Protect San Diego Kids

San Diego is one of the country’s hotspots for trafficking – the FBI has ranked San Diego as one of the 13 worst regions in the United States with up to 8,000 victims per year. Sex trafficking isn’t always obvious. We commonly identify girls and women as victims of trafficking; however, boys are regularly targeted. Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are particularly vulnerable. An astonishing number of hidden victims are boys and youth who identify as LGBTQ+.

The reality is that:
  • As high as 50% of trafficked children in the US are boys.
  • The average age of entry into sexual trafficking for boys is between 11-13 years old.
  • Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ are 7.4x more likely to experience acts of sexual violence than their heterosexual and cisgender peers.

If you are a male victim or survivor, you and your story are valid. You matter, and we believe you.

Most trafficking victims are not kidnapped during broad daylight and locked away. Instead, human trafficking is a crime that is perpetuated against some of the most vulnerable members of our society through deception, psychological coercion and force.

If someone under the age of 18 is trafficked, this is child abuse. If you or someone you know needs help, caring and trained hotline staff are available 24 hours a day at 858-560-2191 or 800-344-6000. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (sandiegocounty.gov)

Learn more about San Diego’s response to Human Trafficking here. Human Trafficking - San Diego County District Attorney (sdcda.org)

You can help prevent human trafficking. Abolitionist Mom: Human Trafficking Prevention Toolkit


Resources

https://1in6.org/

https://menhealing.org/

https://humantraffickinghotline.org/resources/and-boys-too

 

Local and State Resources

https://sdyouthservices.org/services/child-sex-trafficking-awareness-and-recovery/

https://californiaagainstslavery.org/

 

National Resources

https://sharedhope.org/

https://polarisproject.org/

https://www.missingkids.org/HOME

https://humantraffickinghotline.org/

https://malesurvivor.org