What to do if you suspect a child has been abducted, trafficked or exploited?

1. Be aware of the signs that a child may have been abducted, trafficked or exploited: 

• Children are visibly unwell, hurt, hungry, undernourished and/or dressed in insufficient or tattered clothing;
• Children without caregivers at night and/or in public areas that are potentially dangerous (e.g., in heavy traffic, or adult entertainment areas);
• Children who appear to be afraid or experiencing some type of distress;
• Children who are not in school during school hours.

2. Take note of:

• Physical description of the child,
• Other persons accompanying the child,
• Exact location and time that the child was seen.

3. Contact local officials and report suspected child trafficking cases on these hotlines:

• Police emergency services telephone number ‘110'
• All China Women's Federation hotline: 12338

Special note: Under a new 2010 regulation, reports of child abduction or trafficking will be registered and investigated by police.
 
Caution on photographing a trafficked child 

Many people feel they can help a child at risk by taking their picture and posting it on the internet. Their intentions are good but they do not realize that this may actually put the child at further risk or cause harm to the child, including retribution by traffickers and stigmatization by communities.

The distribution of photos by parents of their missing children is a guardian's prerogative. Similarly, posting photos of verified missing children by authorities with the permission of the child's guardian is also a common practice to support efforts to find the child. However, when an average citizen posts photos of children suspected of being trafficked but not confirmed, this may put the child or their caregiver at risk.

The recommended course of action is for the public to keep alert to suspected cases of child abduction, trafficking and exploitation, and to report these cases to local authorities immediately, so that the police may investigate and verify the actual circumstances of suspected cases, and importantly, take appropriate follow up action to criminal activities.