Final answer:
According to the University of PENN's 2001 report, approximately 10,000 children in the U.S. are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation, including trafficking. Child abuse reports child labor, and the risks associated with poverty and migration highlight the vulnerability of children to exploitation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The report issued by the University of PENN in 2001 suggests that as many as 10,000 children in the U.S. are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation, including trafficking. Child abuse and the exploitation of children are serious issues within the United States. Over 3.3 million reports of child abuse involving around 5.9 million children were documented in 2011 alone. Experts note that a significant number of these reports come from professionals such as teachers, law enforcement personnel, and social services staff. The remaining reports come from other relatives, anonymous sources, parents, friends, and neighbors.
It is also important to recognize the broader context of child labor and the vulnerability of children to various forms of exploitation. A sobering statistic from the beginning of 2020 showed that 1 in 10 children worldwide were in child labor. Specific to the United States, children from Central American countries face a high risk of poverty, violence, and potential exploitation, which drives migration and increases their vulnerability to trafficking.
Historical data and contemporary research show that the United States is not immune to the atrocity of human trafficking, which includes both adults and children who are commercially sexually exploited.