Child Trafficking Research Articles

Evaluation of Child’s Right Portrayal in Select Nollywood Films

This study examines the role of Nollywood films in promoting child rights in Nigeria. Using Development Media and Social Representation Theories, the study analyzed five locally produced movies and 663 respondents. The findings revealed that Nigerian films depict various issues of child rights, including neglect, child labor, emotional abuse, child battering, sexual abuse, gender discrimination, child kidnapping, child trafficking, and moral abuse. The study concluded that Nigerian movies provide a country perspective for deepening moral and social consciousness and advancing attitudinal change in child rights. The authors recommend that filmmakers continue producing films that address child rights issues to further advance justice against children.

Legal regulation of combating child abduction in international family law

The obligation of states in accordance with the Convention on the Civil and Legal Aspects of International Child Abduction to carry out the immediate return of the child is not always effectively implemented due to the procedural defects of the Convention [1], which is confirmed by the practice of its application at the international level. Based on the analysis of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, some procedural gaps of the Hague Convention of 1980 [4] are investigated and ways to solve them are proposed. Today, in the conditions of war, solving the issue of child abduction is an urgent necessity not only in Ukraine, but in many European countries. Every year, the statistics of child abduction crimes are increasing in all countries of the world. The issue of non-implementation of foreign court decisions by countries is one of the biggest problems today. In order to fulfill the obligations imposed by the Convention of 1980, the states are obliged to create competent bodies and adopt legislation corresponding to the norms of the Convention. Actualization of children’s rights in the modern world is becoming one of the key tasks of every country. Application of international documents regulating procedural issues of cross-border child abduction in the countries of the European Union as an example for other countries. Regulation of the situation that provoked the international abduction of children also by the norms of international procedural law as an additional set of measures aimed at the fastest return of the child to his usual life, a simplified and shortened procedure for obtaining the status quo. There is an exclusive opinion in the world that in the absence of crimes related to the abduction or trafficking of children, relations regarding the return of children should be regulated only at the international level by concluding international treaties.

Penegakan Hukum Terhadap Anak Yang Menjadi Tindak Pidana Perdagangan Orang di Kota Tanjungpinang

Children are buds, as well as the next generation of young people who have special positions, characteristics and dispositions that ensure the continuity of the nation's existence in the future. Protection efforts are needed to realize children's welfare by distributing guarantees for the fulfillment of their rights and treatment without discrimination. This study aims to describe how legal protection for children as victims of trafficking is based on Law No. 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection and how sanctions are imposed on perpetrators of child trafficking crimes. The research method used in this study is normative juridical research. The results of this study show the legal protection of children as victims of trafficking based on Law No. 35 of 2014 concerning Child Protection and dignity, and recognition of human rights owned by children. Not only that, sanctions against child trafficking offenders are regulated in Law No. 21 of 2007 concerning the Eradication of Trafficking in Persons.

Protection of Child Victims of Trafficking in Vietnam

Human trafficking rose as a particularly concerning problem for the international community in the 1990s and early 2000. It quickly became an outbreak when facing the global pressure of illegal immigration, loose borders, security danger, and economic and territorial integrity. Women and children are two typical vulnerable objects, hence targeted by culprits in kidnapping, blackmail, trafficking, sexual abuse, exploited labor, or taking organs. With a complicated diverse terrain, child trafficking in Vietnam has been an unsolved issue, forcing the Vietnamese government to work harder to protect the future generation. Therefore, this research focuses on two main objectives, including investigating the protection of child victims of trafficking in Vietnam and proposing potential solutions in the future. The article suggests increasing the number and quality of research (conducted by Vietnamese organizations/experts) about child trafficking. Experiences learned from the Vietnamese context showed that frequent inspection, evaluation, and summarization in implementing international rules are necessary as well as remuneration for border sites or the police army. In the end, this paper might help other developing countries face difficulties from academic studies on child trafficking, new trafficking techniques, and victim assistance measures in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protection of Minors Who Are Victims of Child Trafficking (Human Trafficking)

Protection of Minors Who Are Victims of Child Trafficking (Human Trafficking)

Interstate Human Trafficking Youth Survivors: Clinical and Forensic Considerations

Child trafficking continues to be underreported due to multiple factors including differences in state laws, lack of a centralized database, and overall under-recognition. The care of such youth often entails forensic as well as significant clinical considerations given their traumatization. We report on our experience with a 14-year-old female who presented to an Emergency Department (ED), brought in by law enforcement after her parents filed a missing person report in a different state, with concerns about human trafficking; the patient expressed suicidal ideation in our ED. The patient was placed under involuntary hold, after obtaining collateral from the her parents. During the hospitalization, legal challenges presented barriers to safe discharge and a need to collaborate for providing care between disciplines and across state lines. At the same time, through validation and support in the therapeutic milieu of an adolescent psychiatric unit, she was able to understand that she had just survived sexual assault and began to process the impact of it. Although no medication changes were made, the patient began to develop insight at the time of discharge to the Child Protective Team.

Forensic examination of the biochip as a means of preventing child trafficking: a review

The practice of using chipping to preserve the life and health of children and protect them from committing crimes is spreading in different countries.
 This article examines the problems in child chipping from legal, forensic, social, and technological points of view to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the method in preventing child trafficking.
 Available regulatory documents on the topic were used in the present study. This article highlights the position of the legislation of Kazakhstan regarding chipping, concludes on the compliance of legislation with modern realities, and considers chipping in compliance with the Constitution of Kazakhstan.
 Ways to solve the problem of forensic examination of the biochip as a means of preventing child trafficking were proposed. A SWOT analysis of the use of a biochip was performed to resolve the issue of its application in the field under consideration, which revealed the advantages and disadvantages of the method.
 The expediency and legality of chipping in minors to prevent crimes and the impact of technology on children were comprehensively studied. This study is of practical importance as it introduces into legal science a new comprehensive view of chipping and its application in minors.

National Bureau of Investigation: Towards Mitigating Women and Children Trafficking and Exploitation

The Philippines is one of the most trafficked countries. The Philippines is considered to be one of the most prominent online platforms for child sexual exploitation. This study will only focus on the aftercare services during the rescue and early recovery phase of the woman and child victims in violation of RA 9208- Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, as amended RA 10364-Expanded Anti-Trafficking Act in Persons Act of 2012. It will not discuss the reintegration phase for it is the scope of social work and development (DSWD). Currently, there is no figure for the actual number of trafficking for there are unreported cases and it is borderless. There are also limitations in terms of women NBI agents. Rescue operations are beyond the scope of this paper for it is classified information and it varies from one operation to another. Mitigating the trafficking of women and children begins with addressing the root causes, raising public awareness, and strengthening the task forces that deal with these cases. According to the United Nations and the U.S. State Government, there are 3Ps to mitigate trafficking in persons. The researcher found 4Ps and these are: Prevent, Protect, Prosecute, and Partnership. The fight against trafficking in human beings in the Philippines remains an urgent and multifaceted challenge that requires a holistic and multi-pronged approach. Government, law enforcement, civil society, and international allies have played a key role in increasing awareness, enacting more stringent legislation, and supporting victims. Keywords: trafficking, exploitation, aftercare services, recue and early recovery phase, multi-pronged approach, women and children

Protecting Confidentiality in the Digital Ecosystem of Humanitarian Aid

Protecting Confidentiality in the Digital Ecosystem of Humanitarian Aid

A Systematic Review of Professionals’ Knowledge and Perceptions on Child Trafficking

ABSTRACT Child trafficking is a complex and multifaceted crime, representing a challenge for professionals who work daily to protect its victims. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations to understand the knowledge and perceptions of professionals who work with child trafficking victims. Our search yielded 21 articles for inclusion in the review. The samples consisted of social, justice, healthcare, and education professionals, as well as stakeholders and/or other professionals. The results were organized into the following themes: qualifications and professional experience that may influence knowledge and perceptions; knowledge and perceptions about the victimization process, the impact of victimization, the judicial process, and professional practices; and a lack of knowledge about the subject, specifically regarding the definition of child trafficking, risk and vulnerability factors, the scale and prevalence of the phenomenon, victimization dynamics, the legislative and policy framework, and professional practices. The findings suggest that organizational policies and practices should prioritize investing in training specialized professionals, not just in recognizing the phenomenon but also in delivering practices that focus on meeting the needs of the victims. This study will hopefully inform the development of awareness and training programs based on the needs and challenges faced by these professionals.

The United Nations and Blockchain Technology

Abstract In this essay, I discuss the United Nations and its activities as they pertain to the use of blockchain technology. I argue that while this technology is rather new, the United Nations has been open to using such technological innovations to better solve human rights challenges that include fighting to end child trafficking, better distributing food aid, and reducing carbon emissions. Finally, the essay discusses the future prospects for blockchain technology and the UN.

Identifying clientelism in orphanages: a conceptual model

ABSTRACT Much has been written on the factors that contribute to a child’s admission into institutional care, including poverty, lack of access to education, death of a parent, active recruitment, and the sheer presence of orphanages. In addition, there is growing recognition of orphanage trafficking driving admission. This is more prevalent in unregulated orphanages (Van Doore 2016), where referral to a specific facility occurs outside of formal gatekeeping mechanisms and without the involvement of mandated authorities. Yet there is little research about how children are identified, recruited, and transferred into these orphanages. The irregular nature of admission, coupled with the fact that these orphanages are rarely proximal to the children’s communities of origin, suggests the involvement of social networks in forging connections between families and specific orphanages. However, the nature of these social networks has not been examined. Missing from the current conceptualisation of drivers of child institutionalisation is the role of social networks, specifically those characterised as clientelist in facilitating children’s recruitment, transfer, admission, and/or trafficking into unregulated orphanages. To address this gap, this article presents a conceptual model for identifying clientelist relationships in orphanages, allowing for the implications of clientelism for child institutionalisation, trafficking, and exploitation to be explored.

Utilising the communication for development approach to prevent online child trafficking in Thailand

In Thailand, predators use online and offline methods to exploit migrant children as forced labourers in various industries, including shrimp and seafood processing, construction and agriculture. This study examines the current status of online child trafficking and considers how the communication for development (C4D) approach can be utilised to prevent these crimes. This study reviews papers and reports published in Thailand and abroad on online child and human trafficking, prevention methods and C4D. Moreover, the study used purposive sampling and interviewed Thai government officials and representatives from non-government organisations (NGOs) with expertise in migration issues. The findings reveal that human traffickers deceive migrant children into online child labour and trafficking through unregulated online channels. However, the Thai government has collaborated with local and international NGOs to apply C4D to reach out to children seeking employment in safe online spaces to prevent child trafficking. This paper argues that C4D is helpful for raising public awareness of the threats posed by human trafficking. Simultaneously, specific labour groups employ C4D Plus, which may be applicable in the prevention of online child trafficking.

Stakeholder perceptions of gaps and solutions in addressing child trafficking

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.

Child Trafficking: What School Nurses Need to Know.

Human trafficking is a severe form of child abuse and maltreatment. Cases are pervasive and no demographic, socioeconomic status, community, or school is immune. The most effective response to human trafficking in school settings requires increased awareness and establishing policies, protocols, and procedures that support collaborative response to suspected human trafficking. School nurses are well equipped to lead these efforts. While the National Association of School Nurses acknowledges the importance of the role of the school nurse in child trafficking response in their Human Trafficking Position Statement, resources to aid school nurses in coordinated recognition and response efforts remain limited. This article reviews clinical guidance on human trafficking through a school-based lens, highlights indicators that should alert school nurses to the risk of trafficking, outlines best practices for response to abuse and exploitation, and provides additional tools and resources available to aid school nurses in their approach to caring for children experiencing trafficking.

Child Trafficking: An Issue for Criminal Law Reform in Indonesia

This paper aims to examine the problems with Indonesia’s proposed criminal law reform. It is a legal normative research kind. It can be obtained by using a literature study. The implementation of this research is limited to how the development orientation to find issues of child trafficking relates to reform of the criminal law. The orientation of reforming national criminal law cannot be contradicted by another regulation. Crime, criminal responsibility, and sentence are the three main problems in criminal law that represent the concept of balance. The issue of national criminal law reform for child trafficking is based on political, practical, and sociological considerations. The urgency of preventing and eradicating child trafficking needs to be carried out by formulating trafficking in persons in the Law No. 1 of 2023 Concerning Penal Code in an explicit, firm, and well-substantiated manner, as well as by including the meaning, scope, and limitations trafficking in person, including child trafficking.
 Keywords: child, trafficking, criminal, law, reform

Trafficking Sexuality Power Relations to Women and Children in Makassar City

This study aims to determine the factors that cause the sex trafficking of women and children in Makassar City. This research is a qualitative descriptive study using a bibliography study to obtain comprehensive research results. The research location is located in Makassar City, South Sulawesi. The types of data used include primary data, secondary data, and tertiary data. Data techniques were used in interviews and literature studies. Data analysis uses an interactive analysis model. The findings of this study are that there are power relations that result in women and children becoming victims of vulnerable groups. Perpetrators have higher power so they can oppress victims to carry out trafficking to violence. Sexual violence in personal relationships also includes violence perpetrated by husbands as a representation of the power of sexuality. In addition, there are other factors such as poverty, job seekers, low education levels, broken families, and a history of sexual violence.
 Keywords: power relations, trafficking, women and children

Unveiling child trafficking: Local perspectives and context in addressing sustainable development goals in Sierra Leone

AbstractThe Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included the goal of combating child labor and human trafficking, but regional variations complicate efforts to address these problems. In Sierra Leone, the government has taken steps to address these issues, but challenges remain, particularly in relation to access to education, in rural areas, and for young girls. This article examines local stakeholder understandings of child trafficking, and the distinction between child labor and child work in Sierra Leone. Participants included community leaders and those with lived experience of exploitation. Findings identify complex intersections and overlaps in understandings of these terms, and the ways these connect with norms and expectations impacting children and childhood in Sierra Leone. Lessons are drawn out for local and international policy and programming to incorporate structural factors within a wider lens of child protection, reframing anti‐trafficking to focus on positive aspects of recovery and resilience.

Law enforcement training on child trafficking: Engaging all stakeholders

Abstract Since the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act in 2000, there have been rapid changes in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems’ ability to identify, investigate, and prosecute cases of human trafficking and work effectively with survivors. Law enforcement officers are often the first to encounter victims, and their training in this area is critical. While trainings have expanded, they are still missing in many jurisdictions and are understudied. The impact of a 2-day, interdisciplinary, skill-based, and victim-centred child trafficking in-service training is evaluated via regression analysis of pre–post surveys with 187 participants. Results indicate that the training significantly improved both perceived trafficking-related knowledge and self-efficacy. Implications for policing and research include expanding and deepening skill-focussed interdisciplinary child sex trafficking training for law enforcement personnel that engages multiple stakeholders, including trafficking survivors.

Forced Adoption as War Crime: Representations of Orphanizing and Child Trafficking in The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale

Forced Adoption as War Crime: Representations of Orphanizing and Child Trafficking in The Giver and The Handmaid's Tale