Risk Factors Childhood trauma and instability makes children more vulnerable to being trafficked . Risk factors for domestic child sex trafficking include :
• Being between the ages of 12 and 14
• Having a history of sexual or physical abuse
• Poverty and family instability or dislocation
• Being a runaway or homeless youth
• History of child protective services and / or foster care involvement
Disproportion of African-American Girls According to Human Rights Projects for Girls African-American girls are more likely to experience the risk factors listed above . Studies report that African American girls become trafficked at younger ages than their racial counterparts . According to the FBI , African-American children comprise 59 % of all prostitution arrests for those under 18 , more than any other racial group . In a two-year review of all suspected human trafficking incidents , 40 % of victims of sex trafficking were African-Americans .
Vulnerability to the Justice System Because children are not always trafficked by a family member or guardian , Child Protective Services ( CPS ) cannot always respond to reports of child sex trafficking . Without CPS as a resource and in the absence of formal protocols mandating a child welfare response to trafficking , law enforcement officers often respond by arresting child victims for prostitution . This leaves them vulnerable to trauma in the juvenile and criminal justice system and deprives them of appropriate services .
Mental and Physical Effects DMST and sex trafficking victims face significant health problems , many times long-term . Experiencing horrific forms of torture , victims of sex trafficking often suffer from psychological disorders , including depression , severe anxiety , substance abuse and ( PSTD ) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( Lily Pad Haven ); sexually transmitted diseases , including HIV / AIDS and physical problems , including pelvic pain , rectal
ADVOCACY
trauma and urinary difficulties ( Ark of Hope for Children ).
“ I am the woman offering two flowers whose roots are twin , Justice and Hope . Hope and Justice . Let us Begin .”
- Excerpted from Remember by Alice Walker
You Can Make a Difference The information shared in this article is just a glimpse of the effects of Human Sex Trafficking . Those who are deemed to be less valuable are most at-risk . Regardless of race , background , or social status , one child trafficked affects us all .
In the words of Edmund Burke : " All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world ,
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is for enough good men to do nothing ."
Human Trafficking can be abolished , but it can ' t be done without your help . Get involved and take action . Become a sponsor or donate to organizations who help to provide shelter , housing , and medical care for DMST and human trafficking victims . Here are a few :
• Ark of Hope For Children , High Springs , FL www . arkofhopeforchildren . org
• Lily Pad Haven , Charlotte , NC www . lilypadhaven . org
• More Too Life , Sarasota , FL www . moretoolife . org
Help stop the criminalization of DMST and sex trafficking victims . Support the ' Trafficking Survivors
Relief Act ': www . act . polarisproject . org Sources : www . rights4girls . org www . arkofhopeforchildren . org www . polarisproject . org
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime UNODC www . unodc . org-human-trafficking
Department of Homeland Security ( DHS ): Human Trafficking www . dhs . gov / topic / humantrafficking
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ( NCMEC ) www . missingkids . com / CST
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