Child exploitation takes on many different forms.
Child sex trafficking:
More than 1 million children are victims of sex trafficking around the world. [source]
The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is another term for what we often call child sex trafficking. It is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining or advertising of a minor child for the purpose of a commercial sex act, which involves the exchange of anything of value — such as money, drugs or a place to stay — for sexual activity. [source]
Early-childhood forced marriage:
More than 5.5 million children are victims of forced marriage around the world. [source]
Early-childhood forced marriage is when a child is forced to marry without their consent. A marriage can be forced through a range of different mechanisms, including physical, emotional or financial duress; deception by family members or others; or the use of force or threats or severe pressure. [source]
Online child sexual exploitation:
In 2019 alone, 16.9 million reports were made to the CyberTipline of suspected child sexual exploitation linked to the internet in the U.S. [source]
These reports included online enticement of children for sexual acts, extra-familial child sexual molestation, child pornography, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names and misleading words or digital images on the internet. [source]
Even just one child victimized is one too many.
U.S. Facts
Estimated children in U.S. sex industry
Average age of a girl first used in the sex trade
1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 18
Child sexual exploitation is happening all around us.
Learn the signs — you could save a life.
