2013/10/01 by Yvonne Rafferty · 1 citation
Health Professions · Medicine · Social Sciences · #HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk #Homelessness and Social Issues #Sex work and related issues
paper · doi:10.1111/ajop.12056
crossref issued 2013/10/01 · crossref published 2013/10/01 · crossref published-online 2013/10/01 · openalex publication_date 2013/10/01 · crossref created 2013/10/28 · crossref deposited 2025/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/31 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Child trafficking, including commercial sexual exploitation (CSE), is one of the fastest growing and most lucrative criminal activities in the world. The global enslavement of children affects countless numbers of victims who are trafficked within their home countries or transported away from their homes and treated as commodities to be bought, sold, and resold for labor or sexual exploitation. All over the world, girls are particularly likely to be trafficked into the sex trade: Girls and women constitute 98% of those who are trafficked for CSE. Health and safety standards in exploitative settings are generally extremely low, and the degree of experienced violence has been linked with adverse physical, psychological, and social-emotional development. The human-rights-based approach to child trafficking provides a comprehensive conceptual framework whereby victim-focused and law enforcement responses can be developed, implemented, and evaluated. This article highlights promising policies and programs designed to prevent child trafficking and CSE by combating demand for sex with children, reducing supply, and strengthening communities. The literature reviewed includes academic publications as well as international and governmental and nongovernmental reports. Implications for social policy and future research are presented.