The Issue of Child Trafficking - Essay Example

Anthropologists’ Analysis of Child Trafficking Name: Institution: Date: Introduction Human trafficking has evolved from relative obscurity to a main are of policy, research and teaching over the last decade. Research has developed from public policy, criminology, sociology, women’s and gender issues, law and anthropology but has been impeded by the scholars’ lack of engagement beyond their areas of study as well as preferred methodologies. Research has improved efforts to comprehend the causes of the problem, the victims’ experiences, policy efforts, and their impact on specific historical and cultural contexts. Human trafficking particularly trafficking of children and women is an increasingly worrying and repulsive occurrence (Beyrer, 2004). The chances of trafficking are enhanced by modern technologies, globalization and circumstances within the contemporary capitalistic society. This forces human beings into involuntary acts like prostitution, forced labour, and churns out victims of physical and psychological; abuse. Trafficking of human beings deprives individuals for their freedoms and human rights. It is further compounded into a global health risk owing to prevalence of infectious diseases like Aids. There no country that is spared from human trafficking. Trafficking of children and women has become a reality that is painful in Bangladesh (Lee, 2005). Annually hundreds of children and women are shipped overseas and these huge populations of human trafficking are compelled to adapt with the human trafficking culture. The illegal trade is morally unacceptable and appalling, but exists in many societies. There have been attempts to conceptualize human trafficking challenge from the anthropological perspective by various scholars. Child trafficking There is no difference that is significant between a two year old and 17 year old since both are regarded as children who require special care and safeguards. In application the concepts of childhood and child vary according to cultural, social, religious, historical and rational norms together with the personal circumstances of an individual. Whereas measuring the degree of child trafficking is challenging owing to its covert and criminal nature, International Labour Organization (ILO) approximates that there are about 1.8 million children who are trafficked for sexual purposes across the world while UNICEF projects the population to around 2 million (Andrees & Mariska, 2005). Children are susceptible to various forms of exploitation and abuse and have been for a long time of trafficking for the purpose of labour and sexual exploitation. There has been a study of children trafficking in Asia where the challenge has persisted despite effort to deal with the problem. Very little has been documented about child trafficking in the Pacific region. whereas there have been no charges of child trafficking in Australia, the risk encountered by children in the Asia-Pacific region is significant to responses in Australia and in enhancing development of inter-country responses across the entire region (Lynellyn, 2004). It is elaborate that more conceptual clarity in the definition of child trafficking as well as more elaborate investigation of area where trafficking is happening are less explored will help in supporting the evidence base for trafficking of children and informing the effective responses to such crimes in this region. Child trafficking shows failure to protect the rights of children who are most vulnerable. There is chance for overlap between the legal concept of trafficking in children as well as other concepts that are regulated by law like commercial sexual exploitation among children, illegal adoption, and child labour (Goździak, 2008). In determining whether a situation can be considered as child trafficking, it is critical to recall the elements that are regard in child trafficking definition of action of transportation, recruitment, or transfer of persons and exploitation. Children are further affected where parents are the main victims of human trafficking. Suspected victims of trafficking had children who were in their home country and could visit Australia (Joudo, 2010). The dominant discourse about trafficking is inclined towards sensationalized stories of sex trafficking and it shapes the public perceptions concerning human trafficking. Moving stories of young girls being forced into prostitution and branded by people who do not care attract the sympathy of the public, but they further conjure up a sense of invisibility for various types of trafficking. To force teenagers into early commercial sex is a grave crime, but human trafficking goes beyond sex trafficking (Dottridge, 2002). Empirical studies suggest that more than fifty percent of individual who have been trafficked in the United States have been forced into various sectors apart from commercial sex and a sizeable population comprise of men. The skewed perception about trafficking that focus on sex trafficking that is awash in the media has controlled the federal government response to the problem where law enforcement is needed. The state and federal human trafficking records show that more investigations as well as prosecutions have occurred for sex trafficking as compared to labour trafficking. On the other hand, victims’ service providers have conceded helping significantly more foreign victims in labor trafficking as opposed to sex trafficking (Choo, 2009). Many agents involved in the enforcement of law have based their investigations of their personal cultural beliefs concerning sex as well as victimization that the practical reality experienced in human trafficking. Some law enforcement agents consented that they perceived trafficking into forced prostitution as more severe form of violation that forced labour and hence influencing their operations. The trafficking of children is connected to a variety of vulnerabilities and factors. The vulnerability of a child to trafficking is determined by familial, individual and socioeconomic factors. Children who have been trafficked are already in a vulnerable situation (Leifsen, 2008) The individual circumstances of a child like experiences of abuse or violence, absence of basic education, lack of citizenship, life skills and personal documentation coupled with a desire for adventure can accentuate vulnerability via loss of self-worth, few job opportunities, feeling of hopelessness, barriers to employment and the belief that larger cities and other countries offer a better life. Family-related factors like domestic violence, family breakdown, substance abuse, neglect and child abuse, and the role and low status of children accentuate the vulnerability owing to absence of support and care for the child in the family set up. There is concern in cultural settings where the children are perceived as belonging to their guardians or parents and possess the authority to treat them as they deem fit. It is in such settings where children are powerless positions that young women can be forced into early marriages and young girls are betrothed in settlement of family feud or in some cases, payment of debt (Pumin, 2011). Lack of employment and poverty as well as educational opportunities forces families to migrate in search of work and children drop out of school seeking employment. The children end up in unskilled and low-paying jobs. Cultural traditions play a substantial role. In some cultures girls are regarded as less valuable as compared to boys hence boys attend school while girls engage in economic activities at a tender age to earn money for the family. In circumstances where economic hardship is experienced, children are viewed as a source of income or a financial burden. Poverty is major purpose why children are sent by their parents or guardians to work in countries regarded as wealthy (Donner, 1999). The promise of good wages makes such a practice to appear acceptable. Cultural practices whereby girls are given out to marriage can be a source of income. Some parents use the bride price to educate the boys. Absence of birth registration has been discussed as an issue of concern within the Southern Asia region owing to escalated vulnerability of persons who are stateless. With no citizenship, such people experience hardship while trying to access healthcare services, travel, education, employment or sometimes political representation. The individuals are further excluded from getting government protections and benefits. Many hill-tribe girls and women who have not gotten Thai Citizenship are vulnerable to exploitation since they do not have legal status and victims of trafficking for either sexual or labour purposes (Goździak, 2008). The demand for child labour is made worse by the fact that children provide cheap labor, can be controlled and manipulated easily, and do not look for protection following the industrial process. Children can be forced to do dirty or undesirable work like in brick making in Vietnam and in Thai fishing industry. Some types of work like camel jockeys are suited for children due to their smaller physique. The urge for sexual intercourse with children is hugely linked to the value of virginity in the East Asia cultures. The belief that sex with young virgins or children can cure HIV and the fear of contracting HIV make sex offenders to target children (Hoque, 2011). The demand for children to adopt across the world makes it easier for child traffickers to find market for children victims. Inter-country system of adoption is highly susceptible to child exploitation, child trafficking and child laundering. Conclusion The issue of child trafficking has been studied under anthropological context and it has helped to expand the concept not to be narrowed to sex trafficking. Many countries across the world particularly in the developing world are grappling with the challenge of child trafficking. Without anthropological conceptualization of the challenge of child trafficking can be skewed to be interpreted from the sexual perspective. However, it has been demonstrated that child trafficking happening for a variety of reasons besides for sexual purposes. Child labour is very prevalent in many developing and Asian countries. Policy developers who want to address the problem have to view child trafficking from a wider perspective in order to come up with a working solution. The cultures that consider children as mere property and less powerful are likely to give their children into early marriages or child labour trafficking in order to solve family problems. Child trafficking presents a more daunting task that needs engagement of all stakeholders and cooperation across countries to change perceptions and arrest the problem. A lot of consultation has to be done across borders owing to different adoption systems that allow loopholes for child traffickers. Where parents are involved and children fall victims, the children have to be given supportive care before they are re-united with their parents. References Andrees, B. & Mariska N.J. (2005). Designing Trafficking Research from a Labour Market Perspective: The ILO Experience1, International Migration 43 (1-2): 55–73. Beyrer, C. (2004). Global Child Trafficking, The Lancet, 364: S16-17 Choo K-K R (2009). Responding to online child sexual grooming: An industry perspective. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice no. 379. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. Donner, W.W. (1999). Sharing and compassion: Fosterage in Polynesian society, Journal of Comparative Family Studies 30(4): 703–722 Dottridge M. (2002). Invisible girl. Economist 366(8309): 48–49 Goździak, E.M. (2008). On Challenges, Dilemmas, and Opportunities in Studying Trafficked Children, Anthropological Quarterly 81 (4): 903-924. Hoque N. M. S. (2011). Understanding human trafficking problem in capitalist era: an anthropological perspective, The Asian Man - An International Journal 5 (1): 1-8. Joudo, L. J (2010). Migration and people trafficking in Southeast Asia. Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice no. 401. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology. Lee, J.J.H (2005). Human trafficking in East Asia: Current trends, data collection and knowledge gaps, International Migration 43: 165–201 Leifsen, E. (2008) Child Trafficking and Formalization: The Case of International Adoption from Ecuador, Children & Society 22 (3): 212–222. Lynellyn, D. L. (2004).Anthropological Perspectives on the Trafficking of Women for Sexual Exploitation, International Migration 42 (1): 5–31. Pumin, Y. (2011). Saving Child Panhandlers, Beijing Review 54 (9): 18-34. Read More