The paper provides an overview of child trafficking in Southeast Asia. It highlights human rights and international laws relevant to this egregious form of child abuse. It describes the experiences of the young victims and the consequences for their physical and emotional well‐being. It reviews the risk factors at the level of the community setting (poverty and economic inequality), the child and his/her family (gender, age, race/ethnicity, family functioning, education) and broader contextual variables at the macro level (gender inequality and discrimination, demand factors). Finally, it presents recommendations for legal and policy initiatives to cease the sale and exploitation of children.