Sexually Exploited Youth Traffick

Assessing the Need of Safe Housing for Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Youth

A sexually exploited youth in Minnesota, is defined as someone who is under 18 years old (Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force [MNHTTF], 2014). The youth would then have to have either engaged, agreed to engage, or have been forced to engage in sexual conduct in exchange for money, food, clothing, or even a place to stay (MNHTTF, 2014). Sexual exploitation can also be extended to the individuals who have engaged in exotic dancing, pornography or have been filmed engaging in sexual acts, traded sex for drugs, or have been found guilty of engaging in prostitution or prostitution related crimes (MNHTTF, 2014).

Under Minnesota law, sex trafficking is defined as the

“receiving, recruiting, enticing, harboring, providing, or obtaining by any means an individual to aid in the prostitution of the individual” or “receiving profit or anything of value, knowing or having reason to know it is derived from [sex trafficking]” (MNHTTF, 2014). Under the United States (U.S.) Federal law, sex trafficking is the:
Recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age. (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.)
Regardless of an individual’s background or where they are from, anyone is at risk for becoming a victim of sex trafficking or sexual exploitation (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children [NCMEC], 2016). Between 2008 and 2010, roughly 83 percent of the sex trafficked victims in the U.S. were citizens (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.). The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children conservatively estimates that 100,000 children are exploited each year for sex trafficking in the U.S. (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.). Nationally, the average age of girls when they were first victimized and trafficked for sex is between 12 and 14 years old (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.).
Despite most victims being girls or women, anyone can be trafficked. Although the exact number of trafficked boys is unknown, there is an increasing number of boys who are being trafficked (Covenant House, 2017). In the U.S., as high as 50 percent of the commercially sexually exploited youth are boys (The Anchor House, n.d.).
More than 50 percent of domestic or sex trafficking victims were classified as runaway youth living on the streets (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.). Those who were not identified as runaways were often recruited through forced abduction, pressure from parents, or through deceptive agreements between parents and traffickers (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.). In 2016, approximately 1 in 6 of the 18,500 runaways that were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely victims of sex trafficking (NCMEC, 2016). Of these individuals, roughly 86 percent were in the care of social services or foster care when they went missing (NCMEC, 2016).
In Minnesota, over one third of homeless youth have reported exchanging sex for food, shelter, or drugs (MNHTTF, 2014). Roughly 75 percent of the youth who engaged in survival sex have reported only doing so while they were homeless (MNHTTF, 2014). Minnesota studies have shown that between 14 and 20 percent of homeless youth who have engaged in survival sex in exchange for food, shelter, or money have been exploited (MNHTTF, 2014).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has identified the Twin Cities as one of the 13 U.S. cities with a high incidence rate of child prostitution (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.). Research has shown that at least 213 girls are sold for sex an average of five times per day through the Internet and escort services each month in Minnesota, excluding hotel, street or gang activity (Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, n.d.). A 2010 study that focused on North Minneapolis interviewed adult women, with about 50 percent of them stating that they first traded sex when they were under 18 years old, with the average age being 13 years old.
In 2011, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Safe Harbor law, which changed the mindset of minors who have experienced sexual exploitation from being viewed as criminals to being viewed and treated as a victim (Minnesota Department of Human Services [MN DHS], 2017). The Safe Harbor law has appropriated funding, which provides an array of services to minors who were victims of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation (MN DHS, 2017). Biannually, Safe Harbor funds are appropriated by the legislature and funds are awarded to providers through a competitive application process (MN DHS, 2017). In total, only seven organizations in Minnesota were awarded funds for the 2016-2017 biennium (MN DHS, 2017).
The Safe Harbor for Sexually Exploited Youth Team determined a set of values and a philosophy of service that informs all aspects of the No Wrong Door Model (Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs [DPS OJP], 2013).

These values include that those who encounter youth should be trained to identify sexual exploitation, treat youth as victims of sexual exploitation rather than criminals, youth have the right to privacy and self-determination, and victims should not feel afraid or trapped (DPS OJP, 2013). Victim-centered services for youth should be based on trauma-informed care, responsive to the needs of individual youth, services should be offered statewide, and based on positive youth development principles (DPS OJP, 2013). The underlying philosophy of the No Wrong Door Model is that sexual exploitation can be prevented (DPS OJP, 2013).

Research has shown that if a youth runs away from home or are experiencing homelessness, they are at an increased risk for sexual exploitation (MNHTTF, 2014). At-risk or homeless youth are particularly vulnerable to predators who are looking to exploit them (MNHTTF, 2014). This is often due to the youth having a lack of shelter, means to provide for their basic needs, and typically having little financial resources (MNHTTF,

2014).
In Minnesota, there is a capacity issue regarding emergency shelters, transitional and permanent supportive housing that are dedicated to youth who are 21 years of age or younger, specifically those who have once been trafficked (MNHTTF, 2014).

In fact, there is a lack of shelters who specifically serve U.S. citizens who have been trafficked (The Advocates for Human Rights, 2009). At one point, there were roughly 2,500 unaccompanied homeless youth under 22 years old who were homeless on any given night in Minnesota (MNHTTF, 2014). However, Minnesota only had a total of 108 emergency shelter beds and 650 units of transitional and permanent supportive housing that were dedicated to youth (MNHTTF, 2014).

Currently, there are six organizations that provide safe housing services for Minnesota’s sexually exploited youth. These organizations include The LINK in Minneapolis, 180 Degrees or Brittany’s Place in Saint Paul, Tubman in Maplewood, Life House in Duluth, Lutheran Social Services in Brainerd, and Heartland Girl’s Ranch in Benson (Minnesota Department of Health [MDH], n.d.). The only services that are offered in Southeast Minnesota are victim-centered services and regional navigators, which are both located in Rochester (MDH,

n.d.).
As far as safe homes designated to solely male victims of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, they are less common. In fact, according to a 2012 Shelter Report by Shared Hope International, there are no long-term recovery safe homes within the U.S. that are solely designated for male victims (The Anchor House, n.d.). However, this changed when The Anchor House opened and became the first shelter to provide refuge and restoration to adolescent boys between the ages of 12 and 18 (The Anchor House, n.d.).
In recent years, there has been more attention placed on sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. However, it is still a sensitive topic that not everybody wants to discuss or recognize as an issue in their geographic area. Regardless of an individual’s role in society, there is a chance that they may be exposed to someone who is at risk or has been sexually exploited or sex trafficked. Due to this, it is important to raise awareness and educate the public about what sexual exploitation and sex trafficking looks like, the risk factors, warning signs, affects, prevention methods, and services for those affected.
It is not only important to raise awareness and educate the public, but it is also important to educate and train professionals in various social service agencies, in law enforcement, hotel and gas station staff, and basically anyone who is in a public or private role that may come across a victim of sexual exploitation or sex trafficking. While educating and raising awareness it is important to recognize that sexual exploitation and sex trafficking is not gender specific, just because something is not being reported does not mean that it is not occurring.
The purpose of this paper is to assess the need of safe housing for sexually exploited and sex trafficked youth in Rochester, Minnesota. In addition to evaluating how current services for this population may be improved and what a shelter designated to youth who have been sexually exploited and sex trafficked would look like and the services that the shelter would offer.