Children speak out. Trafficking risk and resilience in Southeast Europe. Montenegro Report

CHILDREN SPEAK OUT: Trafficking Risk and Resilience in Southeast Europe-Montenegro Report”. This research project was designed to better help understand the risks and the factors that make some children more vulnerable to trafficking than others. It was conducted, from May 2006 to June 2007, in the framework of “Child Trafficking Response Programme in Southeast Europe” (CTRP), in seven countries/entities of southeastern Europe (i.e. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and the UN Administered Province of Kosovo). This report was prepared by psychologists Itana Kovacevic and Verica Mirovic, associates of Save the Children, and focuses on children without parental care, residents of the ”Mladost” Children’s Home, Bijela and children from the biggest Roma refugee settlement Konik in Podgorica. The aim of this regional action-participatory research was to obtain detailed information from children about the factors that expose some of them to the risks of trafficking and exploitation, as well as to learn about their strength and resiliency in unfavorable situations that many of them face. This research report succeeds in presenting the children’s perception of their own lives and their relationships with their peers, adult family members or adults from the institution and the wider community. It portrays their fears, hopes and dreams, and provides valuable insight and understanding for all those committed to improving the life of children; protecting them from abuse and exploitation, and; helping them fulfill their ambitions. In addition to numerous children’s statements, the report includes the opinions of parents and other adults in charge of taking care of the children, enabling interesting comparisons.