In our mission to free women and children from sex trafficking and exploitation, there are different ways we are activel...

In our mission to free women and children from sex trafficking and exploitation, there are different ways we are activel...

In our mission to free women and children from sex trafficking and exploitation, there are different ways we are actively engaged in the U.S. which are unique compared to how we work abroad. This week we will be sharing more about these differences and what trafficking looks like in across the world! PART 1/7: What is sex trafficking? It is important to have a clear understanding of what human trafficking really is and what it isn’t. The U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act defines sex trafficking as “a commercial sex act [that] is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age” (state.gov). Individuals do not have to be physically transported to another location to be considered a victim of trafficking, according to federal law (state.gov). Sex trafficking occurs in the U.S., though to what extent is difficult to accurately determine. Government information estimates that at least 100,000 children are sexually exploited commercially each year in the U.S. (ECPAT), and child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 states (NCMEC). Victims of trafficking and exploitation can be any age, gender or ethnicity. Studies suggest that most child victims are girls, but the number of boys being exploited is rising (ECPAT). In 2019, the top countries of origin of federally identified victims were the United States, Mexico and Honduras (state.gov). Individuals most vulnerable to human trafficking in the U.S. include children in the welfare and juvenile justice systems, runaway and homeless youth, individuals seeking asylum, Native Americans, individuals with substance use issues, migrant laborers, persons with disabilities, LGBT+ individuals, and victims of intimate partner violence or domestic violence, among others (state.gov). Of the over 14,000 victims of sex trafficking identified by the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2019, the most common recruitment methods were by an intimate partner or family member (Polaris). Traffickers often exploit children on the streets and in locations such as adult night clubs, sex parties, illegal brothels and hotel rooms (justice.gov).

In our mission to free women and children from sex trafficking and exploitation, there are different ways we are activel... was originally published here https://www.instagram.com/p/CPBuUOdlPeN