Transnational child exploitation research

Terminology guidelines

The Terminology and Semantics Interagency Working Group, comprised of ECPAT and partners, has produced guidelines on terminology for the protection of chldren from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse Read more

Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism (SECTT)

ECPAT's recommendations for action help protect children from sexual exploitation in travel and tourism (SECTT). Read more

Offenders on the move: Global study on sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism 2016

More children are at risk of sexual exploitation than ever before, particularly in travel and tourism, a two-year global study by ECPAT has revealed. Read more

Developments in the UK's response to child trafficking and child sexual exploitation

This expert paper presents a brief overview of the scale of child sexual exploitation and child trafficking in the UK, a description of existing and new national responses to child protection, and an analysis of the international ramifications of domestic measures to prevent the sexual exploitation of children abroad by British nationals. Read more

Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse

As part of its campaign against sexual exploitation and abuse of children in travel and tourism by British travelling sex offenders, ECPAT UK is calling on the UK Government to ratify and implement the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (Lanzarote Convention). Read more

The Davies Review: Civil Prevention Orders in the Sexual Offences Act 2003

The existing statutory regime presents unnecessary and unreasonable obstruction to the objective of preventing sexual abuse of children, most particularly in vulnerable jurisdictions, according to a new report by ECPAT UK. Read more

Off the Radar: Protecting Children from British Sex Offenders who Travel

Despite improvements to legislation and some notable efforts on the part of individual police forces, British nationals continue to travel abroad to abuse children, according to a report by ECPAT UK. Read more

Return to Sender: British child sex offenders abroad – why more must be done

Despite its international reputation for its robust approach to child protection, the UK compares poorly against other countries with similar legal frameworks such as Australia and the United States, according to the ECPAT UK's report Return to Sender. Read more

Latest

SPACE TO THRIVE: we need more support for child victims of trafficking and exploitation to recover from trauma and abuse

Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week 2022. Here, ECPAT UK reflects on the impact that trafficking and exploitation can have on the mental health of children and young people, and outlines how we can better support child victims to recover from trauma and abuse.
Queen's speech announces significant reforms affecting children's rights

The Queen’s Speech 2022 confirmed that in the new parliamentary session, there will be significant reform affecting the rights of children and young people. On the heels of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, the government has announced more modern slavery legislation. It has affirmed too that the Online Safety Bill is carried over from the last parliamentary session. Also announced was a new Bill of Rights.
ECPAT UK welcomes the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner’s annual report as Dame Sara Thornton stands down from the role

Last week, Dame Sara Thornton’s third and final annual report as the UK’s Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner was laid before parliament. ECPAT UK welcomes the report and thanks the Commissioner and her office for all their work over the past three years, especially the focus on child victims and their rights to protection and care.
Harmful Nationality and Borders Act passes - April 29th 2022

Following a hard-fought battle to increase rights and protections in the legislation, the Nationality and Borders Act received Royal Assent this week. The Act will have a devastating impact for all trafficked children, and for migrant children who are at high risk of exploitation.

Child trafficking statistics

The latest data on the number of victims of trafficking in the UK and worldwide.
The Secret Gardeners: New film on child trafficking from Vietnam

The Secret Gardeners aims to inform professionals about the plight of children who are forced by organised crime gangs to grow drugs in houses across the UK but who often face criminalisation and prison.
National Referral Mechanism

The National Referral Mechanism is a process set up by the Government to identify and support victims of trafficking in the UK. It was born out of the Government's obligation to identify victims under the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Human Trafficking, which came into force on 1 February 2008.
Volunteer

ECPAT UK relies on committed volunteers to support the work that we do. Without their help, we would not be able to campaign as effectively against child exploitation.
What is child trafficking?
Urgent action needed: Independent guardianship for all trafficked, unaccompanied and separated children

Last October, an incredible 120,535 supporters called for specialist support for all trafficked children. However, the fight is not finished. Make sure your voice is heard by contacting the Home Secretary asking him to provide guardianship for all trafficked, separated and unaccompanied children
Demand specialist support for trafficked children

In 2018 we worked with Care2 to call on the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid MP, to overhaul the current system of identification and support for victims of trafficking – the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).
Our team

ECPAT UK's team has more than 30 years' experience working on issues of child trafficking, child protection, child sexual exploitation, unaccompanied children, modern slavery and more.
Before the Harm is Done: Examining the UK's response to the prevention of trafficking

The UK Government is failing to protect thousands of children from exploitation by lacking a plan to prevent child trafficking, according to a new report by the Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group (ATMG), a coalition of twelve UK-based charities, including ECPAT UK. The report Before the Harm is Done, stresses that the UK has no specific strategy in relation to preventing trafficking in children, putting thousands of children at risk.
Heading back to harm: A study on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK

Trafficked and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children are going missing from UK care at an “alarmingly high” rate, according to a new study by leading charities ECPAT UK and Missing People.