As a young woman in a world filled with dangerous situations at every turn, I am dedicated to having a strong understanding of human sexual trafficking and exploitation. Examining sexual trafficking from a young person’s perspective involves understanding how this heinous crime takes place and impacts its victims, while having a solid comprehension of all the social, economic and systemic factors that lead to it. Sadly, sex traffickers often target those with a history of sexual abuse, low self esteem, mental health issues and a lack of social support. It’s so tragic to think that those who are affected have already dealt with a life of trauma. However, sexual traffickers do not discriminate and given the opportunity will often seek out anyone that they feel that they can control or manipulate.

Approximately 130 people are trafficked worldwide every hour with most of these numbers being children. Over one million children are trafficked every year and over 30 million children have lost their childhood to human trafficking in the past 30 years, with the number of victims increasing every day. It is revolting to think that traffickers make over $9.5 billion annually in the U.S. alone exploiting their victims.¹ With the average age of sex trafficking victims being between 12-14 years old² , these young individuals lack life experience and awareness, making them more susceptible to coercion and consistent manipulation by traffickers. To protect children and teens from losing their lives to sexual trafficking, it is crucial that we educate them early on in their lives to take precaution. It is vital to empower them to resist all trafficking strategies and avoid situations where they might be vulnerable.

With the rise of the internet and social media, traffickers tend to groom and exploit victims online. Social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, dating apps or even online gaming platforms are potential avenues for trafficking and recruitment of victims. That said, trafficking can take place just about anywhere whether it be a shopping center, a movie theater, a concert or even your own school or neighborhood. For that reason, it is vital to always try to be with a friend or partner to avoid situations where you will be alone. You should also come up with a secret code word or phrase that you can use if you are in danger. In addition, having a tracking mechanism on your phone so that your family can track you if need be is important in a world where this is such a great risk. We can never be too cautious as our lives have the unfortunate ability to change within one millisecond.

It is critical to keep sexual trafficking top of mind and have open and honest discussions with your families and friends. Raising awareness through volunteering with organizations like the Grateful Garment Project can help us better understand how to avoid it and how we can all come together to support survivors in their recovery. The physical, emotional and sexual abuse experienced by these young victims is unimaginable, negatively impacting their mental and emotional well-being for a lifetime. With January being Sexual Trafficking Awareness Month, I am especially inspired to do my part now and look forward to encouraging my peers to take action to combat this global epidemic.

¹ Youth Underground (Facts and Figures)
² Together Freedom (Trafficking Facts & Statistics)