Reintegration as an end of Trafficking Ordeal: A Qualitative Investigation of Victims' Perceptions

Sonal Pandey

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

Hare Ram Tewari, Pradip Kumar Bhowmick

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Abstract:

The goal of rescue and rehabilitation efforts for child sex trafficking survivors in India is reintegration into the child's family and community. However, survivors sometimes return voluntarily to sex work despite the "reintegration" process. This exploratory qualitative study attempts to examine the victims' perceptions regarding their return to home and aspirations for the future. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 survivors rescued from red light establishments who were residing in a government shelter. Open coding was used to determine thematic content related to the intersection of trafficking, domestic violence, child maltreatment, and the implications for these regarding reintegration successes. The data suggest mandatory repatriation of rescued survivors is often not desirable, as many of the girls were not enthusiastic about their family reunification. The participants who were misled into trafficking through fraud were quite eager to go back to their families, while those who had fled their homes due to domestic violence and later found themselves in a trafficking situation were afraid to return.

Keyword:

Rescue, Reintegration, Children, Family-Centric Approach, Qualitative Research.