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41%
Familial Trafficking
Child is trafficked by a relative or a person who is perceived by the child to be a family member such as individuals referred to as “auntie” or “uncle” but are not directly related to the child.
23%
Buyer-Perpetrated Trafficking
Child is being trafficked but does not have a trafficker. Instead, the buyer is directly exploiting the child’s vulnerabilities by offering money, food, and/or shelter in exchange for the sexual exploitation.
14%
Pimp-Controlled Trafficking
Child is trafficked by an unrelated individual, male or female, who often develops an intentional relationship with the child which is later used as leverage in the exploitation.
Child Sex Trafficking
Child Sex Trafficking has been reported in all 50 states and within every county of the State of Wisconsin.
Child sex trafficking is no longer an overseas "foreign" crime. It's a domestic, nation-wide crisis that requires a local community-driven response. Children all over the United States who cannot speak for themselves deserve community members, teachers, caregivers and law enforcement to take a stand against abuse, grooming and trafficking. We cannot stay silent as sex exploitation and forced labor outrank drug smuggling world wide and tie with illegal arms sales.
Victims of Sex Trafficking
The average age of entry into sex trade is 15yrs old, with 1 in 6 being under 12yrs old and even younger for males.
55% of survivors report that they attended school at some point during their exploitation.
Traffickers are looking for vulnerabilities within the family, the community, the schools and the churches...and they're finding it. They're on the hunt for those they can easily manipulate and control. Those that question their identity, purpose and value. Look no further than the American teenager. Victims of sex trafficking exist in society just like everyone else. They attending your children's schools, shopping in line next to you at the grocery store and walking down the same sidewalks, yet we rarely recognize what they are experiencing.
Active Buyers of Sex
30% of traffickers are married.
50%+ still have children living with them in their home.
71% of traffickers have more than one victim.
Gone is the myth that traffickers and sex buyers are creeping old men in basements as often depicted in Hollywood movies. Traffickers come from all walks or life. Familial trafficking is the highest ranking form of trafficking. These victims' traffickers are uncles, boyfriends and fathers. Traffickers often hold down typical employment and 30% have a family with children in the home.
How Trafficking Happens
59% of human trafficking cases federally prosecuted in 2020 were recruited on Facebook.
42% of victims report their trafficker earned their trust within 1 month of meeting.
85% report developing a close relationship with their trafficker.
The internet has created a space for traffickers that is much less risky and hidden in the shadows of their computer and keyboard. They can nurture relationships with their victims from the privacy of their own home, reaching out throughout the day and developing a trusting relationship without anyone knowing.
The Justice System
In 2020, the average time to resolve a sex trafficking case was 38 months.
The average prison sentence for a federally prosecuted case in 2020 for a child only victim was 16 years. Some states are closer to 18 months.
In Wisconsin, human trafficking is generally charged as a Class D felony. A person who is convicted may be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, and they can also face fines of up to $100,000. The victims of human trafficking may also bring a civil lawsuit against a perpetrator and seek compensation for actual damages and financial losses suffered.
In the case where an alleged victim of human trafficking is a minor who was forced to engage in commercial sex acts, a person may be charged with child trafficking. This is a Class C felony, and a conviction may result in a sentence of up to 40 years as well as a maximum fine of $100,000.
Other charges may be applied for sexual assault, kidnapping, assault and battery due to actions they took against the victim - resulting in longer prison sentences and other penalties.
The Community Response
66% of victims report never seeing a helpline or hotline number for them to call for help.
The top five points of access for help in order are friends and family, law enforcement, health services, mobile apps and social media and lastly the child welfare system.
These statistics strike to the heart of what we do at Protect Our Children USA - community involvement. We must do better!
Take the time to learn how to recognize child and teen trafficking.
Learn how to report it when you see or suspect potential trafficking.
Know and memorize the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888. Put it in your phone and share with family and friends.
REFERENCES
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National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. (2021). Child Sex Trafficking. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/trafficking#bythenumbers
U.S. Department of Justice. (2011, April). Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2010 [PDF]. Office of Justice Programs.
US. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Human Trafficking Fact Sheet [PDF].
Thorn (2018, January). Survivor Insights: The Role of Technology in Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking [PDF].
Demand Abolition. (2019, March). Who Buys Sex? Understanding and Disrupting Illicit Market Demand [PDF]. Demand Abolition.
Johnson, M., & Dank, PhD, M. (2014). The Hustle Economics of the Underground Commercial Sex Industry. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://apps.urban.org/features/theHustle/index.html
Feehs, K., & Currier Wheeler, A. (2021). 2020 Federal Human Trafficking Report. Human Trafficking Institute.
Polaris (2019). 2019 Data Report the US National Human Trafficking Hotline. Polaris Project.
Marcus, Anthony, et al. (2014). "Conflict and Agency among Sex Workers and Pimps: A Closer Look at Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking". The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, vol. 653 no. 1, 225–246.
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Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP of Milwaukee. https://www.grgblaw.com/wisconsin-trial-lawyers/when-can-a-person-be-charged-with-human-trafficking-in-wisconsin
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Guardian Group: Sex Trafficking Statistics. https://guardiangroup.org/sex-trafficking-statistics-2/
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National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. https://www.missingkids.org/home
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