CHILD TRAFFICKING IN ROMANIA, A FORM OF MODERN SLAVERY

The human trafficking phenomenon affects a great number of children by turning them into merchandise. In their search for a better future, children can be tempted by traffickers, who make them false promises. The goal of the study is, aside from highlighting the socio-demographic characteristics of the minors' victims of trafficking, to identify the factors that generate certain forms of vulnerability for trafficked minors and the most efficient assistance and reinsertion methods as well as the most effective prevention interventions. The paper focuses on presenting the findings of a study performed between 2012-2013 in two organizations within the municipality of Bucharest and the surrounding areas that provide protection and social reinsertion assistance to victims of human trafficking. Professionals were interviewed on the services provided to a number of minors that were identified as victims of human trafficking abroad, during 20112013, in different EU countries. The main methods employed are: for the specialists from the above mentioned institutions, a semi-structured interview method was used, the interview guide containing questions about recruitment methods, operating procedures, and variety of support services received by trafficked minors upon returning home to Romania and. In order to have a more comprehensive profile of these victims, the content analysis method was utilized and there were studied social documents (i.e. social inquiry notes, reports, observation sheets, records, etc.) for 30 minors provided by the two institutions. Lately, in Romania, children trafficking phenomenon registered an increase; also, the most common method of recruitment being "Lover boy". The purposes for which children are subject to trafficking vary from sexual exploitation and child pornography to exploitation toward forced labour, exploitation through forced beggary, organ trafficking, etc.