Healing Action
Trafficking & Exploitation in Missouri
Trafficking and exploitation occur when someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to control another person for sex or labor—or targets minors for sexual exploitation. It can look like a romantic partner who turns controlling and abusive, a boss withholding pay and documents, or online grooming that moves offline. It happens in every region of Missouri and across all communities.
Healing Action
Key Stats / Facts:
Missouri’s ranking & scope (Hotline data, 2024):
Missouri ranked 12th in the U.S. for hotline-identified trafficking cases in 2024, with 272 cases involving 539 victims.
What type of trafficking is reported most:
Of hotline-identified Missouri cases: 77% sex trafficking, 16.9% labor trafficking, 6% both.
Where exploitation occurs (selected venues):
Sex trafficking: residence-based (14.1%), hotel/motel (5.4%), pornography (5.4%).
Labor trafficking: construction (20.9%), hospitality (11.6%), domestic work (9.3%), restaurant/food service (7%).
How control shows up (relationship/context of sex trafficking):
Across regions, reported contexts included third-party control (24%), intimate partner (27%), familial (22%), and survival sex (24%).
Top needs identified across Missouri regions:
Shelter for adults
mental health care
crisis/emergency services
Transportation
Ages of those being trafficked
>1 year old – over 65
How We Can Help
How You Can Help
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