Page 23 - Getting it Right for Vulnerable Children and Young People in North Ayrshire

There is also evidence of children being brought to the UK for forced marriage and illegal adoption. Fortunately, there is no evidence to date that children are being trafficked into the UK for organ removal, although there are documented cases elsewhere in the world. Children initially trafficked for one type of exploitation may experience other types of exploitation as they are moved around. Children find it difficult to break away from the control of their traffickers for numerous reasons; many are fearful of what will happen to them if they escape and believe that they or their families will come to further harm. Traffickers actively instill fear in their victims as this enables them to have psychological control of the child. Other methods of control most commonly used include physical and sexual violence as well as emotional abuse and neglect. Some children, especially girls brought to the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation, are likely to be raped as part of an initiation rite or made to watch other children being beaten or assaulted. Frequently children are kept isolated, not able to speak to anyone in their native language, as well as being kept in neglectful conditions, such as in a cupboard under the stairs or in a shed. Other children will be told that they can leave as soon as they have repaid their debt (money paid by the family to the trafficker to give their child “a better life”) but this debt never diminishes. Passport and other identifying documents are often removed with threats that they will be in a great deal of trouble if they are found in this country without identification. Impact The effect of trafficking on children is wide-reaching; many will experience significant harm as a result of their situation, and outcomes for them may be extremely poor as a result of lack of proper care or access to universal services such as health and education as traffickers seek to avoid contact with the authorities. Trafficking can have long-lasting and devastating effects. Trafficked children will have experienced multiple forms of abuse and neglect. Physical, sexual and emotional violence are often used to control victims of trafficking and a trafficked child is likely to be physically and emotionally neglected. Children may have been separated from their families, friends, communities and cultures causing distress and alienation. They will often have had no access to education or opportunity for social and emotional development. The form of exploitation will also impact on a child's physical and mental health. Children trafficked for sexual exploitation are subject to prolonged periods of sexual violence, at very high risk of sexually transmitted infections and, for girls, multiple pregnancies. Domestic servitude and forced labour can lead to physical and developmental injuries. If a trafficker persuaded a family that taking their child was an opportunity for a better life, the child may not want to return to their family due to shame or a sense of failure. Getting It Right For Vulnerable Children and Young People in North Ayrshire Live V1.2 April 2014 Page No:23