Getting to the Root Causes of Child Trafficking  

Child trafficking is a complex and deeply concerning issue that affects millions of children worldwide. The International Labour Organization (ILO) says trafficking is among “forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery.”   

Trafficking happens when someone forces a child to do involuntary labor—such as sex exploitation or servitude—and someone else in the family keeps the proceeds. Traffickers target vulnerable children and force them into many dangerous and illegal situations, including sexual exploitation, domestic labor, prostitution, or drug couriering. 

An estimated 1.2 million children around the world are affected by trafficking at any given time.¹ 

How do children get involved in trafficking  

There are several ways that youth get involved in trafficking.  

Poverty is the biggest reason for trafficking children  

Poverty is the leading reason for trafficking. People need a way to find shelter, food, and other essentials, and turn to trafficking to get by.      

Children get involved in trafficking when they or their caregivers are experiencing:   

• Acute poverty or homelessness  

• Domestic/relationship violence   

• Substance abuse or addiction  

• Rejection from their parents (mostly LGBTQ+ children)  

Familial trafficking: A crime that starts at home  

Many trafficked kids don’t realize that they’re victims, because they have been groomed from a young age to think trafficking is normal. Most children who are trafficked are ages 14-16, but for children in familial trafficking situations the abuse starts at younger age.² 

Here are some sobering statistics:  

• Family involvement in child trafficking is up to four times higher than in cases of adult trafficking.³

• The majority of children trafficked by their families for sexual exploitation (67%) are aged 15-17.³ 

• Families traffic more of boys (61% of cases) than girls (46% of cases).³ 

• One study showed that 75% of the child trafficking cases involved family members selling a child in exchange for drugs.⁴

Experts estimate that 41% of child trafficking is facilitated by family members or caregivers.³ 

Child trafficking is tough to prosecute  

Prosecuting perpetrators is especially difficult because the survivors of familial trafficking:  

• Find it hard to testify against family their traffickers out of loyalty or fear.  

• Feel ashamed and purposely avoid telling others.  

• Fear that when they tell authorities, it might lead to something worse than their current situation.  

When there is a conviction in a familial trafficking case, many survivors are reunited with their families. Unfortunately, because the trafficker is a family member, almost 60% of survivors of familial trafficking will have contact with the person who abused them is released.⁵

This holiday season, GIVE THEM HOPE. 

Help individuals trapped in trafficking by providing the support they need. OUR Rescue is dedicated to ending sex trafficking and child exploitation, while helping survivors reclaim their lives and thrive on their healing journey. Together, we can make an impact. Donate today.

1. Save the Children. “The Fight Against Child Trafficking.” https://www.savethechildren.org/us/charity-stories/child-trafficking-awareness   ↩︎
2. Children’s Mercy. “What every parent should know about preventing child trafficking.” https://www.childrensmercy.org/parent-ish/2020/12/preventing-human-trafficking/  ↩︎
3. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), part of the United Nations System. “Family members are involved in nearly half of child trafficking cases.” https://www.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl486/files/our_work/DMM/MAD/Counter-trafficking%20Data%20Brief%20081217.pdf  ↩︎
4. Dispatch. “No One Can Hurt You Like Family: What We Know About Familial Trafficking Identification and Response.” https://cops.usdoj.gov/html/dispatch/01-2024/familial_trafficking.html 4  ↩︎
5. Journal of Family Violence. “Familial Sex Trafficking of Minors: Trafficking Conditions, Clinical Presentation, and System Involvement” https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323158066_Familial_Sex_Trafficking_of_Minors_Trafficking_Conditions_Clinical_Presentation_and_System_Involvement 
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