CHAPTER III CHILDREN; EASY TO TARGET CHILD TRAFFICKING III CHAPTER 3 CHILDREN;139 EASY TO TARGET Globally, one in every three victims detected is a child. FIG. 49 Shares of detected victims of traf- Patterns about the age profile of the victims, however, ap- ficking, by age group and national pear to change drastically across different regions. Coun- income,* 2018 (or most recent) tries in West Africa, South Asia and Central America and 100% the Caribbean typically present a much higher share of 90% children among total victims detected. 80% More broadly, differences in the age composition of de- 50 70% tected victims appear to be related to the income level of 67 63 60% the country of detection. The detection of children ac- 86 count for a significantly higher proportion in low income 50% countries when compared to high income countries. As 40% such, wealthier countries tend to detect more adults than 30% children among the trafficking victims. 50 20% These differences could be the result of varying criminal 33 37 justice focuses in different parts of the world. At the same 10% 14 time, however, they may reflect different trafficking pat- 0% terns according to countries’ socio-economic conditions. High Upper Lower Low Income Income Middle Middle Countries Countries Income Income This chapter provides an overview of the dynamics relat- Countries Countries ed to the trafficking of children. The first section discuss- es the main forms of child trafficking, namely trafficking Share of adult victims detected (18 years old or above) for forced labour and trafficking for sexual exploitation. Share of minor victims detected (under the age of 18) The second section focuses on risk factors connected Source: UNODC elaboration based on national data on detected with child trafficking. trafficking in persons and World Bank data on income levels. *The World Bank groups countries according to their economic perfor- mance. Economies are divided into four income groupings: low, low- Different forms of child trafficking er-middle, upper-middle, and high. Income is measured using gross in different parts of the world national income (GNI) per capita, in U.S. dollars, converted from local currency using the World Bank Atlas method. Estimates of GNI are The characteristics of child trafficking and its underly- obtained from economists in World Bank country units; and the size of the population is estimated by World Bank demographers from a ing drivers seem to differ according to geographical and variety of sources, including the UN’s biennial World Population Pros- social contexts. Trafficked children detected in low in- pects. For more on this see How does the World Bank classify coun- tries? at the following link: https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/ come countries are more likely to be exploited in forced knowledgebase/articles/378834-how-does-the-world-bank-classify- labour; this is particularly the case for Sub-Saharan Afri- countries can countries. Conversely, children detected in high in- come countries are more frequently trafficked for sexual exploitation. Thus, it can be concluded that the nature of child traf- Children trafficked for forced labour ficking in low-income countries, especially in Sub-Saha- The phenomenon of child labour is conceptually different ran Africa, seems to be part of the broader phenomenon than child trafficking for forced labour or children in ex- of child labour. In high-income countries, it is more re- ploitative situations.140 These two phenomena, however, lated to child sexual exploitation. appear to be inter-related and have similar determinants. 140 According to the International Labour Organization Child Labour Conventions, “child labour” includes working children aged between 5 and 11, all children between 12 and 14 who are performing work 139 According to the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child not considered light and for more than 14 hours per week, and those (CRC) and the 2000 UN Trafficking Protocol, a child is any person between 15 and 17 performing hazardous work (International Labour younger than 18 years of age. In the following text, the terms ‘girls’ Organization, Global Estimates of Child Labour. Results and trends, and ‘boys’ refer to, accordingly, female and male children. 2012-2016. ILO, Geneva, 2017, p.2). 81 GLOBAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 2020 FIG. 50 Shares of detected child victims of Countries where children account for a larger share of trafficking, by form of exploitation the trafficking victims detected are also countries where and national income, 2018 (or most child labour is more prevalent.141 This trend is particular- recent) ly relevant for West Africa. 100% 9 90% According to the International Labour Organization 27 (ILO), the African continent records the largest prev- 80% 35 31 46 alence of children (between 5 and 17 years of age) in 70% 5 labour.142 The United Nations International Children’s 60% Emergency Fund (UNICEF) estimates confirm this 86 50% 29 geographical pattern. Some countries in West Africa are 15 estimated to have more than 40 per cent of the total pop- 40% 68 ulation aged between 5 and 17 engaged in child labour. 30% 60 20% 36 39 The interlinkages between child trafficking and child la- 10% bour are illustrated in field research conducted in West 0% Africa, where child labour has been found to possibly de- High Upper Lower Low Income teriorate into children working in exploitative situations. Income Middle Middle Countries One study in Burkina Faso documented how a significant Countries Income Income Countries Countries share of children working in goldmining sites are not Trafficking for forced labour 141 There is a statistical correlation between prevalence of children in Trafficking for other forms of exploitation labour (ILO estimates) and share of children detected among total Trafficking for sexual exploitation victims of trafficking (UNODC) – Pearson’s R +0.501, Sig 0,000 , N 80 countries. Source: UNODC elaboration based on national data on detected 142 International Labour Organization, Global Estimates of Child Labour. trafficking in persons and World Bank data on income levels. Results and trends, 2012-2016. ILO, Geneva, 2017. FIG. 51 Shares of child victims of trafficking for forced labour among total detected victims, by sex and subregions* of detection, 2018 (or most recent) Boys Girls Sub-Saharan Africa South Asia Central America and the Caribbean North Africa and the Middle East East Asia and the Pacific Eastern Europe and Central Asia North America Western and Central Europe 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Share of children tracked for forced labour among total victims detected Source: UNODC elaboration of national data. *South America is not included in the analysis for lack of sufficient data 82 CHILD TRAFFICKING III FIG. 52 Prevalence of child labour among total children in top 10 countries (%), 2010–2018 Boys Girls Niger - West Africa Haiti - Caribbean Guinea-Bissau - West Africa Mali - West Africa Sierra Leone - West Africa Cameroon - West Africa Chad - West Africa Benin - West Africa Burkina Fasu - West Africa Ethiopia - East Africa 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Source: UNICEF - Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)* *The Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) are periodical face-to-face household surveys conducted by trained fieldwork teams conduct on a variety of topics. See https://mics.unicef.org/ paid (14 per cent) or only provided with food and lodg- munities where child labour is generally not an accept- ing (16 per cent), suggesting that exploitative practices able practice. In such settings, child trafficking victims and trafficking are part of these working sites where child may be hidden in plain sight. labour is employed.143 About half of those who were paid barely managed to cover food and lodging, while only In some socio-economic contexts, trafficking of children one third of them managed to support their families.144 may occur on a community scale, often involving fam- In one case reported by Cote d’Ivoire, for example, au- ily members. Families in dire need may encourage their thorities identified more than 30 children working on children to work and children may feel the pressure to one cocoa plantation site. After assessing each individual economically contribute to the family, leaving them vul- case, authorities determined that about one third of these nerable to exploitative practices.146 children were victims of trafficking .145 Broad cultural acceptance of the participation of children 146 International Labour Organization, Child Labour in Cotton, a Brief- in the labour market can serve as a fertile ground for traf- ing, ILO 2016; p 15. Thorsen, D.; (2012) Children Working in Mines and Quarries, Evi- fickers seeking children to exploit in labour activities. It dence from West and Central Africa, UNICEF, Briefing Paper No. 4, is easier to exploit children in areas where communities 2012; p 4. International Labour Organization, Caracterizacion del trabajo enfan- are accustomed to sending children to work than in com- til agrícola en municipio seleccionados de los estados de Sinaloa, Oaxaca y Veracrus; uno estudio de la experencias de las ninas, niños y adolecentes con enfoque particular en la educación,en lo origen étnico y la migración, ILO, 2014. p.37. 143 Ministère de l’Action Sociale et de la Solidarité Nationale of Burkina International Labour Organization and National Statistical Office of Faso and UNICEF, Rapport Nationale sur la Traite des Enfants au the Republic of Malawi, Malawi National Child Labour Survey 2016 Burkina Faso, 2015, p.49. Report, 2017, p25. Kumari M. (2013) Child labour, a Sociological Study in Haryana, Ibid. 144 India, International Research Journal of Social Science, Vol. 2 (8), 145 Court case 374 – Cote d’Ivoire 2015. 15-18 August 2013, p17. 83 GLOBAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 2020 In Sub-Saharan Africa, cases have been documented of agriculture.156 Child trafficking cases have also been re- children trafficked to work on different types of plan- ported on South American plantation.157 tations,147 in mines and quarries,148 on farms (i.e.