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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Off the Backs of the Children: Forced Begging and Other Abuses against Talibés in Senegal

Human Rights Watch, 01 Apr 2010

This report is based on 11 weeks of field research in Senegal and Guinea-Bissau between November 2009 and February 2010.

Off the Backs of Children: Forced Begging and Other Abuses against Talibés in Senegal

Human Rights Watch , 01 Apr 2010

Human Rights Watch report on the illicit practices of forced child begging and other abuses perpetrated against children in residential Quranic schools. Includes recommendations to government entities on action needed to reverse abuse and neglect of children in these situations.

Interagency Guiding Principles on Unaccompanied and Separated Children: FRENCH VERSION

Interagency Working Group on Unaccompanied and Separated Children , 19 Feb 2010

The Guidelines from the IAWG provide some of the strongest direction for ensuring emergency efforts protect family unity and avoid child-family separation. Where family unity can not be preserved, these guidelines instruct on tracing and family reunification, care arrangements, durable arrangements, special issues related to refugee children, and promotion of children’s rights.

http://www.crin.org/docs/Inter-agency%20Guiding%20Principles%20on%20Unaccompanied%20and%20Separated%20Children_French.pdf

Prevention Programme for Children and Families at Risk

ECPAT International, 12 Feb 2010

Guidance on setting up prevention programs to reduce child protection risks to children and young people, and in particular to prevent commercial sexual exploitation.

U.S. Government and Partners: Working Together on a Comprehensive, Coordinated and Effective Response to Highly Vulnerable Children

USG Secretariat for Orphans and Vulnerable Children , 01 Dec 2009

Provides global estimates of the number of highly vulnerable children; a summary of United States Government (USG) assistance programs for highly vulnerable children; a summary of progress coordinating the response among USG agencies; key strategic issues and opportunities; priorities for 2009–2010 and beyond; and a summary of the results and achievements of USG assistance

Every child deserves a family: EveryChild's approach to children without parental care

Emily Delap , 01 Nov 2009

This document outlines EveryChild’s approach to the growing problem of children without parental care by defining key concepts, analysing the nature and extent of the problem, exploring factors which place children at risk of losing parental care, and examining the impact of a loss of parental care on children’s rights.

Progress for Children: Report Card on Child Protection

UNICEF, 01 Sep 2009

The first comprehensive resource on child protection statistics. Includes data on children without parental care, child trafficking, child marriage, children with disabilities, etc.

When the Safety Net Fails: Children in West and Central Africa and the Risk of HIV Infection

Plan West Africa, 01 Mar 2009

Study investigating the psychosocial impact of different high risk situations in West and Central Africa such as trafficking, ethnic cleansing, armed conflict or parental loss.

Promoting Synergies between Child Protection and Social Protection: West and Central Africa

UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa, 01 Feb 2009

Focuses on children’s vulnerabilities and risks related to an absence of protection from violence, abuse and neglect, and the ways in which measures to address such vulnerabilities and risks can be more effectively integrated into social protection policy frameworks in the West and Central Africa region.

The Social Work Curriculum Development Advocacy Paper

UNICEF Afghanistan, 01 Feb 2009

This paper outlines a vision for the network of services, policies, and programmes necessary to protect children at risk and enable them to reach their full potential, free from violence, exploitation, and abuse.