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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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.

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.

India: The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS): A centrally Sponsored Scheme of Government-Civil Society Partnership

The Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development , 2009

In 2006 the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development proposed the adoption of an Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), which was adopted and launched by the central government in 2009-2010. Recognizing chronic under funding of child protection services in the country and major gaps in the system, the ICPS was expected to significantly contribute to the realization of Government/State responsibility by creating a system that would effectively and efficiently protect children.

Preventing violence through the development of safe, stable and nurturing relationships between children and their parents and caregivers

WHO and Liverpool John Moores University, 2009

This briefing looks at the effectiveness of interventions that encourage safe, stable and nurturing relationships for preventing child maltreatment and aggressive behaviour in childhood. The focus is on primary prevention programmes, those that are implemented early enough to avoid the development of violent behaviour such as child maltreatment and childhood aggression.

Violence prevention: the evidence

WHO and Liverpool John Moores University, 2009

This report brings together an eight-part series of briefings on the evidence for interventions to prevent interpersonal and self-directed violence. By spotlighting evidence for the effectiveness of interventions, the series provides clear directions for how violence prevention funders, policy makers and programme implementers can boost the impact of their violence prevention efforts.

Why Do Separated Children Matter? A Policy Briefing Paper

EveryChild, 01 Nov 2008

Evaluation of the need for increased understanding and inclusive responses to highly marginalized and separated children.

Rebuilding Lives: An Introduction to Promising Practices in the Rehabilitation of Freed Slaves

Helen C. Armstrong for Free the Slaves, 03 Mar 2008

A manual for starting and improving rehabilitation and recovery services for freed slaves, including child victims of slavery, trafficking, the worst forms of child labor, and forced marriages.

Adoption: At What Cost? For an Ethical Responsibility of Receiving Countries in Intercountry Adoption

Terre des hommes, 01 Feb 2008

A comparative study on the ethical responsibility of receiving countries of intercountry adoption.

Children's Property and Inheritance Rights, HIV and AIDS, and Social Protection in Southern and Eastern Africa

Laurel L. Rose, Ph.D., 2008

Discusses the bi-directional relationship between HIV/AIDS and agriculture, food security, and rural livelihoods, including the relationship between HIV/AIDS and children’s property and inheritance rights

Targeting AIDS Mitigation Resources to Children: A Review and Recommendations for the IATT on Children and HIV and AIDS

Steering Committee of the IATT on Children and HIV and AIDS, 01 Sep 2007

Evaluates AIDS mitigation and targeting with child sensitive objectives and global guidance