Human trafficking is happening in your hometown.

Most victims know their traffickers personally.

People tend to imagine trafficking as kidnapping or smuggling across borders. That’s not the reality, especially in the United States. In America, trafficking is usually looks more like:

Graphic showing that 41% of children trafficked in the USA are trafficked by a family member.

Familial Trafficking

Text on teal background states that less than 1% of trafficking in the U.S. is due to stranger abduction, with a note that most victims are trafficked by someone they know and trust.

Pimp-Controlled Trafficking

Yellow background with white bold text stating the illicit sex market in the USA makes an estimated revenue of $5.7 billion annually.

Commercial Demand

Text graphic with a gold background that states, 'There are more illicit massage parlors in the USA than all the KFC and Burger Kings combined. (13,000+)'

Illicit Massage Businesses

Text stating that between 2021 and 2023, online enticement reports increased by more than 300%.

Online Exploitation

Trafficking statistics:

  • 200,000–300,000 youth are at risk for trafficking in the U.S. every year.

  • Pornography is a primary driver of demand, fueling both child exploitation and violence against women. Read More

  • The US now hosts more child sexual abuse material online than any other country. Experts predict that without new legislation, the problem will only grow. Read More

  • The foster-care system is one of the largest on-ramps for child trafficking in the U.S., with LGBTQIA+ children being among the most targeted. Read More

  • Black, Brown, Latina, and Indigenous children are disproportionately affected by trafficking. Read More

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Is your state protecting children?

Map of the United States showing different states in various colors, including blue, yellow, orange, and green.
Color-coded chart with letters A to F and corresponding score ranges: A in green for 90-110, B in light blue for 80-89, C in yellow for 70-79, D in dark blue for 60-69, and F in orange for less than 60.

Shared Hope International’s Report Cards on Child & Youth Sex Trafficking are graded under an advanced legislative framework, providing a comprehensive analysis and assessment of all state statutes related to and impacting child and youth sex trafficking in all 50 states and D.C.

Demand plays a significant role.

  • Professionals

  • Doctors

  • Day Laborers

  • Lawyers

  • Sailors

  • Soldiers

  • Police Officers

  • Judges

  • Teachers

  • Coaches

When combating trafficking, it is easy to focus on victims and traffickers. We get it! Victims need support, and traffickers need to be prosecuted.

However, buyers (people who purchase sex) are the reason there is a demand for trafficked people in the first place. Without buyers, traffickers would not seek out victims to fill the demand.

So, who are the buyers?

  • Pastors

  • Accountants

  • Security Guards

  • Construction Workers

  • Executives

  • Truck Drivers

  • Fathers

  • Brothers

  • Sons

  • Community Members

“If you’re not addressing demand, you’re not actually fighting trafficking.”

-Tom Perez, CEO of Epik Project

Silhouettes of two people in front of snowy mountain peaks.

Educate yourself about sex trafficking.

Education is the best place to start on your journey to ending human trafficking in the United States.

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