The United Nations defines human trafficking as people who “are recruited or harbored, by threat or force, to be exploited.” This extortion includes commercial sex or labor exploitation in industries such as hospitality, beauty or agricultural. Despite common belief, a person does not need to be transported anywhere to fall under this definition.
The FBI ranks San Diego among the top 13 cities for high-intensity prostitution of children. By raking in an annual revenue of $810 million, sex trafficking is one of San Diego’s largest underground economies—second only to drug trafficking. Although it’s difficult to imagine children and adolescents at the center of this atrocious industry, the average age of recruitment for San Diego’s sex trafficking victims is 16 years old. Victims are commonly targeted online, but human trafficking can take place anywhere—in rural, suburban and urban areas, at businesses, hotels, schools, malls, bus stops and other public venues—and often in plain sight.
Our social emotional program addresses so many of the fundamental prevention of human trafficking. Additionally, our Human Sexuality program addresses this area for our middle school students. It is important that all of our families have the information that they need. Here are some prevention resources to note:
Human Trafficking Prevention in San Diego
San Diego County District Attorney, resources and contact information