Children speak out: Trafficking Risk and Resilience in Southeast Europe- Serbia Report

CHILDREN SPEAK OUT: Trafficking Risk and Resilience in Southeast Europe-Serbia 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). The goal of CTRP is to reduce the vulnerability of children at risk of being trafficked through interventions focused mainly on prevention. In Serbia, the research focused on the lives of the most vulnerable children, at risk and exposed to various forms of exploitation – street children. This report presents children’s own perception of their lives, in their families, with their peers and the wider community. It presents their fears as well as their hopes and dreams and gives valuable insight and understanding to anyone who is committed to improving children’s lives, protecting them from abuse and exploitation and helping them fulfil their hopes and dreams. The research brings to light the deep knowledge children have in understanding the processes they are involved in and their will to consider themselves responsible members of the family, in spite of the difficulties such thing can bring them.