Children are being sexually exploited every day, in every country, both in person and online.
On any given day, an estimated 1.7 million children are living in situations of commercial sexual exploitation (sex trafficking), millions more are being sexually exploited and abused—and countless more cases go unreported.
At Ally, we believe childhood is priceless, and we’ll rally everyone and everything needed to protect it. We refuse to let sexual exploitation and trafficking continue stealing childhoods.
All sex trafficking is exploitation.
Not all sexual exploitation is trafficking.
You may sometimes hear the terms sex trafficking and sexual exploitation used interchangeably, but they’re not the same thing.
In its most broad definition, sexual exploitation involves coercing or manipulating someone into sexual activities in exchange for something—like money, gifts or even just attention.
Sexual exploitation is an umbrella term that includes a range of other experiences (like those listed below) that don’t always meet the legal definition of trafficking but still involve coercion, manipulation or vulnerability.
Examples of sexual exploitation can be:
→ Online luring
→ Sextortion (digital blackmail)
→ Survival sex
→ Sugar dating with an older adult
→ Sex trafficking
Child Sexual Exploitation
Child sex trafficking is the sexual exploitation of minors for commercial gain—also sometimes called commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC).
For adults, sex trafficking requires evidence of force, fraud, or coercion to prove the exploitation was non-consensual.
For minors, any exploitation for commercial gain is considered trafficking regardless of whether force, fraud or coercion is present, due to their age and legal inability to consent.
One of the most common misconceptions is that human trafficking and human smuggling go hand in hand. While they can, borders do not need to be crossed for it to be considered human trafficking.
Child Sex Trafficking
This is where luring and grooming happen. Perpetrators often pose as friends or romantic partners, using luring tactics to establish trust. From there, they move into grooming, building a relationship by testing boundaries, love-bombing and making the youth feel special. The goal is to desensitize them to their exploitative intentions.
In some parts of the world, perpetrators tend to target children from rural communities by promising them education or work opportunities in the city.
Recruitment
Sexual exploitation can affect children of any age, ability, ethnicity, gender, family background or geographic location. While it can happen to anyone, certain groups face higher risks—including Indigenous women and girls, LGBTQ+ youth, youth in foster care, youth experiencing homelessness and youth with disabilities.
Exploitation often happens when a young person’s core needs (like safety, belonging or shelter) are exploited by someone with harmful intent. It’s not that some people are less intelligent or more vulnerable—we all have needs, and perpetrators exploit them to gain control.
At Risk
At this point, manipulation takes full hold. Perpetrators use psychological tactics—like guilt, obligation or threats—to control the youth. Manipulation can sound like, “You owe me for everything I’ve done for you,” or ”If you don’t do this, I’ll hurt your family.” This stage is where the perpetrator exerts full control and benefits from the exploitation.
Exploitation
Once trust is established, the perpetrator isolates the youth, cutting them off from their support systems. This isn’t always physical isolation so travel/transportation is not always taking place. This isolation, whether physical or emotional, makes the young person increasingly dependent on the perpetrator, who may discourage contact with family and friends, making the youth believe no one else understands them.
Isolation
Exiting is one of the hardest parts of this cycle. Many individuals face barriers like fear of harm, mistrust of authorities and trauma bonds that keep them connected to their exploiter. Some also fear criminalization, seeing escape as more dangerous than staying.
Upon exiting, individuals are left more vulnerable to being re-exploited or re-trafficked, which is why support and services for survivors are so crucial.
Exiting
Recruitment
At Risk
Isolation
Exploitation
Exiting
Understanding this issue of sexual exploitation as a cycle can help us recognize key points where we can intervene and support children and youth at risk.
It’s important to note that sexual exploitation and sex trafficking are complex issues, and no one chart or scenario can accurately depict the variety of ways the crime takes place in different communities and contexts.
Your help is needed now—because every moment that passes is a moment a child can't afford to lose.
