III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. CON. RES. 29 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that children trafficked in the United 

States be treated as victims of crime, and not as perpetrators. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 21, 2013 

Mr. HATCH (for himself, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. 

WYDEN, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. ENZI, and Mr. CRAPO), 

submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Congress that children trafficked 

in the United States be treated as victims of crime, 

and not as perpetrators. 

Whereas, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of American 

children are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation; 

Whereas this risk is even greater for the up to 30,000 young 

people who are emancipated from foster care each year; 

Whereas many of these children are girls previously or currently living in foster care or otherwise involved in the 

child welfare system; 

Whereas flaws in the child welfare system in the United 

States, such as an over-reliance on group homes and barVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:42 Nov 21, 2013 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SC29.IS SC29

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•SCON 29 IS 

riers to youth engaging in age-appropriate activities, contribute to children’s vulnerability to domestic sex trafficking; 

Whereas the average age of entry into sex trafficking for girls 

is between just 12 and 14 years old; 

Whereas many child sex trafficking victims have experienced 

previous physical and/or sexual abuse—vulnerabilities 

that traffickers exploit to lure them into a life of sexual 

slavery that exposes them to long-term abuse; 

Whereas many child sex trafficking victims are the ‘‘lost 

girls’’, standing around bus stops, in the runaway and 

homeless youth shelters, advertised online—hidden in 

plain view; and 

Whereas many child sex trafficking victims who have not yet 

attained the age of consent are arrested and detained for 

juvenile prostitution or status offenses directly related to 

their exploitation: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

2 concurring), That the Congress— 

3 (1) finds that law enforcement, judges, child 

4 welfare agencies, and the public should treat chil5 dren being trafficked for sex as victims of child 

6 abuse; 

7 (2) finds that every effort should be made to 

8 arrest and hold accountable both traffickers and 

9 buyers of children for sex, in accordance with Fed10 eral laws to protect victims of trafficking and State 

11 child protection laws against abuse, in order to take 


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•SCON 29 IS 

1 all necessary measures to protect our Nation’s chil2 dren from harm; 

3 (3) supports survivors of domestic sex traf4 ficking, including their efforts to raise awareness of 

5 this tragedy and the services they need to heal from 

6 the complex trauma of sexual violence and exploi7 tation; 

8 (4) recognizes that most girls who are bought 

9 and sold for sex in the United States have been in10 volved in the child welfare system, which has a re11 sponsibility to protect them and requires reform to 

12 better prevent domestic child sex trafficking and aid 

13 the victims of this tragedy; 

14 (5) believes that the child welfare system should 

15 identify, assess, and provide supportive services to 

16 children in its care who are victims of sex traf17 ficking, or at risk of becoming such victims; and 

18 (6) supports an end to demand for girls by de19 claring that our Nation’s daughters are not for sale 

20 and that any person who purchases a child for sex 

21 should be appropriately held accountable with the 

22 full force of law. 

Æ 


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