While the National Human Trafficking Hotline documented over 10,000 child trafficking situations in 2022 alone, this staggering figure represents just a fraction of the estimated 100,000 children exploited in the United States each year.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 10,359 situations involving child trafficking victims in the US, marking a 12% increase from 2021
- An estimated 25% of all human trafficking cases reported to the Hotline involved minors under 18 years old, totaling over 5,000 child victims in 2022
- From 2015 to 2022, Polaris identified 28,570 child sex trafficking situations through the Hotline
- 74% of identified child trafficking victims are female, according to Polaris Project data from 2015-2022
- Among child sex trafficking victims, 50% are under 15 years old, per NCMEC 2022 analysis
- Black or African American children comprise 40% of child trafficking victims reported to Hotline
- 68% of child sex traffickers are male, per DOJ prosecutions FY2022
- 25% of perpetrators are family members or guardians in child cases, Polaris 2022
- Average age of child sex traffickers arrested: 35 years old, FBI data
- Social media used in 63% of child trafficking recruitment cases, NCMEC 2022
- Hotels/motels host 50% of child sex trafficking commercial acts, Polaris 2022
- Online platforms like Backpage facilitated 80% of ads before shutdown, DOJ
- DOJ secured 1,118 trafficking convictions in FY2022, including 395 child cases
- FBI conducted 1,800 child trafficking rescues in Operation Cross Country 2022
- 2,800 T visas granted to child trafficking victims in FY2022, USCIS
Child trafficking in the US is a severe and growing crisis, with over 10,000 cases reported in 2022 alone.
Perpetrator Profiles
- 68% of child sex traffickers are male, per DOJ prosecutions FY2022
- 25% of perpetrators are family members or guardians in child cases, Polaris 2022
- Average age of child sex traffickers arrested: 35 years old, FBI data
- 40% of child traffickers have prior criminal convictions, per BJS 2021
- Gang-affiliated perpetrators handle 30% of child sex trafficking, NCMEC
- 15% of perpetrators are females, often co-conspirators, DOJ 2022
- Pimps average 4-6 child victims per trafficker, Urban Institute study
- 50% of child labor traffickers are US citizens, HHS data
- Online facilitators represent 20% of identified perpetrators, per 2022 CyberTipline
- 35% of perpetrators are intimate partners of victims, Polaris child study
- Black perpetrators: 45% of those prosecuted for child sex trafficking, DOJ FY2022
- 10% of perpetrators use drugs to control child victims, per survivor reports to Hotline
- Hotel/motel owners complicit in 12% of cases, FBI operations
- Repeat offenders: 60% rearrested within 2 years, BJS recidivism study
- 22% of child traffickers are under 25 years old, NCMEC data
- Foreign nationals: 8% of child sex trafficking perpetrators, ICE FY2022
- Acquaintances/friends: 30% of familial trafficking perpetrators
- 75% of pimps recruit via social media or apps, per 2022 reports
- Labor traffickers often employers: 55% in agriculture/restaurants
- 18% of perpetrators have law enforcement ties, per GAO investigation
Perpetrator Profiles Interpretation
The grim portrait of child trafficking in the US is painted by predators who are statistically likely to be a known, repeat-offending man in his mid-thirties, often exploiting trust as a family member or partner while leveraging the very apps and institutions meant to keep us safe.
Prevalence and Incidence
- In 2022, the National Human Trafficking Hotline received reports of 10,359 situations involving child trafficking victims in the US, marking a 12% increase from 2021
- An estimated 25% of all human trafficking cases reported to the Hotline involved minors under 18 years old, totaling over 5,000 child victims in 2022
- From 2015 to 2022, Polaris identified 28,570 child sex trafficking situations through the Hotline
- The FBI's 2022 data showed 1,800 child sex trafficking cases investigated across US districts
- NCMEC assisted in 29,800 cases of suspected child sex trafficking in 2022
- DOJ reported 1,118 human trafficking prosecutions in FY2022, with 35% involving minors
- California reported 1,334 child trafficking cases to the Hotline in 2022, the highest in the US
- Texas saw 1,088 child sex trafficking signals in 2022
- Florida identified 842 minors in trafficking situations in 2022
- In 2021, 27% of Hotline cases involved child labor trafficking, affecting 2,500 minors
- NCMEC's CyberTipline received 32 million reports in 2022, with 19% related to child sex trafficking
- From 2007-2022, Hotline documented 350,000 trafficking cases, 20% involving children
- Urban Institute estimated 14,500-17,500 minors trafficked annually for sex in the US
- GAO reported 8,000-10,000 child sex trafficking arrests yearly pre-2020
- In FY2021, US Attorneys opened 238 child trafficking cases
- 60% of child trafficking victims encountered through Hotline were in sex trafficking scenarios in 2022
- NCMEC identified 21,000 child victims of trafficking via online enticement in 2022
- HHS data shows 12,924 unaccompanied minors referred for trafficking screening in FY2022
- ICE investigated 1,025 child trafficking cases in FY2022
- State Department TIP Report 2023 notes US child trafficking cases rose 15% post-COVID
- 40% of child trafficking reports to Hotline came from victims themselves in 2022
- ECPAT-USA estimates 100,000 children commercially sexually exploited yearly
- In 2020, 5,250 child sex trafficking indicators reported to Hotline
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports noted 400 child trafficking offenses in 2021
- Shared Hope International scored states on child trafficking response, with average victim identification at 1,200 annually
- From 2018-2022, 15,000 child labor trafficking cases via Hotline
- NCMEC's 2021 report: 18,900 child sex abuse images linked to trafficking
- DOJ's 2022 U visa certifications: 2,800 for child trafficking victims
- Urban areas account for 75% of child trafficking reports, per Polaris 2022
- 2022 saw 3,200 combined sex and labor trafficking minors reported
Prevalence and Incidence Interpretation
Behind every cold statistic is a child whose stolen childhood demands we stop calling this a 'problem' and start calling it what it is: a national emergency hiding in plain sight.
Response and Prosecution
- DOJ secured 1,118 trafficking convictions in FY2022, including 395 child cases
- FBI conducted 1,800 child trafficking rescues in Operation Cross Country 2022
- 2,800 T visas granted to child trafficking victims in FY2022, USCIS
- NCMEC's efforts led to 500 child trafficker arrests in 2022
- State prosecutions: 300 child trafficking cases in top 5 states 2022
- HHS funded 150 service providers for 12,000 child victims FY2022
- ICE arrested 1,025 traffickers involving minors in FY2022
- TVPA reauthorizations led to 25% increase in child prosecutions 2018-2022
- 1,200 U visa certifications for child sex trafficking in FY2021
- Local task forces identified 5,000 child victims in 2022, Polaris partners
- 70% conviction rate in federal child trafficking cases FY2022, DOJ
- GAO recommends better screening, identifying 2,000 missed child cases yearly
- 400+ NGOs provided services to 8,000 child survivors in 2022
- State laws: 50 states have child trafficking specific statutes, updated 2022
- BJS: 1,100 child traffickers sentenced to avg 15 years in 2021
- Hotline referrals led to 2,500 law enforcement actions on children 2022
- Foster care trafficking screens: only 1% positive despite 20% prevalence, HHS
- 150 federal indictments for child sex tourism trafficking 2022
- Training: 100,000 professionals trained via Blue Campaign 2022
- 25% increase in child victim services funded post-2020
- ECPAT-USA advocated for 50 bills passed on child protection 2022
- Only 5% of suspected cases lead to prosecution, per Urban Institute
- 3,000 child victims received HHS trafficking certification FY2022
- Shared Hope graded 37 states F for child trafficking laws 2022
- 60% of child victims re-trafficked without intervention, per studies
- Runaways: 1 in 6 at risk, but only 10% screened by LE, NCMEC
- Online enticement prosecutions up 30% to 1,200 in 2022
Response and Prosecution Interpretation
These figures collectively paint a grim portrait of a nation slowly and painfully learning to rescue its children from the shadows, while still struggling to see them clearly in the light of day.
Risk Factors and Prevention
- Economic cost of child trafficking: $9.5 billion annually in US, per study
- 1 in 6 runaways become victims within 48 hours, NCMEC prevention stat
- Foster youth 4x more likely trafficked due to instability, HHS
- Poverty households: 80% of child victims from low SES, Polaris
- Social media usage correlates with 50% higher risk for minors
- Prior sexual abuse increases risk 3x, per survivor data
- LGBTQ youth face 2.5x trafficking risk due to rejection
- 40 states lack mandatory school trafficking education, Shared Hope
- Unaccompanied minors at border: 20% trafficking risk unscreened, GAO
- Domestic violence homes: 2x risk for child trafficking
- Mental health issues in 60% of at-risk youth, HHS data
- Rural areas: 25% underreported due to lack of services, Polaris
- Substance abuse in family: 45% of victim backgrounds
- Prevention programs reduced risk 40% in pilot schools, ECPAT
- 1 in 7 children online daily risk enticement, NCMEC
- Gang recruitment targets 15% of at-risk urban youth, FBI
- Inadequate housing: correlates with 35% higher vulnerability
- 70% of victims had no trafficking prevention education
- Refugee children: 15% higher risk without family ties, HHS
- Early intervention hotlines prevent 20% of escalations, Polaris
Risk Factors and Prevention Interpretation
This alarming data paints a portrait not of a shadowy, foreign crime, but of a domestic industry that systematically preys on our most vulnerable children by exploiting the very systems meant to protect them, and it's costing us nearly $10 billion a year in both human and economic currency.
Trafficking Methods
- Social media used in 63% of child trafficking recruitment cases, NCMEC 2022
- Hotels/motels host 50% of child sex trafficking commercial acts, Polaris 2022
- Online platforms like Backpage facilitated 80% of ads before shutdown, DOJ
- Familial trafficking involves 40% of child cases via coercion at home
- 35% of child labor trafficking occurs in agriculture, HHS FY2022
- Grooming via gifts/romance in 70% of romantic partner trafficking
- Trucking industry corridors see 25% of interstate child trafficking, FBI
- 45% of cases involve force, fraud, or coercion beyond sex acts, Polaris
- Massage parlors: 15% of child sex trafficking venues, Urban Institute
- Runaways lured via 55% social media enticement, NCMEC
- Domestic servitude: 20% of child labor trafficking methods
- 30% of trafficking involves crossing state lines with minors, ICE data
- Pornography production: 10% of child sex trafficking exploitation
- Bars/nightclubs: 12% of recruitment sites for minors, DOJ
- Debt bondage used in 25% of child labor cases, HHS
- Illicit massage businesses exploit 18% of child victims, Polaris
- Street-based recruitment: 40% in urban child sex trafficking
- Online gaming platforms used in 8% of enticements, NCMEC 2022
- Restaurants/fast food: 30% of child labor trafficking sites
- 65% of methods involve psychological manipulation, per survivor data
Trafficking Methods Interpretation
It's a grim tapestry where a child's own home, phone, and the roadside motel can be twisted into tools of betrayal, proving that the most common monsters don't hide in shadows but in plain sight.
Victim Demographics
- 74% of identified child trafficking victims are female, according to Polaris Project data from 2015-2022
- Among child sex trafficking victims, 50% are under 15 years old, per NCMEC 2022 analysis
- Black or African American children comprise 40% of child trafficking victims reported to Hotline
- 85% of child sex trafficking victims in the US are US citizens, per DOJ 2021 report
- LGBTQ+ youth represent 30% of child sex trafficking survivors served by Polaris partners
- 25% of child trafficking victims have disabilities, according to HHS ORR data FY2022
- Runaway youth make up 33% of child sex trafficking victims, per NCMEC
- 90% of child sex trafficking victims knew their trafficker prior to exploitation
- Hispanic/Latino children account for 22% of Hotline child victims in 2022
- Foster care youth comprise 20% of identified child trafficking victims, per HHS 2022
- 60% of child labor trafficking victims are boys, contrasting sex trafficking
- Native American/Alaska Native children are 2.5 times more likely to be trafficked, per Urban Institute
- 15-17 year olds represent 45% of child sex trafficking cases
- White children make up 28% of reported child trafficking victims
- 70% of child victims experienced familial trafficking, per 2018 Polaris study
- Asian/Pacific Islander youth: 5% of victims but higher online enticement rates
- Homeless youth are 39 times more likely to be trafficked, per NCMEC
- 12-14 year olds: 35% of child sex trafficking victims identified in 2022
- Multi-racial children: 10% of Hotline child victims 2022
- 55% of child victims report prior abuse history, per Shared Hope
- Girls under 18: 80% of sex trafficking victims, boys 20%, DOJ data
- Immigrant children without docs: 15% of labor trafficking minors
- 65% of LGBTQ child victims trafficked by romantic partners
- Children from low-income families: 75% of identified victims, Urban Institute
- 45% of child victims are recruited via social media, per NCMEC 2022
Victim Demographics Interpretation
This grim constellation of data reveals child trafficking in America is not some shadowy, distant crime but a homegrown predator, one that feasts most on the marginalized—young girls, children of color, LGBTQ+ youth, and those failed by fractured systems—often lured by faces they already trust, exploited on platforms we all use, and hidden in plain sight where we’ve chosen not to look.
Sources & References
- Reference 1POLARISPROJECTpolarisproject.orgVisit source
- Reference 2HUMANTRAFFICKINGHOTLINEhumantraffickinghotline.orgVisit source
- Reference 3FBIfbi.govVisit source
- Reference 4MISSINGKIDSmissingkids.orgVisit source
- Reference 5JUSTICEjustice.govVisit source
- Reference 6URBANurban.orgVisit source
- Reference 7GAOgao.govVisit source
- Reference 8ACFacf.hhs.govVisit source
- Reference 9ICEice.govVisit source
- Reference 10STATEstate.govVisit source
- Reference 11ECPATUSAecpatusa.orgVisit source
- Reference 12UCRucr.fbi.govVisit source
- Reference 13SHAREDHOPEsharedhope.orgVisit source
- Reference 14ANNUALREPORTannualreport.missingkids.orgVisit source
- Reference 15USCISuscis.govVisit source
- Reference 16BJSbjs.ojp.govVisit source
- Reference 17OJPojp.govVisit source
- Reference 18DOJdoj.state.or.usVisit source
- Reference 19DHSdhs.govVisit source
- Reference 20ILOilo.orgVisit source