Children suffer human rights abuses disproportionately due to their age and developmental capacity. It is estimated that over 20 million people are trafficked for labor or sexual exploitation throughout the world, including the United States, with women and children comprising the majority of victims. Climate change and environmental toxins have disproportionate health impacts on children, which include poor health outcomes and learning disabilities. Children are increasingly displaced from their homes by violence, crime, orphan hood, discrimination, conflict, and environmental disasters, among other reasons. Recognizing that children require special protections due to their vulnerabilities, the Center for the Human Rights of Children (CHRC), a University Center of Excellence, was established in 2007 to pursue an agenda of interdisciplinary research, outreach and education, and advocacy to address critical and complex issues affecting children and youth, both locally and globally. The CHRC applies a human-rights approach to the problems affecting children, reaffirming the recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family, including children, is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Moreover, it does so with respect for the rights and responsibilities of parents, teachers, and other caregivers entrusted with raising children. Mission The mission of Loyola's Center for the Human Rights of Children is to advance and protect the rights of children. Guiding Principles The Center seeks guidance and inspiration from the tradition of Jesuit and Catholic teachings on social justice and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.