By: Linda A. Smith Samantha Healy Vardaman Melissa A. Snow

The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America’s Prostituted Children 9
transportation of human traffi cking victims across borders becomes increasingly diffi cult and dangerous.
Domestic child victims of sex traffi cking come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds, geographic
areas, and ethnicities. A 2007 New York State Offi ce of Children and Family Services report states that
in New York City, sexually exploited youth tended to be “female and black, having sex with strangers in
hotel rooms or outside.” In contrast, “Upstate, the youth were younger, more likely to be white, and were
often exploited at home by adult friends or acquaintances.” 20 In the Midwest, a child protection services
offi cer in Kansas City related that approximately 84 child victims of prostitution had been identifi ed since
2000 in Jackson County, Missouri. Of those 84 victims, 10 were local to Jackson County. Ages ranged
from 12 to 16 years old. 21
Many victims are youth in the child welfare system and/or runaways, but some are recruited from middleclass
homes as well. A common factor is the history of child physical and sexual abuse in the home or
the extended family. In Las Vegas, Nevada, statistics indicate that from January 2004 through December
2006, nearly 41% of juveniles suspected of being involved in prostitution-related offenses had been victims
of sexual assault. Additionally, 21% were victims of familial molestation. 22 However, the one single
vulnerability factor making domestic youth targets for sex traffi cking is simple: their age.
Terminology as a guide.
“Domestic minor sex traffi cking” is the term coined by Shared Hope International to identify the
commercial sexual exploitation of children under 18 years of age who are U.S. citizens or lawful
permanent residents. The importance of the term “domestic minor sex traffi cking” (DMST) is multidimensional.
Language is a vital element to the human experience. It allows people to communicate a
range of thoughts, emotions, and images in a single word; therefore, the labels placed on victims can have
a profound impact on how society views the victims and how the victims view themselves. Use of a term
that accurately defi nes the nature of the crime and the victim status is critical to direct attention to the
victim; rather than calling the crime “child prostitution,” the application of the term “domestic minor sex
traffi cking” refers to the real crime being committed in which a child is sexually exploited for an exchange
of value and clarifi es this child’s status as a victim of a crime.
In using the term “domestic minor sex traffi cking victim” to describe America’s most vulnerable victims
of sex traffi cking, Shared Hope International has sought to remove these children from their perceived
and often assigned delinquent status. Research has shown that these are complex victims who require
specialized care; while they do not often act like traditional sex abuse victims, they are not “bad kids”
and they have not chosen this lifestyle. Instead, they are a complex victim group that requires specialized
treatment, shelter, and understanding.
20 Gragg, Frances and Ian Petta, Haidee Bernstein, Karla Eisen, Liz Quinn. “New York Prevalence Study of Commercially
Sexually Exploited Children Final Report” (New York State Offi ce of Children and Family Services: WESTAT), April 18,
2007, pg. 87.
21 Wade, Domestic Minor Sex Traffi cking Assessment Report — Independence, Missouri, pg. 37.
22 Kennedy and Pucci, Domestic Minor Sex Traffi cking Assessment — Las Vegas, Nevada, pg. 97, citing STOP statistics, Vice
Section, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) STOP Program (January 1994 — July 2007).