“Suffer the Little Children”
Most of us have only recently become aware of the prevalence of child trafficking. Often, children who are trafficked are already at risk; they are runaways, foster children or abused children. They are often overlooked by child welfare systems, as this field is characterized by high staff turnover, which can lead to low staff morale and excessive workloads for those who remain on the job. The dysfunction within the system has traumatized and harmed children within the agency intended to care for them, leaving opportunities for those who exploit and traffic children for money, labor and sexual prostitution.
This story takes place in Arizona, USA.
Based on data gathered by the U.S. State Department, Arizona is a prime transit and destination area for both sex and labor trafficking in the United States. The Department of Justice has identified Phoenix as one of the top human trafficking jurisdictions in the country.
This story is a work of fiction based upon child exploitation.
