Child Exploitation

Child trafficking is a form of child abuse. It is the exploitation of children for economic or sexual purposes, and includes the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of a child for exploitation. Children may be sold, illegally adopted, forced into early marriage, recruited into the armed forces, pushed into prostitution, or trafficked to work in mines, factories, or homes. In such environments they are exposed to extreme forms of abuse and are denied access to basic services and the meeting of their fundamental human rights. Trafficked children often lack basic legal status and support networks, making their condition virtually "invisible."

Children without parental care, living in poverty, and those in high risk environments such as war affected regions, are all highly vulnerable to trafficking. Conflict and post conflict environments pose the greatest risk to children since the breakdown in family and social systems, the increase in poverty, and large numbers of troops present, are all factors which make sexual and economic exploitation of children more common.

Prevention is crucial to reduce the incidence of children affected and includes the registering of all displaced children, and their temporary care until verification and family reunification activities can take place. All children, caretakers, and communities should be educated on the risks to children and protective steps to ensure children do not become separated and exposed to abuse and exploitation. Where possible, unaccompanied children should be placed in regulated and protective family environments such as kinship or foster care.

Governments, the police, border controls, teachers, and all organizations responsible for protection must work together to prevent trafficking, identify those children at risk, advocate for their safety, and prosecute those responsible. This includes awareness raising for communities, institutions, and personnel working with vulnerable groups, such as armed forces, peacekeepers, and humanitarian workers.

Support services for children who have been trafficked should include medical, psychosocial, family reunification, and legal elements, to facilitate the reintegration of the child into the community and to enable educational and economic opportunities which are in the child’s best interests.

This section of documents examines the nature of trafficking in more detail, and includes policy and practical information to prevent and respond to child exploitation.

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Survivor-Informed Support for Trafficked Children in Scotland

Maggie Grant, Maria Fotopoulou, Scot Hunter, Margaret Malloch, Paul Rigby, Kieran Taylor - University of Stirling, 01 Jun 2023

The aim of this study was to fill a gap in knowledge in relation to what constitutes recovery and effective support over a longer time frame for separated children and young people who have experienced trafficking in Scotland. The study illuminates processes that have not been previously explored with this group of children and young people in Scotland.

Historical Abuse Cases in SOS Children's Villages Suriname

Anton van Wijk, Marjan Olfers, Iris Vloemans, 01 Jun 2023

This report comprises of research into cases of historical sexual abuse that took place in the SOS Children’s Village in Suriname. This research covers roughly the period from the early seventies to 2006. The research took place partly in the Netherlands and partly in Suriname.

Working Group on Orphanage Trafficking and Exploitation in Residential Care Settings

Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking, 01 Jun 2023

This statement was released by the Working Group on Orphanage Trafficking and Exploitation -- a global coalition of Members of Parliament, government leaders, survivor leaders, and key stakeholders committed to combatting orphanage trafficking and the exploitation through raising awareness and identifying, creating, and implementing tools that curb the demand for orphanage trafficking and stop the exploitation of children in residential care settings, including orphanages. The Working group aims to raise awareness and combat orphanage trafficking at the policy level globally.

Is an End to Child Marriage within Reach? Latest Trends and Future Prospects

UNICEF, 15 May 2023

The practice of child marriage has continued to decline globally. Today, one in five young women aged 20 to 24 years were married as children versus nearly one in four 10 years ago.

Ending Child Marriage: A profile of progress in India

UNICEF, 05 May 2023

India has made remarkable progress toward ending child marriage according to this new UNICEF report, though this country remains home to the largest number of child brides worldwide. Despite advancements on many fronts, the rate of decline is not sufficient to reach the target of eliminating the practice by 2030, as set out in the Sustainable Development Goals.

Applying Safe Behaviours - Preventing and Responding to Peer Violence

SOS Children's Villages, 30 Apr 2023

In the project “Applying Safe Behaviours”, SOS Children’s Villages is working to enable children, young people and professionals to prevent and appropriately respond to peer violence amongst children and young people in alternative care an

Orphanage Trafficking and the Sustainable Development Goals

Kathryn E. van Doore, Rebecca Nhep, 01 Apr 2023

This article examines the intersections of orphanage trafficking, a form of child trafficking and modern slavery, and the sale and sexual exploitation of children with reference to the Sustainable Development Goals. It outlines the contextual challenges of these intersections highlighting the special protection needs of children residing in institutions and outlines how orphanage tourism and funding undermine care reform efforts of national authorities.

Étude historique sur les pratiques illicites dans l’adoption internationale en France // Historical study on illicit practices in international adoption in France

Yves Denéchère, Fábio Macedo, 13 Feb 2023

This study examines international adoptions by French people in more than twenty countries from 1979 to 2021. Researchers analyzed thousands of diplomatic files from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the subject and found reports of various illicit practices in the process of adopting children.

Child Labour and Education in Humanitarian Settings: Background Paper

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies, 12 Dec 2022

This paper attempts to highlight some of the key issues regarding child labour and education in emergencies.

Time to Act – Toolkit for Practitioners: Gender-Transformative Programme Strategies for Addressing Child, Early and Forced Marriage and Unions in Asia-Pacific

Plan International Asia-Pacific Regional Hub, 01 Apr 2022

This toolkit developed by Plan International Asia-Pacific Regional Hub serves as a practical compendium of programming guidance for practitioners, and contributes to accelerating efforts to end child, early and forced marriage and unions (CEFMU) by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).