Fostering Exploitation

Fostering Exploitation is a thesis project that examines the link between foster care and prostitution. It identifies and explains the various factors that contribute to the significant percentage of foster care children who end up as victims of sex trafficking. Specifically, it addresses three main elements that make foster children more vulnerable to being trafficked and recruited into the sex industry: sexual/physical/emotional abuse, negative understanding of self, and running away, which leads to homelessness. In addition, it highlights several suggestions that can help curtail this issue and assist in rehabilitating the children, including the development of adequate housing solutions, drug addiction treatment services, and legislation/policy changes. While part of this thesis is a literature review that includes in-depth research, the largest aspect of this project comes in the form of a video. The video presents interviews from a sex trafficking survivor, care provider, and a police lieutenant. Ultimately, it serves as a resource and informational tool that raises awareness on the modern day form of slavery.