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Prevention Action Alliance
Know! Teen Sex Tracking: What Parents Need to know!
The following Know! Tip discusses the sex tra cking of children. There
is no graphic content or description below, but it could still be di
cult for some readers. If you suspect human tra cking might be
occurring near you or need help, call the National Human Tra cking
Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, TTY 711, text 233-733, or chat with the
hotline at humantra ckinghotline.org/chat.
In a newly released report by the U.S. State Department, the United
States (along with Mexico and the Philippines), ranks among the top
three worst countries in the world for human tra cking—including the
sex tracking of minors. The U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services warns that more than 300,000 of our nation’s youth are
considered at risk for sexual exploitation annually.
You may have already heard about teen sex tra cking becoming more
common in our country, but chances are, it still feels far away from
your life and the lives of those you love. In reality, it is happening
all around us, in neighborhoods just like ours, to children just like
ours.
What exactly is sex tracking and is YOUR child really at risk?
Sex tracking is defined as, “a commercial sex act induced by force,
fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act
has not attained 18 years of age.” This refers to everything from
street prostitution, stripping, and pornography to exchanging sexual
acts for survival (sex in exchange for food and shelter).
At this point many of us will take a deep breath and say to ourselves,
“this is not my child, and this is definitely not something my child
would get mixed up in or be lured into.”
Trackers however are clever and highly manipulative. The tracker
doesn’t show their true self in the beginning. They typically befriend
the victim and gain their trust; they may even pretend to be
romantically interested in their target. When the tracker is ready to
strike, they are likely to extort the victim to prevent running away or
seeking help by threatening the victim’s loved ones, for instance.
It is also important to note that girls are not the only victims of
child sex tracking. In certain areas, some studies have estimated as
much as 40 to 45 percent of the victim population to be boys.
Trackers do not discriminate based on a victim’s gender, age, race, or
socioeconomic status. Boys and girls from varying backgrounds are being
“recruited” into sex tracking. What trackers do target however, is
vulnerability. And what child doesn’t have vulnerabilities?
Every child and situation is unique. While there is no all-inclusive
list to determine every child’s risk, researchers have identified a
range of common factors among those involved in sexual exploitation and
sex tracking (according to a report by the Institute of Medicine (IOC)
and National Research Council (NRC), Confronting Commercial Sexual
Exploitation and Sex Tracking of Minors in the United States. Those
factors are:
Individual:
• History of child abuse, neglect, and maltreatment
• Homeless, runaway, or “throwaway youth”
• LGBTQ+ youth
• History of systems involvement (e.g., juvenile justice, child welfare)
• Stigma and discrimination
Relationship:
• Family conflict, disruption, dysfunction
Community:
• Peer pressure
• Social norms
• Social isolation
• Gang involvement
• Under-resourced schools, neighborhoods, communities
Societal:
• Lack of awareness of commercial exploitation and sex tracking
• Sexualization of children
• Lack of resources
Involvement in the foster care system and childhood sexual abuse are
said to be two of the highest risk factors that increase a child’s
vulnerability. However, low self-esteem, rebellion, and the desire for
love and attention are also powerful vulnerabilities that tra ckers
look to exploit, in addition to the risk factors listed above.
An estimated 150,000 children born in the U.S. are recruited into sex
tracking each year, and they’re recruited at a young age. Fourteen is
the average age of a tracked victim in the U.S. This is an important
topic to not only be aware of, but a potentially life-saving
conversation to have with our children.
In the tip to follow, we will share additional information on the
topic, including getting this conversation started with your child, and
what to do if you suspect someone you know or come across is in need of
help.
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