Child Sexual abuse and trafficking

 Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking. 

Every year 300,000 children are taken from all around the world and sold by human traffickers as slaves. 28% of the 17,000 people brought to the United States are children, with girls outnumbering boys by a factor of

2.5. Child trafficking is a serious problem that is prevalent especially in India. National Human Rights Commission of India report says that 40,000 children are abducted each year, leaving 11,000 untraced. A comparative study between domestic child labor rates in urban and rural regions in sub-Saharan Africa reveals that 84.3% of child labourers are working in the rural sector. 99.8% of children age five to fourteen are engaged in child labor for some form of economic activity in these regions.

Main Causes of child trafficking are listed below:-

1. Poverty

2. Humanitarian Crisis

3. Lack of Education

4. Forced Child Labour

5. Weak Law Enforcement

Human trafficking violates fundamental human rights of children all over the world. It is not a rare problem in the world. On average, these victims are forced to perform sexual acts at least five times per day. And it is not that only strangers target children for trafficking purposes, family friends, extended family members, and even parents can be the perpetrators.

Take Action. Become an advocate for victims and potential victims.

“When you talk to someone who you suspect is being trafficked, ask them if they need help, if someone is hurting them, if someone is making them do things they don’t want to do, or is there someone touching them in their private areas,” says Elam. Phrasing it in that way is critical because many victims may not understand what the word “trafficking” means.   

If you see something, say something – whether that be reporting suspected trafficking activities to law enforcement or offering direct assistance to the victim.

-Anjali Agrawal