Ending Child Trafficking

Use terms and phrases from the Word Bank to complete the following paragraph on fighting human trafficking in the United States. Not all words will be used, and none will be used more than once.

Many forms of trafficking exist in the United States, especially along the ________________________________

border, where more and more children are being recruited for crime. An American organization called Polaris Project

fights ________________________________ in the U.S. in several important ways. Polaris provides shelter, training,

and care to ________________________________ in Washington, D.C., and New Jersey. Polaris also runs the 24-

hour toll-free national human trafficking ________________________________ , which gives professionals, victims,

community members, and others a simple way to get the ________________________________ and services they

need to take action. Polaris works to ________________________________ against trafficking at the state and fed-

eral levels. To share the lessons they learn, Polaris ________________________________ in effective methods for

protecting victims in the U.S. and around the world.

Word Bank: calendar, central, domestic abuse, hotline, human trafficking, improve laws, information, invests, lobby Congress, parents, southern, trains others, victims

Complete the Reading

Because traffickers use violence against victims or lure them with false promises, anyone can be trafficked, whether rich or poor, educated or not, boy or girl.

ACTIVITY SHEET

Did You Know?

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Driven by factors like poverty and family crisis, many children are made to work long hours in unsafe

conditions for little or no pay. Many people consider human trafficking to be a form of modern-day slavery.

Children can be trafficked into factories to make products like clothes, rugs, and bricks. Girls are often trafficked to work as household maids. Children can be forced to work in mines, on fishing boats, or

on farms. They may even be forced to fight in war zones.

The effects of trafficking on children are serious. Children often suffer from physical and emotional abuse. They may be kept from attending school or visiting a doctor. Child traffick-ing also violates many rights guaranteed to children by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). These in-clude the right to be protected from harm, to live with one’s family, to go to school, and to enjoy time to play.

Human trafficking is a crime in which people are threatened, deceived, or forced into performing labor. Around the world, about 27% of all victims are children.

Making InferencesListed below are two countries where UNICEF is working to combat child trafficking. Read the piece for each country and explain the inferences.

Children in Nicaragua are trafficked within their country as well as to other Central American countries, Mexico, and the United States. In response, UNICEF helped launch a prevention and protection program for children and youth. The program focuses on places with higher rates of poverty and inequality, where children are more at risk. UNICEF also brought a UNICEF National Ambassador and rock star to encourage victims of trafficking not to give up hope for a better future.

Why would children raised in poverty and inequality be more at risk of trafficking?

In the West African country of Benin, most trafficking victims are children. UNICEF works to encourage children in Benin, especially girls, to stay in school beyond the elementary years. To improve education in the country, UNICEF is partnering with community and religious leaders, upgrading schools with safe drinking water, and even distributing a special board game. While playing the game, children learn that they have rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), such as the right to education, to protection from mistreatment, and to grow up to be happy and healthy.

What does the paragraph suggest children will do with the knowledge they learn from the board game?

For Thought and Discussionn What types of challenges do you think exist in the fight to end trafficking?

n Where might human trafficking victims be found in your community?

n Why might adults choose to take advantage of children by trafficking them?

n How could knowing about their rights help children to combat trafficking?

Label the two countries from above on the world map.