There are people who buy and sell other people all over the world today. Among the most severe forms of human trafficking is child sex trafficking. And Washington, DC is one of the “hot spots” for this crime.

The extent, causes, approaches to prevention, and recovery of victims were among the many compelling topics addressed by four anti-sex trafficking activists who participated in a panel discussion at George Washington University on October 18. The event was  sponsored by the Global Women’s Forum, part of the Global Gender Initiative of the Elliott School of International Affairs.

Powell launched the discussion by pointing out that when she was first studying “people buying people” in Bonn, Germany, the term “human trafficking” didn’t even exist. When she returned to the US, she thought that the problem wouldn’t be serious. She learned otherwise, and that young people with difficult home situations are at high risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking. With FAIR Fund, she has helped build capacity in communities to identify victims and to make sure that family services are aware of the complex needs of trafficked children. She works with young people directly and has established a preventive education campaign called “Tell Your Friends.” Powell emphasized the gap between the number of children who need help and the lack of places to shelter them.  Services in Belgrade are better than they are in Washington, DC.

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