How can you tell if a child is caught in sexual slavery?

Linda Smith, who served as a Republican congresswoman from the state of Washington from 1995 to 1999 and is founder and president of Shared Hope International, offered tips on identifying sex-trafficking rings or children caught in sexual slavery in their communities:

• If a foster child talks about having an older boyfriend or having been involved in any type of commercial sex, the child is a victim.
• A child talking about going to a strip club may be in sexual slavery.
• If a child comes to a hospital with an older man, and it doesn’t seem right, and the child has been beaten up, there is a good chance the child has been trafficked.
• A child talking to a school counselor about having sex with an older man or boyfriend may be caught in the slave trade.
• If a child has tattoos of a man’s name or if the child uses words used in the sex-trafficking industry, the child likely is trapped in the sex-trafficking industry.

Reprinted from Baptist Press (www.baptistpress.com). news service of the Southern Baptist Convention