Child Sex Trafficking in the United States

The editors of this book focus on domestic sex trafficking, including the prostitution of children. The exact number of child victims of sex trafficking in the United States is unknown because comprehensive research and scientific data are lacking. Sex trafficking of children appears to be fueled by a variety of environmental and situational variables ranging from poverty or the use of prostitution by runaway and 'thrown-away' children to provide for their subsistence needs to the recruitment of children by organized crime units for prostitution. Experts agree that any efforts to reduce the prevalence of child sex trafficking, as well as other forms of trafficking, should address not only the supply, but also the demand. In this book, demand reduction strategies are considered, such as increasing public awareness and prevention, as well as bolstering investigations and prosecutions of those who buy illegal commercial sex.