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The First City on the Mississippi, home of Paul and Babe, Bemijigamaag (lake with crossing waters) 鈥� these are our preferred names for our town, but we are also known for our missing people and violent crimes.

In our communities, many of us have experienced the fear or loss of a friend or a family member who has been reported missing. In most cases, these individuals are thought to be on the run. This has its own stigma. Often, a runaway is treated like an inconvenience and less like a missing person.

they found that being homeless for more than three days was the single biggest factor in teens being sexually exploited. With the title 鈥渞unaway鈥� many of these young people will be seen as 鈥減roblem children鈥� with no ability to seek out services or help. When you factor in that our region has the highest rate of self-identified sexually exploited youth in the state, we must wonder what it is about our area that makes it more likely that our youth will be trafficked?

According to the U.S. Census and Minnesota鈥檚 Equality Profile Report, the poverty rate in our area is 29.88% with 24% of our population being under the age of 18. Approximately 35% of the population identifies as non-white, 49.5% identify as female and approximately 11% identify as LGBTQ+ or Two-Spirit.

Traffickers prey on individuals in poverty, those experiencing homelessness or those who are part of a marginalized population. Communities that are poor, disenfranchised and underserved are often the most vulnerable.

Statistically speaking, if you are in an underserved population, you are far more likely to be victimized. To summarize, anyone who has a core need that is not being met is a potential target for sex traffickers, this includes children.

involve minors and 50% of exploited adults were first trafficked as children, with the average age being 13. Our members of the LGBTQ+ community are 23% more likely to be trafficked than their cisgender counterparts.

According to the students of all gender identities reported trading sex for survival needs such as housing, food, and transportation. Students identifying as transgender were almost five times more likely to report trading sex for survival needs.

As the headwaters for trafficking and exploitation in our area, there are many contributing factors that make us the hub. Knowing this, we must ask ourselves what we should do if we believe that someone we know might be at risk of trafficking.

Typically, people don鈥檛 tell others, or they may not realize that they are being exploited or trafficked. If they will talk to you, listen without shame or judgment.

Stay calm and validate the person鈥檚 experience. Responses such as 鈥淚 believe you,鈥� and 鈥淚 care about you,鈥� may be helpful. Avoid trying to "fix" the situation and offer unconditional support. Share resources and give options but do so without pressure.

Respect and recognize a victim鈥檚 ability to make decisions for themselves. Do not try to rescue the victim. It can be dangerous for you and the victim to interfere directly with the trafficker. Instead, reach out to a Support Within Reach advocate to help you navigate the situation.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, advocates are here and ready to help you. Reach out to Support Within Reach at our 24/7 crisis hotlines: (800) 708-2727 in Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard and Cass, or (866) 747-5008 in Itasca and Aitkin Counties.

For more information about Support Within Reach, visit

Kathy Gordon is the Northwest Regional Navigator at Support Within Reach.