This article from the Thomson Reuters Foundation tells the story of Amy Andrews and other young people in foster care who have been trafficked, or made vulnerable to trafficking. “Traffickers go for our most vulnerable, and kids who are or were in foster care are the most vulnerable children in our society,” said Dorchen Leidholdt, legal center director at Sanctuary for Families.
The article explains that not having a caring adult in whom they can trust is one reason that children in care are particularly vulnerable to traffickers. Additionally, past trauma and experiences of abuse can be risk factors for sexual exploitation. “Kids learn that their body is not their own and that if you tell, nobody believes you, and that you’re damaged," said Lisa Goldblatt Grace, who runs My Life My Choice, an anti-trafficking and exploitation group in Boston.