Working with trafficked children and young people: complexities in practice

This article argues for a review of children's services responses to trafficked children. It draws on findings from research funded by the National Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which took place between 2006 and 2009 exploring practitioners' understandings of and responses to trafficked children and young people. Accompanied by an ongoing literature search, the project underwent three stages of data collection. Nine focus groups were run with a generic sample of practitioners from three locations in England. These were followed by interviews with practitioners who had detailed experience of working with trafficked children. A total of seventy-two practitioners took part in the focus groups and interviews. Finally, thirty-seven case studies of trafficked children were analysed. The findings explored in this article highlight variations in practitioners' understanding of the meaning of trafficking; problems with the delivery of child-centred practice; confusions about the distinction between ‘trafficking’ and ‘smuggling’; and the meaning of ‘internal’ trafficking. Despite excellent examples of service delivery, further training for child-care and law-enforcement practitioners is needed for them to be equipped to respond to the full range of needs of trafficked children and young people.