U.S.-based child sex trafficking made the news this week following a multi-state FBI sting (full story can be found here). However, Dr. David Finkelhor, an expert on child exploitation at the University of New Hampshire, says that the sting operation may be too little, too late. Country-wide arrests may make good headlines, but according to Finkelhor,
…it is only through a multidisciplinary comprehensive mobilization of dedicated child welfare, social service, mental health, drug rehabilitation, educational systems — working together with law enforcement — that we will find a solution to young people being sold or selling sex for money and survival.
Finkelhor’s July 31 CNN Opinion piece includes some surprising facts about child sex trafficking in the U.S., including the high number of boys in the sex trade and the ways that technology (internet, cell phones) allows both boys and girls to engage in the trade without the involvement of a pimp.
The Many Faces of Human Trafficking Blog 