Causes of child trafficking

According to the US Department of State, 50 percent of people trafficked across international borders each year are minors.

The causes of child trafficking are complex and often reinforce each other.

Victims are often made vulnerable by factors including poverty, the attraction of perceived higher standards of living, lack of employment opportunities, organized crime, violence and discrimination against women and children, government corruption, political instability and armed conflict.

And traffickers are kept in business by factors including the sex industry and the growing demand for exploitable labor.

Children are especially vulnerable to trafficking because they are more easily controlled and forced into domestic labor, armed conflict and other hazardous forms of work.