Your child will not understand the words freedom, safety, protection unless you explain to them clearly with simple examples. The privilege of having freedom and lovely family is a blessing. Do you know, there are 21 million people who are suffering from modern slavery called ‘human trafficking’? This include child trafficking, where child is forced labor or used for sexual exploitation.

It is essential to know how to keep your child safe from child trafficking. In US and rest of the world, foster children are at high risk for trafficking. Children who runways, homeless, economically poor, seeking love and acceptance, victim of various types of abuses tend to be at risk of human trafficking. Human traffickers target those children who are defenseless, not accompanied, vulnerable and hurting.

According to FBI human trafficking is the third largest criminal activity in the world.

According to the United Nations, trafficking involves three main elements:

·        The act – Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons.

·        The means – Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.

·        The purpose – For exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

To protect your children from such situations what parents must do?

1.      Within your home set a high standard of love. Your children should not feel lack of love and affection.

2.      Show your children that you care, concern, and help them to understand what a real relationship means.

3.      Talk about what family means and explain parents role

4.      If you are fostering children, establish communication and trust from the beginning. Do not discriminate between children.

5.      Talk and teach about social media. What is bad and good about the social media.

6.      Tell them how critical not to share personal information with strangers – on internet and outside home.

7.      Not to accept friendship from unknown individuals

8.      Have an App to monitor children activity. Know what they are doing.

9.      Not to share inappropriate photos to anybody

10.   Who are real friends and what is friendship means – let them understand with simple examples the meaning of friendship. A stranger whom you met yesterday or on social media is not a real friend.

11.   Do not forget to ask about everyday activities and whom did the child spoke to

12.   Be vigilant about the individual who takes extra interest in your child

13.   In your child’s interest, ask questions about the activities, participation and with whom they are interacting with.

14.   Track children movement when they step out with friends

15.   Be familiar with all day-to-day activities of children and review child’s schedule

16.   Make sure child knows – emergency number, home address, parents and guardian contact

17.   Tell them, if anybody scoops them to scream, kick, make noise, bite and fight. Run to safety. If a stranger approaches, it is okay to be rude and move away.

In addition to above precautions and tips, explain child about human/child trafficking. At first glance, child might not be able to understand what it is. Talking about it often will help them to be cautious about their surroundings and when there is a doubt, they will be alert.

References:

Homepage

https://www.savethechildren.org/

https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-human-trafficking-day

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