Beware! How Sex Traffickers Lure Young Latinas

According to Latina Magazine, there is a multi-billion trafficking industry in the U.S. A percentage of this underground industry is young teens ages 12 to 14 who are tricked into pornography and prostitution. Those who are especially vulnerable are those who come from low-income households including Latinas.

An expert from an organization for at-risk youth shared factors that make young women and children more susceptible, which include poverty, lack of fluency of the language and a dubious citizenship status. Most trafficked people are geared to submission by mentioning their immigration status and their will crumble when deportation is used to let them fear their captors.

The San Diego Tribune adds that some women and girls are forced or coerced into prostitution or other types of sex trade. Most of the trades and underground businesses are reportedly linked to gangs and the tally of victims is thought to be many but exactly how much is unknown because many go unreported.

Here are tips to prevent human and sexual trafficking:

1.) Give direct information to teens and children

According to UNICEF, the more a child knows about the hazards and negative effects of human trafficking, the less they are likely to be trafficked. Giving them information about what happens when they go in the industry and how it will affect them may deter their interests from it.

2.) Awareness campaigns

Human trafficking is a community concern and the best way to combat it is to arm the people with knowledge. According to HumanTrafficking.org, gathering people for these kinds of campaigns can help them be more aware of how not to be lured by tactics used by these criminals. Poverty is a big factor and those who have little means to find work may be tempted or tricked in sex trade. Interventions such as job fairs and skills development in the community can greatly help.

3.) Keep teens in school

As mentioned, teens make up of a big chunk of those that are trafficked in the underground history. According to the Latina Mag, teens that do well or are more engaged in school are less likely to fall in the hands of traffickers. After school extracurricular activities can also keep them safe as it gives them less time to hang out at places where traffickers are on the prowl for new victims such as the mall or gas stations.