Let’s talk numbers:
98%
previous involvement with child welfare services, and many were legally in the care and custody of the state while they were being prostituted by traffickers.
1 in 3
homeless teens are lured into sexual exploitation by a trafficker within 48 hours of leaving home
50%
of homeless population in US have experienced foster care
Data Source: The OLP Foundation and HumanTraffickingSearch.net. Download the data sheet here.
Being in foster care was the perfect training for sexual exploitation. I was used to being moved without warning or any say, not knowing where I was going or if I was even allowed to pack my clothes. After years in foster care, I didn’t think anyone would want to take care of me unless they were paid. So, when my pimp expected me to make money to support ‘the family,’ it made sense to me.
AS
Trafficking Survivor
"Every youngster I've ever talked to who was trafficked says the same thing - 'They didn't come looking for me. Nobody cared. They didn't bother to come.'"
Karen Bass
US Representative