Sex Trafficking in the U.S.

Just about a week ago we had one of the biggest events in football, The Super Bowl. As I was researching sex trafficking, I came across an article titled Sex Trafficking Expected to Skyrocket During Super Bowl. It immediately sparked my interest and I started reading. The article stated that sex trafficking rates were supposed to increase during the Super Bowl, and that 250 underage girls are victims of sex trafficking in North Texas. Over 740 girls are exploited in Texas every year, and "It could be twice as high", Lyssa Jenkens told Dallas News. The study was merely based on online ads and escort services, which does not include all of the underaged girls "working the streets". I honestly had no idea sex trafficking was present in the United States, especially not this many girls. An estimated number of 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked in the U.S. each year for various reasons. Over 50% of the people are children, and 46% of people being trafficked are being sex trafficked. Although sex trafficking may be much more common in the rest of the world, that does not mean it doesn't exist here. I feel so sorry for all of these girls, I don't know much about what a person could do to help but hopefully researching this topic more throughout doing my project will help me with that.

Conely, Molly. "Sex Trafficking Expected To Skyrocket During Super Bowl." Protect Women (2011): n. pag. Web. 14 Feb 2011.