Stakeholder perceptions of gaps and solutions in addressing child trafficking

Abstract

IntroductionGovernments, researchers, and community-based organizations have mobilized to develop interventions and programs addressing child trafficking, resulting in large amounts of financial resources allocated to awareness-raising campaigns, crisis services for survivors, and increasing judicial responses to trafficking. Low-resource and low-income countries face the dual challenge of addressing child trafficking within an environment where extreme poverty is pervasive and customary norms might conflict with national anti-trafficking policies. The purpose of this study is to understand challenges faced in addressing child trafficking and identify interventions that are community-driven and contextually relevant. MethodologyThe study used a qualitative community-based participatory research approach by collaborating with local researchers, government, and NGOs to examine how key stakeholders perceive existing gaps in policies and programs aimed at countering child trafficking in Sierra Leone. ResultsSix gaps in policies and services were identified by stakeholders: access to and availability of local programs and services for families; access to and affordability of schooling and vocational training in local communities; lack of policy implementation and enforcement of existing laws, especially at the local level; inadequate funding for anti-trafficking service providers; lack of community support for survivors of trafficking, and a lack of coordinated and consistent community response. In a demonstration of the trauma-informed and survivor-centered study design, participants also suggested possible ways to bridge these gaps. Discussion and conclusionAn ecological approach is critical in designing policies and programs responsive to the complex problem of child trafficking within an environment of low resources and potential conflicts between cultural norms and national policies. Practitioners in such contexts must be culturally-competent and prepared to seamlessly work across the micro-mezzo-macro continuum to enhance the best interest of the child.