Trafficked Children

This chapter considers who trafficked children are, how many, and for what forms of exploitation they are recruited or exploited. Trafficked children not only make money for others in commercial sex; they also make a profit for others by begging or stealing and in a range of labor sectors. The chapter highlights the different state interpretations of what constitutes child trafficking, emphasizing that independent child migrants should not be regarded as trafficking victims. It reviews the protection and assistance to which trafficked children are entitled and contrasts this with what happens in practice. Although international and domestic law has advanced considerably since 2000, making it possible to punish more traffickers, the chapter concludes by noting that trafficked children face immense challenges in getting access to justice.