Article: “Family members linked to nearly half of child trafficking cases, new UN-backed data reveals”
The United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently found that close to half of child trafficking cases begin with a family member’s involvement, a rate nearly four times higher than in cases of adult trafficking.In response to this new data, the IOM is calling on governments and development organizations to increase their focus on preventative, counter-trafficking interventions including “…helping household heads to make long-term plans for themselves and their family; helping children identify potentially dangerous or exploitative situations and know how to get support; and ensuring that protection and systems are accessible to all children…”Free To Shine has witnessed this unfortunate reality firsthand and recognizes that working with parents and families as a whole is key to preventing child abuse, child trafficking and other forms of exploitation of children.Right when we enroll a girl on our program, we set up an agreement with her parents formalizing our partnership; the parents pledge to work with us as a team and help to keep their daughter safe and in education. If we encounter a concerning family situation that places the girl at risk, we refer the family to our social work program so that they can access more intensive support and safety planning.To learn more about our family-based approach to trafficking prevention, click here.
Full article: https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=58174#.WiSeIkqWbIU
Date: 28 November 2017
Source: UN News Centre