Guides
- Effects of Cyberbullying: Complete Guide for Parents
- What is the DPPA?
- Petty Theft: Definition and Consequences
- What is a Life Sentence?
- How to Find Out if Someone Has a Warrant?
- Marriage License vs Certificate: Everything You Need to Know
- The Ten Most Popular Celebrity Mugshots
- How to Find Out if Someone is Married?
- How to Stop Phone Spoofing?
- How To Avoid Probate
- Dealing with abandoned vehicles in your neighborhood
- How to Find Someone's Cell Phone Number by Their Name
- Who Are the Worst Drivers in America?
- How To Find Unclaimed Money From Deceased Relatives
- What is a Digital License Plate?
- How to Find out if Someone Died?
- Murder vs Manslaughter: The Differences and Definitions
- How to Hire a Private Investigator?
- What Is a Number Neighbor?
- How to Find Out if Someone was Arrested
- How to Find Someone's Birthday?
- What is a Car Title
- How to Obtain a Police Report and Court Records?
- Filing a false police report
- Prison Valley: Look inside Prison Town
- How to Get Custody of a Child Without Going to Court?
- How to Find Someone’s Social Media Profiles?
- What to Do if Your Phone Is Tapped?
- What Is a Deed in Real Estate?
- Where Was The First US Federal Penitentiary Established?
- How to Find Someone's Location Using Their Cell Phone Number?
- What Is a Restricted Call?
- Who is the Most Dangerous Prisoner in the World?
- Poshmark Scams: How to Prevent and Report Them
- How to Find a Missing Person?
- How to Send Money to a Federal Inmate?
- DUI vs DWI: What're The Differences
- How Long After Buying a Car Do You Need to Register it?
- How to Find out Where Someone Lives?
- What Happens If You Get Caught Driving a Car Without Interlock
- Situational Crime Prevention: Theory, Techniques and Examples
- How Can I Find Out Who Called Me for Free?
- Gun Free Zone Statistics and Facts
- Online Threats and Digital Security: Trends, Types and Most Common Examples
- Cold Cases Guide for Police Officers and Investigators
- Court Order: Meaning, Types and Examples
- What Does a Fingerprint Background Report Show?
- How to Check Your Criminal Record?
- What is Tort Law?
- How to Calculate Child Support
- Property Rights: Definition, and Characteristics
- 12 Common Uses of Public Records
- US Antitrust Law
- Virginia Gun Confiscation Law
- How Do You Find Out Who Own a Property?
- Neighborhood Watch Program
- How to Perform a Mugshot Search?
- Crime Mapping
- Safest Colleges in Florida
- Veterans Guide to Cars and Driving
- U.S. Correctional System: Structure, Incarceration and Facts
- License Plate Laws in the US
- How to Locate Inmates and Access Jail Records?
- Email Hacking: Laws, Penalties and Protection
- Romeo and Juliet Laws
- Holiday Safety for Home and Family
- Differences between Criminal and Arrest Records
- Public Records and Property History: What is Public Information and What Isn’t
- How to Look up an Immigration Detainee?
- Famous Prisons in the USA
- How to Find Out Who Owns a Vehicle Using Reverse Lookup Tools
- How to Search for Your Family Tree?
- The Federal Judicial Center
- Mass Incarceration in the USA
- What is COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)?
- Data Safety After The Capital One Breach
- Scholarships Guide for Students
- Complete Guide to Student Safety
- What Is a Vehicle Identification Number?
- Determining Divorce: 5 Types of Divorce You Must Know
- Sex Offenders: Complete Guide to be Protected
- New Privacy Laws and Public Records
- Motor Vehicle Registration in the US
- Digital Token Age: Security Laws and Regulations
- Copyright Law and Facial Recognition Technology
- What Shows up in a Background Report
- Car Repossession Laws: Dealing with Car Dealers and Auto Fraud
- How to Protect Yourself from Phone Scams
- Human Rights in the Prison
- Business Competition: Laws and Policies
- Hate Crimes: Reasons, Stats and Facts
- Starting a Business and Business Licenses
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Guidance
- Criminal Justice Reform
- Tax Reform Impact and Changes To Know
- Self-Driving Cars: Laws and Regulations
- White-Collar Crime: Statistics and Facts
- Have You Been Arrested? Cases You'll Need a Lawyer
- Getting a driver's license in the US: What to Know
- Car Theft in the US: Prevention and Facts
- Identity Theft Passport Program
- Changing your Name after Marriage: What You Need to Know
- Finding the Perfect Roommate: Dos and Donts
- What if You Get Into a Car Accident? A Complete Checklist
- Property Crimes: How to Burglar Proof Your Home
- Consumer Laws in the US: What Do They Mean for a Customer and a Business Owner
- Child Trafficking: The Scope, Understanding, and Prevention
- Business Assets: A Guide to the Financial Health of your Business
- Guide To The College Application: How, When and Where to Apply
- Which States Have “Stand Your Ground” Laws?
- Adolescent Depression Symptoms and Causes
- Things to Know About the U.S. State Department Travel Advisory System
- Inheritance in the US: With & Without a Will
- Online Dating Safety Guide for Men and Women
- Sexual Abuse in the U.S.: Laws and Statistics
- Supporting Children After Divorce: Child Custody Options
- Halloween Horrors Come to Life: Holidays Crimes in the U.S.
- Charity Scams in the U.S.: Be Aware and Protected
- Webcam Hacking & Spying in the US
- Sex Offender Search
- Freedom of Religion in the U.S.
- Senior Financial Scams: How are the Elderly Targeted and How to Avoid It
- Catcalling: Is it illegal? How to Deal With It
- A Complete Guide To Insurance Fraud: Common Types and Prevention
- Sextortion: What to Do if You Became a Victim of Blackmailing
- Concealed Carry: How to Protect Yourself on Campus
- Debt Collection Laws | Fair Debt Collection Act: What You Need To Know
- How Much Is My House Worth? Ultimate Guide to Home Buying and Selling
- What are the Traits of a Sociopath?
- Do You Know Who Your Neighbors Are?
- Learn How to Find Your Birth Parents
- The Importance of Public Records in Law
- Do You Know What's the Difference Between Jail and Prison?
- Homeowner’s Insurance, Is it a Public Record?
- The Disturbing Facts of Gun Violence in America
- How to Use Public Records in Marketing
- Best & Worst Cities for Driving
- LGBT Bullying
- What You Need to Know When Buying or Selling a Used Car?
- School Safety and Security Standards
- Guide to Making Your DMV Experience Hassle Free
- How to Prepare For an Active Shooter Incident
- How to Report a Crime?
- How to Protect Yourself Against Cyber Attacks
- 50 Things to Know When Filing for Divorce
- What to Do When You Are Stopped By the Police
- Tips for Back-to-School Safety and Security
- Guide to Filing for Bankruptcy
- How to Appeal the Court's Decision
- A User's Guide to Warrants
- How to Fight a Traffic Ticket?
- Keeping Your Neighborhood Safe For Your Family
- A Parent's Guide to Keeping Your Child Drug-Free
Child Trafficking: Understanding, and Prevention
Poverty and family dysfunction are two things that many victims of child trafficking have in common. The problem of child trafficking is international, as those under age 18 comprised 28 percent of 17,000 victims identified by the United Nations in a recent study. It is a $32 billion industry, worldwide.
Trafficking is the procurement and presentation of an individual for sexual commerce by coercion or force, including those under age 18 who have no way to consent to sell sexual favors. More than 90 percent of such victims are female. The majority come from impoverished households where neglect, mental health, and drug abuse problems are common. Migrants are in particular danger of trafficking, prompting the U.S. government to pass the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 that gave them special status.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says that child trafficking increased 800 percent from 2010 to 2015.
Statistics
One organization estimates that 300,000 underage persons (younger than age 18) in the U.S. are victims of child sex traffickers every year, with about 75 percent of girls enticed to join, often under false pretenses, over the internet. Their average age is 12.
Victims are often:
- from backgrounds where alcohol and drug abuse is common;
- from homes where sexual and verbal abuse is common;
- have low self-esteem, making them vulnerable to seeking love and acceptance from strangers, often older men;
- easily victimized over and over again due to low self-esteem;
- runaways, and
- unable to verbalize their situations even to doctors or teachers.
It is not uncommon for child traffickers to be pedophiles who use their own children to recruit other children to their use. A recent report said that children are “sold” in the U.S. more than 2.5 million times a year (using the average of 5 times a day) to average suburban men who are never caught or prosecuted.
Sex traffickers:
- befriend vulnerable young people, offering food and shelter to runaways then exploiting them;
- use violence and intimidation;
- manipulate people to get what they want;
- are pimps who collect money from customers to violate the victims;
- enable child pornographers;
- maybe average residents of a community who blend in;
- drug their victims, and
- are rarely caught and prosecuted due to society and the criminal justice system’s traditional attitudes toward promiscuous women.
Warning Signs
One prosecutor warns parents that young people may be victims without ever running away from home. If parents see a marked difference in their child’s behavior, attitudes, and even appearance, he or she may be a victim. Things, like losing interest in school work, receiving gifts of clothing and jewelry from an older adult, being secretive about their whereabouts, and even getting a tattoo, may all be signs of trafficking activity.
Mandatory Reporter
In almost every state, professionals like teachers, doctors, social workers, school nurses, and child care providers are required to report any evidence of child abuse, neglect, or exploitation such as trafficking.
Fighting Back
Resources in the fight against trafficking include a nonprofit, Thorn, created by actor Ashton Kuchter that uses technology to link victims to a network of people who help them break the bond. Another, See the Girl, was developed in Florida, a hotspot for abuse and exploitation, to improve treatment options for young women in the juvenile justice system.
Although state attorneys general got a popular website, Backpage.com to stop running sex ads that were a favorite place for pimps to advertise young children for sale, some in law enforcement say the problem has just moved to other locations, or that pimps use code words to indicate the availability of children on the site’s dating pages. The prosecutors alleged the site made more than 80 percent of it's $135 million profits off sex ads. In 2016 the website CEO was arrested for pimping minors. He made a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for testimony against his colleagues.
One of the ways that law enforcement got Backpage.com to stop running sex ads was to convince Mastercard and Visa to deny charges for posting ads there (asserting that the companies were abetting child abuse).
Consequences
Children who are induced into forced prostitution often suffer long-term psychological damage that impacts their ability to learn, future relationships, and self-esteem. This makes them vulnerable to further exploitation, even after they have returned to their homes and received treatment.
Recent Cases
In December 2018, a number of indictments were unsealed, naming 19 individuals for sex trafficking young women they had identified at a New York state residential treatment facility for at-risk youth. The caretakers and accomplices were risking life sentences for conspiracy and sex trafficking by coercion or force.