British Journal of Social Work
Volume 44, Issue 2, 2014, Pages 418-433

The presentation of child trafficking in the UK: An old and new moral panic? (Article)

Cree V.E.* , Clapton G. , Smith M.
  • a University of Edinburgh, Chrystal MacMillan Building, 15A George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, United Kingdom
  • b University of Edinburgh, Chrystal MacMillan Building, 15A George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, United Kingdom
  • c University of Edinburgh, Chrystal MacMillan Building, 15A George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9LD, United Kingdom

Abstract

This article explores the ways in which the highly emotive subject of child trafficking has been, and currently is, presented in the UK. It does so by examining the way the issue has been tackled at two moments in time: the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century. We argue that, although the trafficking of children is clearly both undesirable and unacceptable, the reaction to this issue in the UK has been out of proportion to the problem itself. The reaction, we propose, is best understood as a moral panic that must be interrogated if we are to offer a helpful response to what is a serious social problem. A sense of historical perspective is, we believe, helpful in this regard. © The Author 2012.

Author Keywords

History moral panic child trafficking Prostitution

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84896943422&doi=10.1093%2fbjsw%2fbcs120&partnerID=40&md5=4af2df55fbcb596c4af0847ccfa19b69
DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcs120
ISSN: 00453102
Cited by: 18
Original Language: English