Child trafficking is a pervasive global issue, encompassing the exploitation and coerced movement of children for purposes such as labor, sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude (UNODC 2022). Its impact is staggering, affecting millions worldwide, yet precise figures remain elusive due to the secretive nature of the crime and challenges in reporting. This exploitation involves various activities like recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of children for purposes of labor, sexual abuse, involvement in conflicts, or organ removal (United States Department of State 2023). Children’s vulnerability, stemming from their age and dependency, makes them easy targets for traffickers who exploit their innocence and lack of legal protections (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation 2022).

Recent data underscore the persistence and extent of child trafficking:

• Globally, approximately 152 million children are engaged in child labor, a significant number of whom are trafficked (International Labour Organization 2021a, 2021b).
• Children trafficked for sexual exploitation, with girls disproportionately affected, constitute a notable proportion of trafficking victims (UNICEF 2020).
• Child trafficking rates vary regionally due to factors such as poverty, education gaps, and political instability, with southeast Asia and parts of Africa reporting particularly high incidences (UNODC 2021).

Efforts to combat child trafficking involve international legal frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and national legislation criminalizing trafficking and protecting victims. Despite these efforts, challenges persist in enforcement, victim identification, and providing comprehensive support and rehabilitation.

Trafficking affects every nation, with children being particularly vulnerable. The 2022 UNODC report reveals that one in three identified trafficking victims globally is a child, with lower-income countries reporting higher incidences, often for sexual exploitation (UNODC 2022). In the EU, trafficking predominantly targets women and girls for sexual exploitation (European Parliament 2021). The United Nations Palermo Protocol defines child trafficking as involving the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of a child under 18 for exploitation, emphasizing their inability to consent (United Nations 2000). Unlike adult trafficking, coercion or deception is not necessary for defining child exploitation. Trafficking occurs domestically and internationally, exploiting victims through forced labor and sexual exploitation, especially prevalent in the EU (UNODC 2022). Ongoing conflicts, such as those in Syria, Ukraine, Gaza, and South Sudan contribute significantly to displacement and migration flows, increasing vulnerability to trafficking across regions (UNHCR 2019; FRONTEX 2019; European Union Agency for Asylum 2024).

Italy and Turkey are crucial in Mediterranean trafficking routes, categorized as Tier 2 countries in trafficking reports (United States Department of State 2024). Their differing social protection approaches highlight the need for comprehensive policy integration and comparative analysis (United States Department of State 2024). The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, beyond the Palermo Protocol, prioritizes victim-centered protections and comprehensive prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership strategies (Council of Europe 2005). This legal framework, adopted by Turkey and Italy, addresses various forms of exploitation, including forced labor and sexual exploitation (Directive 2011/36/EU).

Children and adolescents, due to their inherent vulnerability and limited protective networks, face heightened risks of exploitation and trafficking. Cross-sectoral training for professionals in education, healthcare, social services, and the justice system is crucial for effective screening, needs assessment, and adherence to international guidelines in child trafficking cases (European Parliament 2021). Child trafficking victims face a myriad of complex issues that significantly impact their physical, psychological, and social well-being. The main issues that child trafficking victims commonly face are as follows:

Physical and Sexual Abuse: Trafficked children often endure physical violence and sexual abuse at the hands of traffickers or those exploiting them. This abuse can lead to physical injuries, sexually transmitted infections, and long-term health consequences (APA 2014).

Psychological Trauma: Children subjected to trafficking experience severe psychological trauma, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and emotional instability. The trauma may stem from the initial abduction or recruitment, living in captivity, witnessing violence, or being coerced into criminal activities (Zimmerman et al. 2006).

Isolation and Control: Traffickers often isolate victims from their families and communities, making it difficult for children to seek help or escape. They exert control through threats, intimidation, and psychological manipulation, creating a sense of dependency and fear among victims (Zimmerman et al. 2003).

Exploitative Labor and Services: Child trafficking victims are commonly forced into labor exploitation, including domestic work, agriculture, construction, and manufacturing industries. They may also be exploited in commercial sex trade or used for criminal activities such as begging and drug trafficking (International Labour Organization 2017).

Lack of Access to Education: Trafficked children often have limited or no access to education. They are frequently deprived of schooling due to their exploitative work conditions, which perpetuates their vulnerability and limits their future opportunities (UNODC 2008).

Health and Well-being: Trafficked children typically lack access to adequate healthcare services. They may suffer from malnutrition, untreated illnesses, physical injuries, and substance abuse issues resulting from their exploitation (Kiss et al. 2015).

Legal and Social Services: Many child trafficking victims face significant barriers in accessing legal and social services. Language barriers, lack of documentation, fear of authorities, and unfamiliarity with their rights hinder their ability to seek justice, protection, and support (Clawson et al. 2009).

Stigmatization and Reintegration Challenges: Trafficked children often face social stigma and discrimination upon their return to communities. Reintegrating into society is challenging due to trauma, lack of skills, education gaps, and the stigma associated with their exploitation experience (Oram et al. 2012).

Continued Vulnerability: Even after rescue or escape, trafficked children remain vulnerable to re-trafficking or exploitation due to economic instability, lack of social support networks, and ongoing psychological trauma (IOM 2019).

Addressing these issues requires comprehensive approaches that prioritize child protection, rehabilitation, and reintegration into supportive environments. It involves strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing law enforcement and judicial responses, providing trauma-informed care and support services, promoting education and skills training, and fostering community awareness and prevention efforts to safeguard children from trafficking.

This study examines the child-centered anti-trafficking strategies implemented by Italy and Turkey, both situated along migration routes in the Mediterranean region and experiencing significant flows of both regular and irregular migration in recent years. Both nations fall under the South Mediterranean welfare regime classification, highlighting their distinct socio-political contexts. Effective measures against child trafficking necessitate collaborative efforts across borders and sectors, emphasizing prevention, victim support, and the prosecution of traffickers. By comparing Italy and Turkey’s implementation of these measures, this study aims to enhance global understanding and propose effective social protection frameworks for child trafficking victims.