Safety Data & Trends

This happens more than we think.

Child Sexual Abuse in the US

• 1 in 5 Girls and 1 in 20 boys experience childhood sexual abuse.DT1

• 90% of children know their abusersDT2

• Reports of online enticement and sextortion have risen 156% since 2024 to 1.4 million reports.DT3

Online Enticement in the US

• 59% of children involved in online enticement cases are 15 years old or youngerDT7

• Help is Often Delayed

  1. 1. 1. • Based on research, it typically requires a child to report the abuse to 9 different adults before they are believed.DT5 

Exploitation often begins in everyday spaces.

At home & online: 

• Phones

• Gaming platforms

• Messaging apps

• Social media

• Livestreams

• Everyday community spaces

This is not random—it’s strategic.

Online exploitation often begins with grooming, not threats

• Many offenders build trust through attention, gifts, compliments, gaming, emotional support, or secrecy before abuse escalates.

• Children may not recognize danger because it can feel like friendship at first.

The Grooming Process:

• Trust-building

• Gifts or attention

• Emotional connection

• Isolation

• Secrecy

• Threats later

This is about needs, not behavior.

Children are still developing judgment and impulse control.

• Brain development continues into the mid-20s, particularly in areas related to judgment, impulse control, and decision-making.DT4

• Natural curiosity can lead children to explore situations they may not fully understand. 

• When situations occur, they do not tell their parents for fear of losing devices or getting in trouble.

Children have a desire for connection and belonging.

• Grooming has been described by experts as a form of ‘psychological quicksand,’ where children rapidly become trapped in manipulationDT5 

• Adults around the child are typically groomed as well to create a protective barrier so if the child reports abuse, those closest won’t believe him/her.  

  • • This leads to an average response rate of the child telling 9 adults before they are believed.DT5

Parents need to be aware and teach their children. 

In the technology leading state of Virginia: 

• 82% of Public school divisions do not provide any training on Human TraffickingDT6

• Of the 18% who do provide training, 14% train Staff, 11% train Teachers, 9% train Students, and 3% train ParentsDT6

Traffickers may repeatedly exploit victims for profit, unlike drugs which are sold once.   

• Drugs can only be sold once.  

• Anti-trafficking organizations report that child victims may be sold repeatedly in a single day; some awareness materials cite averaging 8–10 times per day. 

What adults do makes a difference.

Early, ongoing conversations are protective.

• Children with trusted adults disclose sooner

• Early intervention can stop escalation

• Ongoing conversations are protective

Males often internalize and react quickly when abused.DT5  

• 14x Suicide rate

• 38x Drug Overdose rate

• 50% More likely to be incarcerated as a juvenile

There are prime ages for abuse.

• Although cases of abuse have happened with every age, awareness campaigns and anti-trafficking training materials often cite ages 11–14 as a common range of first exploitation

Emotional connection happens quickly for children.DT8

• Out of 260 survivors:DT1 

  • • 28% reported trusting their enticer within 4 months 

    • 42% reported trusting their enticer within 1 month of introduction

• The enticer makes it appear fun at first, then it changes to the victim owing the perpetrator for the gifts/lifestyle

It is important to Get Help after Trauma.

• Untreated trauma can lead to long-term emotional, behavioral, and relationship difficulties. Early support is important