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As you consider your opportunities to address commercial sexual exploitation of children (or CSEC), take a moment to consider a child’s perspective, their experience of the world around them, and how you connect with that experience.
First, think about a child. Their self-perception, values, and personal skills are always changing, and all of these affect how they navigate the world around them.
Every child is vulnerable to CSEC, just by nature of being a kid. However, some children (such as children in foster care) experience compounding vulnerabilities, which put them at higher risk of CSEC. These children may also have developed attitudes and behaviors that might seem negative (such as acting out or running away). Keep in mind that those behaviors were likely developed as a way for them to adapt to difficult situations in their past – or in their present.
Next, consider a child’s “inner circle”—the trusted adults they’ve chosen to confide in and listen to.
This could be any adult in any role. It might be a parent, but it might not. It could be a favorite teacher, a school nurse, or a volunteer at a community center. For children in foster care, it could be a CASA, case manager, or foster parent.
If you find that you are a trusted adult in a child’s life, you may have visibility into warning signs that others might not see - and you may be able to speak into a child’s life in ways that others might not.
Next, think about a child’s living situation—which is anywhere a child has their basic needs met. This could be a family household, but it could also be a foster placement, a group home, a youth shelter, or even a detention facility.
If you interact with a child in their living situation, you are able to see how and whether basic needs are being met and whether certain vulnerabilities or warning signs of CSEC exist. You may also have more insight into what’s most important to them, how they spend their time, who they spend their time with, and how they access and use technology.
Next, think about all of the places a child goes within a community for support. This could be a healthcare provider, a school, or a community-based organization, just to name a few.
If you interact with a child in one of these settings, you’ll have a different perspective than a trusted adult or an adult who interacts with the child in their living situation. Your interactions will likely focus on your expertise and providing a specific type of support. Depending on that expertise, you may be more attuned to certain vulnerabilities, and you may be well-positioned to utilize that expertise and access available resources and tools to respond.
Lastly, think about all of the systems that affect how a child experiences their world. These could be based on geography, such as local or state policies and laws that impact a child’s life. Or they could be based on new developments across sectors such as healthcare or education, just to name a few.
While you may not interact directly with a child in this context, your actions still have an important effect on how a child moves through the world. For example, a child in the foster care system, particularly those at highest risk of CSEC, often experience multiple placements in multiple jurisdictions.
Remember that you likely have more than one opportunity or avenue to connect with and support children.
For example, you might be a trusted adult for one child, while also providing support to children in the community as a volunteer. Or you might interact with the living situation of a child while supporting other children in an educational setting.
Take a moment to consider – what are all the ways in a child’s world where you connect?
No matter how or where you might interact with a child, remember that your specific connections and context will present you with unique opportunities to recognize, respond to, and prevent CSEC.
The Freedom Strategy defines all areas of focus that must be addressed simultaneously within a community in order to address human trafficking.
The Freedom Strategy was distilled from years of research and work with thousands of justice advocates serving in the field all around the world, including direct service providers, survivor advocates, law enforcement, non-profit leaders, government officials, and more.
All of these groups make important contributions, although some may focus on particular areas such as identification or restoration.
The Freedom Strategy brings all of these activities together and shows how they are connected to each other. It includes:
Some areas of the strategy may have multiple ways for you to get involved.
Other areas may require the support of specialists in specific fields.
It’s important to understand this comprehensive framework so that you can be most effective in how you engage.
The Freedom Strategy illustrates how everyone, working together, can end and prevent human trafficking.
What is human trafficking?
It is THE SALE OF HUMAN BEINGS
for purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, or organ trafficking
Where does it happen?
Human trafficking is
A GLOBAL ISSUE
that has no demographic or geographical boundaries.
How many people are victims of human trafficking?
An estimated
50 MILLION PEOPLE
are being exploited for forced labor or sex trafficking, or are in forced marriage.
Do we know how much traffickers are making from this crime?
Human trafficking is estimated as a
$236 BILLION PER YEAR industry for traffickers worldwide and it is one of the fastest growing crimes.
Do we know who are most likely to be victims?
There is not a single type or demographic of person who might be trafficked.
Traffickers often exploit people in vulnerable conditions and situations.
Available data shows 1 in 4 victims of human trafficking are children.
STILL, THERE IS HOPE.
YOU ARE UNIQUELY POSITIONED
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Discover your unique role in the effort to end human trafficking and protect the vulnerable.