Child Sex Trafficking

Abstract: Every day, children are being bought, sold and transported away from their homes. The trafficking of human beings particular children has become a multi-dollar business that appears to be growing. Child trafficking is illegal. It is also extremely harmful, as trafficked children are physically and sexually exploited. The United Nations estimates that 246 million children across the world are involved in exploitative labour and that 1.2 million children are trafficked each year. About one million children are exploited in the multi-billion dollar sex industry. Next to drug and gun trafficking, human trafficking is the third top criminal industry in the world. What used to be reported as a one billion dollar trade annually in early 2000, is now reported to generate a yearly profit of around US$ 10-12 Billion. A US state department report has placed India on its second worst category of human trafficking watch list for the fifth year in a row, for allegedly failing to show evidence of increasing efforts to combat the problem. In the report, India is described as a “source, destination and transit country for men, women and children trafficked for the purpose of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation. Ignorance, limited resources and poor execution of the protective programmes and policies for children further creates many problems and the problem of trafficking seems to be finding no redress in the near future. It is in this backdrop the present paper attempts to suggest some possible suggestion to check the problem of social menace i.e. child trafficking.

This chapter outlines ethical considerations for doing research on human trafficking. It presents ethical challenges not only for interacting with and studying the experiences of trafficked persons and their communities but also for describing, explaining, and presenting trafficking as a social problem more generally. An ethical approach to trafficking research includes giving considerable thought to how a study is designed, ethically negotiating access to respondents, being honest about how the researcher’s social position and emotional reactions to respondents in the field will impact findings, and being diligent about recognizing ethical conundrums as they arise. The chapter begins with how researchers might consider the ethical implications of their research design, negotiate access, and address their positionality. It then turns to practical suggestions for trauma- informed and culturally sensitive data collection, in addition to guidelines for ethically representing and disseminating findings.

This paper focuses on a ‘glocal’ problem arising from globalization: sex trafficking as a consequence of intensified mobility within and beyond national borders. The movements and displacements associated with this characteristic are situated in the economic and socio-political dimensions of globalization. Intensified mobility in these dimensions poses a challenge to the idea of civilizing glocal politics by which traditional conceptions of security are questioned. Sex trafficking has been identified as one of the consequences by which an increasingly mobile world provokes a re-thinking of security as a value in international relations. Of particular concern in this research are child victims of sex trafficking due to their greater vulnerability as age-incapacitated persons. Drawing from Bauman’s concept of ‘liquid modernity’, sex trafficking of children is theorized as a ‘liquid’ problem by which the role of the nation-state, as a creation of ‘solid modernity’ and traditional insurer of security, is problematized. With Cebu, the Philippines as a case study, this dissertation inquires as to whether or not non-state actors are better placed to assure the welfare of child victims of sex trafficking.

Child trafficking can be held as one of the most inhuman criminal activities at the contemporary age of human civilization. The growth of child trafficking across the globe has made it a serious International issue concerning the future of the humanity. The trafficked children are then again forced to commit several activities with inhuman legacies, like terrorisms, prostitution, slaved/bonded labour, etc. This issue is more common in Developing and Least Developed countries and since India is a developing country, such issues are expected to be at a significant height. Again NorthEastern Region of India has been living under serious isolation from whatever developments are taking place in the mainstream India. It is even alleged that NorthEastern Region has mostly faced negligence at the hands of rest of the India. As a result, underdevelopment has become the fate for most of the population of this Region for which instances, like child trafficking is also increasing in the region. This paper focuses on the instances of child trafficking in the region along with its causes and concerns and the efficiency of the legal mechanism adopted to tackle such issues of child trafficking in the Region.

Background: Specialty courts have emerged as a model of care for U.S. youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) to ensure comprehensive service provision. However, there is a lack of published research that documents the extent to which these programs achieve this goal. Objective: We sought to understand a specialty juvenile justice court's role in identifying mental health and substance use treatment needs, providing linkages to services, and facilitating stability for youth with histories of CSE. Participants and Setting: We conducted an exhaustive court file review of the 364 participants in a U.S. based juvenile delinquency specialty court for youth affected by CSE. The observation period spanned 2012-2017. Methods: The research team systematically transferred data from court files into a secure, electronic database. Descriptive statistics and Chisquared tests were calculated to explore potential associations. Results: Participation in the specialty court for youth impacted by CSE suggests an increase in identification of mental health and substance use needs and linkages and referrals to mental health and substance use treatment services. In addition, there was increased stabilization as indicated by decreased substantiated child welfare allegations, fewer running away episodes, and placements and criminal involvement. Conclusions: Specialty courts that incorporate a multidisciplinary, trauma-informed approach offer a promising intervention model for meeting the high treatment needs of youth impacted by CSE.

The human rights violation of sex trafficking continues to occur in the United States at alarming rates. Although sex trafficking affects individuals across various demographic groups, this crime disproportionately affects children. Counselors who work with children and adolescents are uniquely positioned to identify, support, and advocate on behalf of sex trafficked youth who may experience barriers to emotional and physical wellness. Extant literature on counseling sex trafficking survivors remain scarce and illuminate the need for victim identification, trauma-informed interventions, and advocacy strategies that support the unique needs of child sex trafficking survivors. To address these disparities, this article describes victim identification techniques, outlines trauma-focused interventions for counseling sex trafficked youth, and presents advocacy strategies. The implications for counseling child sex trafficking survivors are illuminated through a case study.

Child sex trafficking has become one of the most highly publicised social issues of our time and, due to its global nature, transnational anti-trafficking advocacy networks are well placed and central to lead campaigns against it. Whilst there is an abundance of literature on the subjects of child sex trafficking and transnational advocacy networks we lack an understanding of the motivations of these networks that act as buffers against trafficking. Cosmopolitan globalisation theory remains a compelling framework for examining the motivations of transnational anti-child sex trafficking networks in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Applying a cosmopolitan globalisation lens, this article discusses the social justice goals of transnational advocacy networks, their centrality in combating child sex trafficking, and their ability to perform cosmopolitan ‘globalisation from below’ to counter global social problems.

The near-universal outrage over child sex trafficking has lead to engagement with anti-trafficking efforts from a wide-range of institutions and actors. Despite significant interest, Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) in the United States continues to flourish, with African American girls disproportionately victimised. Racial disparities in victimisation receive marginal recognition in the dominant discourse, therefore in this dissertation I ask: how can we best understand the racialised experiences of and responses to DMST in the U.S.? Colour-blind ideologies minimise the significance of systemic racism in the U.S. and a paucity of reliable data allows these ideologies to operate in place of evidence in the research. The result is a colour-blind, post-racial discourse whose dismissal of African American girls’ increased vulnerability further victimises them and does little to prevent continued exploitation. In re-racialising the discourse, I outline the need for a critical approach which integrates the influence of racism on experiences of and responses to victimisation.

Transnational advocacy networks’ anti-child trafficking efforts have led to significant progress in the Mekong Subregion by bringing the child trafficking issue onto the global social policy agenda, resulting in new child protection legislation and improved inter-agency collaboration in the region. However, a significant gap in both the literature on TANs and TAN practice is the lack of monitoring and evaluation of TAN ‘effectiveness’. This article discusses the recent literature on TAN effectiveness and discusses the ‘key elements’ of TAN effectiveness, as highlighted by child trafficking experts operating in TANs in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Research into the area of TAN effectiveness is important for improving our knowledge of what TANs are achieving in terms of preventing child trafficking and protecting victims, as well as improving our knowledge of the different meanings and interpretations of TAN ‘effectiveness’. Furthermore, research into this area is important for improving our understanding of how TANs are well positioned to provide an effective response to the child sex trafficking problem.

Despite the increasing awareness of child trafficking and modern slavery as a growing societal issue, little is known about the direct experiences of children and young peo- ple in trafficking situations. This paper contributes to this gap by reporting findings from a qualitative study that was conducted in England with young people who had lived experiences of child trafficking. Drawing on personal testimonies through in- depth interviews, this paper reports how children’s journeys of hope turned into de- spair. Children realised they were deceived when promises made did not materialise, they were subjected to multiple and severe forms of abuse and became aware they were used, sold and resold for traffickers’ gain. This paper considers how in seemingly powerless situations, some degree of children’s agency was exercised. Various coping mechanisms and tactics were developed as children tried to gain some knowledge and power to survive. This research provides valuable insight into the lived experien- ces of trafficking abuse, enabling practitioners to understand the dynamics, processes and acts children and young people are exposed to. The findings emphasise the im- portance of recognising the critical role that connected peers play in the trafficking process in helping others to cope, survive and ultimately escape.

Çocuk ticareti, çocuk fuhuşu, çocuk pornografisi, cinsellik amaçlı çocuk turizmi ve çocuk evlilikler gibi alt sorunsalları bulunan Çocuklara Yönelik Ticari Cinsel Sömürü (ÇTCS), çocukların “alınan, satılan, kullanılan ve atılan” ticari ve cinsel bir nesne olarak görülmesi ve onların bu tür eylemlere sürüklenmesidir. Bu kavram “Bir yetişkin tarafından gerçekleştirilen cinsel istismarı ve çocuğa ya da üçüncü kişiye/ kişilere yönelik ayni ya da nakdi karşılıkta bulunulması”nı da kapsar ve çocuk haklarının en temel ihlal biçimlerinden biridir* .

ÇTCS’nin, her örnek olayda oransal olarak farklılık gösteren, farklı kök nedenleri vardır. Bunların başlıcaları, toplumsal kabul, zarar verici gelenek ve görenekler, ayırımcılık, etnik köken, sorumsuz cinsel davranışlar ve hurafeler, yoksulluk, çocukların aile içi istismarı ve ihmali, olağanüstü durumlar ya da afet durumları, çatışma durumları, sokakta yaşamak ve çalışmak, HIV/AIDS, tüketim odaklı yaşam, evlat edinme, yolsuzluk, yetersiz kanunlar ve cezasızlık biçiminde sıralanabilir. ÇTCS sorunsalının temel varlık nedeni ise bu yönde bir talep olmasıdır, başka bir ifadeyle çarpık çocuk algısıdır.

ÇTCS’nin ortadan kaldırılmasına yönelik bütüncül mücadele, çocukların hak sahibi birer birey olduklarına dair algının güçlendirilmesiyle mümkündür. Ticari cinsel sömürüye karşı caydırıcı ve cezai uygulamaların önemi ortada olmakla birlikte; sorunu önlemek ve ortadan kaldırmak isteyen herkesin, çocukların ticari cinsel sömürüsüne yönelik talebi destekleyen, sürekli kılan her türlü davranış, inanış ve tutumla mücadele etmesi gerekir. Bu noktada çocuk haklarının korunması ve geliştirilmesi konusunda; başta avukatların, sivil toplum örgütü ve medya temsilcilerinin önemli aktörler olduğu açıktır.

Elinizdeki bilgi klasörü, ÇTCS’nin ortadan kaldırılmasına yönelik güç birliği oluşturma çağrısını taşıyan, temel bilgi ve belgeleri barındıran bir yayın olması amacıyla bir araya getirilmiştir. İçinde, sorunsala ilişkin kapsamlı istatistiksel bilgilere ulaşmanın zorluğuna karşın; örnek vakalar, ÇTCS’nin çocuklar üzerindeki etkisine ilişkin değerlendirmeler ve sorunsalla mücadele konusunda referans alınabilecek temel belgeler bulunmaktadır.

Ticari cinsel sömürü nedeniyle hak ihlaline uğrayan çocuklara birer “sayı”, “dosya” ya da “nesne” olarak değil, birer “insan” olarak bakılmasına ve benzer ihlallerin bir daha asla yaşanmamasına katkıda bulunmak amacıyla hazırlanmış olan bu bilgi klasörü, “Çocuklara Yönelik Ticari Cinsel Sömürüye Son” Projesi’nin bir yayınıdır. Çocuklara Yönelik Ticari Cinsel Sömürüye Son Projesi, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti ve Avrupa Birliği tarafından ortak finanse edilen Sivil Toplum Diyaloğu Programı çerçevesinde gerçekleştiriliyor. Program, Türkiye ve Avrupa Birliği üyesi ülkelerden sivil toplum kuruluşlarının, ortak bir konu etrafında bir araya gelerek, toplumların birbirini tanımaları, karşılıklı bilgi alışverişi ve kalıcı diyalog kurmalarını sağlayan bir platform olarak geliştirildi. Programın teknik uygulamasından Avrupa Birliği Bakanlığı sorumlu olup, Merkezi Finans ve İhale Birimi ise Programın sözleşme makamıdır.

Sivil Toplum Programı kapsamında gerçekleşen “Çocuklara Yönelik Ticari Cinsel Sömürüye Son” Projesi Gündem Çocuk Derneği koordinasyonunda ve La Strada Vakfı (Polonya) ortaklığı ile yürütülüyor ve sivil toplum diyaloğunu uluslararası ve ulusal düzeyde güçlendirerek, çocukların ticari ve cinsel sömürüsüne yönelik, başta hukuki süreçleri değerlendirmeye, öneriler geliştirmeye ve karar vericileri harekete geçirmeye odaklanıyor. Çocuklar için daha iyi bir dünyanın mümkün olduğuna inanarak, sayfaların arasındaki dayanışma ve güç birliği çağrısına olumlu yanıt vermeniz umuduyla...
Gündem Çocuk Derneği

Katkı verenler: Ebru Ergin, Emrah Kırımsoy, Ezgi Koman, Dilek Kumcu, Figen Paslı, Mesude Atay, Şahin Antakyalıoğlu

Media representations of sex trafficking among homeless youth typically and needlessly contain sensationalized images and unsupported false statistics regarding the issue. One of those factoids: that runaway and homeless youth are likely to be trafficked for sex within 72 hours of leaving home is particularly pervasive despite being completely unfounded. This article tracks down the sources of this misinformation. Then, using a study of over 600 homeless youth conducted by Loyola University’s Modern Slavery Research Project, the article provides a more nuanced and survivor-centered portrait of the human trafficking – both sex and labor – that affects the homeless youth population.

This essay looks at what Human Trafficking is including the Trafficking of children. This is an area of research I am very passionate about to help victims.
It also looks at how the UK are currently tackling this heinous crime and what can also be done to further prevent the trafficking of humans. No price should be put on a life... life is not for sale!

RESUMO: O presente artigo visa refletir sobre o tráfico de crianças entre Brasil e Portugal, na vertente da obrigação positiva dos Estados, com a finalidade de compreender as ações postas em prática (ou não) pelos Estados e o aumento ou maior visibilidade sobre este facto criminoso descrito nos diversos relatórios internacionais. O motivo da escolha das crianças enquanto vítimas teve em conta a sua inclusão no grupo de "vítimas vulneráveis" e a reflexão manteve presente três preocupações de fundo: 1) a apreensão de interesses económicos e a potencial desregulação através da coação das vítimas por parte do crime organizado; 2) os direitos fundamentais das pessoas vulneráveis (sobretudo a liberdade de escolha para viver com dignidade); 3) a proteção efetiva dos direitos das vítimas de tráfico de seres humanos no Brasil e nos Estados Membros da União Europeia, da qual Portugal faz parte. A pergunta de partida elaborada para esta investigação foi "Que medidas podem os Estados pôr em curso para prevenir e reprimir o tráfico de crianças, tendo em conta a obrigação positiva do Estado em precaver o cometimento deste crime, nomeadamente entre o Brasil e a União Europeia (UE)/Portugal?" A análise e os resultados gerais mostram um aumento nas medidas positivas adotadas para combater a deteção precoce de vítimas de tráfico de seres humanos e a intervenção subsequente imediata. No entanto, mostra também que esta não é uma prioridade já alcançada na UE nem no Brasil. A investigação revelou potenciais obstáculos à efetiva fruição dos direitos fundamentais das crianças, urgindo uma reflexão sobre as escolhas encetadas. Propõe-se a melhoria na intervenção do Estado, nomeadamente tendo em conta a obrigação positiva dos Estados na prevenção deste crime. PALAVRAS CHAVE: Direitos fundamentais; tráfico de pessoas; crianças traficadas; tráfico entre Brasil e a UE/Portugal; obrigação positiva do Estado.

Turkey’s political approach considers trafficking as a criminal issue affecting migrant women brought in from abroad but ignores its strong links with the structures and systems underpinning migration, prostitution and gender inequalities within Turkey. The relationship between trafficking in women and gender equality has not yet been linked either in policy making or in practice and the lack of gender sensitivity in data collection and identification and protection processes continues to miss the links between trafficking and gender inequality in general. In response to this lack of official recognition, this chapter offers a critical reading of Turkey’s policy and practice against different forms of trafficking and identifies the institutional blind spots that result from the legal frameworks and structures underpinning prostitution, migration and gender regimes in Turkey.

This article focuses on the narratives and underlying ideologies that enable the persistence of girls' sexual exploitation in the region of the Triple Border among Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, where field work was conducted. We argue that the persistence of colonial practices has contributed to the reproduction of subalternity positions for girls and women-especially from impoverished sectors-enforced by the conservative and patriarchal discourse present in many countries of the region. This scenario enables the persistence and naturalization of certain practices that became "invisible" or even accepted and justified as being "cultural". In this sense, we propose that human rights narrative, although being a Eurocentric construction, can comprise a platform for raising issues on gender inequality and all forms of violence and exploitation taking place in the peripheral regions of the world.

The aim of Sex Trafficking in the United States: Theory, Research, Policy and Practice is to offer a comprehensive review of the contemporary discourse examining theory, research, policy and practice related to sex trafficking in the United States. Researchers, students, and practitioners will find one volume that encompasses a comprehensive review of key components. This book is essential for understanding the nuances of sex trafficking. Andrea J. Nichols, Ph.D. explores sex-trafficking-related theories, research, policies, and practice from multiple perspectives, including neoliberal, abolitionist, feminist, criminological, and sociological perspectives. She confronts competing views of the relationship between pornography, prostitution, and sex trafficking, as well as the contribution of weak social institutions and social safety nets to increased risk of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. She also explores the link between identity-based oppression, societal marginalization, and the risk of victimization. She clearly accounts for the role of race, ethnicity, immigrant status, LGBTQ identities, age, sex, and intellectual disability in heightening the risk of trafficking. She analyzes responses to sex trafficking, and how social services and the criminal justice and healthcare systems can best respond. Sex Trafficking in the United States also offers recommendations for individual action, prevention, practice, and policy, as well as suggestions for cultural and societal change. While particularly emphasizing the United States, the book also holds use in examining global dynamics of sex trafficking, in detailing the theoretical and political debates that are present internationally as well as nationally, examining outcomes of various models of prostitution policy around the globe, and highlighting anti-trafficking organizations operating both internationally and nationally.

This website disseminates news, scholarship, and commentary related to global human trafficking. It is hosted by Indiana University and the IU Center for the Study of Global Change. The site aims to be “A first-stop resource for scholars, researchers, policy makers, activists, the media, and others who are seeking information about Human Trafficking.”