Trafficking and Exploitation of Children in Fragile Environments : Is Prevention Possible?

Children’s vulnerability increases and child protection systems are weakened in fragile states due to fragmentation of services and severe resource gaps. In the pursuit to identify and recom mend preventative interventions, this study presents the multifaceted and transnational connections between, and mechanisms behind, child exploitation and trafficking and fragile states. The causes of exploitation in fragile contexts are best understood using the socioecological approach. Within this approach, pro tective factors such as school and parents can be risks in certain circumstances. Thus, in developing prevention interventions, both protective and risk factors should be assessed and analysed together. In addition, findings of this study show that effective responses to child exploitation and trafficking in fragile environ ments can be ideally found within these environments.

In Key implications for practice

• Fragility, conflict and exploitation present critical development and child protection challenges.

• Exploitation transformation requires a response to the consequences and simultaneous engagement with the root causes and prevention mechanisms.

• Prevention and early interventions for exploitation in fragile contexts call for the creation of effective synergies and mainstreaming of child protection with other sectors and related issues. conclu sion, acts ofchild exploitation and trafficking in fragile states are not always random, but they can be predicted. If they can be predicted, then they can be prevented.