FWU Journal of Social Sciences, Summer 2014, Vol.8, No.1, 36-45 36 Child Trafficking: Analysis of the Leading Familial Determinants Syed Rashid Ali Kohat University of Science & Technology Niaz Muhammad University of Peshawar Abdullah Kohat University of Science & Technology This paper aims to analyze the familial factors that contribute to child trafficking. Peshawar, the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is selected for carrying out this study. A total of 392 respondents i.e., university teachers (116), journalists (103) and legal practitioners (173) are randomly selected. Questionnaire is used for data collection. Chi Square and Gamma statistics are applied for measurement of association and direction of relationship between independent and dependent variable. Positive and significant relationship is observed between family disintegration, homelessness, abuse of children at home, erosion of social network and child trafficking. For prevention of child trafficking, awareness raising campaigns are needed to cover vulnerable communities in order to sensitize them of the negative effects of their bad attitude with children. To keep check on socially downtrodden families, a local level watch-dog needs to be installed to report to government in serious cases. Poverty stricken families especially of militancy affected regions should be targeted through poverty alleviation schemes. Key words: child, child trafficking, familial determinants, Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Children are the asset of our future and every nation means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, has lot of expectations of them to lead their respective abduction, fraud, deception, of abuse of power, giving or country, but they are prone to diverse kinds of unfavorable receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a situations in the disguises of labour, trafficking, corporal person having control over another person for the purpose of punishment and sexual abuse. Such a situation, being global exploitation; exploitation shall include, at a minimum, in nature, is detrimental to their physical, mental and moral prostitutions, other forms of sexual exploitation, forced growth, crippling their abilities to take up the future labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, responsibilities. There are many reasons behind their servitude or the removal of organs. vulnerability to unwanted situation including the family failure towards its responsibility to protect them against any The term signifies the illicit trade in human beings danger and calamity. Out of all problems related to children across international borders or within the same country(ILO3, across the world, child trafficking has got the status of a 2002). Trafficking can be seen in different forms including the serious social issue and attracted the attention of the selling of children by parents for small financial return. This governments and NGO1s to resolve the problem by process usually emanates through placing the child with encouraging the conduction of research studies from creditor’s family as reimbursement or with a job different dimensions. The child in Pakistan is also undergoing promise/provision of quality education and training to the many problems including trafficking. To discuss the problem trafficked kids where they are kept in discharging their in the context of underlying factors and vulnerabilities, it activities revolving around prostitution, domestic helpers and would be better to flash on the nature of the problem in the camel jockeys (Aronowitz, 2001). view points of various thinkers. World Situation The UN2 Convention Against Transnational Organized The definition and domain of human trafficking varies in Crime (2000) defined child trafficking as The recruitment, number of ways and there are different understandings and transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by explanations attached to it. The intensity of the child trafficking can be gauged from the alarming and vulnerable Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Syed picture presented in research reports and studies. Rashid Ali, Lecturer of Sociology, Department of Social Work & Sociology, Approximately 8.4 million children are the victims of Kohat University of Science & Technology, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan violation of human rights in numerous ways. Out of this total Email: [email protected] figure, 5.7million are involved in forced and bonded labour, 1 NGO stands for Non-governmental organization 2 UN stands for United Nations 3 ILO stands for International Labor Organization Ali, Abdullah and Muhammad 37 1.2 million in child trafficking, 1.8 million in prostitution and trafficked women and girls are sent to the Gulf States mainly pornography, 0.3 million in armed conflict as fighters and 0.6 for sexual exploitation. The age of nearly 86 percent of the million are pushed into illicit activities. In addition, 0.6 to 0.8 victims is below 20 years when trafficked, and majority of million women, children and men are reported to traffic each them (83 %) were Pakhtun mostly from Peshawar, Mardan, year on international borders including 80% women and girls Swabi and Nowshera districts while the traffickers belonged and 50% children. However, it is important to note that these to Punjab, Kashmir, Sindh and Baluchistan. estimates are about the transnational human trafficking which lacks data on millions of children who are trafficked Most of the countries responded to the problem of child within their own countries from one place to other (IPEC- trafficking from legal perspective alone. They declared it an TBP4, 2007; Flowers, 2001; McDonald, 2004; Monzini, 2004; act of violence and focused on prosecuting the offenders. and U.S. Department of State, 2005). Such approach is limited in its scope as it ignored to probe into the underlying factors of the problem and hence, lacks Country Situation the appropriate and long term effective strategy of its No exact estimated data of children trafficked in resolution. The issue of child trafficking is rooted in the Pakistan exists. However, few studies reported trafficking multidimensional factors associated with the socio- cases from different parts of the country. Tumlin (2001) economic, political and cultural aspects. It is inevitable to points out a very serious nature of trade-cum-sport that explore and analyze these factors for comprehensive and endangers the lives of the trafficked children in the disguise everlasting solution of the problem (Chung, 2006; of camel jockeys. Nineteen thousand (19,000) children of 02- Limanowska, 2005; Hughes, 2000; Bales, 1999; Dessy et al., 11 years of age were reportedly moved to Middle East. Kane 2005; and UNODC, 2006). (1998) estimates 20,000 to 40,000 children’s involvement in the business of prostitution in Pakistan. BNWLA5 (1997) and Family Aspect of Child Trafficking: TICSA6 (2002) refers to the reports of SAARC7 and UNICEF The traffickers usually use the tactics of convincing the mentioning 4500 children being used for bonded labour in parents of children with false promise and hope of exploited way after they were trafficked to Pakistan. Iijima employment, better future, education, or marriage (UNICEF, (1998) observes that majority of the trafficked children under 2003). Studies identify such families that are easily convinced the age of 16 years in South Asia are moved to India and and gave-up their children are mostly poor, needy, illiterate, Pakistan. Most of the trafficked women and children in disintegrated, ignorant and/or large in size (Anwar, 2004; Pakistan are Bangladeshi where 80 percent victims are in Dowling, Moreton & Wright, n.d.; Chung, 2006; Anderson Karachi. Mostly, they are either kidnapped or married to and Davidson 2003; Dottridge, 2002; Logan, 2007; Bales, agents or falsely induced to better life and then abused in 2007; Chuang, 2006; Wolthuis and Blaak, 2001; Kapstein, brothels in Pakistan, and law enforcement agencies know 2006; and Demleitner, 2001). about the entry points of them, even police are getting their own share up to 20 percent in the sale and purchase of Tumlin (2000) found that trafficked children come from children and women in Pakistan (Awan, 1993; and CATW8, low profile families. Such families are with low socio- 2003). Ahmed (1997) finds that trafficked women and girls economic status characterized by poverty, illiteracy and are further victimized by the Pakistani laws of Zina Ordinance ignorance (Vinolia and Fubara, 1995; and ILO-IPEC, 1998). 1979, the Passport Act 1974, and hence such laws and Children from such families are the most neglected and treatment of the law enforcement agencies are putting such abused one (Ogundele and Ojo, 2007). Families and its non- victims in embarrassing situation. protective environment compel such children to earn something that could contribute to the livelihood of the Azam (2009) indicates to the source areas of human family (Vinolia and Fubara, 1995; ILO-IPEC, 1998). The trafficking and smuggling in Pakistan which include Gawadar, traffickers who are mostly known or relative to the family Quetta, and Taftan districts in Baluchistan; Mardan, exploit this vulnerable situation and traffic the children being Peshawar, Swat, Swabi, Nowshera, Chitral and Charsadda the easy accessible and trouble-free targets (Yinusa & Basil, districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Muzzaffargarh, Rahim Yar 2008; Beauregard, Proulx, & Rossmo, 2007; Clawson, 2009; Khan, Gujrat, Gujranwala,