By Constance Thum, Senior Contributing Writer

The holiday season is a time to get together and celebrate with loved ones. However, sex trafficking does not stop during the festivities and vulnerable communities, including children and young people, may even face an increased risk. Crowded malls, restaurants, hang-out spaces and celebratory events may make adult supervision difficult or encourage adults to become complacent due to the presence of other parents. Sex traffickers and predators may also blend into the crowd and go undetected until it is too late. Strangers with ill intentions may approach children and young people under the guise of earning quick money during the holiday season or lure them with special treats. Another reason that sex trafficking may increase during the holiday season is that welfare facilities and help hotlines may be closed, operate at limited capacity or be especially busy at peak periods. This makes sounding the alarm about suspicious situations difficult.

The risk of sex trafficking and violence also remains in families who celebrate the holidays at home. Family tensions from living and working together in a confined space for an extended period may erupt into conflict and physical, emotional or sexual abuse. Lisa Rowe, director of programming for Selah Freedom, noted that about 92% of sex trafficking victims in the United States were sexually abused as children. Livelihood pressures may also push parents into making unethical decisions such as pimping out children for quick cash. Parents may take advantage of their children’s trust and place them in precarious situations for their self-interest. In a 2020 paper, it was revealed that 44% of trafficked samples included survivors who have been pimped by family members, mainly parents and most often mothers. However, such cases may fly under the radar as children may fear to speak out or think that such behaviour is normal. 

On the bright side, the festivities can be a time for self-renewal, empowerment and hope for victims of trafficking. The holidays may serve as a reminder of the potential for moving forward in life and reasons to stay positive. Volunteers, charities, and foundations may provide utilities, gifts, donations, and food to shelters or centres that house victims of trafficking. Trafficked victims may also bond and connect with survivors on shared experiences that may promote healing and closure. 

If you would like to know more about One Bread Foundation and our mission, please subscribe to our website and share this cause with your friends and family. You may also consider donating to One Bread Foundation if you are interested in playing a crucial part in the rehabilitation of child sex trafficking victims.  

References and further reading

For sex trafficking survivors, this Christmas offers a real life miracle

Parents As Pimps: Survivor Accounts of Trafficking of Children in the United States