#ChildSavedNotSold
End Child Sex Trafficking
Founded in 2009 by Joseph A. Travers, Saved In America (SIA) is headquartered in San Diego with national reach and alliances. SIA is an all-volunteer organization with current and former Law Enforcement Officers, Special Operators, and Navy SEALs who become licensed and insured private investigators.
At no charge to families, SIA volunteers to assist parents and law enforcement in locating missing, runaway and exploited children – the groups most vulnerable to sexual trafficking. For victims of sexual exploitation, SIA assists in procuring legal representation, safe housing and rehabilitative therapy. SIA also aids high risk juvenile shelters to protect children from further exploitation by pimps and predators and has assisted parents and law enforcement in the recovery of more than 237 children.
Most predators live online.
70% of human sex trafficking victims are sold online. This means that every child with a computer, smartphone or tablet is at risk in connecting with a potential predator online. According to the San Diego Police Foundation:
- 1 in 5 kids have been sexually solicited online.
- 20% of high schoolers have met someone in person they first met on the internet.
- 24% of teens have been involved in some type of sexting.
- 1 in 7 children with a smartphone receive a sext by age 10.
- 1 in 3 sex abuse images are posted by the child; minors share graphic images for likes on social media.
What can you do to protect your children?
To better prepare our communities, and inform and educate our parents, SIA has prepared a list of safety tips and best practices for parents to implement to help defend children from predators online. The following is a guide to safeguard your loved ones from becoming victims.
- Establish trust and open communication with your children – speak honestly and openly.
- Create a safe, happy and inviting environment.
- Set a high standard of love and acceptance within your home.
- Discuss the dangers of sex trafficking and sexual abuse.
- Discuss the dangers of social media and online activity.
- Keep your family computer in a central location which can be monitored.
- Know your children’s passwords, emails, texts, and have access to their computers, tablets, smartphones and social media.
- Check websites for registered offenders in your neighborhood.
- Have a “call list” of emergency contacts readily available.
- Use GPS tracking devices to track your children.
- Know your children’s friends and parents.
- Get your children involved in positive activities; music, sports, community service, church youth groups and positive peer groups.
A few facts you may not know:
- An estimated 40 million people worldwide and 50,000 people in the United States are victims of human trafficking.
- Everyday there is an average of 800,000 missing children in our country. 30% of those missing are being trafficked (approximately 240,000 children) a day.
- An average of 3,000 – 8,000 children are trafficked each year in San Diego County.
- 60% of trafficked children are foster youth.
- The average age of a trafficked child is 15 years old.
- Sex trafficking generates an estimated $810 million a year in San Diego County.
- There is one gang member trafficker/recruiter on every middle and high school campus in San Diego County.
- 60% of all runaways are approached by a trafficker within the first 48 hours from the time they were reported missing.
[box] If you or someone you know is a victim of sex trafficking, please call the Human Trafficking Hotline at: (888) 373-3788 or text befree (233733). You can also call the Saved In America TIP Hotline at: (760) 348-8808 or email info@savedinamerica.org. [/box]
For more information or to support Saved In America, please visit www.savedinamerica.org
