The Abuse And Exploitation Of Youth

Have you ever walked into Wal-Mart and taken the time to look at the numerous pictures of missing youth that is plastered on the wall? When looking at how long they have been missing, it ranges anywhere from months to years. Looking at their age, both boys and girls, it’s hard not to wonder if they have been kidnapped and are being trafficked. Child sex trafficking also known as human trafficking is a major issue that is not only plaguing the United States, but also the world. Residing in a state where teen sex trafficking is very common, it is imperative that not only adults, but youth as well understand what child sex/human trafficking is, what is a sex-trafficker, and data that displays how serious child sex trafficking is.

In the article, Characteristics of survivors of juvenile sex trafficking: Implications for treatment and intervention initiatives, the authors conducted the survey to understand what factors could have possibly contributed to the decision made by teenagers to consider the act of sex trafficking. The belief amongst the authors was that those who have survived juvenile sex trafficking have had experienced some abuse/neglect or even trauma (Hargreaves-Cormany & Patterson, 2016, p. 32). Not only are the researchers wondering about the abuse/neglect, but do the young women have a secure attachment with their family and peers or more of an insecure attachment. By having a secure attachment means that the child has a close relationship with those around them and s/he feels as though their basic needs are being met; physically and emotionally. The teenagers with an insecure attachment are not surrounded with love, respect and nurturing; all the things that one needs to grow in a positive way. The group of individuals that would be interested in this type of research would be that of counselors in trying to figure out what would entice young ladies to want to be sex traffickers and how would one implement interventions and counseling methods. In having teenagers experience situations such as neglect, lack of support, homelessness or even stress, one could be at risk in pursing the act of juvenile sex-trafficking.

“ She was just seventeen when she got into prostitution- child trafficking- but she didn’t know she was a victim at the time. She had been beaten and raped by her father since she was twelve years old.” (Zhai Yun, 1.) Young victims of youth sex trafficking are not just kidnapped by unknown people into this. It can be by their father, mother, brother, or sister. It can be forced upon them by people who have come into their life claiming they can make it better. When in reality it just makes it worse. They have no idea what they are getting into and what is going to happen to them. They are fed with lies and false pretentions of what is going to happen. They are caught in a trap that is hard to get out of. Often they are to scared to try to run or be rescued. They just do what they are told so that they live or so their loved ones live.

Sex trafficking, particularly that of children, has become a growing concern in the United States over the past several decades (Kotrla, 2010). By definition, child sex trafficking is “when a child (under 18 years of age) is induced to perform a commercial sex act” (U.S., 2013, para. 4), and includes forms such as prostitution and pornography (Kotrla, 2010). Researchers suggest that children are the most vulnerable to becoming victims of prostitution (Kotrla), and it is estimated that there are at least 100,000 victims in the United States (Estes & Weiner, 2001). Sex traffickers, otherwise known as “pimps,” often lure children with promises of food, clothing, love, and shelter, and then the pimps manipulate the children to keep them in prostitution (U.S. Department of Justice [DOJ], 2015). Awareness of the issue has led to the development of organizations, such as Children of the Night, that seek to help victims escape the sex trafficking industry (Children of the Night [COTN], 2016d).

Have you ever walked into Wal-Mart and taken the time to look at the numerous pictures of missing youth that is plastered on the wall? When looking at how long they have been missing, it ranges anywhere from months to years. Looking at their age, both boys and girls, it is hard not to wonder if these kids are being trafficked. Child sex trafficking, also known as human trafficking, is a major issue that is not only plaguing the United States, but the world. Residing in a state where teen sex trafficking is very common, it is imperative that not only adults, but the youth understand what child sex/human trafficking is, what is a sex-trafficker, and the data that reveals the seriousness of child sex

Human trafficking affects our children and our schools more than most realize. It is estimated that more than 200,000 American children are trafficked each year in America. Victims of trafficking often come from vulnerable populations, including migrants, oppressed or marginalized groups, runaways or displaced persons, and the poor (Talati). The children most likely to be targeted by traffickers are those not living with their parents, who are vulnerable to coerced labor exploitation, domestic servitude, or prostitution. Sex traffickers target children because of their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims. Studies have shown that it is not just high school children at risk, demonstrating that pimps prey on victims as young as 12 years old. Victims

Human trafficking has been identified as a profitable illicit business. Sexual exploiters have profited off the sexual exploitation of women and minors, while businesses have profited from nonconsensual labor from minors who cannot express their own interest. (Marcus, et.al, 2002, p.47). The regional director of “Not for Sale” makes a valid point about profitable gains of human trafficking. “You can sell a bag of drugs once, but you can sell a person multiple times,” (Marcus, et.al, 2002, p.47). That quote is basically the mindset of traffickers who look forward to making a profit and decide partake in this illicit business. In regards to sexual exploiters and minors, there are only a handful of

Human trafficking is one of the largest growing criminal activities. The commercial sexual exploitation of children, also known as CSEC, is often perceived as a hidden atrocity that occurs in an international setting. However, this manifestation of sexual abuse has increased and has become a recognized health issue in the United States. You may hear this problem to be known as domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST). Domestic minor sex trafficking is defined as the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act” where the person is a citizen younger than the age of 18 years by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. This includes sexual acts like survival sex, prostitution, and stripping, where the child is the victim of criminal exploitation in exchange for remuneration in the form of money, food, shelter, or other valued entity. Approximately twenty-eight percent of US minors living on the streets are reported to exchanging sex for drugs or money. The estimation so far is that 150,000 to 300,000 children are falling at risk of being victimized each year, and the average age at which they are recruited is twelve to fourteen years of age. By raising awareness we are avoiding children suffering from long-term health consequences such as severe sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. By raising awareness a family may not lose their little boy or girl to human trafficking. Consider how many young women have been kidnapped, drugged, tricked or even sold by

Kotrla, K., & Wommack, B. A. (2011). Sex Trafficking of Minors in the U.S.: Implications for Policy, Prevention and Research. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 2 (Iss. 1), article 5.

Thousands of girls and boys are forced into human trafficking and the slavery market daily. However, it is not always forced labor, but voluntary. These underground activities affect families and puts them at potential danger of someone being trapped in human trafficking (Clause & Lawler, 2013). Many families are unaware of the dangers that exists today, even in America, and the different ways victims are trapped by and/or unable to escape human traffickers (McClain & Garrity, 2011). It is important to make families aware of these dangers since individuals who are caught in human trafficking have not provided consent nor agreed to this oppressive lifestyle. In 2012, there were 44 survivors of human trafficking cases reported in Kansas (Halley, 2012) while in 2013, Rapp (2014) reported that over 200 individuals were identified as victims of human trafficking throughout Kansas. There continues to be inadequate understanding of what human trafficking is and how to intervene. There are many families that are unaware to the extent of how youth and communities are impacted by this social issue (Macy & Graham, 2012).

citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, children, and LGBTQ individuals. Vulnerable populations are frequently targeted by traffickers, including runaway and homeless youth, as well as victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, war, or social discrimination. The United States is notorious for focusing the spotlight of human trafficking exclusively on international countries and their victims rather than victims within borders (Laczko & Gozdziak, 2005). However, research is beginning to show that the United States is also a mega hub for human sex trafficking. It has only been recently that an actual estimate of youth at risk for sexual exploitation has come close to estimating U.S. domestic trafficking. Within the United States alone, between 244,000 and 325,000 American youth are considered at vulnerable for sexual exploitation. Since the first study in the United States in 2001, there have been an estimated 199,000 recorded incidents occur of sexual exploitation of minors following each concurrent year in the United States (Estes & Weiner, 2001). These figures, however, are severely limited by their scope. Only youth who have been recorded within the United States, specifically for sex trafficking are estimated. This does not account for the adults who have been trafficked, the individuals who have been trafficked outside of the United States, or individuals who have been trafficked in the United States for labor.

Oftentimes when people hear the term human sex trafficking, they think of heinous acts that take place in other countries where adults, children, girls and boys are exploited to perform sexual acts in exchange for money or goods against their will. They think it typically occurs in places that are less developed than the United States. However, the reality of this horrific crime is that it is taking place in the United States, and it occurs more and more each and every day. Young girls are not solely the victim of human sex trafficking, young boys are victims of this monstrous act as well. Individuals residing in the United States need to be made more aware of this issue as it has started to rise through social media, large events, and by those in other countries being promised work here. After researching, it is apparent that there is a great deal of information that is lacking, on sex trafficking in the United States. Not only is sex trafficking an issue, but the lack of awareness about sex trafficking is also an issue. This thesis proposes that human sex trafficking is an unacknowledged epidemic within the United States, and it seeks to discover why it has become so prevalent.

Amongst all the crimes in the world, one that is widely overlooked is that of human trafficking. Many individuals believe that murder, rape, grand theft auto, and other crime activities are of much importance. Although other crimes are of much important in the United States, one crime that is overlooked, especially when dealing with child welfare, is human trafficking. One thing that people overlook is that people of youth are the most vulnerable population in the United states that are risk to becoming victims of sex trafficking (Kotrla, 2010, pp. 27-42). Another issue that is overlooked is the fact that a majority of women who are in prostitution entered this fate as minors due to being trafficked (Kotrla, 2010, pp. 27-42)

There are so many ways in which young victims are enticed to sex trafficking, pimps posing as modeling agencies, fake massage parlors, maid services, or just flat out black mail and abduction. Pimps prey on young vulnerable victims for sole purpose of making as much as they possibly can. This is just one of many devastating stories of our teenagers who are coerced into sex trafficking. Due to recent advances in technology traffickers are able to reach anyone via the internet. There are no limitations and boundaries concerning who is trafficked the only goal on their mind is making money by exploiting victims.

People of any age are vulnerable to become a victim of sex trafficking, although, the most vulnerable populations are the women and girls that traffickers know will need money the most or that will not be missed if they disappear, or families will not make a scene if they leave. While defining characteristics of certain vulnerable populations is nearly impossible, traffickers go after plenty of young ladies who are living in unsafe living conditions, who are looking for better ways to live, or girls who are runaways and have nowhere else to go for safety. They trap these victims by deceiving them that they are going to a better loving place and falsely promise them money and happiness, when in fact it can only lead to years of cruel torture.