CHILD TRAFFICKING CHILD TRAFFICKING IN SCOTLAND: IN SCOTLAND:

NETWORKS OF EXPLOITATION?NETWORKS OF EXPLOITATION?

Paul Rigby

University of Stirling

paul.rigby1@stir.ac.uk

2 Sept 2013

Palermo ProtocolPalermo ProtocolProtocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

Article 3Article 3

(a) “Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs;

(b) The consent of a victim of trafficking in persons to the intended

exploitation set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article shall be irrelevant where any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) have been used;

(c) The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation shall be considered “trafficking in persons” even if this does not involve any of the means set forth in subparagraph (a) of this article;

(d) “Child” shall mean any person under eighteen years of age.

+ + =

Child Trafficking in Scotland Child Trafficking in Scotland

• 21% of separated children in Glasgow have been trafficked or are at risk• 7% have probably been trafficked• 15% ‘suspicions’ about possible trafficking

• Scotland 2012 NRM referrals – 29 children

Labour exploitation – 38%

Sexual exploitation – 31%

Domestic servitude – 17% (SOCA NRM provisional stats 2012)

• 1/3 of young people at Guardianship Project indicators of trafficking

• Glasgow child protection team – 190 referrals / enquiries since 2007

Traffickers are the connections & networks across countries

Destination country

Transitcountry

Home country

micro

exo

macro

Trafficker(s)

Trafficker(s)

Traffi

cker

(s)

Ecological networks –Ecological networks –What we know about child trafficking in the ‘real’ worldWhat we know about child trafficking in the ‘real’ world

Rigby & Whyte 2013

Referred to Glasgow social work CP team for advice 2008-2011– n=68

Type of exploitation

Nos

Africa Asia East Asia

East Europe

West Europe

Sexual 27 18 1 2 6 -

Commercial sexual 7 7 - - - -

Domestic servitude 9 7 - 1 - -

Labour exploitation 9 1 1 3 4  

Forced / under age marriage 3 3 - - - -

Physical abuse 9 8 1 - - -

Criminality (including cannabis cultivation)

5 1 - 2 2 -

Begging 2 - - - 2 -

False asylum claims 3 3 - - - -

Benefit fraud 12 5 - - 5 2

Female genital mutilation 4 4 - - - -

“The backgrounds, journeys and experiences of children indicate multiple types of abuse, suggesting that children are rarely trafficked for one type of exploitation, or are at least susceptible to multiple abuses as a result of trafficking or smuggling”

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=7490

Online, networks and traffickingOnline, networks and trafficking

Research tends to focus on:• Sex trafficking & adults

•Or on child sexual abuse / exploitation via internet / grooming

•Little evidence for online recruitment re labour exploitation

•US based & internal trafficking ?

In Glasgow (Scotland?) little / no research evidence regarding online recruitment in home countries before transportation

What we do know from Glasgow research What we do know from Glasgow research

Trafficking •False social network profiles•Mobile phones for contact •Some clear links between children and adults

(but not clear if facilitated online / mobiles / face to face)

•No evidence of widespread recruitment via online methods

(from children’s accounts of recruitment)

Child Sexual Exploitation Glasgow 2013•Inappropriate use of the internet / making contact with adults online - 54% of high risk group (8% low risk)

•Phone call / texts – 15% high risk group (0 low risk)

What we know from practice experienceWhat we know from practice experience

• Identification of victims via social media / networks

• Control of victims via social media / networks

• False profiles

• Young people recruiting other young people online ?

Challenges in keeping children safeChallenges in keeping children safe

• Within residential units – monitoring of internet use ?

• Take mobile phones off children ?

• Monitor mobile phone calls / texts

Need to focus more on online networks – evidence to Need to focus more on online networks – evidence to date in Scotland is limited – are we looking for it ?date in Scotland is limited – are we looking for it ?

Online Protection Online Protection

• Identification of perpetrators

• Identification of victims

• You think you know training – CEOP

• Use of social networking sites by staff

• Local protocols / awareness raising for safe internet use

Online resourcesOnline resources

• www.counterchildtrafficking.org

• http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

• http://www.childrecovery.info

• Numerous online videos eg ChildLine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnqcc3WQl14