𝙒𝙃𝘼𝙏 𝙄𝙎 𝘾𝙃𝙄𝙇𝘿 𝙎𝙀𝙓 𝙏𝙍𝘼𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙆𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙄𝙏𝙎 𝙍𝙄𝙎𝙆 𝙁𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙊𝙍𝙎:

WHAT IS CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING:

Child sex trafficking is a form of abuse which occurs when children under 18 years of age are advertised, solicited, or exploited through commercial sex acts.

Commercial Sex Act: Any sex act where there is something of value.(i.e. money, drugs, places to stay, food) is given to or received by any person for sexual activity. There is estimated over 20K reports per year of child sex exploitation.

Child sex traffickers and buyers often target youth who lack strong support networks, have experienced violence in the past, and prey upon vulnerabilities using psychological pressure and intimidation to control and sexually exploit children for their own benefit. There are several types of child sex trafficking, such as:

PIMP CONTROLLED TRAFFICKING: Child is is trafficked by unrelated individual either male or female, who often develops an intentional relationship with the child which is later used as leverage in exploitation.

GANG CONTROLLED TRAFFICKING: Child is trafficked by a member of a gang or trafficked by the gang itself. Gangs leverage their organizational structure, violence, and local national, international networks to instill fear and loyalty in the child victim.

BUYER PERPETRATED TRAFFICKING: Child being trafficked but does not have an identified trafficker. Instead the buyer is directly exploiting the child's vulnerabilities by offering, money, food, and for shelter for exchange for sexual exploitation.

FAMILIAL TRAFFICKING: Child is trafficked by a relative or a person which is perceived by the child to be a family member, such as individuals referring to themselves as aunt or uncle, but are not directly related to the child.

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RISK FACTORS INVOLVED IN CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING:

SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS:

• Racism
• Bullying
• Lack of Resources
• Involvement in child welfare/juvenile justice system
• Gang Activity
• Sexism
• Xenophobia

FAMILY RISKS:

• Intergenerational sexual abuse
• Lack of acceptance of gender identity or sexual orientation
• Housing instability/homelessness
• Immigration Status
• Adverse childhood experiences
• Domestic Violence
• Physical/Emotional neglect or abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Families with untreated mental health issues

INDIVIDUAL RISKS:

• History of Trauma
• Lack of supportive family or adult figures
• Low Self Esteem
• Developmental or physical disability
• Substance Abuse