Resources to equip you for success.
Now that human trafficking is a hot issue, many new organizations are forming, and I cannot list them all. I have chosen to list in alphabetical order the nationally recognized NGOs and government agencies whose majority of work is to eradicate child sex trafficking in the United States.
Abolition International provides after-care homes and working groups around the world with resources that ensure quality care for survivors of human trafficking.
This organization builds homes around the world for children rescued from sex trafficking.
Demand Abolition is committed to eradicating the illegal commercial sex industry in the United States—and, by extension, the world—by combating the demand for purchased sex.
This is the leading policy organization fighting Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) by raising awareness of the issue; advocating for the victims; developing policy for private companies, law enforcement, and government bodies to fight the problem; and passing legislation that protects victims, and penalizes traffickers and exploiters.
Exodus Cry is built on a foundation of prayer and committed to abolishing sex slavery through Christ-centered prevention, intervention, and holistic restoration of trafficking victims.
FAIR Girls prevents the exploitation of girls worldwide with empowerment and education.
Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) is the only organization in New York state specifically designed to serve girls and young women who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.
This organization’s mission is to mobilize, train, and assimilate passionate people into all spheres of the anti-trafficking fight, and to identify, share, and celebrate viable resources that meet the specific needs of exploited youth.
The FBI, the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children address the domestic sex trafficking of children in the United States. The organizations developed sixty-six dedicated task forces and working groups throughout the United States, combining efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and US Attorneys offices.
The mission of this organization is to educate citizens about the grave issue of global and local human trafficking. It is dedicated to protecting children from all forms of abuse, and is working to end child exploitation and child trafficking everywhere.
This organization connects people and strategies to advance the cause of justice through social enterprise, advocacy, networking, and consulting.
The mission of this US- and UK-based organization is to end child trafficking and exploitation through survivor care, prevention education, and training.
Mission 21 is an anti-trafficking service provider committed to the complete restoration of child victims of sex trafficking.
For thirty years, NCMEC has been at the forefront of the fight to keep children safe from abduction and sexual exploitation. The organization provides the resources needed to help protect children, bring perpetrators to justice, and prevent these devastating crimes committed against children.
Operation Predator is an international initiative to identify, investigate, and arrest child predators who possess, trade, and produce child pornography, travel overseas for sex with minors, and engage in the sex trafficking of children.
By successfully pushing for stronger federal and state laws, operating the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline (888–373–7888), conducting training, and providing vital services to victims of trafficking, Polaris Project creates long-term solutions that move our society closer to a world without slavery.
The Salvation Army developed the PROMISE model (Partnership to Rescue our Minors from Sexual Exploitation) to combat the sexual trafficking of children. This model includes the formation of a task force that engages in initiatives to address the four main provisions of PROMISE: awareness, prevention, intervention, and service delivery.
Refuge City exists to fund and provide homes of refuge to domestic victims of sexual exploitation and/or sexual human trafficking, serving both children and women.
The SAGE Project (Standing Against Global Exploitation) is a primary resource for information about commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking for sex and labor of both adults and children. SAGE has one of the longest-standing “john school” programs in the country.
Shared Hope International strives to prevent conditions that foster sex trafficking, to restore victims of sex slavery, and bring justice to vulnerable women and children.
This is a national leader in researching, assessing, and piloting healing methods. The organization’s residential program incorporates these healing methods into the girls’ care.
This group’s mission is to stop the buying and selling of America’s children younger than eighteen with a three-pronged, parallel strategy: prevention, rescue, and restoration.
This group’s mission is to rescue, restore, and rehabilitate child victims of sex slavery through the implementation of restoration homes, rescue, and prevention programs.
World Relief has partnered with local law enforcement to rescue and provide comprehensive services to survivors of human trafficking in the United States. World Relief trains thousands of community members how to identify victims of trafficking every year.
“And Boys Too,” ECPAT-USA, https://static.mopro.com/00028B1B-B0DB-4FCD-A991-219527535DAB/1b1293ef-1524-4f2c-b148-91db11379d11.pdf.
“Child Sex Trafficking at a Glance,” Polaris Project, www.ocwtp.net/PDFs/DL/HT/Child_Sex_Trafficking_At_A_Glance.pdf.
“National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America’s Prostituted Children,” Shared Hope International, 2009, www.sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SHI_National_Report_on_DMST_2009.pdf.
“National Strategy for Child Exploitation, Prevention, and Interdiction: A Report to Congress,” US Department of Justice, 2010, www.justice.gov/psc/docs/natstrategyreport.pdf.
“Tools for Service Providers and Law Enforcement,” Polaris Project, http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/tools-for-service-providers-and-law-enforcement.
“Trafficking in Persons Report,” US Department of State, www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/.
Because this book is about the commercial sexual exploitation of children, the terms “victim” and “girl” or “boy” are used in lieu of “prostitute,” as the typical definition would state.
I believe that all adults and children who have been psychologically and/or physically lured or forced into prostitution are victims. Although this is a highly debated point of view among trafficking advocates, I also believe that some people who are initially victimized might, at some point, become perpetrators themselves.
Here are some of the most common definitions used in sex trafficking:
Automatic: Refers to a “robotic” state of being induced by severe manipulation, whereby the victim continues to perform sexual favors without being monitored.
Bitch: A term used by pimps, prostitutes/victims, and customers to address or refer to a victim.
Bottom, bottom bitch, or bottom girl: The role of a bottom is considered to be a position of power and status over the other girls under the pimp’s control. She may be required to handle finances, train and recruit other girls, work the track in her pimp’s stead, run interference for and collect money from the girls under the pimp’s control, and look after the pimp’s affairs if he is out of town, incarcerated, or otherwise unavailable.
Branding: Pimps often tattoo or brand their names or a symbol ($ or barcode) on the victim’s neck, pubic area, chest, or inner thigh to indicate that she is his property. Branding is also commonly done with a shaped, heated coat hanger pressed into the skin to leave a permanent mark.
Breaking: The first time a girl gives all of the money she has earned for the day to a pimp.
Break in or season: When a pimp rapes, beats, manipulates, and intimidates a new recruit or captive to break down.
Bruises: Victims are commonly forced to use makeup to cover bruising on their bodies.
Catcher: Usually a younger “wannabe pimp” paid by a pimp to watch his girls to ensure they are following the pimp’s orders.
Caught a case: A term used to indicate that either a pimp or a victim has been arrested and charged with a crime.
Choosing up: When a victim makes direct eye contact with a pimp who does not “own” her, or when another pimp convinces a victim to work for him. The victim has to give her new pimp all of the money she made that evening. Typically, the new pimp will be required to pay the old pimp a negotiated fee for taking his worker.
Commercial sexual exploitation of a child (CSEC): Any situation in which a child is induced to perform sexual acts by a third party who profits. CSEC is the recognized acronym used by law enforcement and governmental agencies.
Couch surfing: Homeless youths’ temporary utilization of the home of a friend, family member, or acquaintance for a place to sleep. A common situation for minors who are commercially sexually exploited.
Curb crawling: Driving slowly down the street with the intent to pick up a prostitute.
Daddy: The term victims are often required, or choose, to call their pimp.
Date or trick: A term used to refer to a john or the activity of prostitution—for example, “with a date,” “with a trick,” “dating,” “tricking.”
Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST): A term used when a child younger than eighteen and born in the United States is a victim of trafficking within this country. This term was coined by Shared Hope International.
Exit fee: Money a pimp will demand from a victim who is thinking about trying to leave. It will be an exorbitant sum, to discourage her from leaving. Most pimps never let their victims leave freely.
Family or folk: A group of people under the control of one pimp who plays the role of “father.”
Finesse pimp: A pimp who uses psychological manipulation as a primary means of control.
Follow your money: A phrase pimps use to warn victims to take care of the money they are given. Losing money by any means, such as being robbed by a trick, will result in being turned back out to work twenty-four hours a day until the money is replaced and the daily quota also is met.
Fronts or walking-around money: Money a pimp will give his victims to use for cab fare, drinks, and condoms.
Game or The Life: The sex industry in general.
Gorilla pimp: A pimp who uses violence as a primary means of control.
Ho: Short for “whore.”
Holine: A loose intercity or interstate network of telephone communication among pimps that is used to trade, buy, and sell women and children. Pimps often use changing slang and code words to confound law enforcement along the “circuit.”
Hustler: A male victim, especially for homosexual clients.
In-call: An arrangement to have the john come to a house or apartment for the purpose of purchasing and having sex on-site.
Izz or Izzn: Letters added to words of communication between pimps for the purpose of making law enforcement surveillance difficult and evidence problematic in court cases. When presenting evidence using this slang, prosecutors could be required to provide expert witnesses to translate for the court.
John: One who purchases commercial sex acts, including pornography.
Kiddie stroll or runway: An area of the “track” featuring kids younger than sixteen.
Lay some drag: The words and actions a victim is taught to use when interacting with people not involved in prostitution.
Lick hitter: A severely addicted person who prostitutes just enough to get a dose of drugs or alcohol. When that wears off, the person is back on the “track” until he or she can afford another dose.
Lot lizard: A derogatory term for a prostitute/victim at truck stops. Truck-stop traffickers advertise girls via CB radio or by having girls solicit customers by going truck to truck. Johns signal that they want to purchase sex by using their headlights or a sticker on their windows.
Madam: An older woman who manages a brothel. She may have been a victim in her earlier years but, over time, has become a pimp/career criminal in her own right.
Out of pocket: When a victim speaks, looks at, or makes gestures to another pimp, suggesting she wants to work for him now.
Outcall: An arrangement to have a victim go to or meet a john at a location to provide sexual services.
Outlaw or renegade: Someone who is involved in prostitution without a pimp.
Peel a trick: When a girl or boy steals money, checkbooks, or credit cards from a john. The items may be used by members of a prostitution ring or sold for identity theft.
Pimp: A person who persuades or forces another to engage in prostitution. Typically, a pimp collects all of the money paid by the johns.
Pimp circle: The process of multiple pimps swarming and surrounding one woman or girl and hissing insults at her, for the purpose of humiliation and intimidation.
Pimp hard: A pimp’s practice of raising quotas, reducing rest times, and/or requiring a victim to accept dangerous tricks he or she would ordinarily avoid.
Pimp party: When several pimps come together to rape, beat, and drug someone who is resisting being prostituted or who was “out of line” by trying to escape or talking to the police.
Pimp stick: A steel whip made out of coat-hanger wire that may be heated on a stove to brand, burn, or cut the victim.
Player: Another term for “pimp.”
Pornography or porn: Sexual activity depicted in words, pictures, or films.
Quota: Most victims are expected to earn a daily quota, generally ranging from $500 to $1,000, that she gives to the pimp. In some cases, pimps demand that a girl service a certain number of men each night as her daily quota.
Rabbit: A victim who goes from one pimp to another too frequently.
Reckless eyeballing: When a girl is engaged in eye contact too long with another pimp or male counterpart and appears interested in his appearance, car, clothes, girls, etc.
Roll a trick: When a victim, pimp, or his associates rob a trick with force. Usually involves weak or intoxicated tricks.
Rufi: A slang term for a powerful sedative drug that is illegal in the United States, commonly known as the “date rape” drug because its ability to cause semiconsciousness and memory blackouts is associated with unwanted sexual encounters.
Senior citizen: A victim older than twenty-four or a pimp in his thirties.
Sex trafficking: The recruitment and/or movement of someone within or across borders, through the abuse of power or position with the intention of sexual exploitation, commercial or otherwise.
Shoes: A victim’s shoes are often confiscated to prevent her from running away.
Sister wife, sister-in-law, or wife-in-law: Each individual in a group of women or girls who is with the same pimp.
Sponge: Instead of being allowed to use tampons, victims often are required to cut up pieces of kitchen sponges and insert them in their vaginas to absorb menstrual blood without the johns noticing, as they would with a tampon.
Square: Someone who tries to go straight and get out of the life; law enforcement and others who are not in the lifestyle.
Stable: A group of people under the control of a single pimp.
Staying in pocket: The practice of forbidding a victim from observing street or establishment names or general surroundings during “dates” in an effort to keep them isolated.
Stroll or track: A common area or cross streets where street prostitution is known to occur on a nightly basis.
Tracker: A person who tracks and returns an escaped victim to a pimp for a fee.
Trade up, trade down, buy and sell: These terms refer to a pimp’s disposal of victims who are considered difficult or no longer match the profile sought by the clientele the pimp normally serves. The buy/sell price is usually low—$2,500 to $3,500—while the trade value is typically straight across—person for person or one person for two people. The victims are guarded and can be moved long distances rapidly by ground transportation or overnight air.
Trick: A term used to refer to a john or the activity of prostitution.
Turn out: The first sexual act performed by a victim for which money is exchanged.