Child Trafficking
Child Trafficking is a form of human trafficking. It is defined as the recruitment, transfer and harbouring of children, for purposes of exploitation (Child Trafficking, www.dictionary.com). The trafficking of children is the third largest global consumer market, especially in areas of Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, with an estimated 1.2 million children being trafficked annually. (UN.GIFT). Since poverty has been in existence, so has child trafficking. “In the nineteenth century, the moral challenge was slavery.” (Nicholas D. Kristof, Half The Sky). The practice of child-trafficking is a very close relative to slavery. The gap between the rich and the poor gives the wealthy an enormous amount of power, and leaves the poor with no choice but to comply. “Human trafficking and slavery, particularly when children are the victims, not only deny fundamental human rights but also testify to an utter failure of our religions, cultures and civilizations.” (Satyarthi, K. Half the Sky Documentary). By examining the root causes, the different types, and the economic factors, one is lead to believe that child trafficking is a global issue that is on the rise and is very unlikely to be eradicated in the near future.
Child Trafficking is a global phenomenon. The children involved come from different walks of life, and there are many different ways for a child to become trapped in the world of trafficking depending on where in the world they live. There are four main causes for child trafficking to exist in our world. The first, and most common is the high rate of parental unemployment. In many countries, parents cannot find jobs for themselves, or make enough money to sustain their loved ones. Traffickers find these families, or the parents set out for opportunities for their children, and are presented with offers they cannot afford to refuse. “I come from a poor, violent
References: Child Trafficking Prevention | World Concern. (n.d.). World Concern | Witness the Transformation. Retrieved December 11, 2012, from http://www.worldconcern.org/children/traffickingprevention.htm Child Trafficking-human trafficking of children Human-trafficking-fund. (n.d.). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved November 29, 2012, from http://www.unodc.org/unodc/human-trafficking-fund.html Kristof, N Wheaton, E., Schauer, E., & Galli, T. (2010).International migration. Retrieved from http://nfsacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Wheaton-Economics-of-Human-Trafficking.pdf Ursu, V Special Rapporteur on trafficking. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Retrieved October 10, 2012, from http://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Trafficking/Pages/TraffickingIndex.aspx Trafficking in children Wheaton, E. Schauer, E.J. Galli, T. (2010). Economics of Human Trafficking. International Migration. Retrieved October 27, 2012 from, http://nfsacademy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Wheaton-Economics-of-Human-Trafficking.pdf Wachtel, P.L Trafficking in Women and Children in India, by P. M. Nair, Sankar Sen, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi, India. National Human Rights Commission, UNIFEM South Asia Regional Office, New Delhi. Published by Orient Blackswan, 2005. 1999., & Argentina, i. w. (n.d.). Prostitution of children - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_of_children