North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp and representatives from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) spoke at a panel on child trafficking October 20, 2017, in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
“I think it is critically important that this not just be a social worker's problem, a cop's problem, a legislator's problem; that this be all of our problem because these are all of our kids,” said Heitkamp.
NCMEC received reports of 113 children missing in North Dakota during the last three years. NCMEC said the average age of a trafficking victim is 15 and there has been an increase in the number of male trafficking victims.
The panel suggested more training for social workers and nurses and more legislation to stop websites known for sex trafficking.