Assessing the Hotline Services on Child Trafficking Victims: An Analysis of Vietnam

Abstract

While rescuing trafficked children has been focused on several countries in the Global North, little is known about what and how it worked and what and how it has not worked in some nations in the Global South, such as Vietnam. Although Vietnam has been considered the source’s country at Tier 3’s classification in the U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report 2022, its victim-centered approach still lacks focus and improvement. Given the country’s political ideology, top-down management, and centralized governance, copying Western strategies for supporting those children’s victims is challenging in Vietnam. This study analyzes the hotline services to understand better the process of child trafficking victims’ (CTV) rescues in Vietnam. To assess the inside of support victims of child trafficking, we use a mixed-qualitative method by combining focus-group discussions and semi-structured interviews with 28 participants from the hotline operators, law enforcers, and social welfare. Our findings point out (1) various information of callers to hotline operators, (2) different pathways to handle these sources, and (3) the impacts of COVID-19’s outbreak on supporting the victims. Outcomes of hotline services also depend on human resources, legal frameworks, and collaborative mechanisms. Some practical gaps also call for further attention to enhance the hotline services in Vietnam.