JANUARY IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS MONTH

As January rings in a new year, Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County remains committed to educating the community about Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC), or child sex trafficking. Child sex trafficking is a form of child abuse that occurs when a child under 18 is advertised, solicited, or exploited through a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act is where something of value (money, food, drugs, or a place to stay) is given to or received by any person in exchange for sexual activity.

Child sex trafficking does not discriminate against its victims, it could happen in your neighborhood. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; “while any child can be targeted by a trafficker, research, data, and survivor lived experience and expertise have revealed traffickers and buyers often target youth who lack strong support networks, have experienced violence in the past, are experiencing homelessness, or are marginalized by society.”

Education, prevention, and intervention are key when combatting a crime as serious as CSEC. Learn some of the red flags for children who are possible victims of CSEC:

• Chronically runs away from home
• Unexplained absences from school
• Has secret cell phones or apps providing multiple cell phone numbers
• In possession of material goods inconsistent with the child’s access to money
• Unexplained access to large amounts of cash, pre-paid credit cards, or hotel keys
• Close association with an overly controlling adult
• Significant changes in behavior, including their online activity
• Abruptly disconnects from family or friends
• Stops engaging in activities they previously enjoyed
• References online escort ads or uses language often associated with prostitution, such as “Trick,” “The Life,” “The Game”

If you are worried that a child in your life has become a victim of sex trafficking, please remember YOU are an important source of support. How you respond matters:

DO: Listen, reassure the child, show patience, call 911

DON’T: Assume, cast blame, minimize their feelings, or overwhelm them with questions

Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County is combatting human trafficking through our task force, C3ST (Collin County Child Sex Trafficking Team). The team was established in 2018 as a community effort to address the issue of child sexual exploitation in Collin County. Facilitated by the Center, the team’s vision is to eradicate child sexual exploitation from our community. We work closely with many community agencies to address this complex issue.

To learn more, please click the link below to visit our website.