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Essay on Child Trafficking | Child Trafficking Essay for Students and Children in English

February 14, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Child Trafficking: child trafficking is a serious issue that is prevalent in our country. It is because of the number of people that are under the lines of poverty and it is usually this demographic that is subject to child trafficking. The majority of the country’s trafficking problem is internal in the sense that it is usually the most disadvantaged people of the countries that face it, for example, the Dalits, religious minorities, tribal community members, and girls from different minority groups as well. Due to poor socio-economic situations, parents are lured and taken advantage of by people and thereby leaving their children into such trafficking rings. The parents from these poor backgrounds assume that the children are going to live in better conditions but in reality, the children are kidnapped and taken advantage of.

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Long and Short Essays on Child Trafficking for Students and Kids in English

We provide children and students with essay samples on a long essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic “Child Trafficking” for reference.

Short Essay on Child Trafficking 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Child Trafficking is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

In India, child trafficking is so prevalent that there is a huge need for the implementation and convergence of complex child protective norms. Indian children that live under poverty lines are required to work to help support their family and they are usually exposed to say many vulnerable places that can take advantage of them like agricultural land and constructions sites, trafficking is very much common for the sake of forced child labour.

We constantly hear how little girls of age below puberty are victims of the sex trade and are sold overseas where they have no one to rescue to them. Children are so subject to work in various industries that are highly dangerous and toxic environments.it is of grave importance that we educate parents and also set up institutions to help children to get out of such rings or not be subject to them. By keeping children informed and also making sure parents report cases to the police will help so much.

Long Essay on Child Trafficking 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Child Trafficking is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

People around the world have become so greedy that they are ready to trade children like commodities to trade and use them for labour. Cheap labour has made child trafficking more prevalent in our country and the conditions that these children work in are so horrible. Trafficked children are used to working in dangerous places for a lot of illegal activities most of the time such as sexual exploitation, slavery, drug selling, domestic work, and working in construction sites.

Children from the marginalized and poor socio-economic background that are often trafficked into work. Most of the time the parents are betrayed because of their extreme conditions thus either selling them or sending them to have a better livelihood. Parents are usually one of the main causes of trafficking as their poor means force them to send their children in hopes of a better life. The problem is that children don’t understand what they are going through and are suddenly fallen into that trap. Traffickers promise the parents with minimum wage and shelter to the children but by tricking them they take the children away. Little girls are usually the most subject to the sex trade and this is the most unforgiving practice that parents are usually unaware of or they sell their children to these traffickers.

It is very important to spread awareness about this everywhere so that children and parents can make better-informed choices. We must understand that children have a lot to live for and they shouldn’t be put in such conditions. When we compare how normal middle-class families live a normal life compared to these children who are trafficked, we can see that massive difference in their livelihoods and see the pure unfairness at hand. We must try our best to give these children the life they deserve by bringing out more campaigns and making more people aware of what is going on.

The main causes for child trafficking are unemployment, education, poverty, and awareness. Most parents also sell their own children to clear out their debts and live a better life from their poverty-stricken life. These children are often forced to do many illegal activities and are constantly exploited. Some of these children are also taken for the purpose of organ trafficking purposes, a lot of the time it is little girls that are exploited for sexual activities. These children are made to live in the worst of the worst conditions known to mankind.

The poor implementation of laws is the main reason for child trafficking. This isn’t just an issue in India but worldwide and this needs serious attention. The worst form of child trafficking is child sex and it is an ongoing severe issue. The victims of this are usually forced to work in brothels, strip clubs, and bars. The worst of these situations is when they are sold off to work in private homes and are a slave to the owners unless they are saved by somebody or find a way to escape. Children who are victims of trafficking experience various emotional, social, mental, and physical effects and these usually stay for a long time. Most of the children are victims of anxiety, depression, psychiatric disorders, trauma, and some of the sex victims contract different STDs. later in life, a lot of these children develop tendencies to become drug addicted or become alcoholics.

children from poor socio-economic and marginalized backgrounds that are often trafficked into work. Most of the days the parents are betrayed due to their extreme conditions thus either selling them or sending them to possess a far better livelihood. Parents are usually one the most causes for trafficking as their poor means force them to send their children in hopes for a far better life. the matter is that children don’t understand what they’re browsing and are suddenly fallen into that trap. Traffickers promise the oldsters with minimum wage and shelter to the youngsters but by tricking them they take the youngsters away. Little girls are usually the foremost subject to the sex trade and this is often the foremost unforgiving practice that oldsters are usually unaware of or they sell their children to those traffickers.

A lot of the time primary pull factors are drug issues and cash. The push factors are unemployment, family requirements and mainly everything revolves around poverty. A lot of these poverty-stricken families are trapped in these high wages of child trafficking. These children aren’t just traded within the country but to different parts of the world. Most of these children are given the worst treatment known to mankind and are forced to beg and steal. A lot of the time unlawful organ transplantation also happens. The trafficked children are sexually and physically abused throughout their life till they are deemed not worthy or not valued anymore.

A lot of the cases are when children are forcefully kidnapped and then deported to disgusting environments. These environments can have a huge impact on the growth and overall development of the child. Severe laws need to be put in place so that children have at least a chance of being saved from child trafficking. On a global level, it is currently increasing at an alarming rate. There are many factors that give it such a rise. It is important that strict laws be implemented especially in developing nations so that these children living under the poverty line have a chance to have a better life.

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Essay on Child Trafficking for Children and Students

Table of Contents

Child Trafficking refers to illegal transportation of children for forced labor, slavery or any other kind of exploitation. Child trafficking is a crime banned under law in every nation of the world; still the practice continues in poor and developing nations. Even trafficking children for the purpose of adoption is a crime. According to the data provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO), nearly 1.2 million children are trafficked every year. The crime of child trafficking has serious human rights implications and results in mental and physical trauma for the children.

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Long and Short Essay on Child Trafficking in English

We have provided below short and long essay on child trafficking in English for your information and knowledge.

These Child Trafficking essay written in simple yet effective English for you to make it easy to remember and present when needed.

After reading these essays on Child Trafficking you will know about the meaning of child trafficking, what impact does it has on the society and the children; how child trafficking impedes growth; what steps have been taken by the government to curtail child trafficking etc.

The essays will be helpful in school/college events wherein you are required to write essays, give speech or take part in debate competition.

Child Trafficking Essay 1 (200 words)

The action of illegally hiring or selling, delivering, receiving or sheltering children for the purpose of any kind of exploitation is child trafficking. Children are kidnapped, work as bonded labors or are forced for early marriages. The victims are also recruited to manufacture drugs and weapons.

There are a large number of children subjected to forced labor, begging and sexual exploitation. Innocent children, boys and girls are exposed to the vulnerable conditions, violence and sexual abuse. It is the violation of human rights and children are deprived freedom. It breaches the child’s mental and physical ability which is primary to every child’s growth. Children lose their childhood because of the ill-practice of child trafficking. The basic rights of children, irrespective of economic status, caste or gender, are robbed from them.

Traffickers are aware of the fact that children have less developed mental ability to understand wrong and right and are less capable to voice their trauma compared to the adults. Thus, they are an easy target. This practice deprives the child of proper growth with love and care of the family. He/ she is exposed to violence, abuse and traumatic conditions.

There is a need to create awareness and educate people about child trafficking. There should be appropriate laws in order to prevent child trafficking and these laws should be implemented effectively.

Child Trafficking Essay 2 (300 words)

Introduction.

Child trafficking is to seek a child for exploitation. Thousands of children trafficked every year from rural, tribal as well as urban areas in India. Victims bought and sold like commodities.

Different Stages of Child Trafficking

• Recruitment : Recruiting takes place in different ways. It may be voluntary if a child wants to support his/her family’s poor economic condition. Children may even kidnapped or sold to the recruiter directly.
• Movement : Movement might occur locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally through various modes of transportation.
• Exploitation : After the victim is transferred to the final destination, traffickers exploit them in various ways like child labor, sexual assault, begging, or making them domestic slaves etc.

Child Trafficking: Supply and Demand

• Supply : Those who are trafficked compose the supply. The various supply factors are poverty, natural disasters, unemployment, domestic violence etc.
• Demand : The traffickers and those who benefit from the child exploitation provide the demand. The most common demand factors are migrations, demand for cheap labor, organ trade, sex tourism, brothels, organized crime etc.

Child Trafficking in India

Child trafficking is the fastest growing and the third largest organized crime in India. According to UNICEF 12.6 million children engaged in unsafe occupations. NHRC of INDIA 40,000 children adducted each year out of which 11,000 are untraced. According to The Global Slavery Index, existing figure of slaves is 18.3 million in India. Every 8 minutes, a child is missing in India.

Child trafficking a fast growing network and has to be stopped. Government has to work with the help of NGO’s to develop, evaluate and implement laws and provisions to stop the crime. The exploiters have to punished rather than the exploited. Creating awareness and educating people is important. We need to stop supporting the act by refraining from giving donation to the beggars on the street as helping them encourages the crime even more.

Child trafficking Essay 3 (400 Words)

Child trafficking is the illegal activity of acquiring or moving people below the age of 18 for exploitation. Traffickers apply new methods every day to trick children and draw them away from home and sell them for certain amount or force them for labour, sex and other illegal activities. The various forms of child trafficking include child labour, early marriages, sexual assault, begging and organ trade etc. They isolated from happiness and constantly tortured.

Effects of Child Trafficking

Let us have a look at the effects of child trafficking in detail:

Children trafficked moved away from the family environment and departed from the shield of love, care and protection by parents. They have to work under hazardous conditions and exploited in several ways. Child trafficking is child abuse and has shattering and traumatic impact on a child. There is no one they can turn up to in such trauma.

Most of the children trafficked are from poor and uneducated families where children support their families for income, they hardly ever go to school. Such children tricked by traffickers for the lure of high wages and transported to other destinations to work in industries for cheap wages or sold for some amount. Young Girls forced in to prostitution and the work environment in the sex organizations is such that restricts child’s mental growth. Girls sexually assaulted and not encouraged for education.

Physical Health:

Child trafficking victims experience inhumane living conditions, Poor diet and hygiene, physical abuse and beating and deprived from the basic health care rights. Some of them used for organ trade, others get injured at workplace. Children sexually assaulted are at the risk of unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, infections and abortions. Acid poured into the eyes of some children to blind them for begging as they make more money. The life of the victims is always in danger in such working conditions.

Victims of child trafficking have adverse behaviour signs. Their voices shut and hearts wounded which affects their relationship with others. Some might isolate themselves and cause harm and pain to oneself physically. They might get panic and anxiety attacks. Some may also excuse the reality by taking drugs and alcohol. Victims may loss interest in life and might try to escape away or commit suicide.

Psychology could play vital role in recovery and healing the mental health of victims. The victims need to undergo proper healing process in the rehabilitation centres. Once rescued should nurtured with love and care by the communities. The victims should reunited with their families.

The consequences of child trafficking are dreadful. Improving and implementing prevention programs is critical. Creating awareness and educating people is vital. Forming different strategies and executing them to eliminate child trafficking groups and criminals should constant effort made by government with the help of society.

Child Trafficking Essay 4 (500 Words)

Child trafficking is the heart breaking truth chronic especially in India. The vital causes of child trafficking in India are lack of education, poor functioning of law, unemployment and poverty. Influenced by the society to have children despite poverty and scarcity of food, parents often find selling their children more profitable than nurturing them. Other children kidnapped or tricked for employment by the traffickers or have to work as bonded labours to pay family debts.

Causes of Child Trafficking

Let’s have a look at some vital causes in detail:

• Girls as the Object of Desire:

Girls seen as the objects of desire and demand from customers for young girls in prostitution is much higher, as a result female children bought and sold for the purpose of prostitution and sexual exploitation.

Unemployment:

Unemployment rate in India is high due to which there are less financial opportunities. In order to support family needs or under pressure of family members children bound to work. Often they tricked for work and subjected to slavery, begging and sexual exploitation. Children from rural areas in poor condition trafficked to cities for employment in industries such as spinning mills, hotels, restaurants, and construction for little or no pay at all. They often physically and mentally exploited by the employers and have to work under hazardous conditions.

• Bonded Labour:

Bonded labour also known as debt labour. Some parents sell their children as bonded labour for cash or bound by debt to force their children to work as a bonded labour. Children forced to work as bonded labors or do domestic work in order to pay family debts.

Lack of Education and Awareness:

Lack of education is the major reason for lack of awareness which makes families surrender to traffickers. Each year millions of children are born without any birth registration making it impossible to track in any system. These children become the easy target for child traffickers.

Poor Function of Laws:

Child trafficking in India has also increased due to poor functioning of the law. Child traffickers at lower risk as there no serious action taken against them.

Natural Disasters:

Natural disasters like earthquake or flood in a particular state or city is the time when traffickers attracted. Traffickers can act as a relief worker and trick children by offering food, work or shelter. They exploit the children under extremely vulnerable condition. Children who lose their families in natural disasters bound or forced by traffickers to take uncertain decisions.

Child Marriages:

Many girls forced by families or sold by traffickers for child marriage. In most cases the condition of girls in early marriages is like slaves. They exploited physically and mentally.

There are several constitutional and legislative provisions in India like, Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, Bonded Labour System Act 1986, Child Labour Act 1986, Transplantation of human organs Act 1994, The Immoral Traffic Act 1956. Proper implementation of the provisions required with the help of government and NGOs to end the root causes.

Child Trafficking Essay 5 (600 words)

The illicit act of forcefully acquiring or transferring children for the purpose of labour or sexual exploitation known as child trafficking.

Children deprived from the family environment and forced to work in the sectors where working conditions and the approach of employers towards them violate the human rights and freedom of the children. Children used for illegal activities like prostitution, begging, pickpocketing, drug couriering, early marriages, and organ transplants. The working environments are dangerous and harmful for child’s mental and physical health.

Types of Child Trafficking

Child Trafficking has been classified into different categories. Here is a look at some types of child trafficking in detail:

• Domestic slave

Child Labour

Bonded labour, sexual exploitation, illegal activities.

• Trafficking of Organs

Child Soldiers

Domestic slave.

Children and their families in the rural areas often tricked for the lure of higher wages in the cities. In reality the children sold for certain amount and forced to work as house help for no wages at all. In most of the child marriages young females exploited as domestic slave and sexually assaulted. Such crimes hardly ever exposed as they take place in private homes.

Children from rural areas often migrate or trafficked for employment in industries like hotels and restaurants, construction industries, spinning mills etc. Victims are also physically and mentally exploited. They forced to work for very low or no wages at all under threatening conditions.

Bonded labors the labours that forced to pay the family debt. Parents give away their children when they are unable to pay debts. Also children sold for some amount due to poverty and lack of basic resources.

Sexual Exploitation is the bitter truth in rural as well as urban areas in India. Young females trafficked and forced to work as prostitute. Children also exploited for commercial sex for the exchange of drugs, food, shelter etc. Unwanted pregnancy, HIV, STD’s and even deaths are the common after-effects faced by these victims.

Children also trafficked for illegal activities such as begging and organ trade as they more sympathized by people as weak. Therefore in some unfortunate conditions, their body parts damaged or cut off by the criminals as those injured make more money.

Trafficking for Organs

Demand for organs is higher than supply. This results in the illegal trade of organs and trafficking. Organs such as eyes and kidneys in particular are high in demand. There are criminal groups that exploit children for personal profits. Child organ trafficking is the dark reality in today’s world.

Many children under the age group of 18 are trafficked and are being exploited as child soldiers. Other children also forced to work as guards, cooks, servants etc. The children forced to work hard as a result they deprived from the childhood, love and care of their families.

The society and government needs to focus on Prevention, Prosecution and Protection. The government should adopt proper measures to prevent severe kind of child trafficking. Awareness in the society has to created by educating and informing people and the victims of child trafficking about the causes and effects of the different forms of child trafficking. The government needs to redefine laws and make sure the laws implemented efficiently. Government needs to make continuous efforts with the help of NGOs and society to abolish all forms of child trafficking. Serious action needs to taken against the trafficking chain and everyone involved in the crime must punished by law.

Related Information:

Speech on Child Trafficking

Speech on Organ Trafficking

Paragraph on Child Labour

Speech on Child Labour

Essay on Beggars

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Essay on Child Trafficking

Students are often asked to write an essay on Child Trafficking in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Child Trafficking

What is child trafficking.

Child trafficking is a crime where kids are taken from their homes and forced to work or do other bad things. It’s like stealing someone’s child to use them for work or to harm them.

Why it Happens

This happens for money. Some people are very poor and sell their children. Others steal children to sell them. People who buy them might make them work, beg, or do worse things.

The Effects on Children

Children who are trafficked are scared and hurt. They miss their families and don’t get to play or go to school. They often feel alone and sad.

Stopping Child Trafficking

To stop this, we must tell others it’s wrong and help poor families. Governments and police must work hard to catch the bad people who do this. We all need to help keep children safe.

250 Words Essay on Child Trafficking

Why is it a big problem.

This is a huge problem because it is very wrong to treat children this way. Children should be in school and with their families, not working in harmful conditions. They lose the chance to learn, play, and grow up safely. Their health and happiness are at risk, and they can feel very scared and alone.

Who is Responsible?

Many bad people are involved in child trafficking. They might trick the families by promising good jobs for the children or lie about giving them education. Sometimes, even the people who should protect children, like some police or government workers, do not stop the traffickers.

What Can We Do?

Everyone can help fight child trafficking. We can start by learning about it and telling others. If we see something that doesn’t seem right, like a child working when they shouldn’t be, we should tell a trusted adult. Governments and schools can teach children and parents about the dangers of trafficking. By working together, we can help keep children safe.

500 Words Essay on Child Trafficking

What is child trafficking.

Child trafficking is a serious problem where kids are taken away from their homes and families. People who do this are called traffickers. They use these children for work, to fight as soldiers, or make them do other things that are wrong and dangerous. It’s like stealing someone’s life and freedom.

Why Does Child Trafficking Happen?

There are many reasons why child trafficking happens. Sometimes, it’s because families are very poor and traffickers trick them by promising money, education, or better lives for their children. In other cases, it’s because of wars or disasters that make children easy to take. Also, some people just want to make money, and they don’t care about hurting children to do it.

How Are Children Trafficked?

Children who are trafficked often face terrible things. They might have to work very hard for no money, live in bad places, or be treated poorly. This can hurt their bodies and make them feel scared or alone. They miss out on going to school and playing with friends, which are important for growing up happy and healthy.

What Is Being Done?

Many people and groups are fighting against child trafficking. They try to help by making laws that punish traffickers, teaching families and children about the dangers, and helping those who have been trafficked to get back to their normal lives. It’s a big job, but many are working together to stop it.

Child trafficking is a sad and wrong thing that takes away the happiness and safety of children. It’s important for us to understand what it is, why it happens, and how we can help stop it. By working together, we can make sure that all children have the chance to grow up in a world where they are safe and free to live their dreams.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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The Fight Against  Child Trafficking

Child trafficking is a crime – and represents the tragic end of childhood.

Child trafficking refers to the exploitation of girls and boys, primarily for forced labor and sexual exploitation. Children account for 27% of all the human trafficking victims worldwide, and two out of every three child victims are girls[i].

Sometimes sold by a family member or an acquaintance, sometimes lured by false promises of education and a "better" life —  the reality  is that these trafficked and exploited children are held in slave-like conditions without enough food, shelter or clothing, and are often severely abused and cut off from all contact with their families.

Children are often trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation or for labor, such as domestic servitude, agricultural work, factory work and mining, or they’re forced to fight in conflicts. The most vulnerable children, particularly  refugees  and migrants, are often preyed upon and their hopes for an education, a better job or a better life in a new country.[ii]

Every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, and as a result, children are forced to drop out of school, risk their lives and are deprived of what every child deserves – a future.

Child Trafficking: Myth vs. Fact

Child trafficking affects every country in the world , including the United States. Children make up 27% of all human trafficking victims worldwide, and two out of every three identified child victims are girls[i].

Trafficking, according to the United Nations, involves three main elements[ii]:

• The act: Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons.
• The means:  Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.
• The purpose:  For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

There is much misinformation about what trafficking is, who is affected and what it means for a child to be trafficked. Read on to learn more about the myths vs. facts of child trafficking.

MYTH: Traffickers target victims they don’t know

FACT: A majority of the time, victims are trafficked by someone they know, such as a friend, family member or romantic partner.

MYTH: Only girls and women are victims of human trafficking

FACT: Boys and men are just as likely to be victims of human trafficking as girls and women. However, they are less likely to be identified and reported. Girls and boys are often subject to different types of trafficking, for instance, girls may be trafficked for forced marriage and sexual exploitation, while boys may be trafficked for forced labor or recruitment into armed groups.

MYTH: All human trafficking involves sex or prostitution

FACT: Human trafficking can include forced labor, domestic servitude, organ trafficking, debt bondage, recruitment of children as child soldiers , and/or sex trafficking and forced prostitution.  

MYTH: Trafficking involves traveling, transporting or moving a person across borders

FACT: Human trafficking is not the same thing as smuggling, which are two terms that are commonly confused. Trafficking does not require movement across borders. In fact, in some cases, a child could be trafficked and exploited from their own home. In the U.S., trafficking most frequently occurs at hotels, motels, truck stops and online.

MYTH: People being trafficked are physically unable to leave or held against their will

FACT: Trafficking can involve force, but people can also be trafficked through threats, coercion, or deception. People in trafficking situations  can be controlled through drug addiction, violent relationships, manipulation, lack of financial independence, or  isolation from family or friends, in addition to physical restraint or harm.

MYTH: Trafficking primarily occurs in developing countries

FACT: Trafficking occurs all over the world, though the most common forms of trafficking can differ by country.  The United States is one of the most active sex trafficking countries in the world, where exploitation of trafficking victims occurs in cities, suburban and rural areas. Labor trafficking occurs in the U.S., but at lower rates than most developing countries.

Does child trafficking happen in the United States?

Yes, children are targeted for trafficking in the U.S. and are trafficked into the country from around the world. Often, children are trafficked from developing to developed countries. Victims are trafficked under various circumstances, including prostitution, online sexual exploitation, the illegal drug trade and forced labor.

In the U.S., 60% of child sex trafficking victims have a history in the child welfare system[iv]. Foster children in particular are vulnerable to being victimized by child trafficking[iiv]. Children in the foster care system often live in of the poorest communities in America, where Save the Children works to break the cycle of poverty and ensure that every child gets a healthy start, a quality education, and is protected.

How many children are victim to child trafficking?

An estimated 1.2 million children are affected by trafficking at any given time [iiv] . Around the world, most children who are victims of trafficking involved in forced labor. Worldwide:

• 168 million children are victims of forced labor [iv]
• 215 million children are engaged in child labor  [iii]
• 115 million of those children are involved in hazardous work  [iii]

How does trafficking differ from smuggling?

Trafficking and smuggling are terms that are commonly mixed up or considered synonymous. They both involved transporting another individual, but there are some critical differences.

Smuggling  involves the illegal entry of a person into a state where he or she is not a resident.

There are three key differences between trafficking and smuggling [iv] :

• Consent  – Individuals involved have consented to the smuggling. Trafficking victims either have not consented or have been coerced into consent.
• Exploitation  – When the smuggled individual arrives at their destination, the smuggling ends. Trafficking is the continuous exploitation of a victim to generate profit for the traffickers.
• Transnationality  – A person who is smuggled is always brought from one state to another. Trafficking can occur either within or between states.

How is Save the Children helping victims of child trafficking?

Save the Children works to combat child trafficking through prevention, protection, and prosecution. In order to maximize our efforts, we work with communities, local organizations and civil society, and national governments to protect children from being exploited – and to help restore the dignity of children who have survived.

Save the Children takes a holistic approach to tackle the root causes of child trafficking and involves children in the design and implementation of solutions.

Working alongside communities and local and national governments Save the Children supports:

• Preventing trafficking at the community level by creating awareness of the risks of migration
• Providing support to children who have been trafficked and help them return home and reintegrate into their communities
• Improving law enforcement and instigate legal reform to protect survivors of trafficking.

By supporting livelihoods, we help families avoid the need for their children to work. By raising awareness of trafficking, we reduce the number of children being trafficked. By helping rehabilitate survivors, we empower them to rebuild their lives. By protecting unaccompanied refugee children, we keep them from the clutches of traffickers.

We Launch Anti-Trafficking Advocacy Campaigns With all the excitement that led up to the South Africa World Cup 2010, it is easy to forget that such a major sporting event can lead to child trafficking and unsafe child migration. To help protect children during this time, and raise community awareness of the dangers, Save the Children in Mozambique launched an advocacy campaign called "Open Your Eyes" with radio and television programs, interviews, posters and postcards that reached 250,000 people

The former national team captain, Tico-Tico, even volunteered his own time to appear in several advertisements highlighting the problem of child trafficking. Even after the World Cup was over, this advocacy worked to help protect vulnerable children from exploitation

We Support Public Policy and Training One reason trafficking and exploitation of children flourish is because of inadequate laws and policies against it. In El Salvador, Save the Children focused on Mejicanos, one of the most frequent areas for trafficking of children, and supported the municipal council in drafting the first-ever ordinance to prevent child trafficking, and monitor its implementation.

Save the Children also conducts awareness training in schools, so children can learn how to keep safe, as well as how and where to report any suspicious activity. Now the majority of Mejicanos are working with Save the Children to share this experience and replicate its success throughout El Salvador.

We Use Research in Creative Ways to Protect Children from Child Trafficking “Positive deviance” – an innovative approach pioneered by Save the Children and well-documented in improving children’s health and nutrition, is also being used to fight child trafficking. Save the Children used this approach in two child protection programs — one to prevent trafficking in girls for commercial sex work in Indonesia, and the other to reintegrate girls who were abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and girl mothers into their communities in Uganda.

When is World Trafficking Day?

In 2013, the United Nations passed a resolution designating July 30 as World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to raise awareness about the growing issue of human trafficking and the protection of victims and their rights.

Who can I contact if I witness or suspect child trafficking?

The Childhelp® National Child Abuse Hotline – Professional crisis counselors will connect you with a local number to report abuse. Call: 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453)

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) – Aimed at preventing child abduction and exploitation, locating missing children, and assisting victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation. Call: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

National Human Trafficking Resource Center – A 24-hour hotline open all day, every day, which helps identify, protect, and serve victims of trafficking. Call: 1-888-373-7888.

How Girls Are Affected By Trafficking

Tragically, both girls and boys are vulnerable to child trafficking. However, girls are disproportionally targeted and must deal with the life-long effects of gender inequality and gender-based violence .

Often, girls around the world are forced to drop out of school or denied access to income-generating opportunities. This resulting social exclusion can trap girls in a cycle of extreme poverty, as well as increased vulnerability to trafficking and exploitation.

Girls are 2x likelier to be reported as trafficking victims

Girls tend to be trafficked for forced marriages and sexual slavery

120 million girls worldwide experience sexual exploitation 

Child Trafficking in Conflict Zones

Because child trafficking is often linked with lucrative criminal activity and corruption, it is hard to estimate how many children suffer, but trafficking and exploitation is an increasing risk as more children around the world live in conflict.

Globally,  426 million children live in conflict zones today . That’s nearly one-fifth of the world’s children. Living amidst conflict increases children’s exposure to grave human rights violations, which include child trafficking and gender-based violence. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Child Trafficking

What is child trafficking.

Child trafficking is a type of human trafficking.  According to the United Nations, trafficking involves three main elements [iv] :

• The act  - Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons.
• The means  - Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.
• The purpose  - For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

National Human Trafficking Resource Center – A 24-hour hotline open all day, every day, which helps identify, protect, and serve victims of trafficking. Call: 1-888-373-7888.  

[i] Give Her a Choice: Building A Better Future For Girls (Save the Children)  [ii]  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Child Victims of Human Trafficking: Fact Sheet [iii]  The Many Faces of Exclusion: 2018 End of Childhood Report [iv]  United Nations Office on Drug and Crime [v]  United Nations: World Day Against Human Trafficking [iv]  National Foster Youth Institute [vii] Child Trafficking Essentials

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I Was Trafficked as a Teen. Here’s What I Want People to Understand

W hen I talk about being trafficked as a teenager, people ask two questions: How did it happen, and how did nobody know it happened? For most of my life, these conversations happened with the few friends, and then recently it happened more frequently after the release of my novel, The Lookback Window , which is about recovering from sex trafficking and pursuing justice in the wake of New York’s Child Victims Act. Sex trafficking isn’t dinner conversation, and the instances where it makes the news often revolve around paranoid fantasies of the alt-right. Recently, this manifested as Sound of Freedom , the terrible, white savior film starring Jim Caviezel, which doubles as a biopic of Tim Ballard and a false charity.

Tim Ballard is a conservative multi-hyphenate who created Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-child trafficking organization, after witnessing the horrific commercial sex trade from his work in the Department of Homeland Services’ Internet Crimes Against Children task force. This is the subject of the film, his heroic origin story. Nowhere in this biopic do you ever understand anything, really, but the notes of the film feel familiar enough, as if they have been recycled from another story, another fiction, another con. In October 2023, Ballard was accused of grooming and sexually harassing women, allegedly using his work with Operation Underground Railroad as a narrative cover, asking women how far they would go to help the cause. Would they pose as his wife, sleep with him, do what it takes to save the children?

At some point in the film, Caviezel says, “Nobody cares.” The dominant narrative has been that nobody cares because no one understands how the practice exists around them. It’s a lonely feeling and a sentiment that I have felt at times in my recovery. Media like this doesn’t do much but exacerbate this feeling. It preys on the right’s xenophobia, conspiracists, and religious fanaticism under the guise of saving the children.

But the problem is that the international commercial sex trade doesn’t just exist—it persists. In fact, it lives here, in America, all around us. And by sharing what happened to me, I hope that other victims will have an easier time speaking up and advocating for justice.

When I was 14, I got a message on MySpace from a 19-year-old who also lived in my same city in Westchester, telling me that he thought I was attractive. He lived across the street from my high school and asked if I wanted to go on a date. I didn’t respond at first, but I showed a friend of mine the message, and she told me she knew him. He was a family friend. I was lonely, had a difficult relationship with my parents, and was closeted. So, I responded to the message. 

When we met, he kissed me on the lips, asked my age, and then asked if I had ever smoked a blunt. I got so high I thought I was having a stroke. He asked me to be his boyfriend and then raped me in his bedroom and told me he loved me. When I was bleeding after, he said the same thing happened to him the first time he had sex, and that it was normal to bleed. I trusted him.

He’s what’s known as a “Romeo,” a pimp who lures a vulnerable person using the structure of a romantic relationship. He would give me a ring to wear, promising to marry me when I turned 18, too. He picked out a wedding date and wrote it on his wall. I don’t have many pictures from that era because my stomach turns if I’m reminded of how young I really looked, knowing what happened to me. But my family took a trip to Colorado that year and that friend who knew my rapist came along. She took pictures of the two of us, and if you look at my hand you could see the ring. I thought my boyfriend loved me.

There are other types of pimps: gorilla pimps whose main method of control is violence, CEO pimps who promise money, and familial pimps who sell the people in their family. Nothing is ever so separate, and when you’re being groomed you don’t realize what’s happening to you. He started out by telling stories of what he had done when he had been my age. They started out as cool, funny stories of hooking up with older men. The drugs he had done. Fights he had been in. That he had burned down part of his house when he was younger. (Later, after years had passed, I found out that he had been in-and-out of jail for various assaults.) He came up with a story that he was 16, if anyone asked, and that I couldn’t tell anyone about us or he could go to jail, and if I were talking about him to use a fake name.

Read More: She Survived Sex Trafficking. Now She Wants to Show Other Women a Way Out

I would skip school and walk to his house. On the weekends, I would tell my parents I was sleeping over at a different friend’s place, where he would get me high or drunk, and then post the ads on Craigslist with naked pictures of me that he had taken. Old men would reply and come over, give him money or drugs or both, and rape me in his bedroom. Some had wedding rings, some would force other drugs into me, and all of them asked how old I was. Sometimes he would drive me to their house. He would give me pills to calm me down the next day, buy me food, tell me details about the wedding. He would give me hickeys and teach me how to cover up bruises, and then by the time the older men hurt me I knew how to cover up bruises on my own. He bought me jockstraps and short shorts, and he had once casually joked about taking child porn in conversation to my friend who came to Colorado. I only know this detail because when I eventually went to the police, that friend had written it down in her diary, which was dated, and given over to the detective.

I failed classes and missed so much school my parents were alerted. I was rail thin, depressed, and was put on benzos by a psychiatrist. I was caught hanging out with this other older guy with a fake name. I wore very short shorts, tight shirts, and fell asleep during the day since I could barely sleep at night. I didn’t have many friends. All of these are considered signs that point to a risk factor.

He “broke up” with me when I was 17. I stopped looking as young as I once looked. No longer did I have braces. I went through puberty. One of the last times I saw the man who pimped me out, I told him how much he had hurt me and that I thought about going to the police. He threw my phone against the wall, beat me, and warned me what would happen if I ever told anyone. I overdosed on pills later that year, wanting to end the panic attacks, depression, and fear, but I was too young to know what had happened to me—that I was dealing with complex PTSD, and the extent of the violence.

The day after I graduated high school, I moved to San Diego without knowing anyone because I could not stomach being near the scene of the crimes. It was the farthest place away I could find. I have been in recovery for almost two decades now, and finally got the proper help I needed once I started telling people what happened. I was referred to the Crime Victims Treatment Center, a place where I could actually learn how to deal with living as someone who had once been trafficked. I could have had an easier time had I spoken more about what happened, had I known there are real treatments, had I not only thought of trafficking as something that happens far away from New York. If I had the language for what happened to me earlier, I could have saved myself years of private shame and self-destruction.

What is the sound of freedom? It’s what wakes my husband in the middle of the night as I scream in my sleep, 17 years later, and the softness of his voice telling me I’m safe. Or a notification from Instagram as a stranger who read my book tells me: “I was also trafficked as a teenager and our stories are super similar.” And the crowd asking questions about vengeance and justice at Strand Books where I talk with a friend about how angry I am and the solace I’ve found in being open. The practice of liberation requires creating room for the speech of victims. When I finish my events, I have a moment of silence for others to raise their hands, to talk after the event, to send a message. You are free to say what you need.

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5 Essays On Human Trafficking You Can Access Freely Online

Every country faces specific human rights issues, but human trafficking is a problem for every place on the planet. Wherever there’s poverty, conflict, a lack of education, or political instability, vulnerable people are at risk. Human trafficking is the world’s fastest-growing criminal industry. Sexual exploitation brings in most of the billions of dollars of profit, but forced labor also generates wealth. The universality of human trafficking doesn’t negate the fact that the issue is multi-faceted and as a multitude of root causes . Certain countries are more dangerous than others and certain people groups are more vulnerable. To learn more about specific human trafficking issues and solutions, here are five essays you can read or download for free:

“Human Trafficking and Exploitation: A Global Health Concern”

By: Cathy Zimmerman and Ligia Kiss

While labor migration can be beneficial to workers and employers, it’s also a hotbed for exploitation. In this essay from PLOS, the authors argue that human trafficking and the exploitation of low-wage workers have significant negative health impacts. Because of the magnitude of human trafficking, health concerns constitute a public health problem. Thanks to certain business models that depend on disposable labor, exploitation is allowed to flourish while protections are weakened. The essay states that trafficking initiatives must focus on stopping exploitation within each stage of labor migration. This essay introduces a special collection from PLOS on human trafficking and health. It’s the first medical journal collection on this topic. It includes pieces on child sex trafficking in the United States and the slavery of sea workers in South East Asia. Cathy Zimmerman and Ligia Kiss, the guest editors and authors of the first essay, are from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

“Introducing The Slave Next Door”

By: Jen Birks and Alison Gardner

Published in a special issue of the Anti-Trafficking Review on public perceptions and responses to human trafficking, this essay focuses on Great Britain. According to the essay, there’s been a shift in what the public thinks about trafficking based on local reporting and anti-slavery campaigns. British communities are starting to realize how prevalent human trafficking is in their own backyards. The essay takes a closer look at the media and campaigns, how they’re representing cases, and what people are doing with the information. While specific to Britain, it’s a good example of how people can perceive trafficking within their borders.

Jen Birks is an Assistant Professor in media at the Department of Cultural, Media, and visual Studies at the University of Nottingham. Alison Gardner is at the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham with a Nottingham Research Fellowship. She is part of the university’s Rights Lab.

“My Family’s Slave”

By: Alex Tizon

One of The Atlantic’s biggest stories of 2017, this essay tells a personal story of modern slavery. At 18-years old, Lola was given to the writer’s mother and when they moved to the United States, Lola came with them. On the outside, Tizon’s family was, in his words, “a poster family.” The truth was much darker. The essay sparked countless reader responses, including those of people who were once slaves themselves. Reading both the criticism and praise of the essay is just as valuable as the essay itself.

Alex Tizon died at age 57 years old before his essay was published. He had a successful career as a writer and reporter, sharing a Pulitzer Prize while a staff member at The Seattle Times. He also published a 2014 memoir Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self.

“Vietnam’s Human Trafficking Problem Is Too Big To Ignore”

By: Thoi Nguyen

In November 2019, 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a truck container. They were identified as victims of a human trafficking ring. In Nguyen’s article, he explores the facts about the severity of human trafficking in Vietnam. For years, anti-slavery groups have warned the UK about a rise in trafficking, but it took a tragedy for people to start paying attention. Nguyen discusses who is vulnerable to trafficking, how trafficking functions, and Vietnam’s response.

Freelance journalist Thoi Nguyen is a member of Chatham House and a member of Amnesty International UK. In addition to human trafficking, he writes about the economy, finance, and foreign affairs. He’s a specialist in South East Asian geopolitics.

“History Repeats Itself: Some New Faces Behind Sex Trafficking Are More Familiar Than You Think”

By: Mary Graw Leary

This essay highlights how human trafficking isn’t only a criminal enterprise, it’s also an economic one. Leary looks specifically at how businesses that benefit (directly or indirectly) from slavery have always fought against efforts to end it. The essay focuses on government efforts to disrupt online sex trafficking and how companies are working to prevent that from happening. Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry, so it makes sense that even legitimate businesses benefit. Knowing what these businesses are is essential to ending trafficking.

Mary Graw Leary is a former federal prosecutor and currently a professor of law at The Catholic University of America. The Chair of the United States Sentencing Commission’s Victim Advocacy Group, she’s an expert in exploitation, missing persons, human trafficking, and technology.

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

Child trafficking

Combating child trafficking.

Each year, more than 10,000 people are identified as victims of trafficking around the world. Of these victims, 13% are girls and 9% boys (UNODC, 2009). These figures only represent a small proportion of the victims identified. Closely linked to child labour , child trafficking is present in all regions of the world . In particular, it responds to demands for cheap or free labour and leads to various forms of child exploitation, such as forced marriage, prostitution, and begging, thus depriving children of their fundamental rights .

Definition of child trafficking

Child trafficking is the process of exploiting a child through the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receiving of a child (International Labour Office, 2011). Under international law, child trafficking is a crime and a violation of children’s rights . In particular, the 1989 International Convention on the Rights of the Child stipulates that “the illicit transfer and non-return of children” are prohibited.

Child trafficking is also characterised by the practice of illicit acts, namely, the use of force or coercion:(by abduction, deception, fraud or abuse of authority) or the offer of payments or benefits: to the victim or to a person having authority over them. Child victims of trafficking suffer abuse and are also, for the most part, deprived of their fundamental rights such as the right to education , the right to health or the right to protection , which are necessary for fulfilled growth (UN Info, 2015).

According to UNICEF, “some 8.4 million young people are involved in the worst forms of child labour, including prostitution. Many are enslaved: forced to work to pay off a debt, they live in a situation similar to that of slavery” (UNICEF, 2005). According to the ILO, a child trafficker is defined as “any person who contributes to any element of the trafficking process with the intention of exploiting the child. This includes those who are not active in any phase of the process, such as recruiters, intermediaries, document providers, transporters, corrupt officials, service providers, and unethical employers” (International Labour Office, 2011).

Forms of exploitation

Trafficked children are used in various ways depending on their age and sex (Terre des Hommes, 2004), as described below.

Sexual exploitation  

It is mainly adolescent girls who are used for prostitution or the production of child pornography. These practices are particularly widespread in sex tourism destinations. Teenage girls are generally sold in other countries and travel under false identity papers. According to UNODC, sexual exploitation accounts for 79% of human trafficking (UNODC, 2009).

Although sex tourism has largely declined since the Covid crisis, a new form of sexual exploitation of children is booming: child pornography. In the Philippines, around one child in five, or almost 2 million children, are at risk of being sexually exploited. 

Extreme poverty and broadband access in regions of extreme poverty are factors in this phenomenon. In order to improve their living conditions, parents exploit their children as merchandise by sending child pornography to people abroad in return for payment (Bicker, 2022).

Forced marriage 

Forced marriage of teenage girls, although on the decline, still exists in various forms, such as arranged marriages and kidnappings. This practice is particularly widespread in China due to the shortage of women resulting from the “one-child family” policy. It is often carried out by “marriage brokers” and is spreading internationally. According to UNICEF, more than 80 million girls worldwide are married before the age of 18 (UN Info, 2015). 

As with most forms of child exploitation, adoption has been turned into a profitable business by traffickers. This concerns babies and young children, particularly from Latin America to North America and from Eastern Europe to Western Europe. 

While some parents are paid to sell their baby or young child, there are also cases of corruption in hospitals, where mothers are told that their baby is stillborn. These recruitments are supported by falsified documents and bribery. Barbara Hintermann, Executive Director of Terre des Hommes, reported in June 2022 that 350,000 Ukrainian children had been deported and put up for adoption by Russian families since the start of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022 (Hintermann, 2022).

Slavery is one of the worst forms of child labour . It means that children cannot leave their employer, are under the minimum working age or work for low wages (Terre des Hommes, 2004). Also, parents sometimes accept payment in advance for their child’s work, for a fixed or indefinite period. In addition, child domestic labour is a form of exploitation that has increased over the last two decades. Children are sent to live and work as domestic servants with families abroad. Traffickers take advantage of parents’ ignorance and exploit the vulnerability of working children.

In addition, although some children beg for themselves or their families , there are many cases of children being recruited and exploited to “take advantage of the public’s inclination to give charity, particularly when it is seen as a religious duty” (Terre des Hommes, 2004). Apart from this, some children are exploited to carry out illicit activities, such as burglaries, on behalf of adults who control them.

In addition, some employers take advantage of the illegal status of trafficked children to make them do dangerous work . For example, for many years, trafficked boys have been employed as camel jockeys in the Gulf States.

Finally, it is estimated that organ trafficking accounts for between 5 and 10% of kidney transplants carried out each year worldwide (Busuttil, 2012). Although there are many accounts and testimonies of this trafficking of children’s organs, there are no official sources recording such acts.

Socio-economic factors leading to child trafficking

The children most vulnerable to trafficking often come from poor backgrounds or regions at war, in political conflict and/or experiencing economic uncertainty. Indeed, these environments are much more sensitive to the economic gains linked to child trafficking. Children with little education are also vulnerable targets. Child labour is particularly associated with school drop-out. 

According to the International Labour Organisation, “More than a quarter of children aged 5 to 11 and more than a third of children aged 12 to 14 in child labour are out of school” (International Labour Organisation, 2022). Finally, children who are victims of discrimination, persecution or former victims of trafficking are more likely to (again) become victims of trafficking, as they are unaware of their fundamental rights .

On the other hand, recourse to child trafficking can be explained by various socio-economic factors such as the demand for cheap or free labour in certain sectors to reduce production costs and thus selling prices. 

Inequalities between countries in terms of education and employment, as well as a lack of equal opportunities, discrimination and abuse, also encourage child trafficking, since many people from poor countries find it difficult to find a job that will allow them to live properly, particularly if they emigrate to richer countries.  

Ways of combating child trafficking

In order to combat child trafficking, 3 major areas need to be addressed (Northern Ireland Department of Justice, 2021):

• Prosecute the perpetrators of these practices through detection, investigation and conviction in order to dismantle child trafficking organisations (Northern Ireland Department of Justice, 2021);
• Protect children from trafficking and slavery by improving the identification of and support for child victims and by supporting them to reduce the harm caused by trafficking and slavery (Northern Ireland Department of Justice, 2021);
• Prevent child trafficking in the long term by tackling socio-economic inequalities around the world, reducing the demand for trafficked and enslaved children, and making trafficking and slavery practices unprofitable. It is also important to improve public and professional understanding of the issue through awareness-raising (NSPCC, 2021).

Here are a few factors that can help everyone identify trafficked children (NSPCC, 2021):

• If a child spends a large part of his or her time doing household chores and has no time to leave the house or even to play;
• If a child is orphaned or separated from his or her family, while living in poor-quality housing;
• If a child is not enrolled in school or a GP’s surgery;
• If a child is present in inappropriate places such as brothels or factories;
• If a child is reluctant to share personal information, where they live and tells a story that seems prepared in advance.

If you are concerned about a child, contact Humanium’s legal helpline , the police and/or the relevant local child protection authorities.

Written by Marie Cuvelier

Translated by Emily Kitchen

Proofread by Sharon Rees

Last updated on 21 March 2023

Bibliography:

Bicker, L. (2022, Décembre 10). Pourquoi les cas de pédophilie sont-ils en hausse aux Philippines ? Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur BBC News Afrique: https://www.bbc.com/afrique/articles/c84p1lvzqy0o .

Bureau International du Travail. (2011, Avril 01). Traire des enfants – Points essentiels. Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur ilo.org: https://www.ilo.org/ipecinfo/product/viewProduct.do?productId=16596 .

Busuttil, F. (2012, Décembre 16). Trafic d’enfants. Consulté le 01 Mars 2023, sur Humanium: https://www.humanium.org/fr/trafic-enfants/ .

Département de la Justice de l’Irelande du Nord. (2021). Modern Slavery and human trafficking strategy 2021-22. Consulté le 25 Avril 2023, sur www.justice-ni-gov.uk: https://www.justice-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/justice/modern-slavery-strategy-27-05-v2_0.pdf .

Hintermann, B. (2022, Juin 22). letemps.ch. Consulté le 25 Avril 2023, sur letemps.ch: https://www.letemps.ch/opinions/forces-captures-deportes-scandale-enfants-dukraine .

NSPCC. (2021, Juin 14). Protecting children from trafficking and modern slavery . Consulté le 25 Avril 2023, sur learning.nspcc.org.uk: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-abuse-and-neglect/child-trafficking-and-modern-slavery#article-top .

OIT. (2009, Juillet 01). Manuel de formation sur la lutte contre la traite des enfants à des fins d’exploitation de leur travail, sexuelle ou autres formes – Action politique de sensibilisation contre la traite des enfants. Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur ilo.org: https://www.ilo.org/ipec/Informationresources/WCMS_IPEC_PUB_10772/lang–en/index.htm .

ONU Info. (2015, Décembre 14). Des centaines de millions d’enfants exclus et “invisibles”, dénonce l’UNICEF dans son rapport annuel. Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur News.un.org: https://news.un.org/fr/story/2005/12/84342 .

Organisation Internationale du Travail. (2022, Avril 15). Travail des enfants – estimations mondiales 2020, tendances et chemin à suivre, résumé. Consulté le 25 Avril 2023, sur ilo.org: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—ipec/documents/publication/wcms_800300.pdf .

Terre des Hommes. (2004, Mai). Les enfants, une marchandise ? Agir contre la traite des enfants. Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur Terre des Hommes: https://www.tdh.ch/sites/default/files/tdh_enfants_marchandise-fr.pdf .

UNICEF. (2005). La situation des enfants dans le monde 2006 – exclus et invisibles. Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur UN-iLibrary: https://www.un-ilibrary.org/content/books/9789210597869/read .

UNODC. (2009, Février). Global Report on Trafficking in Persons – Human Trafficking a crime that shames us all. Consulté le 15 Mars 2023, sur UNODC: https://www.unodc.org/documents/Global_Report_on_TIP.pdf .

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United Nations

Office on drugs and crime, unodc shines spotlight on causes and impact of child trafficking.

Vienna (Austria) – 20 September 2023 - Children as young as six are forced to work extensive hours in dangerous settings in quarries, mines and factories.

Others toil in extreme weather and inhumane conditions on plantations and fishing boats or work, without pay, as domestic servants.

Some are sexually abused in brothels, bars, private homes and online or forced into marriage. All these children are victims of human trafficking.   

“They’re not only exploited, but may also be raped, beaten, humiliated, deprived of liberty, and forced to live in squalor - their childhoods are stolen,” says Mukundi Mutasa, a UNODC crime prevention expert.

“Many are physically and psychologically scarred for life, while others do not survive their trafficking ordeal,” he adds.  

Research, conducted by UNODC, shows that some traffickers use their child victims to commit crimes, such as theft, illegal drug production, and even acts of terrorism, for which they are sometimes arrested, deported or imprisoned.

Next month, delegates from around 120 countries will meet in Vienna, Austria, and online, to discuss how to better counter child trafficking.

The discussion forms part of the annual meetings of the intergovernmental  Working Group on Trafficking in Persons  and centres around an in-depth  paper on this topic produced by UNODC’s Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section.

Children at risk

UNODC’s latest report on global human trafficking trends shows that around 35 percent, or one in three, of detected victims of trafficking are children.

While cases of child trafficking are detected in all regions and in most countries in the world, in Central America and the Caribbean, North Africa and the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa, children account for the majority of identified victims.

Children are particularly vulnerable to human trafficking for several reasons, including  poverty, lack of access to education, humanitarian crises, or the lack of support networks.  

“Traffickers are known to prey on children in vulnerable situations, especially when their parents or guardians struggle to support their households. This places children under pressure to contribute to the family’s income,” explains Mutasa. 

The UNODC anti-trafficking expert says, in many cases, the traffickers are known to the child’s family and guardians or they target children without parental care, including those in orphanages and foster homes.

Criminals take advantage of these situations to deceive children and the adults who care for them with “fake promises of better opportunities”.

“In some cases, family members even play a role in the trafficking process, especially in the initial stages. Our research suggests that the extent of family involvement in cases of child trafficking is up to four times higher than in cases of adult trafficking,” he says.

Essential training  

UNODC’s anti-trafficking experts train relevant authorities how to identify cases of human trafficking, including those that involve children, and to take the necessary steps to support the child and prosecute the traffickers.

A recent case of forced ‘marriage’ in Malawi shows the impact of this work. A female child was trafficked by her uncle and forced to live with a man she had never met before. This man had paid her uncle money for a ‘wife’.

Over a period of eight months, he would repeatedly rape, beat and abuse her. Her ordeal came to an end when neighbours heard her crying and reported this to the authorities.  

Police officers trained by UNODC rescued the girl and identified the signs of trafficking for the purpose of forced marriage.

With the cooperation of UNODC’s office in Malawi, the girl is being supported by two non-profit organisations. Her uncle and her abuser are both in prison.

Impact of crises on child trafficking

According to UNODC data, existing risks for child trafficking are worsened further during times of emergency.

Natural disasters, such as floods, droughts and typhoons, and armed conflicts force children to flee their homes often unaccompanied by or, at times, separated from parents or guardians.   

Deprived of opportunities and protection, the displaced, migrant or asylum-seeking children are easy targets for traffickers.

Low levels of detection

Statistics collected by UNODC indicate that in 166 countries, over 18,000 child victims of trafficking were identified in 2020.

However, anti-human trafficking experts fear the rates do not reflect the full extent of the problem, due to the clandestine nature of this crime and the lack of data collection in many parts of the world.

The Working Group will also look at issues concerning the protection of child victims, their access to justice, and the long-term impact on their well-being and health, as well as their opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration, and the risks of re-exploitation.

“It’s the first time this expert meeting has focussed on child trafficking,” says Mukundi Mutasa.  

Further information:

The Working Group on Trafficking in Persons is the principal forum within the UN system for discussion about human trafficking. It was established to facilitate exchange between crime prevention and criminal justice experts from the countries that have committed themselves to implement the UN’s Trafficking in Persons Protocol . More than ninety percent of States globally are implementing  this international instrument.

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Data collection, data analysis, health and social impacts, barriers to services as stigma drivers and facilitators, stigma manifestations, and stigma outcomes, stigma drivers: victim blaming, intersecting stigmas: stigma associated with cst, intersecting stigmas: gender, intersecting stigmas: lgbtq+ status, intersecting stigmas: international or refugee status, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomic status, intersecting stigmas: physical illness, intersecting stigmas: mental illness, stigma manifestations: stigma experiences: self-stigmatization and shame, stigma manifestations: stigma experiences: family and community discrimination and shaming, stigma manifestations: stigma practices: service providers discriminate, limitations, conclusions, global perspectives on the health and social impacts of child trafficking.

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Carmelle Wallace , Jordan Greenbaum , Karen Albright; Global Perspectives on the Health and Social Impacts of Child Trafficking. Pediatrics October 2022; 150 (4): e2021055840. 10.1542/peds.2021-055840

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Survivors of child sex trafficking (CST) experience many health and social sequelae as a result of stigma, discrimination, and barriers to health care. Our objective was to obtain a cross-cultural understanding of these barriers and to explore the relationship between stigmatization and health outcomes through application of the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework (HSDF).

In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 45 recognized CST expert service providers. Interview data were analyzed using established content analysis procedures and applied to the HSDF.

Barriers to medical and mental health services span each socioecological level of the HSDF, indicating the various contexts in which stigmatization leads to adverse health and social outcomes. Stigmatization of CST survivors is a complex process whereby various factors drive and facilitate the marking of CST survivors as stigmatized. Intersecting stigmas multiply the burden, and manifest in stigma experiences of self-stigmatization, shame, family and community discrimination, and stigma practices of provider discrimination. These lead to reduced access to care, lack of funding, resources, and trained providers, and ultimately result in health and social disparities such as social isolation, difficulty reintegrating, and a myriad of physical health and mental health problems.

The HSDF is a highly applicable framework within which to evaluate stigmatization of CST survivors. This study suggests the utility of stigma-based public health interventions for CST and provides a global understanding of the influence and dynamics of stigmatization unique to CST survivors.

Survivors of child trafficking experience health and social impacts, including barriers to health care and social stigma and discrimination. Less is known about the complex socioecological interplay of these factors and how they may be addressed to improve survivor care.

We explore in-depth the multiplicity of stigma and discrimination experienced by survivors and provide a concrete framework for understanding the health and social impacts. This framework provides a basis for physicians, service providers, policymakers, and others who work with survivors.

Child sex trafficking (CST) is a global health crisis. The United Nations defines CST as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of a child (<18 years) for the purposes of a commercial sex act.” 1   There are ∼1 million CST survivors annually. 2 , 3  

Marginalized children are particularly vulnerable. Risk factors include poverty; housing insecurity; previous abuse; substance misuse; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ+) identity. 4   Societal issues such as gender bias, systemic violence, and corruption further exacerbate vulnerability. 4   Survivors experience health consequences, including injury, infections, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 5 – 9   They also experience significant barriers to health care, 10 , 11   including fear of arrest, deportation, and trafficker retaliation; discrimination; confidentiality concerns; difficulty navigating the system; social instability; and resource constraints. 12   These health care barriers exist across the socioecological spectrum from individual, interpersonal, organization, community to policy levels and are the context within which CST survivors experience stigma.

Stigma was first described as an “attribute that is deeply discrediting,” resulting in “disqualification from full social acceptance.” 13   Research has further elaborated stigmatization as a social process enabled by cultural, economic, and structural influences that label, stereotype, and exclude the affected person or group. The result is discrimination or unfair and unjust treatment on the basis of an attribute or status.

Global research demonstrates a significant connection between stigma and poor health outcomes. 14   Understanding stigma, therefore, is pivotal in mitigating the health outcomes of marginalized populations. Previous stigma research exists on HIV, obesity, and mental illness. 15 – 20   However, stigma research on trafficking is limited. Research has described stigmatization in adult trafficking survivors in a single geographical location, but none evaluate stigma in CST survivors globally. 10 , 11 , 21 – 23  

We designed a qualitative study to obtain an in-depth, cross-cultural, and global understanding of the barriers to health care experienced by CST survivors, and to explore the process of stigmatization and its effect on health. We did so through the application of the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework (HSDF). The HSDF is well suited to this purpose for several reasons. It was derived by a globally recognized consortium of diverse stigma research experts including United Nations, international, and nongovernmental organization (NGO) affiliates. 24   It was then rigorously tested through a multicenter study that demonstrated reduction in HIV-associated stigma. 25   Although not validated in CST survivors, patients with HIV have similar vulnerabilities, and these populations often overlap. Finally, in contrast to previous stigma frameworks that focus on individual and interpersonal interactions, the HSDF evaluates stigma as a socioecological process that is influenced by organizational, community, and public policy factors. This makes the framework constructive for planning public health interventions the recommended approach to addressing trafficking. 26   A public health approach removes the focus on the individual who is the victim, shifting the weight onto the socioecological forces at play.

A detailed explanation of the HSDF has been published elsewhere. 27   Briefly, the HSDF categorizes the causes of stigma into stigma drivers, which are inherently negative perceptions that drive stigmatization, and stigma facilitators, which are positive or negative external influences such as policies and social norms ( Fig 1 ). Drivers and facilitators determine whether stigma marking occurs, wherein negative attributes are applied to the individual or group. Intersecting stigmas refer to additional coinciding stigmas that may be applied. Marking manifests in stigma experiences, defined as the stigma and discrimination experienced by the person, and stigma practices, which describe societal stereotypes, prejudices, stigmatizing behavior, and discriminatory attitudes. The HSDF surmises that these manifestations influence outcomes within the population and institutions interacting with them, ultimately leading to health and social impacts.

The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. 1   Used with permission. 1 Stangl AL, Earnshaw VA, Logie CH, et al. The Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework: A global, crosscutting framework to inform research, intervention development, and policy on health-related stigmas. BMC Medicine . 2019;17(1):18-23.

In-depth interviews were conducted with global CST experts and service providers working directly with survivors. Interviewees were initially recruited through professional networks, then referred and enrolled purposively to seek variance in the populations served and representation from all World Health Organization (WHO) regions and World Bank country income classifications. All participants were English-speaking.

A semistructured interview guide was used covering several domains, including health care needs, services, and barriers to care. Interviews were conducted through a secure Skype call, lasted 45 to 60 minutes, and were audio recorded then transcribed. Children’s Health Care of Atlanta institutional review board approved the protocol.

Analysis occurred in an iterative process using established content analysis procedures and reflexive team analysis. 28 , 29   Transcripts were independently read multiple times by 2 analysts to achieve immersion. Codes were then inductively derived and independently applied by each analyst to 10% of the transcripts. Intercoder reliability was assessed and disagreements resolved through consensus. The remaining transcripts were coded using the final coding schema. 30   Axial coding was also employed to group codes and elucidate trends. Throughout the analysis, team members met regularly to discuss emergent themes. 31   ATLAS.ti v8.3.1 software was used.

Forty-five experts were interviewed, representing all WHO regions and World Bank classifications. 32 , 33   Interviewees included direct service providers such as physicians, psychologists, and social workers as well as researchers and NGO leaders ( Table 1 ). Themes were synthesized by using the HSDF and are presented in Fig 2 . 27   Each aspect of the stigma schema was explored in-depth and is presented below (subject number denoted S#, World Bank classifications denoted L= low, LM = lower middle, UM = upper middle, H = high).

Interview themes organized within the Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework. Overlapping themes are italicized for emphasis on the intersectionality.

Participant Demographics

https://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/definition_regions/en/ .

https://databank.worldbank.org/home.aspx .

Several participants had 2 roles.

Participants did not specifically denote if their primary clients or patients identified as LGBTQ+ but several alluded to working with the LGBTQ+ population, and thus are implicitly included.

Several participants have worked with organizations with multiple programs or have worked with multiple organizations.

Participants reported that CST survivors experience a litany of health and social impacts. They reported social isolation, difficulty reintegrating into the community, sexually transmitted infections, reproductive health issues, seizures, malnutrition, untreated injuries, depression, anxiety, PTSD, eating disorders, and substance misuse ( Fig 2 ).

Themes describing barriers to services spanned each socioecological level of the HSDF, providing rich descriptions of the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy contexts in which stigmatization occurs ( Table 2 ). Most barriers were described in countries from all income levels. They were reflected in the model as stigma drivers, facilitators and manifestations, as well as outcomes leading to health and social impacts. Overlapping themes spanning multiple components of the model are italicized to emphasize pervasiveness ( Fig 2 ).

Barriers to Medical and Mental Health Care Presented Within Socio-Ecological Levels per HSDF With Notable Country Income Level Trends

Subject number denoted S#, World Bank classifications denoted L = low, LM = lower middle, UM = upper middle, H = high

“It is the girl's fault…She was the one who got pregnant. She shouldn't have been wearing that slutty outfit, or flirting with those boys. She basically got pregnant because she was acting like she wanted it.” (S9, LM)

Similarly, subject 26 (UM) described how the societal opinion was that survivors “just got into this stuff because they are trouble anyway.”

Many reported that trafficking itself was stigmatizing. They described a loss of position in society, calling CST “highly stigmatizing, highly disempowering” (S28, UM). Subject 26 (UM) described it as “it’s like you are dirty,” whereas subject 2 (LM) shared that it was “like these girls [were] branded.” Another described CST as “the worst thing” (S8, LM).

“Girls are like a piece of cloth. Once it is soiled, it is spoiled forever. A boy is like a piece of gold. If you just wash it clean it's fine again.” (S25, LM)

Participants also felt patriarchal attitudes contributed to stigma against males. Subject 25 (LM) explained that boys were not allowed to reveal weaknesses, “because they need to just brush themselves down and pick themselves up and get on with life.”

“They will be seen as less of a man. Many of those cases go unreported. But it is because of the culture. The mind sets, their attitude is more, ‘it is the weak ones that should go and get medicine.’” (S6, L)

“The boys we work with need care and love and compassion. And they don't get that at the hospital because they are seen as rough around the edges and homeless youth. As delinquents.” (S31, UM)

“There is a strong stigma against being perceived as gay…or ‘obla.’ Literally there is no word for ‘straight’ in Tagalog. The word for straight translates ‘real man.’” (S3, LM)

LGBTQ+ survivors were described as ostracized, and even survivors who did not identify as LGBTQ+ had “fear about does this mean I’m gay,” because they did not want to be additionally stigmatized (S21, L).

“They would be treated differently just because they are not welcomed as a citizen…There is the perception of, like migrants come in and they steal all of this from us.” (S5, LM)

“There is discrimination…if the child is Serbian, or from Albania, Croatia or Hungary…They will say something like they deserve to live like that. Or they want to live like that. Or…they are like gypsy. They are not even like the Roma population.” (S17, UM)

“There are ethnic Vietnamese girls that have been trafficked and gone through the system. And yes, they are treated very differently. They are very much looked down on.” (S1, LM)

Several also shared that socioeconomic status contributed to the multiplicity of stigma: “Trafficking is a crime that preys on the weak and the most poor and impoverished communities.” (S2, LM)

Stigma because of the physical sequalae of exploitation was also highlighted. Subjects described trafficking-related disabilities, sexual and reproductive issues, and gastrointestinal issues as sources of shame. Subject 24 (L) stated, “imagine the child has these issues [STIs], people laugh at her or him.” Another participant described the stigmatization due to the fecal incontinence a survivor was experiencing as “another whole layer of shame” (S25, LM).

“[Mental health] is not something that we appreciate in our culture…actually, if you went into the mental hospital, they will think you are mad. Because people who are just mad or crazy, they are there.” (S6, L)

“In Hinduism there is a belief that whatever condition you have is the result of whatever you did wrong in a past life…If you have any infirmity of any kind, it is because you richly deserved it and earned it in a past life.” (S14, L)

“A lot of times [mental illness] is seen as [demon] possession.” (S44, LM)

Data also revealed that many survivors internalized these sociocultural beliefs, leading to self-stigmatization. Subject 38 (UM) described, “most of them have a self-stigma. They tell themselves I am bad, bad. I cannot be like this.” Participants described how survivors felt worthless and experienced difficulty accepting that they were exploited. They struggled to access services and remained in exploitation.

“The family. Most of their parents speak to them like you are bad. You are not proper to birth in this world. Or you are worthless.” (S38, LM)

Many participants described community rejection and difficulty reintegrating, either from the shame of trafficking itself or from time spent in aftercare facilities: “The community stigmatized them and said ‘you are the kids who went to live with the foreigners.’” (S30, LM). The degree of discrimination varied from shunning to violence, and many described how the community “will blame you and treat you badly” (S38, UM).

“There were many boys in prostitution…The police basically said there was not an issue about the boys. Even though they knew.” (S24, L)

“This boy has been raped. He is bleeding…And all the doctor basically didn't do an exam…then wrote on the report, this boy has not been sexually abused.” (S30, LM)

Interviewees felt that provider discrimination prevented survivors from accessing services: “There are people who don't want to go because of the discrimination that they will face. (S4, UM)

This unique data set provides an in-depth yet global view of CST survivor health inequities through the lens of stigmatization. Current work has explored stigmatization of survivors generally, but few studies address how the stigmatization process weaves its way from individual-level interactions to system-level outcomes, directly affecting health and social well-being. 21 , 22 , 34 – 36  

Our themes reveal how stigma drivers like victim blaming and survivor mistrust of providers propel external stigmatization and self-stigmatization. Although self-stigmatization has been described, our study articulates its interaction with external factors and victim blaming in CST survivors with more depth. 37   We also identified several key barriers to care that are stigma facilitators, including providers who lack training in trauma-sensitive techniques and specialized care of survivors, fragmented care, lack of legal protections, and systemic corruption and inequities. Although these barriers have been previously reported, the HSDF sheds light on the influence of stigma on these barriers. 12   Importantly, these barriers are opportunities for destigmatizing interventions, which could include increasing trauma-sensitive and trafficking-specific training for providers, implementation of policies that support bolstering the workforce of providers qualified to work with CST populations, and educating professionals at large on the social and cultural factors that influence stigmatization.

Our participants described an alarming number of intersecting stigmas, including gender bias, LGBTQ+ status, race, refugee or international status, socioeconomic status, and physical and mental illness. Many of these stigmas have been described previously and individually, but separately from their interaction with CST. 37 , 38   This suggests interventions should also address these additional stigmas.

Our data support the HSDF’s assertion that stigma experiences and practices are linked to outcomes affecting survivor well-being. Participants broadly described reduced access to care and paucities of funding, resources, training, and qualified providers. Intuitively, these are directly linked to health and social outcomes, which our participants described as social isolation, difficulty with reintegrating into community, as well as a plethora of physical and mental health problems.

Understanding CST survivor stigmatization via the HSDF makes a very complex social phenomenon concrete. It also highlights how pediatricians, mental health professionals, policymakers, advocates, and other stakeholders may participate in a global public health response. Stigma drivers, facilitators, marking, and manifestations present opportunities for intervention, including avoiding the use of harmful rhetoric, increasing public awareness regarding the intersection of CST and stigma, expanding research on stigma, increasing trafficking-specific and trauma-sensitive training opportunities, supporting funding and polices that are inclusive, and employing culturally sensitive and innovative approaches to empowering CST survivors. The HSDF Outcomes also suggest ways to monitor targeted interventions such as measuring availability and accessibility of services, amount of specific funding, and presence of policies that foster an informed workforce that protects the rights of CST survivors. Ultimately, longitudinal studies that quantify the health and social impacts of stigma reduction interventions would provide strong evidence for addressing CST. Table 3 provides a summary.

Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework-Driven Interventions and Recommendations

Although this qualitative study is in-depth, it is impossible to ascertain generalizability. Though we gathered information from a broad and diverse environment, the sample size was limited and all participants were English-speaking. Representation from a given country varied from 1 to 5 subjects. However, the remarkable thematic consistency suggests that we were able to identify critical dynamics of stigma in CST survivors globally.

Several barriers to health and mental health care were identified by participants in low- and middle-income countries only, despite abundant anecdotal evidence of their prevalence in high-income countries. This may be because of insufficient sampling or differences in perceived priorities among experts.

Although this study reflects the perspectives of experts, we recognize that these are not the perspectives of survivors. Because of the global nature of the study, we had ethical concerns about the ability to uniformly verify and monitor the capacities of each locale to support a vulnerable child being interviewed about a traumatizing subject in a resource-limited setting. Nonetheless, the perspectives of experts uniquely include the collective experience of the myriads of children they have served, providing valuable guidance on trends, issues, and priorities.

Finally, the use of the HSDF as a basis for intervention should be accompanied by appropriate cultural contextualization, as exploration of the nuances of each regional-specific culture was beyond the scope of the study.

Survivors of CST experience many health and social consequences as a result of stigma, discrimination, and barriers to health care. Stigmatization of survivors is complex and interacts with barriers to care across all socioecological levels. Evaluating the stigmatization process within the HSDF framework helps to prioritize how barriers should be addressed within interventions along each step of the stigmatization process, and how to monitor for change. Next steps should include further exploration of intersecting stigmas and testing of stigma-based interventions by measuring stigma reduction and psychosocial, mental, and physical wellbeing.

Dr Wallace conducted analysis and interpretation of the data, drafted the initial manuscript, and revised and reviewed the manuscript; Dr Greenbaum conceptualized and designed the study, conducted data acquisition, and revised and reviewed the manuscript; Dr Albright conceptualized and designed the study, supervised and conducted analysis and interpretation of the data, and revised and reviewed the manuscript; and all authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

FUNDING: This study was supported by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURES: Dr Greenbaum is employed by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (ICMEC). The other authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

child sex trafficking

Health Stigma and Discrimination Framework

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nongovernmental organization

posttraumatic stress disorder

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Trafficking Causes Child Abuse and Neglect Essay

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Introduction

Impacts of trafficking on children, how trafficking is connected to child abuse and neglect, child abuse prevention.

Child abuse is one of the greatest social problems affecting the world today. It involves any act that harms a minor’s physical or emotional well-being. On the other hand, neglection is the deprivation of a child’s basic needs, including food, clothing, healthcare, shelter, and education. Trafficking is one of the major causes of child abuse and neglect. It involves the illegal procurement and relocation of children with the intention of exploiting them. A study indicates that children constitute a third of all trafficking victims (Ottisova et al., 2018). Minors may be trafficked for various reasons, such as labor or sexual exploitation, organ harvesting, and illegal adoption (Wood, 2020). All children, regardless of gender, age, nationality, and socio-economic factors are at risk of being targeted for this trade. However, war, political instability, poverty, and parental rejection increase the probability of children being trafficked (Wood, 2020). Trafficking exposes minors to physical and mental abuse and deprives them of basic needs.

Trafficking poses devastating effects on a child’s physical health, predisposing them to health complications. A significant number of trafficked children are exploited for labor which entails working in factories, agricultural plantations, or as domestic servants (Wood, 2020). As a result, these juveniles may develop severe injuries, which, if left untreated, may adversely affect their physical well-being. In addition, research shows that 24- 56% of the victims of child trafficking are subjected to physical violence (Ottisova et al., 2018). In this case, the traffickers may use beatings to control the minors, resulting in internal injuries, bruises, and fractures. Furthermore, teenagers trafficked for commercial sex exploitation (CSE) experience high incidences of sexual violence. Their physical health is also threatened by unsafe sex, which may result in unwanted pregnancies leading to unsafe abortions. Not to mention, CSE victims may contract sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV/AIDS, which, if left untreated, may result in immune suppression and other health complications (Greenbaum, 2017). Therefore, exposure to environmental hazards, physical violence, and sexual assault negatively affect the physical health of trafficked children.

The victims of trafficking may often suffer severe psychological trauma. Keeping children away from their families may result in mental distress because they may feel unloved or unwanted. Similarly, exposing them to environments characterized by physical assault, sexual abuse, and limited freedom predisposes them to various mental disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety (Zimmerman & Kiss, 2017). The sexual and physical assaults may make the trafficked children experience feelings of shame and hopelessness, further impacting their emotional well-being. In addition, the negative remarks that the minors receive from their traffickers or pimps can adversely affect their self-worth resulting in low self-esteem and guilt (Wood, 2020). Equally important, experiencing or witnessing verbal, physical, or sexual abuse combined with long-term isolation may lead to cases of self-harm or suicidal ideation among trafficked adolescents (Kiss & Zimmerman, 2019). Thus, dissociating children from their families and exposing them to environments marred with physical, verbal, and sexual abuse may adversely affect their emotional well-being resulting in severe mental ailments such as depression and PTSD.

Trafficking may lead to the development of substance use disorders among children. Most traffickers, especially those dealing with CSE, use drugs and other substances to maintain control over their victims (Reid et al., 2019). Frequent use of illicit substances results in addiction, making the victims vulnerable to more abuse and unable to escape, resulting in more financial incentives for the traffickers. However, in some cases, some youth may begin using illicit substances as a coping mechanism for their traumatic experiences and harsh realities. Hence, trafficking may expose children to illegal substances whose prolonged use may result in various health complications.

The physical and psychological trauma associated with trafficking may trigger behavioral problems among minors. The dissociation of children from their families and the exposure to intense trauma they are subjected to during and after trafficking may cause the minors to have attachment problems (Wood, 2020). In addition, the verbal, sexual, and physical assault that trafficked juveniles experience from the pimps may result in the mistrust of adults. Moreover, since most victims of trafficking are often isolated, this may lead to anti-social traits and challenges relating to other people. Furthermore, minors involved in CSE may engage in prostitution mainly because they feel worthless and guilty. These adolescents may often think that their lives have been ruined, leading to increased cases of self-harm and suicide ideations (Kiss & Zimmerman, 2019). Therefore, the separation of minors from their families and the trauma they experience from the traffickers predispose them to severe behavioral problems.

Trafficking involves several forms of child abuse that adversely affect their well-being. Research indicates that trafficked minors are subjected to physical assault, sexual abuse, and emotional distress, exposing them to various health complications (Wood, 2020). According to Zimmerman and Kiss (2017), the victims of trafficking experience a lot of violence from their perpetrators resulting in acute injuries, such as lost limbs. The authors also link trafficking to the symptoms of anxiety and depression disorders reported among the victims. These findings are mirrored in the Ottisova et al. (2018) study, which indicates that approximately 21-51% and 24-56% of trafficked minors are subjected to sexual abuse and physical assault, respectively. Exposure to these mistreatments results in mental disorders such as depression and PTSD. Furthermore, Reid et al. (2019) research shows that victims of child trafficking, especially those exploited for sex, record high cases of sexually transmitted infections, physical injuries, and substance use within the healthcare system. Therefore, it is evident that trafficking inflicts a lot of bodily and psychological harm on minors.

In most cases, trafficking deprives children of their basic needs, hindering healthy growth and development. Wood’s (2020) study stresses that trafficked juveniles live in unhygienic environments where they are provided with inadequate food and water, leading to poor health outcomes. Similar findings are drawn from Zimmerman and Kiss’s (2017) research which indicates that trafficked victims are exposed to deplorable living conditions which are unsafe, unhygienic, and overcrowded. They also lack proper nutrition and access to clean water. This proves that trafficking deprives minors of basic hygiene, appropriate clothing, shelter, clean water, and a balanced diet, negatively affecting their developmental process. The authors further suggest that trafficked persons work for extensive hours with low payment. In this case, trafficking denies minors their right to education, resulting in delayed cognitive, language, and memory development. Not to mention, due to the isolation and confinement nature of trafficking, minors may be deprived of critical healthcare services leading to a deterioration in health or death (Zimmerman & Kiss, 2017). Hence, it is apparent that trafficking denies children essential needs, including shelter, proper nutrition, education, and healthcare services resulting in developmental problems.

Although trafficking can target minors regardless of age, socio-economic status, or nationality, most traffickers target vulnerable children. This may include teenagers living in poverty or those displaying problem behaviors, such as fleeing home. Such populations can easily be lured with promises of a better life or other rewards. However, due to the clandestine nature of child trafficking, detecting such cases in their earlier stages is challenging. In this case, there is a need to create awareness about the potential markers of trafficking among healthcare providers to enable them to stop child abuse (Greenbaum, 2017). This is because trafficked minors may visit healthcare institutions in the company of traffickers if they become ill. Therefore, healthcare providers should be able to detect the presence of trafficked children and collaborate with law enforcement and other relevant agencies to stop the abuse. In addition, heightened awareness is also required in the criminal justice system to identify the signs of trafficked juveniles and effectively intervene (Reid et al., 2019). Trafficked children have increased chances of being arrested in relation to prostitution, drug use, and pickpocketing. Hence, earlier identification of trafficked victims may prevent further abuse.

In conclusion, trafficking has detrimental effects on a child’s well-being. It exposes minors to physical violence, psychological distress, and sexual abuse. In addition, it deprives children of basic necessities, including shelter, clothing, proper nutrition, clean water, education, and healthcare services. Consequently, these teenagers may suffer injuries and fractures or develop diverse mental health complications, including PTSD and depression. Similarly, the separation from families at a tender age and exposure to an environment characterized by violence may make a minor develop attachment problems, mistrust, and anti-social traits. Healthcare providers are best placed to identify and stop child abuse linked to trafficking.

Greenbaum, V. J. (2017). Child sex trafficking in the United States: Challenges for the healthcare provider. PLOS Medicine , 14 (11), e1002439.

Kiss, L., & Zimmerman, C. (2019). Human trafficking and labor exploitation: Toward identifying, implementing, and evaluating effective responses. PLOS Medicine , 16 (1), e1002740.

Ottisova, L., Smith, P., Shetty, H., Stahl, D., Downs, J., & Oram, S. (2018). Psychological consequences of child trafficking: An historical cohort study of trafficked children in contact with secondary mental health services . PLOS ONE , 13 (3), e0192321.

Reid, J. A., Baglivio, M. T., Piquero, A. R., Greenwald, M. A., & Epps, N. (2019). No youth left behind to human trafficking: Exploring profiles of ris k. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry , 89 (6), 704–715.

Wood, L. C. (2020). Child modern slavery, trafficking and health: A practical review of factors contributing to children’s vulnerability and the potential impacts of severe exploitation on health . BMJ Paediatrics Open , 4 (1), e000327.

Zimmerman, C., & Kiss, L. (2017). Human trafficking and exploitation: A global health concern. PLOS Medicine , 14 (11), e1002437.

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