What is Child Trafficking?
Child trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of children through deception, fraud or force with the aim of exploiting them for profit. Anyone, regardless of class, gender, age and background can become a victim of child trafficking and children are victims in every corner of the world.
Common forms of child trafficking include forced marriage, begging, sweatshop labor, pornography, migrant farming, domestic labor, sex tourism and recruitment for armed groups.
Desperate families and children often feel they have no other choice but to risk trafficking in an effort to save their lives, and many are misled by traffickers to believe a better life is possible. Child traffickers often use violence, fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of job and education opportunities to lie to and coerce their victims.
How common is child trafficking?
Child trafficking takes place in every country in the world. One-third of all human trafficking victims worldwide are children.
In the United States, it has been reported in all 50 U.S. states, with particularly high rates in California, Florida, New York, Ohio and Texas.
While many victims remain uncounted, making it difficult to determine how many children in the world are trafficked, human trafficking and forced labor generate an estimated $150 billion in annual profits. UNICEF found that an estimated 5.7 million children are living in forced marriages. According to the International Labor Organization, 10 million children are forced into modern slavery through forced labor.
How are girls impacted by child trafficking?
Girls are two times more likely to be victims of child trafficking, especially for sexual exploitation, including prostitution and forced child marriage. Gender inequality and child trafficking often reinforce each other. Girls who are victims of child trafficking are not able to receive an education. At the same time, girls who do not receive an education are often more vulnerable to child trafficking.
Children who fled war in Ukraine face heightened risk of child trafficking
Children who fled the war in Ukraine are at heightened risk of trafficking and exploitation. UNICEF is working to ensure children who have fled Ukraine are protected and supported by building safe shelters for children and women set up along the neighboring countries of Ukraine. UNICEF-UNHCR Blue Dots provide necessary information for refugee families, work to identify unaccompanied children, who are even more vulnerable to trafficking, and provide essential services.
UNICEF is also working with partners to urge governments to strengthen their screening that identifies at-risk children. UNICEF is also calling on increased collaboration and communication between border control, law enforcement and child protection authorities to identify separated children as quickly as possible, implement family tracing and reunification for children separated from their caregivers.
History of UNICEF’s dedication to preventing child trafficking
UNICEF is committed to stopping child trafficking, supporting victims, and working towards a brighter future by addressing the risk factors that make it more likely, including poverty and discrimination. UNICEF’s efforts worldwide include:
- Advocating that all newborns will have legal birth registration, which protects children from the potential of exploitation, abuse and violence
- Partnering with communities and organizations to change societal norms that can make children more vulnerable to exploitation
- Providing training on how to identify and stop trafficking for social workers, health workers, police, border officials and other professionals who work with children
- Supporting parents by providing them with a living wage so that their children are not forced to work and are able to receive an education
- Lobbying governments and partners to create laws and increase child protection systems that will prevent and respond to violence and abuse. UNICEF USA supported the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which Congress passed in 2000 and has since been reauthorized several times.
Fati, a 14-year-old girl in Diffa, in the southeast of Niger, is attending a UNICEF-funded project to support the enrollment and retention of girls through mentoring to promote good practices and the abandonment of child marriage. © UNICEF/UN0684372/Dejongh
What to do if you suspect child trafficking?
If you suspect someone is being trafficked, the National Human Trafficking Hotline is one of the best resources. You can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888 or text at 233733, or via web chat. Advocates trained in responding to trafficking cases will be able to take reports of potential human trafficking 24 hours, seven days a week.
Report child pornography or missing children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678) or through the Cybertipline.
How you can help
Here’s how you can take action today to be a part of the solution to end child trafficking:
- Email your local elected officials to urge them to prioritize addressing child trafficking
- Join UNICEF UNITE, and become a front-line advocate in the U.S. to fight for children’s rights worldwide
- Share this article or information about child trafficking on your social media accounts with the hashtag #EndTrafficking
- Donate today
Learn more
Helping Survivors of Child Trafficking Get Their Lives Back
Children in desperate circumstances crossing borders alone for a better future are incredibly vulnerable to child traffickers. UNICEF works to help these children safely reunite with their families.
Child Trafficking Hits Close to Home
Children are bought and sold in every corner of the world, including all 50 states of the U.S. How UNICEF is supporting efforts to end child trafficking in the U.S.
Top photo: Aliou*, 15, was recruited by armed groups in northern Mali. He spent three years with armed groups until UNICEF and its partners help him leave. Aliou’s dream is to learn metal carpentry and set up on his own business with his parents in his hometown. © UNICEF/UN0538114/Keïta