Identifying victims of trafficking
NSPCC briefing
October 2011
This briefing provides information on:
Difficulties in identifying victims of trafficking
Identifying if a child has been trafficked is not easy. Trafficked children are often hidden, they may be scared or they may not even realise they have been a victim of trafficking.
Potential victims of trafficking may not be forthcoming with information and may tell their stories with obvious errors.
Some traffickers compose stories for victims to learn in case they are approached by the authorities which can lead to stories with errors or a lack of reality.
Victims' early accounts may also be affected by the impact of trauma. In particular, victims may experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which can result in symptoms of hostility, aggression, difficulty in recalling details or entire episodes and difficulty concentrating.
Many victims may not speak English well or may have other communication difficulties. Qualified interpreters should be used to communicate with the child; do not use family members, friends or members of the public to interpret.
Why children may find it hard to disclose
Individuals may not see themselves as victims or may not be willing to disclose they are a victim due to:
- a fear of retribution/reprisals from their traffickers
- fear and suspicion of the authorities, and a lack of awareness that these people are in a position to help
- fear resulting from Juju or witchcraft rituals
- fear that their traffickers will accuse them of being complicit in their trafficked situation
- toleration of their current situation as it is more favourable than their home circumstances
- being in a relationship with their traffickers
- feelings of empathy and attachment with the traffickers (Stockholm syndrome)
- fear of discrimination from their community and families.
Indicators a child may have been trafficked
All four nations in the United Kingdom, as well as international organisations such as the United Nations, publish guidance to help professionals identify a child who may have been trafficked.
England
In England, the government guidance
Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked lists possible indicators that a child may have been trafficked into the UK or is under the control of a trafficker or receiving adult.
The guidance covers indicators at the point of entry to the UK relating to both the child and the accompanying adult or sponsor; indicators whilst the child is resident in the UK; and indicators a child may have been internally trafficked within the UK.
See pages 24-6 of: Her Majesty's Government (2008) Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked (PDF). London: Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).
Northern IrelandIn Northern Ireland the guidance
Working arrangements for the welfare and safeguarding of child victims of human trafficking refers to professionals to the United Nation's list of
Human trafficking indicators.
See pages A4-A5 of: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) and Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI) (2011) Working arrangements for the welfare and safeguarding of child victims of human trafficking (PDF). Belfast: Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ([2008]) Human trafficking indicators (PDF). [Geneva]: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Scotland
The Scottish Government has adapted England's guidance for application in Scotland and the list of indictors covers the same points as
Safeguarding children who may have been trafficked.See pages 28-31 of: Scottish Government ([2009]) Safeguarding children in Scotland who may have been trafficked (PDF). [Edinburgh]: Scottish Government.Wales
The All Wales Child Protection Procedures Review Group, on behalf of the Welsh Government, has published
All Wales practice guidance on child trafficking which includes recognition information with a list of indicators and factors.
See pages 33-35 of: All Wales Child Protection Procedures Review Group (2011) All Wales practice guidance for safeguarding children who may have been trafficked (PDF) . [Cardiff]: All Wales Child Protection Procedures Review Group.InternationalThe United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's publication,
Human trafficking indicators, provides lists of general indicators and more specific indicators for children, domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and begging and petty crime.
See: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) ([2008]) Human trafficking indicators (PDF). [Geneva]: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The International Labour Organization's
Operational indicators of trafficking in human beings, present specific indicators for forced labour and sexual exploitation which are categorised into strong, medium and weak indicators of trafficking and broken down for adult and child cases.
See: International Labour Organization (ILO) (2009) Operational indicators of trafficking in human beings (PDF). Geneva: International Labour Organization (ILO).
Using these indicators
The indicators listed in these publications are not exhaustive or definitive lists but they do highlight the more common indicators which can assist frontline staff in making a primary assessment of whether a child is a potential victim of trafficking.
It is not the case that a set number of indicators mean definitively that a child is a victim of trafficking. One or a combination of factors could suggest a person is a potential victim, so each case should be considered on its own merits.
All agencies and organisations who find themselves with grounds for concern that a child may be a victim of human trafficking have a responsibility for ensuring the safeguarding needs of the child are assessed and addressed and for reporting their trafficking concerns for referral into the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
Through the NRM a trained specialist will then investigate the matter further to determine if the child is a victim of trafficking.
For more information please see the
NSPCC factsheet on the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
What to do if you believe a child has been trafficked
If you are a professional and you think a child may have been trafficked call CTAIL on
0800 107 7057 Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm or email
ctail@nspcc.org.uk.
Members of the public can contact the NSPCC on
0800 800 5000, text
88858, email
help@nspcc.org.uk, or sign with
BSL video service.
Further reading
Child trafficking homepage
NSPCC
What is the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings?
NSPCC factsheet
The National Referral Mechanism (NRM)
NSPCC factsheet
Safeguarding trafficked children guidance, toolkit and monitoring report
London Safeguarding Children Board
Child sexual exploitation homepage
NSPCC
Contact the NSPCC Information Service for more information about child trafficking or any other child protection topic
Copyright © 2011 NSPCC - All rights reserved. National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Weston House, 42
Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH. Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered charity number 216401. NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717.