U of M Study: At Least 5,000 Minnesota Youth Have Traded Sex
A new study from the University of Minnesota finds that at least 5,000 Minnesota youth have traded sex for food, money, alcohol, drugs, a place to stay or anything else of value.
The data comes after the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey included the question for the first time.
The state conducts the voluntary survey of ninth and 11th graders in Minnesota every three years.
Eighty-one percent of public school districts took last year’s survey, and about 71,000 ninth and 11th graders were asked if they had traded sex for something of value.
Around 1.4 percent said yes.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing who conducted the analysis concluded more than 5,000 kids statewide have likely traded sex for something of value based on the state’s youth population combined with results from the question.
Still, according to University of Minnesota School of Nursing Associate Professor Lauren Martin, that number is still likely an underestimate.
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota's REACH Drop-in Center in Mankato provides case management for survivors of exploitation and trafficking to youth of all genders aged 12-24, including home visiting, transportation and referrals to partnering agencies.