It a somewhat taboo subject, but statistics indicate that it needs to be discussed: child sex trafficking is a growing problem in the state of Missouri.
Local advocacy group KVC Missouri has decided to answer the call by forming a coalition, and they are reaching out for community help. Known as CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children), the coalition will aim to educate and prevent incidents of child exploitation and sex trafficking in the Bootheel region.
“There are so many organizations and people in the Bootheel community that I would think would like to be involved,” Program Manager Danielle Mohrmann remarked. “This isn’t us asking for donations or a handout. This is a commitment of time and energy. We want to get as many people involved as we can.”
Mohrmann noted churches could play a big role in assisting with the coalition, but hospitals and locations that incorporate the services of counselors and therapists would also be welcome additions.
“This is still very new and we’re building on this layer by layer,” Mohrmann said. “There’s a saying that kids don’t fall through the cracks — they fall through the fingers. And we want to make sure that no more kids fall through.”
According to the Missouri Statewide Council on Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children, 90% of victims of human trafficking in Missouri are from sex trafficking, and 91% of victims are female. And according to information compiled by datapandas.org, Missouri ranks third in the nation for incidents of human trafficking.
“We see a lot of cases in this region where parents are trafficking their children in exchange for drugs or money, or a combination of both,” Mohrmann said, “Unfortunately, that’s more common than you might think.”
KVC Community Outreach and Education Specialist Demi Lee explained that there are many misconceptions regarding the subject of sex trafficking and exploitation of children.
“A lot of people seem to think it’s strangers online that they have to worry about,” Lee noted. “And while that can be a real concern, all too often these children are exploited and abused by family members or close and trusted family friends.”
According to Lee, the many different misconceptions are a prime example of why the coalition is needed.
“We teach kids important lessons, like a safe adult won’t ask you to keep secrets from your parents,” Lee explained. “But adults need to know important information as well, because education is they key to prevention.”
One such popular misconception is that trafficking involves abducting someone and taking them across state lines; however, human trafficking is different from smuggling according to the Missouri Statewide Council on Sex Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children. Many cases of trafficking of children occur within the walls of their own homes.
“What we are hoping can happen through this coalition is enough education to the public so that more people can recognize signs that something is wrong,” Lee noted. “That way, if you see something you can say something.”
Both Lee and Mohrmann noted that when children have been exploited, there are typically changes in behaviors like an increase of delinquent activity that are noticeable.
“These end up being learned behaviors that are often carried into future generations,” Mohrmann remarked. “And we often find ourselves having to teach children to unlearn some things because they have a different understanding of normal.”
Areas of concern — like social media — are definitely things a community should consider, according to Lee and Mohrmann.
“Social media has a way of de-sensitizing children to things that they should really be more sensitive to,” Mohrmann stated. “It can definitely play a role in opening a child up to some unwanted attention.”
Both Lee and Mohrmann explained that they are hopeful the CSEC coalition will get a variety of interested parties to ultimately help change the current statistics. Since 2020 KVC Missouri has seen an 87.6% increase in victim advocacy and an 81.7% increase in forensic interviews.
“This is a problem that will, sadly, not go away,” Mohrmann noted. “But what are we doing if we aren’t helping and trying to change things?”
Organizations and people who might be interested in becoming part of the coalition are encouraged to contact Lee by email at dlee@kvcorg.mail.onmicrosoft.com.