Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook - Health Service ...

• child trafficking;
• female genital mutilation;
• forced marriage;
• so-called honour-based violence.
Social Work Procedures and Practice
These and other issues require the practitioner to consult their manager, take
advice on the cultural context and work sensitively with the child and family,
keeping the child’s safety and welfare as their primary concern.
3.3.1 Child Trafficking
Types of exploitation include domestic servitude, forced labour, forced
criminality (street crime, petty theft, cannabis cultivation, drug dealing),
prostitution or sexual abuse, illegal adoption, benefit fraud and forced
marriage. Children may be trafficked within their own country or across
borders. Irish children are also vulnerable to trafficking.
Signs that a child may have been trafficked
The following are some indicators that a child may have been trafficked (this
is not a full list and not all of the indicators will apply to every child):
• symptoms of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, neglect);
• child is recovered from a place of exploitation or reports exploitation;
• child’s account appears coached or is similar to stories told by other
young people;
• child harbours excessive fears;
• history of going missing or unexplained moves;
• not enrolled at school or with GP;
• registered at a ‘hot’ address;
• child never in when you visit;
• significantly older boyfriend;
• reluctant to provide details – personal, daily life, journey;
• unregistered private fostering arrangement;
• adult is not legal guardian and insists on staying with child;
• adult has brought other children into country previously/acted as
guarantor on visa;
• adult claims not to have any documents for the child;
• restricted freedom of movement;
• owes money to people (e.g. for travel costs) or is deprived of earnings;
•
entered country illegally, has false documentation;
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