risk of harm to themselves or others based on their age, yet there is still a limited understanding of going missing. A community sample (N = 849) was recruited, using a vignette design methodology to explore the relationship between blame attribution, missing person intention and age, as well as the predictive effects of subject and observer characteristics. Male participants attributed significantly more blame to missing persons than females, and there was a significant main effect of intention on blame. Regression models indicated a strong relationship between observer gender, subject intention and blame. These findings have significant practical implications for further research and for informing police assessments and responses and provide a basis to develop supports for affected families, missing persons and the community.

Source: Cogent Psychology

DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2026.2708985

Authors: Zoe Smith, Stuart D. M. Thomas

Institution: RMIT University

Language: English

Topic: Policing Practices and Perceptions

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Gender equality

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,134