Distinguishing Human Trafficking Victims from Child Soldiers:

1. Definition:
   • Human Trafficking Victim: A person subjected to exploitation, often involving force, fraud, or coercion for purposes such as forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation.
   • Child Soldier: A child under the age of 18 recruited, used, or forced to fight in armed conflicts.
2. Exploitation Purpose:
   • Human Trafficking Victim: Exploitation for labor, sex, or other forms of involuntary servitude.
   • Child Soldier: Involvement in armed conflicts, participating in combat, support roles, or other military activities.
3. Recruitment and Control:
   • Human Trafficking Victim: Typically lured or coerced by traffickers with false promises, then controlled through threats or violence.
   • Child Soldier: Often forcibly recruited or coerced into armed groups, subjected to intense indoctrination and control.
4. Context:
   • Human Trafficking Victim: Exploitation can occur in various contexts, including forced labor, sex trafficking, or organ trafficking.
   • Child Soldier: Involvement is specific to armed conflict scenarios, where children are used for military purposes.
5. Legal Framework:
   • Human Trafficking Victim: Recognized and addressed by international and national laws, such as the United Nations Protocol against Trafficking in Persons.
   • Child Soldier: International laws, like the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, address the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
6. End Goal:
   • Human Trafficking Victim: Economic gain through exploitation.
   • Child Soldier: Involvement in armed conflict with political, ideological, or military objectives.

While there may be instances where individuals experience both human trafficking and recruitment as child soldiers, these distinctions help highlight the primary contexts and purposes associated with each term.