Statistically Speaking: The Overrepresentation of Foster Youth in Sex Trafficking
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Statistically Speaking:
The Overrepresentation of Foster Youth in Sex Trafficking
By: Emily Selig
I. INTRODUCTION
An estimated 100,000 minors are trafficked for sex in the United States each year. The
majority of these victims are either currently or were formerly housed in the foster care
system. This alarming statistic can be largely attributed to the fact that traffickers prey upon
vulnerable and marginalized groups of society, including LGBTQ youth, runaways, and homeless
children. These victimized children are more susceptible to being lured into trafficking and often
are reluctant to leave once they become involved with their abusers. Although awareness
surrounding this issue is increasing, authorities still struggle to determine the actual number of
foster care children recruited into sex trafficking and are forced to rely on estimates. In fact, it is
expected that the actual figures are much higher than what is reported. There are many reasons for
this lack of information. For example, children who are victims are sometimes unaware that they
are victims. Another scenario is that they are too frightened to speak to authorities for fear that
their abusers will retaliate against them. Even social norms that exist in at-risk communities are a
contributing factor. This article will briefly discuss the statistics and data regarding foster youth
who are commercially exploited for sex, and examine the various reasons why foster care children
represent such a large proportion of the victims. Finally, this article will discuss the steps that are
being taken on national, state, and local levels to combat this problem.
11. FOSTER CHILDREN AS VICTIMS
Various crimes against children fall under the umbrella of commercial sexual exploitation.
This term generally encompasses sexual abuse committed against a child in exchange for some
type of benefit. It also includes circumstances where the child independently exchanges sex for
anything of necessity, which is known as survival sex. Examples of these crimes include child
prostitution, child pornography, sex tourism, and performing in strip clubs or massage parlors. The
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that, 1 in 6 of the 18,500 runaways
reported to [the center] in 2016 were likely sex trafficking victims. Of that number, 86% of these
victims were under the protection of foster care or social services. A number of states have
conducted studies on the prevalence of sex trafficking among foster youth within their own
borders. For example, the Los Angeles Probation Department reported that 60% of youths arrested
for prostitution had been involved in foster care. The percentage is even higher for children who
have had contact with the child welfare system. For instance, 86 out of 88 children that were
identified as victims of sex trafficking in Connecticut had been involved with the child welfare
system in the past. Thus, it is not surprising to learn that traffickers target group homes and foster
care facilities in order to recruit new victims.
III. PIPELINE TO TRAFFICKING
The foster care system is frequently called a pipeline to prostitution. Approximately a
quarter of the almost 427,000 children in foster care are 14 years old or older. When a little over
18,000 youths age out of foster care at the age of 18 each year in the United States, they are](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/clrj38&div=11&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Statistically Speaking: The Overrepresentation of Foster Youth in Sex Trafficking
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