Parental abduction of a child occurs when the child is removed, by one parent, from the custody of the other parent or legally appointed guardians. The absence of the child has a profound impact on family members and significantly affects their lives. Also, parental abduction of a child is a relevant social problem which calls for further understanding. The aim of this research was to characterize the experiences of left behind parents in the context of parental abduction of a child. The data for this exploratory qualitative study were analyzed through thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews carried out with eight male participants in Portugal. Participants' perceptions were organized around three main themes: the impact of this adverse event on different areas of their lives, recovery strategies, and perspectives regarding the future. Findings and their implications for professionals working with these families are discussed in light of the ambiguous loss and ambiguous boundaries frameworks.

中文翻译：

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留守父母：葡萄牙父母绑架儿童经历的定性研究

当孩子被父母一方从另一方父母或合法指定的监护人的监护下带走时，就会发生父母绑架儿童。孩子的缺席会对家庭成员产生深远的影响，并严重影响他们的生活。此外，父母绑架儿童是一个相关的社会问题，需要进一步了解。这项研究的目的是描述留守父母在父母绑架儿童的背景下的经历。这项探索性定性研究的数据是通过对葡萄牙八名男性参与者进行的半结构化访谈的主题分析进行分析的。参与者的看法围绕三个主要主题进行组织：这一不利事件对他们生活不同领域的影响、恢复策略、以及对未来的看法。根据模糊的损失和模糊的边界框架，讨论了调查结果及其对与这些家庭合作的专业人员的影响。