What is Human Trafficking

• The transfer and harboring of individuals through force or coercion for the use of sexual exploitation or forced labor.  
  
• Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child, such as the prostitution of  children and child pornography.
  
• ​Child exploitation includes prostitution, child pornography,  and sexual torture.
  
• Many are repeatedly raped, gang raped, beaten, isolated, branded, tortured, terrorized, and threatened with death. 

Trafficking has life-long effects including physical and psychological trauma.  Victims experience emotional and physical pain including torture, disease, shame, starvation, grief, broken bones, burns, concussions, mutilations, infections, forced drug use, and permanent organ damage.  

A FEW FACTS...

• 2.5 million people are trafficked worldwide; 2 million are sex trafficked children   (U.S. Department of State, 2010)
  
• Upward of 300,000 children are domestically trafficked in the US
  (U.S. Department of State, 2010)
• The average life expectancy of trafficking victim is 7 years.
  
• The average age of entry into sex trafficking is 12 years old.