Abduction is the criminal act of taking a person away by means of fraud, persuasion, by threat of violence or by force. Kidnapping, by comparison, is limited to a threat of violence or forcefully taking adults or the by the taking of children. It often involves some form of false imprisonment. In some states, kidnapping and abduction are treated as the same thing. But in most jurisdictions they are separate crimes. Unlawful interference with family members such as removing a child from its parents is abduction. It does not matter if the minor consents or not. Kidnapping is the unlawful taking of a person against their will. Abduction can also mean the taking of any female person for the purposes of prostitution, concubinage or (forced) marriage. 