Resources and research on child trafficking
December 2011
A reading list of key publications on child trafficking covering:
Guidance and government policyResources for professionals working with childrenResearchAwareness raising
Guidance and government policy
Guidance on tackling and responding to child trafficking for professionals in the UK, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
See our page on:
Government guidance on child trafficking.
Resources for professionals working with children
Trafficked and abandoned.
De Castella, Tom
Children and Young People Now 22 March 2011: 9
Describes the problem of child trafficking in the UK and considers what social workers can do to help prevent the problem and effectively support victims. Includes comments from the NSPCC's Child Trafficking Advice and Information Line (CTAIL).
Understanding...child trafficking and private fostering (PDF).
London: ECPAT UK, 2011
Factsheet exploring the links between private fostering and child trafficking. Provides background context, definitions, current trends and tips for good practice for those working to safeguard children.
London safeguarding trafficked children guidance (PDF).
London: London Safeguarding Children Board, 2011
Looks at the problem of child trafficking and provides guidance on identifying and supporting trafficked and exploited children. Written for social workers, teachers, police, health workers and other professionals who may come into contact with suspected victims of trafficking. Also available: London safeguarding trafficked children toolkit (PDF) .
Looking after a young person who has been trafficked: a guide for social workers.
Fursland, Eileen
London: British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF), 2009
Introductory guide for social workers. Provides information on trafficking within and into the UK, how and why young people may be trafficked and what happens to them once they are. Covers: how to identify that a child may have been trafficked; the local authority's legal duty towards trafficked children and immigration issues; points to consider when assessing and then placing a child; and how to help the young person. Illustrated with case studies and quotations from young people who have been trafficked.
Child trafficking: how to spot it and what to do.
Bennett, Alison
Children and Young People Now 20 February 2008: 22-23
A number of experts answer questions in relation to child trafficking, including: what is child trafficking, is there internal trafficking in the UK, which young people are particularly at risk, what is the impact of child trafficking, what signs should be looked for, and what action can be taken.
A handbook on planning projects to prevent child trafficking (PDF).
Dottridge, Mike
Lausanne, Switzerland: International Federation Terre Des Hommes, 2007
Handbook focusing on ways in which child trafficking can be prevented. It looks at projects and programmes, but also comments more generally on what actions are likely to be effective in preventing children from being trafficked. Intended as a practical step-by-step guide for anyone who plays a role in designing or organising activities to prevent child trafficking but will also be of use to policy makers.
What is child trafficking?AFRUCA (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse)
London: AFRUCA (Africans Unite Against Child Abuse), 2007
Booklet explaining what child trafficking is, the causes of it, why children are trafficked into the UK and where they are coming from, and how communities can address the trafficking of children.
Reference guide on protecting the rights of child victims of trafficking in Europe (PDF).
Dottridge, Mike
Geneva, Switzerland: UNICEF, 2006
A tool designed for use by those working to protect child victims of trafficking within the European region. It aims to provide a deeper understanding of trafficking, a checklist of what to do when dealing with child victims, and recommendations for interventions that respect the special rights and needs of child victims of trafficking.
Research
Childtrafficking.com Digital libraryA website maintained by the Swiss Foundation of Terre des hommes which provides access to online information from international sources on topics relating to child trafficking.
Inquiry into human trafficking in Scotland: report of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (PDF).
Glasgow: Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2011
The findings of an inquiry into human trafficking in Scotland. Findings include: low awareness of trafficking; inconsistent legislation; and a lack of intelligence on human trafficking in Scotland.Hidden children: the trafficking and exploitation of children within the home (PDF).
London: Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, 2011
Looks at the issue of children trafficked into the UK and exploited on a non-commercial basis, in domestic servitude. Identifies examples of modus operandi and techniques used by offenders in this form of exploitation. Also outlines, identifies and profiles the trends and characteristics of this form of abuse, and presents recommendations with UK-wide significance.Scotland: a safe place for child traffickers?: a scoping study into the nature and extent of child trafficking in Scotland (PDF).
University of the Highlands and Islands. Centre for Rural Childhood and Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People
Edinburgh: Scotland's Commissioner for Children and Young People, 2011
Looks at the extent and nature of child trafficking in Scotland. Outlines findings from a literature review, an online survey, and interviews with professionals working in the field. Identifies the lack of a uniform process for the identification of victims of child trafficking, and professionals' lack of understanding of the complexity of the problem as key issues.Child trafficking for forced criminality: discussion paper.
London: ECPAT UK, 2010
Brief discussion paper outlining key facts around the issue of children who are trafficked into the UK to carry out street crimes such as pick pocketing and forced begging. Looks at the extent of the problem; causes and context; familial exploitation; and national legislation and international obligations to tackle the problem.
Child trafficking in the UK: a snapshot (PDF).
London: ECPAT UK, 2010
Provides a snapshot of child trafficking in the UK assessing the scale of the problem and reviewing efforts to tackle it. Highlights gaps in the identification of child victims, the provision of care and support, and limitations in the attempts to investigate and prosecute child trafficking crimes. Concludes with policy recommendations.
How should we safeguard trafficked children?Gupta, Anna
Community Care 1801, 14 January 2010: 24-25
Summary of an NSPCC research study, 'Breaking the wall of silence' (Pearce et al, 2009). Practice implications identified include: continuity of relationships, work with interpreters, sensitivity to the experiences of children, and attention to the work's emotional impact.Breaking the wall of silence: practitioners' responses to trafficked children and young people.
Pearce, Jenny J., Hynes, Patricia and Bovarnick, Silvie
London: NSPCC, 2009
A study of the issues faced by practitioners working with trafficked children and young people. Presents what is known about the trafficking of children in the UK and outlines the legal and policy frameworks. Discusses the findings from focus groups, interviews and case files. Highlights the difficulties in identifying trafficked children when those in need are afraid to talk and the general public lack any awareness. Considers the role of mainstream and specialist services. Appendices list indicators that a child may have been trafficked.
Child trafficking in the European Union: challenges, perspectives and good practices (PDF).
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2009
Study of child trafficking in the EU. Includes comparative analysis of EU member states on trafficking laws and conviction rates and considers the difficulties in measuring the true incidence of trafficking. Provides good practice advice on how Europe should help victims and stop the escalation of trafficking.
Hidden children: separated children at risk (PDF).
London: The Children's Society, 2009
Explores the experience of trafficking and abuse from the point of view of migrant young people, based on the work of the Hidden Children research project. Considers types of exploitation or abuse; awareness in the UK; children's views of their experiences; disclosure; and possible locations and models for intervention and therapy. Makes recommendations for children's practitioners, statutory agencies, LSCB's, schools, voluntary and legal agencies.
A long way to go: the trafficking of children into the UK and the new European convention to protect them.
Beddoe, Christine
Seen and Heard 19(3), September 2009: 22-28
Explains the prevalence of trafficking in the UK, and provides examples of how and where it occurs including three brief case studies of young people. Describes European laws which aim to prevent trafficking and set out guidelines for how to protect children and young people who have been trafficked. Highlights the difficulties of protecting young people who are unable to prove their age and calls for more protection of these children once they are in local authority care.Stolen futures: trafficking for forced child marriage in the UK (PDF).
Bokhari, Farhat
London: ECPAT UK, 2009
Research of 48 documented cases of suspected trafficking for forced child marriage. Highlights routes into forced marriage, motives and methods of control and the mental health impact of forced child marriage. Concludes there is a need for more practitioner awareness and research.
Falling through the gaps: safeguarding children trafficked into the UK.
Bokhari, Farrah
Children and Society 22(3), May 2008: 201-211
An overview of child trafficking in the UK, exploring the nature and methods of this abuse, as well as the treatment and protection afforded to trafficked children. It highlights the shortcomings and inconsistent standards of local authorities, the lack of specialist protection and the uncertainty of a trafficked child's immigration status.Missing out: a study of child trafficking in the North-West, North-East and West Midlands (PDF).
Beddoe, Christine
London: ECPAT UK, 2007
Reports on findings from an investigation concerning 80 children known or suspected of being trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and forced marriage. 48 of these children have gone missing from social services care and have never been found. Argues that separated children, especially those suspected of being trafficked, should be allocated a guardian with statutory responsibility to advocate of their behalf and to ensure appropriate services are provided.
A scoping project on child trafficking in the UK (PDF).
London: Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, 2007
A report to establish the nature and scale of child trafficking in the UK and the level of understanding of agencies in relation to this issue. Looks at the reasons and methods for trafficking and the profiles of the victims and the traffickers. Assesses the awareness levels of UK agencies and their ability to identify potentially trafficked children, collect data and work with other agencies.
Awareness raising
Child trafficking
Webpages for the general public about child trafficking covering what it is, the causes, effects, signs and guidance.
More precious than gold.
[London]: UNICEF, [2008]
A 3 minute campaign video by Unicef about child trafficking in Africa presented by Robbie Williams.
To find more publications search the NSPCC Library Online using the keyword "child trafficking"
Contact the NSPCC Information Service for specialist information on any child protection topic
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