The Issue

Locations of human trafficking situations in the United States in 2020. Source

Sex trafficking is the crime of using force, fraud, or coercion to induce another individual to sell sex. Common types include escort services, prostitution, pornography, illicit massage businesses, brothels, and outdoor solicitation.

Prostitution doesn’t happen in a vacuum, it’s part of a structural societal problem. Decades of physical and emotional abuse, neglect, and chaotic home life create major vulnerabilities that can lead women down dangerous paths. With few resources to overcome their trauma, find safe housing, and make a suitable income, these women are perfect targets to get coerced into sex trafficking, prostitution, and abuse, with no way out. 

Brightstar Community is the ONLY two-year, rent-free, residential home in Monroe County for adult women affected by addiction and sexual exploitation.

 The Facts

  • New York State was 4th in the country for human trafficking, with sex trafficking making up the lion's share of that activity. [2018 Polaris Project]

  • Prostitution arrests in Monroe County increased 176% in recent years [DCJS, Computerized Criminal History system]

  • 87% of women in the sex industry said they wanted to escape, but had no other means for survival. [Melissa Farley, from “prostitution and trafficking in nine countries: an update on violence and post-traumatic stress disorder” www.prostitutionresearch.com]

  • 90% of all participants in Human Trafficking Court during 2018 reported serious unaddressed mental health needs. [Rochester Human Trafficking Intervention Court]

  • In 2017 nearly 300 youth were referred to the Center for Youth program as possible sexual exploitation victims. [Source: Democrat & Chronicle]

  • In New York State, the average age of entry into commercial sexual exploitation is 15 years. [Shared Hope International]

  • As many as 90% of teens who are sexually trafficked were already victims of sexual abuse, according to the National Institute of Justice.

  • A 2016 study by the Center for Court Innovation found that between 8,900 and 10,500 children, ages 13 to 17, are commercially exploited each year in this country. [Source: Democrat & Chronicle]

  • Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood trauma can have a tremendous impact on future violence, victimization, and lifelong health and opportunity.