How do people disappear? Well, there are many explanations for this question. Kidnappings, voluntary disappearances, death at sea, runaways and many other factors can explain how people disappear. However, there may be a more important question. Why do people disappear? In the United States, a child goes missing every 40 seconds. With adults and children combined in the United States alone, that equates to about 2,300 each day and more than 800,000 each year. The global estimate is that more than 8,000,000 people go missing every year. Most cases are resolved, but not all. “So at the end of 2012, of those 661,000 minus the canceled cases, we had 2,079 cases that remained at the end of the year unresolved.” said Todd Matthews, the director of communications for the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Why haven't we found these people? Many people ask this question and there is no obvious answer. When the police first receive a report of a missing person, they identify the level of risk the person is at. There are 3 risk classifications: low, medium and high. Low risk means the person is in no apparent danger from others or themselves. Missing people under the age of 18 should never be classified as low risk. Medium risk means they are likely unsafe or dangerous to themselves or others. High risk means the person is most likely in immediate danger or the victim of a serious crime. That said, it is extremely rare to have cases of kidnapping or murder. It happens, but most missing people are runaways or just wanted to start a new life. Once the police have assessed the risk, they can send officers. Officers are dispatched immediately if it is a high-risk case. And... in the middle of the newspaper... it's a topic because everything we hear about missing people is what the media wants to tell us. I thought it would be interesting to research information about why people disappear and not just believe what I'm given. I also find it very interesting how people can seemingly disappear out of nowhere without any explanation. It's truly baffling how people can disappear forever without anyone wondering where they went. I also believe that the United States has a good process for finding missing people, and the only thing I would change is that agents are sent to every case, not just the most urgent ones. Families are still suffering and wondering where a family member has gone, even if they are not in great danger. If you're over 18 and decide to disappear, remember that you may not be breaking the law, but there's a good chance you'll break someone's heart..