Human trafficking is defined as any situation of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power. In the case of child sex trafficking, force, fraud, or coercion do not need to be present — the crime is simply the exchange of any sex act with a child for anything of value. For vulnerable children, these “things” can include a place to sleep, or a hot meal, drugs, a ride, etc.

Human trafficking is an underground crime, so it’s tough to measure, and more research is desperately needed. However, the most reputable reports estimate that right now...

We can’t promise you that these numbers are completely accurate. But we do know that the problem is real. We know the problem is big. And behind every estimate is a real person who cannot be dismissed. 

For most of Love146's organizational history, our programs focused on children who’ve been sexually exploited. In 2012 we expanded our mission to also include children exploited in labor trafficking. Today, our Survivor Care in the UK, and some of our prevention work, help children affected by labor trafficking as well.