What is child trafficking
Child trafficking is the removal of children from a place of safety and exploitation. Trafficked children are often forced into some form of work, engaged in sexual activity or sold outright. The International Labor Organization says human trafficking is “a form of slavery or slavery-like conditions” that should be eradicated as soon as possible.
How many children are affected by trafficking worldwide?
The International Labor Organization estimates that 21 million people are forced into labor or slavery. A quarter of them are under the age of 18. This means that the number of trafficked children worldwide is 5.5 million. They are subjected to violence, exploitation and abuse and end up being forced into work, forced marriage, prostitution, begging and armed recruitment.
The majority of trafficking victims found around the world are women; mainly adult women, but there are also an increasing number of underage girls. Of the detected trafficking victims, 46% are women and 19% are girls; 20% are men and 15% are boys. Therefore, more than 30% of all detected trafficking victims are children. But there are regional differences, for example, in sub-Saharan Africa, child victims make up the majority of victims detected (55%). Globally, the vast majority of detected sexually exploited trafficking victims (94%) are female, and 72% of detected child victims of sexual exploitation are girls.
Purpose of trafficking for children
Domestic servitude
“Domestic servitude” is a form of forced labor in which traffickers require victims to work in a private residence. This situation creates unique vulnerabilities. Domestic workers are often isolated and may work alone in a house. Their employers often control their food, transportation, and housing. What happens in a private residence is hidden from the world, including law enforcement and labor inspectors, which leads to barriers to victim identification. Foreign domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse due to language and cultural barriers and lack of community connections. Some perpetrators use these types of conditions as part of their coercive schemes to force domestic workers into labor with little risk of detection.
Forced child labor
The term “forced child labor” refers to a forced labor scheme in which traffickers force children to work. Traffickers often target children because they are more vulnerable. While some children can legally perform certain forms of work, forcing or coercing a child to work remains illegal. Various forms of slavery or slavery-like practices—including the sale of children, forced or compulsory child labor, debt bondage, and child serfdom—continue to exist despite legal prohibitions and widespread condemnation. Some indicators of a child being forced into labor include situations where a child appears to be in the custody of a non-family member, where the child’s work financially benefits someone outside the family, or where the child who is working is denied food, rest, or schooling.
Sex Trafficking
Sex trafficking encompasses a range of activities in which a trafficker uses force, fraud, or coercion to force another person to engage in commercial sex or to cause a child to engage in commercial sex. Sex trafficking crimes can also be understood through the framework of “act,” “means,” and “end.” All three elements are necessary to constitute the crime of sex trafficking (except in child sex trafficking cases where the means are irrelevant).
Shocking Statistics on Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry. (UNICEF) Human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal industry in the United States (UNICEF).
Where is human trafficking most prevalent?
According to the latest data from the International Labor Organization, the Asia-Pacific region has the highest number of victims of forced labor and marriage, accounting for more than half of the global total, reaching 29.6 million. However, if we take into account population size and examine the prevalence per thousand people, the Arab countries have the highest rate of exploitation, at 10.2%.
World regions ranked by the number of people trafficked in persons:
Asia and the Pacific: 29.3 million, Africa: 7 million, Europe and Central Asia: 6.4 million, Americas: 5.1 million, Arab countries: 1.7 million
World regions ranked by the incidence of human trafficking (per thousand people):
Arab countries: 10.1%, Europe and Central Asia: 6.9%, Asia-Pacific: 6.8%, Africa: 5.2%, Americas: 5%
Which countries have the worst human trafficking?
The Global Organized Crime Index assesses the level of crime in 193 countries, as well as their resilience to organized crime. According to the 2021 report, human trafficking has become the most prevalent crime in the world. The five countries with the worst scores for trafficking in persons, based on qualitative and quantitative measures and expert input, are:
Libya, Eritrea, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Turkmenistan
A major reason for Libya’s worst ranking is the country’s instability, which began with a civil war in 2014. According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2022 Trafficking in Persons Report on Libya, large swathes of the country are outside government control and the justice system is not fully functioning. Extralegal armed groups and criminal cartels are reportedly involved in sex and labor trafficking and exploiting migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
Of the three worst-ranked countries, Libya, Eritrea, and Yemen are characterized by civil conflict, lack of rule of law, or political instability. Two of the countries are accused of government-enforced labor: agriculture in Turkmenistan and military service in Eritrea.
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