A new study of the adolescent sex trade reveals that internet classified ads are a primary hub in the trafficking of young girls. The study, commissioned by the Women’s Funding Network and carried out by the third-party independent research firm The Schapiro Group, looked specifically at trafficking of adolescent girls in Michigan, Minnesota, and New York.
According to the research, the number of girls trafficked through internet ads and escort services increased significantly over the 6 months studied; Minnesota saw an increase of 20%, Michigan increased by 36%, and New York witnessed the greatest increase at 55%.
The study also revealed insight into the scope of the problem of adolescent sex trafficking. The monthly domestic sex trafficking numbers in New York are greater than the number of women killed by breast cancer in the state each month. In Michigan, more young girls are trafficked than the toll of females 25 years old or younger killed in car accidents. Of the states studied, Minnesota saw the most dramatic increase in the percentage of girls trafficked in internet classifieds.
The CEO of the Women’s Funding Network stated that the study "... objectively validates that Internet classifieds, without question, are the leading source for criminals to find girls for sex in these states.”
Compiled from: Six-Month Report: Domestically Sex-Trafficked Minors on the Rise in Key States, WUNRN.com, (21 October 2010).