Texas has the second-highest human-trafficking rate in the U.S. | Stock photo
Texas has the second-highest human-trafficking rate in the U.S. | Stock photo
The Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) said in a recent report authored by policy analyst Nikki Pressley that both state and local communities can make a difference in Texas' fight against human trafficking.
"The connection between children with a history of child welfare involvement and human trafficking is clear," the report states. "According to a Children’s Bureau report, it is estimated that 50-90% of trafficking victims have previous history with child welfare services."
Pressley notes in her report that human trafficking is a $150 billion industry that impacts the lives of nearly 25 million sex-trafficking victims. Texas even declared human trafficking a public health issue during a 2019 legislative session.
TPPF Policy Analyst Nikki Pressley
| TexasPolicy.com
In the report, the TPPF suggests that expanding community-based foster care, encouraging Texas law enforcement to participate in national initiatives and implementing a three-digit phone number to access the National Human Trafficking Hotline could help resist the threat of human trafficking. The report notes that children who have a history of foster care are more vulnerable because they often have a history of being mistreated and the trauma of being removed from their homes can make them more vulnerable to traffickers.
The foundation also recommended that the state supports and aligns with the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act so that minors who are victims will not be falsely labeled as perpetrators, which impacts survivors' rehabilitation. The report also says that because the numbers of human-trafficking victims continue to rise, Texas and the U.S. as a whole must do everything they can to combat trafficking, especially that of children.
"Texas must address how the child welfare system is contributing to the rising numbers in human trafficking victims," Pressley's report stated. "As more children enter foster care, more children are at risk of becoming victims of trafficking due to increased trauma, lack of positive relationships and a general lack of emotional and economic stability."
The report notes that Texas has the second-highest human-trafficking rate in the nation. The TPPF stressed the importance of community recognition and involvement.
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