CHILDREN IN SOCIETY

Child Trafficking and Child Labor

Questions…
What kind of childhood should all children have?

Should children work? Under what conditions?

Do we protect children both domestically and internationally

from exploitation?
Human trafficking terms
Trafficking in Persons (TIP)involves the exploitation of people
through
force, coercion, threat, and deception and includes human rights abuses such as
debt bondage, deprivation of liberty, and lack of control over freedom and labor.
Trafficking can be for purposes of sexual exploitation or labor exploitation.

Human smuggling is the facilitation, transportation, attempted

transportation or illegal entry of a person(s) across an international
border, in violation of one or more countries laws,

Bonded labor/debt bondage is a form of slavery where families

receive a small amount of money, in return for sending their children
away to work.
The Numbers…
ILO: International Labour Organization
40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally
81% forced labour
25% children, 75% women and girls

Trafficking doesn’t always mean traveling to new destination for exploitation;

one can remain within own location
Child Sex trade
In the US: Selling the girl next door
The Department of Justice estimates: 250,000 American youth
are at risk of becoming victims of commercial sex

Age 12 is the average age

LGBTQI higher rate of vulnerability to trafficking

2016: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
In US 1 out of 6 runaways risk for sexual trafficking

International: 20% of trafficked people are children

79% of trafficking is sexual exploitation
Child slavery: child brides
Unicef report:
1/3 of women 20-24
married before 18
median age
increasing in families
with higher income.
Maternal deaths (15-
19: 70,000
infant mortality: 60%
Child brides in the US ?
Global Slavery Index:
National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions:
child marriage among women in the United States was 8.9%: 9.4 million US
women were married at age 16 or younger.
By state age of consent to marry

Judges can authorize children marrying

Forced marriage is not illegal at the federal level.

Only eight US states, plus Washington, D.C. and the US Virgin Islands, have
specific criminal laws against forced marriage

no single profile of the girls and women involved

Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and other faiths, from immigrant families
from many countries and from non-immigrant communities
Response
Public and social policy
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)
US has signed but not ratified it into law (193 countries have)
Only UN members have ratified (US has not ratified)
Somalia/South Sudan ratified in Oct 2015

Concerns in the US
Concerns about international body interfering with the autonomy of parents in
educating and raising children within American society
Vocal against the CRC—many parents connected to home/religious schooling
movement (social conservatives)
Trafficking Laws In US
United States Federal Law:
On October 28, 2000, Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000

Trafficking in Persons (sex and forced labour) Chapter 77, title 18 US Criminal Code:
Forced labour (section 1589)
trafficking with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labour, (section 1590)
sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud, or coercion (section 1591)

2013: Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2013, amendment

to VAWA (violence against women act)

Establishes programs that US citizens do not buy products by victims of trafficking

Prevents child marriage
Funding for State department in disaster areas where trafficking is possible
Makes it easier for state and local law to charge and prosecute traffickers.
Child Labor
Laws:
1836 : law required 15 year olds working in
factories to attend school at least 3 months a
year

1938 : Fair Labor Standards Act--minimum

ages of employment and hours of work for
children are regulated by federal law

1999: International Labor Organization

Worst Forms of Child Labour
Ratified by 173 of 183 member States
Prohibits slavery, debt bondage, serfdom, use of
children in armed conflict

Country legalized child work/labor (Bolivia 10)

Teen workers protections in US

Department of Commerce rules for Minor workers

"MINOR" MEANS ANY PERSON LESS THAN 18 YEARS OF AGE WORKING PERMITS:

Every minor 14 through 17 years of age must have a WORKING PERMIT

WAGE AGREEMENT

REST PERIOD: No employer shall employ a minor more than 5 consecutive hours without a
rest period of at least 30 minutes.

LIST OF MINORS EMPLOYED: Employer shall keep a list of minors employed at each
establishment and a list must be posted in a conspicuous place to which all minor employees
have access.

TIME RECORDS: Every employer shall keep a time book or other written record showing
actual starting and stopping time of each work and rest period. These records must be kept for
two (2) years
Child labour
The U.S. Department of Labor has identified
148 goods from 75 countries made by forced and child labor.

US Companies--- Sweat Shop labour and OSU?

Use of child labor in commercial products
--shoes
--Chocolate
--Gold
--fishing and shrimping industry

International Labour Organization:

Estimates 152 million children
With 73 million in hazardous work
Child migrant workers in the US

In the US: UFW estimates 300 000+ child farm workers

Small family farm: no age limit
Fair Labor Standards Act: Federal Child Labor Provision
Can work at 12 with parental permission/or is employed
Risk of injury
Exposure to pesticides
Chronic diseases higher than other kids
Reduced school attendance
Work average of 30 hours per week

They pick your food

View of Childhood
Questions:

Is the vision of childhood the same for all?

Case of Boliva and legalized child labour?

Is it working?
What constitutes a “proper” childhood?