Next Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Council chambers, my committee (Public Safety, Human Services, and Education) will receive and discuss a report on youth prostitution in Seattle. Prepared by Debra Boyer, PhD, this report presents a chilling assessment of what’s happening in our city and how we can best respond to and help young people involved in prostitution.
There is growing attention being paid nationally to child prostitution. The New York Times addressed this issue on their editorial page last week. This story—harrowing and tragic— was in the July 3 edition of the New York Times on the premier of a new documentary on child prostitution and trafficking.
Using accepted sampling and measurement formulas, Boyer estimates that over 200 Seattle-area children are involved in prostitution in our city; but the actual number could be closer to 500. There are few resources available to help—no safe houses, for example. Tuesday's hearing is designed to identify specific steps we might take to rescue these children from coercive violence and exploitation.