Education fights trafficking

With all the recent media attention on sex trafficking, your Aug. 21 article was timely. Although the article seemed contradictory at times, it provided valuable insight into possible solutions to this societal atrocity. Most children who become victims of sex trafficking come from abusive homes. Having no safe place to turn for help, these children are easy targets and susceptible to grooming. If we want to stop sex trafficking of children, we need to divert funds to help this vulnerable group of minors.

Only by giving at-risk youth access to current, factual, age-appropriate sex education, and easy access to support services, can we break this cycle. Empowering these young people with the knowledge and ability to take care of their own bodies can help reduce the pool of potential targets and victims. And if the information in the article is correct, if we reduce sex trafficking of minors, we will also reduce the number of adults who choose to earn a living by sex trafficking.

Joanne Smieja

Spokane