No ‘Magic Bullets’: Children, Young People, Trafficking and Child Protection in the UK

Abstract

Trafficking of children and young people has become an increasingly debated issue in the UK, with official statistics often considered to reflect only the “tip of the iceberg” of cases. Identification of a child as “trafficked” relies upon referral to designated “first responders” and “competent authorities” within a National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This article explores the complex undertaking of identifying a child as “trafficked”. It is suggested that, like any other form of child protection, in cases of “trafficking” there are unlikely to be “magic bullets” providing immediate answers to why children are not always seen as being exploited and/or abused and consequently identified as “trafficked”. Drawing on findings from two qualitative studies into understandings of trafficking amongst agencies working with children, it is suggested that identifying “trafficking” of children could be enhanced if a broader range of agencies had roles in the process, particularly those working within community engagement frameworks in positions to form crucial relationships of trust with children.

Trafficked children and child protection systems in the European Union

“…Precise data on the number of trafficked children are still not available (Kelly, 2005), but growth in numbers is attributed to the European migration crisis (EC, 2016). The complexity of the trafficking process and the different ways it is understood by some children (and many professionals) renders identification (Hynes, 2015) and therefore data collection problematic (Kelly, 2005;Dottridge 2006).…”

“…Child victims of trafficking can miss out on protective services because immigration and asylum systems take precedence (Hynes, 2015;O'Connell-Davidson 2011). This review finds that exclusion occurs irrespective of nationality or citizenship status.…”

Trafficking within migrant smuggling operations: Are underage transporters ‘victims’ or ‘perpetrators’?

“…However, it stops short of questioning the subject's identity as a victim rather than a perpetrator of crime. In part, this is because statutory agencies in many countries lack “sufficient expertise in relation to children” when it comes to trafficking offenses (Arocha, 2010: 11), resulting in missed opportunities for governments to protect children and other young people affected by trafficking (Hynes, 2015: 65). For Hidayah, the correctional system did not even consider the possibility that he was a victim of trafficking, despite strong indicators of it in his testimony.…”

Legal Protection for Women Victims of Trafficking in Indonesia in an International Human Rights Perspective

“…One of the problems related to human rights in Indonesia is the criminal act of trafficking in persons which is a form of recruiting, sending, transferring, holding or receiving someone, with threats or the use of violence or other forms of coercion, kidnapping, fraud, lies, or abuse of power, or a vulnerable position or giving or receiving payments or obtaining an advantage in order to obtain the consent of someone who has power over another (Hynes, 2015), for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation includes, at the very least, exploitation to prostitute other people or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or service, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or harvesting of organs.…”