PACT

More than 28 years ago, ECPAT-USA became the first U.S.-based nonprofit to work on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation of children. ECPAT-USA started with sex tourism, helping to get legislation passed that ensured that Americans who traveled abroad to buy sex with minors could be prosecuted in the US for sexually exploiting children in other countries.

As the leading policy organization in the United States seeking to end the commercial, sexual exploitation of children, ECPAT-USA focuses on awareness, advocacy, policy, and legislation. ECPAT-USA is a member of ECPAT International, a network of organizations in 95 countries working together toward one common mission: to eliminate the sexual exploitation of children.
To protect every child’s human right to grow up free from the threat of sexual exploitation and trafficking, ECPAT-USA:

Advocates for federal and state policy and legislation that prevents exploitation, protects children, and guarantees that any child who is subjected to sex trafficking or exploitation will not be prosecuted for prostitution in the courts.

Promotes corporate responsibility among private companies with a strong focus on the tourism sector.

Educates first responders and ordinary citizens about child sex trafficking so that they can identify victims and join us in the fight to better protect children.

Empowers students to take the lead against human trafficking by equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to help them become activists against this terrible trade.

Preventing child trafficking and sexual exploitation begins with community education and engagement. In recognition of this fact, ECPAT-USA leads programs, events, and initiatives to inform our communities about this human rights crisis. It conducts research and published reports to raise awareness about the forms that child sexual exploitation takes. These reports form the basis for its advocacy campaigns.
ECPAT-USA is empowering students to take the lead in anti-human trafficking efforts with our Youth Against Child Trafficking (Y-ACT) program. We are involving our primary stakeholders, America’s children, in advocating against sexual exploitation and trafficking. ECPAT-USA trains students to be advocates in their communities, educating them on the facts, misconceptions and risks of trafficking. We provide them with the tools needed to identify the warning signs and resources to protect themselves and their peers from trafficking and exploitation.
ECPAT-USA has been at the forefront of the fight for legislation that will protect children who are commercially sexually exploited.
We work with federal legislators and policy makers to improve the nation’s ability to prevent child exploitation and to respond when children are identified as victims of trafficking. ECPAT-USA has a powerful presence on Capitol Hill. Members of Congress regularly call on us for our expertise on child protection when they are developing trafficking policy and legislation. ECPAT-USA provides guidance, policy recommendations, and advocacy support to organizations in states across the country to improve the legal and system response to exploitation of children. ECPAT-USA is proud to support the efforts of local partners who are leading the fight to protect the children in their state.

ECPAT-USA focuses on education, private sector engagement and policy advocacy. We protect every child's right to grow up free from the threat of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
ECPAT-USA actively pursues Private Sector Engagement and has worked with the United States Travel and Tourism industry for over 15 years to fight child trafficking. We work with hotel brands to implement policies and training that alert hospitality associates of their unique role in stopping human trafficking. All of the major U.S. hotel chains and airlines have signed on to The Code as have many other hospitality, travel and tourism companies and associations. We are looking to adapt and expand our e-learning training on child trafficking to companies outside Travel and Tourism.
Our Youth Against Child Trafficking (Y-ACT) Program trains middle and high school students to be leaders and activists against trafficking, educates students and teachers about the risks and causes of child trafficking and focuses on prevention. Every year since 2014, approximately 2,000 New York City middle and high school students have learned how to stay safe from trafficking and how to become outspoken human rights activists. We are completing a Train the Trainer e-learning application of our Y-ACT program to allow us to broadly apply Y-ACT in schools and communities across the US.
Our work in Policy Advocacy ensures that child victims of exploitation are protected and supported and the exploiters are held accountable. In 2019, we launched our Sex Trafficking Public Conversation Resource Guide in Congress to help Members work in their districts to increase awareness, understanding and advocacy to combat child sex trafficking. We are also developing a new policy agenda focused on addressing online child sexual exploitation. Child Sexual Abuse Material includes online child sexual abuse imagery, grooming and the sale of children online. We are seeking to work with a wide variety of NGOs and corporations including technology providers and platforms to formulate policy and an action plan that we can take collectively to protect children.

In 1991, no one else was talking about child sex trafficking. For over a quarter-century, ECPAT-USA led the fight against child sex trafficking.
Our programs include legislative advocacy, private sector engagement, and youth education.
In 2019:
We educated approximately 2,000 middle and high school students in our Youth Against Child Trafficking (Y-ACT) Program.
We help students and educators recognize and respond to child trafficking
We trained over 4,000 travel industry professionals through a new online training program.
They now know how to identify and report a potential case of trafficking. .
10 new companies adopted child protection policies through our Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct;
Our new Survivor Council ensures that ECPAT-USA’s policies and programs are truly grounded in the experience of survivors;

ECPAT-USA continues to educate the public, private sector and legislators on child sex trafficking in the United States.
That’s a lot of progress. And we are having a big impact through our reports and training.
But the fact is that children are STILL being bought and sold in the sex trade, right here in the United States. Horrifying reports surface in the news every day in every state in the country which is why we need your support.

In the coming year, with your support, we can and will educate thousands of middle and high school students so that they know when they are being targeted by traffickers. We will train thousands of people in the travel industry. We will pass new and better laws to ensure that the huge sex trade does not continue to ensnare vulnerable children.