Child Trafficking

Trafficking, according to the United Nations, involves three main elements:  

• The act: Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons. 
• The means: Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim. 
• The purpose: For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

Child sex trafficking is a form of child abuse that occurs when a child under 18 is advertised, solicited or exploited through a commercial sex act.  A commercial sex act is any sex act where something of value – such as money, drugs or a place to stay –  is given to or received by any person for sexual activity.    

While any child can be targeted by a trafficker, research, data and survivor lived experience and expertise have revealed traffickers and buyers often target youth who lack strong support networks, have experienced violence in the past, are experiencing homelessness, or are marginalized by society.  Traffickers are masters of manipulation and prey upon vulnerabilities using psychological pressure and intimidation to control and sexually exploit the child for their benefit.  The issue of child sex trafficking is complex.  Understanding the various forms of child sex trafficking and indicators can create opportunities for prevention, identification and response (Missing & Exploited Children).

It's important to understand that the majority of victims are trafficked within the borders of their own country — an estimated 58 percent in 2016, up from just 27 percent in 2010, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Recognizing that there is domestic trafficking within the United States will allow for better report rates, prevention and rehabilitation for those who have been trafficked.  

Many people also believe that trafficking only involves victims who have been bought, sold and transported in illegal or underground industries. But there are more nuanced versions of trafficking that take place in service industries like restaurants and cleaning services. The misperception creates a false reality and alters the public understanding of the issue.  

Another common misconception is that the majority of people being trafficked in the United States are undocumented immigrants. In reality, trafficking within the United States is happening largely to our very own citizens. According to Polaris, 1 in 7 of children reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children became victims of sexual trafficking. Of this amount, 88 percent were coming out of the foster care system (Unicef USA).

PolarisProject.org

• Myths: In regards to trafficking, not all is as it seems! LEARN MORE 
• Statistics: In 2020, 10,583 situations of human trafficking were reported to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline involving 16,658 individual victims. Shocking as these numbers are, they are likely only a fraction of the actual problem. LEARN MORE
• Facts: Human trafficking can happen to anyone but some people are more vulnerable than others. Significant risk factors include recent migration or relocation, substance use, mental health concerns, involvement with the child welfare system and being a runaway or homeless youth. Often, traffickers identify and leverage their victims’ vulnerabilities in order to create dependency. LEARN MORE

Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are disproportionately impacted by a wide variety of traumatic experiences including abuse and neglect, harassment, and family rejection, all of which place them at risk for trafficking. LGBTQ+ youth who lack family support or safe shelter are vulnerable to traffickers who are seeking to exploit their needs for housing, food, and social connections.  

LGBTQ+ youth are at disproportionate risk for sex trafficking and sexual exploitation. In fact, even among runaway/homeless youth, LGBTQ+ youth  experience  commercial sexual  exploitation at greater rates than their heterosexual cisgender counterparts.

(The National Child Traumatic Stress Network)

Technological advances, in particular the Internet and mobile devices, have facilitated the sex trafficking of children by providing a convenient worldwide marketing channel. Individuals can now use websites and social media to advertise, schedule, and purchase sexual encounters with minors.  The Internet and mobile devices also allow pimps and traffickers to reach a larger clientele base than in the past, which may expose victims to greater risks and dangers.

(Justice.gov)