A comprehensive approach to combat human trafficking and sexual violence against children
Human trafficking and sexual violence against children often remain hidden. It is often difficult for victims to talk about what has happened to them. This may be due to threat, violence, shame or fear. Also, family members, providers of help and support or other people around them are often not fully aware of what is going on. A comprehensive approach to combat human trafficking and sexual violence against children is therefore essential.
What is an effective strategy according to the National Rapporteur?
If we are to provide effective support for victims and prevent new victims, we need to gain insight into the characteristics of human trafficking and sexual violence against children and the frequency of its occurrence.
Insight is crucial in defining an effective strategy to tackle the problem and measuring whether this strategy actually works. In addition, a wide range of different parties are involved in preventing, identifying, stopping and providing support in the context of human trafficking and sexual violence against children. These complex issues require all the parties involved to work together.
What does the National Rapporteur do against human trafficking and sexual violence against children?
Research and advice
The National Rapporteur investigates the nature and scope of human trafficking and sexual violence against children in the Netherlands, and the impact of policy measures on these issues. In the annual monitoring reports and the thematic studies, the emphasis is on monitoring and improving the strategies for tackling human trafficking and sexual violence against children.
Based on information from a wide range of sources, the National Rapporteur advises national and local government, other administrative bodies, international organisations and professionals who provide help and support, on how to prevent and combat human trafficking and sexual violence against children.
Bringing together
The context in which strategies to tackle human trafficking and sexual violence against children are deployed is constantly changing. To this end, the National Rapporteur maintains close contact with organisations that work to combat human trafficking and sexual violence against children, as well as with the media, politics, business and industry, and research institutes. Through its own research and these contacts, the National Rapporteur can identify and clarify changes in the issues and approach and bring networks together.
Providing insight
In order to give authorities greater insight into the issues around human trafficking and sexual violence against children, the National Rapporteur regularly publishes monitors, studies, letters and news reports. In addition, the National Rapporteur provides information by organising expert meetings, sitting on supervisory committees and presenting research, for example.
