Child Trafficking Advice Centre
Child trafficking is a form of modern slavery (HM Government, 2014).
Many children are trafficked into the UK from overseas, but children can also be trafficked from one part of the UK to another.
Children are trafficked for:
- child sexual exploitation
- criminal activity, including:
- cannabis cultivation
- street crime - such as pickpocketing, begging and bag theft
- moving drugs
- benefit fraud
- immigration fraud
- selling pirated goods, such as DVDs
- forced marriage
- domestic servitude, including:
- cleaning
- childcare
- cooking
- forced labour, including working in:
- restaurants
- nail bars
- factories
- agriculture
- illegal adoption
- unreported private fostering arrangements (for any exploitative purpose).
This list is not exhaustive and children who are trafficked are often exploited in more than one way.
How child trafficking happens
Traffickers may use grooming techniques to gain the trust of a child, family or community. They may trick, force or persuade children to leave their homes.
Child trafficking can involve a network of organised criminals who recruit, transport and exploit children and young people within or across borders. Some people in the network might not be directly involved in trafficking a child but play a part in other ways – such as falsifying documents, bribery, owning or renting premises, or money laundering (Europol, 2011).
Child trafficking can also be organised by individuals and children's own families.
Updated: February 2025
Accessing the service
- Tel: 0808 800 5000
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Clinical support group
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Paediatrics
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Clinical support area
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Service type
- Children's Specialist Services
- Safeguarding
- Social services
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ProviderOther organisations
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Telephone0808 800 5000
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