- 5 -
accessHealthNews.net
September 2022
Volume 8 | Issue No. 61
R
eports of sex trafficking are continuing to rise at both the
national and local levels and minor victims are primarily
being found online. Missouri, which ranks eighth in states
with the highest rates of reported human trafficking cases,
has especially seen an increase in minor sex trafficking
reports in 2022 alone.
A recent KMBC report on the arrest of 32 people as part
of a child sex trafficking investigation has pushed Missouri
into the spotlight, naming Kansas City one of the top sex
trafficking cities in the country. Synergy Services, a Missouri-
based crisis center interviewed in the report, highlighted
the need for improved education and communication
among children and their caregivers, especially regarding
body autonomy and online safety.
Helping children understand body safety, consent, and
how to safely navigate the internet at a young age can
help reduce the likelihood of exploitation by traffickers.
Parents are encouraged to have these conversations as
early as possible and continue to check in throughout
developing and teenage years to help keep vulnerable
minors safe from harm.
How Does Online Trafficking Work?
According to the 2021 Federal Trafficking Report, over
half (57%) of all criminal trafficking cases involved minor
victims, with the primary method of buying and recruiting
victims occurring online. Examples of the platforms mainly
used to recruit victims were social media platforms, web-
based messaging apps, online chat rooms, dating apps,
classified ads, or job boards. Trafficking recruiters use these
platforms to extract information used to lure their victims
in, typically by exploiting the child's vulnerabilities.
According to the report, the top victim vulnerabilities in
new trafficking cases included:
• Having run away from home (64%).
• Being in the foster care system (25%).
• Having been previously trafficked (18%).
• Substance use disorders (11%).
• Homelessness (9%).
• Undocumented immigration status (7%).
• Poverty or financial insecurity (2%).
For example, a recruiter in an online chat room or on social
media platforms may pose as a concerned peer who offers
a safe space for the minor to open up about a problem at
home. The recruiter then offers a solution – money, a job,
a place to sleep, substances, companionship, romance,
etc. – and the minor accepts, unaware of the potential
danger.
Parents should be aware of their children's vulnerabilities
and the ways in which they might be exploited by others.
Because so many of these vulnerabilities involve whether
they have a safe, stable home and a feeling of security
related to financial and documented status, preventing
minor trafficking begins with addressing the social
determinants of health affecting their children and their
living situation.
If children feel safe and secure at home and around their
family, and either do not engage in substance use or are
receiving support from a trusted adult, they are less likely
to seek out a new "friend" to help obtain some of these
needs. However, being involved in the online activities
of minors is still important to ensure they are aware of
potential danger and doing what they can to protect
themselves from exploitation.
As internet access and use continues to be popularized
among younger children, it's important for parents to be
aware of what their children see and hear, who they meet,
and what they share about themselves online. Though
some internet safety laws in place are designed to protect
minors from sharing too much personal information, they
are not the sole solution.
According to the 2021 Federal Trafficking Report, more than (57%) of all
criminal trafficking cases involved minor victims, with the primary method of
buying and recruiting victims occurring online.
READ MORE
