Child victims of modern slavery in the UK

Warning - Publications using data from this indicator contain themes that some may find distressing.

Please see the Sourcing data on child victims of modern slavery, UK - progress report for details on the process of choosing to use NRM data.

Sub-categories

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This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from UK statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from UK statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other UK-specific metadata information.

Indicator available

Child victims of modern slavery in the UK

Indicator description

The number of potential minor victims of modern slavery who received a positive reasonable grounds decision within the National Referral Mechanism (NRM). This is a proxy for the global indicator as it only provides number, as opposed to proportion.

Geographical coverage

United Kingdom

Unit of measurement

Number of children

Definitions

Child - For this indicator a child is regarded as someone under the age of 18 years, or thought to be under the age of 18 years, at the time of exploitation.

Modern Slavery - an umbrella term for all forms of slavery, human trafficking and exploitation.

NRM - The National Referral Mechanism is a framework for identifying and referring potential victims of modern slavery and ensuring they receive the appropriate support. Please see the National referral mechanism guidance - adult (England and Wales)

Available disaggregations

Sex; Type of exploitation

Calculations

No calculations were performed as the data is readily available from the source.

Other information

There is no one data source that accurately quantifies the number of child victims in the UK. The National Referral Mechanism (NRM) currently provides the best measure of potential victims, although is known to be an undercount.

Please see the Sourcing data on child victims of modern slavery, UK - progress report for details on the process of choosing to use NRM data.

Within the Child victims of modern slavery in the UK - March 2022, the number of child victims may be lower in tables that disaggregate by 'age at the time of referral' than those that disaggregate by 'age at the time of exploitation' as a potential child victim could be referred to the NRM after the age of 18-years about exploitation which occured when they were a minor.

This indicator is being used as an approximation of the UN SDG Indicator. Where possible, we will work to identify or develop UK data to meet the global indicator specification. This indicator has been identified in collaboration with topic experts.

Data last updated 28 April 2022
Metadata last updated 28 April 2022

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator name

Proportion and number of children aged 5–17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age

Target name

Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms

Global indicator description
UN designated tier

Tier II

UN custodian agency

International Labour Organization (ILO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEFF)

Link to UN metadata United Nations Sustainable Development Goals metadata for target 8.7 opens in a new window
Organisation

Home Office - National Referral Mechanism

Periodicity

Annual

Earliest available data

2020

Geographical coverage

United Kingdom

Link to data source Child victims of modern slavery in the UK - March 2022 opens in a new window
Release date 29 March 2022
Next release

To be announced

Statistical classification

Official

Contact details

crimestatistics@ons.gov.uk

Other information

Data was taken from the National Referral Mechanism system on the 7th January 2022. Please see a the Sourcing data on child victims of modern slavery, UK - progress report for details on the process of choosing to use NRM data.

Changes in the categorisation of exploitation types mean that the exploitation types presented here will not align with categories in publications before Q4 2019.

This includes individuals where gender is specified as 'Other'.

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