Child Trafficking & Exploitation
35,000+ Texas children attend public schools that are within 1,000 feet of a suspected illegal massage business
CHILDREN AT RISK is committed to strengthening laws and policies on human trafficking and improving the response to children who have been commercially sexually exploited.
Center to End the Trafficking & Exploitation of Children (CETEC)
CHILDREN AT RISK’s Center to End the Trafficking & Exploitation of Children aims to improve public policies in order to
- Prevent instances of human trafficking
- Protect victims and support human trafficking survivors
- Increase the prosecution of traffickers and buyers
The Center to End the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children, the only center of its kind in Texas, was established to combat trafficking in Texas. CETEC works to: educate the community through training, presentations, publications, media outreach, and an annual summit; engage in legal research, study trafficking trends, and explore best practices; collaborate with organizations on the front lines to determine community needs; and provide resources for public officials and draft and support positive legislative change.
Featured Resources
Our Latest Human Trafficking Research & Resources
Opinion: Vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth need support
Coming out is a testimony in itself. I told my mother when I was a sophomore in college. Preparing to come out wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. I drafted numerous speeches and spent countless tearful nights racked with anxiety. But, to my surprise, the best speech...
How did Children Fare in the 87th Texas Legislative Session?
Over the last 140 days, Children at Risk monitored thousands of bills, registered support for bills 93 times, provided written testimony 23 times, and provided oral testimony 20 times. Out of our initial legislative priorities, 17 bills ultimately made it to the...
Testimony in Support of HB 1540: Preventing Child Trafficking from RTCs
Children at Risk Senior Staff Attorney and Anti-Trafficking Expert, Jamey Caruthers, testified in support of House Bill 1540 (S. Thompson) in front of the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 15, 2021. In Fiscal Year 2019, 1,973 children and youth...
VIRTUAL ROUNDTABLE: Keeping Children Safe During COVID-19
Child safety experts from Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and the Rio Grande Valley highlight how COVID-19 is impacting their regions, what they are doing to adapt, and what Texas Legislators need to know. While children have largely been spared the worst of the...
“Stop Trafficking Now”
By Caroline Roberts On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, over 200 advocates, legislators and concerned citizens from around the state gathered on the south steps of the Texas Capitol to support human trafficking legislation. Members of the crowd excitedly braved the cold,...
Human Trafficking Near Texas Public Schools
By David McClendon & Jamey Caruthers, CHILDREN AT RISK Across the state of Texas, there are hundreds of illegal massage businesses (IMBs) acting as fronts for human trafficking and sexual exploitation. These illicit businesses are found in nearly all major Texas...
The Sex Trafficking Marketplace: Addressing Demand through Legislation and Tactics (2015)
Thanks to the generous support of the Texas Bar Foundation, CHILDREN AT RISK is pleased to announce the release of its latest publication, The Sex Trafficking Marketplace: Addressing Demand through Legislation and Tactics. In order to better understand the sex...
“Can this city really change?”
“Can this city really change?” This was a question I asked a young woman named “Dee” a little over a year ago. When I first met Dee she was working in a local “gentlemen’s club” and making a living the only way she knew how…by selling herself. After being kicked out...