Child Trafficking In The United States: Where Does It Happen?

Child Trafficking In The United States

While the problem exists almost everywhere on earth, there are some alarming statistics for Child Trafficking in the United States. Every year, over 17,000 children are taken in the U.S. and sold into trafficking. 46 children are taken every single day from our own backyard.

Some abduction cases might fit the profile of back-alley drifters, but most traffickers appear as personable and friendly strangers. Traffickers are able to operate effectively without being detected because they look just like normal citizens. They dress like us, look like us, and shop at the same stores we do. This allows them to gain children’s trust and comfort. Even in public places, traffickers can prey on children who stray from their families or look lost. Before anyone realizes what’s happened, the child can already be in a car on the way out of town. Soon after, the child can be on the way out of the country. You truly cannot judge a book by its cover.

The Misconceptions Of Child Trafficking In The United States

Misconceptions about the child trafficking industry and its operatives are one of the greatest struggles in combating this atrocity. Many believe that child trafficking victims are runaways who abandon their lives, or troubled teens that are easily manipulated. The truth is far more dangerous. Abductions and trafficking happens in suburban neighborhoods, in local businesses, and in busy airports. Trafficking rings have been found operating in churches, business buildings, and private homes, with the families and individuals around them completely unaware.

Human trafficking pollutes our communities more than we realize. Many traffickers typically participate in illegal activities beyond selling children into slavery. When traffickers enter a community, they bring drugs, weapons, corruption, and violence with them. All of these things place the community’s youths at a greater risk of being wrapped up in illegal activities or worse, being sold into slavery. If our youth are at risk, our future is at risk.

Nobody wants to confront the idea that something as horrible as child trafficking is taking place in their backyard. But the first and most important step in solving any problem is recognizing that the problem is real. We also need to understand that we have the power to do something about it. Once we recognize Child Trafficking in the United States as the real and current issue that it is, we can begin to find real solutions that will bring these children home, keep more children from being taken, and eventually ERASE Child Trafficking altogether.