—Scope, Risk Factors, and Investigative Barriers
Framing the Problem
Each year, approximately 600,000 individuals are reported missing in the United States; in Canada, that number ranges between 70,000 and 80,000. Most are found quickly, but a small percentage remain missing–– roughly 6,000 in the U.S. and 1,000 in Canada annually. These numbers likely underestimate the true scale of the issue. Not all disappearances are reported to police, and data systems often lack consistency or coordination.
Certain communities face higher risks. In the United States, Black individuals are overrepresented in missing persons cases. In Canada, Indigenous women and girls are disproportionately affected. Youth make up a large portion of missing persons in both countries, especially teenage girls categorized as runaways.
Common risk factors include:
• Mental health challenges
• Substance use disorders
• Domestic violence
• Housing instability or homelessness
• Involvement in the child welfare or foster care system
• Identification as LGBTQ+
These vulnerabilities overlap with those of sex trafficking victims. Highlighting the importance of concentrating services on runaway youth, unhoused individuals, and marginalized women.
Moving Forward
Addressing these challenges requires a coordinated, trauma-informed, and data-driven approach. Key strategies include:
· Enhanced training to identify trafficking red flags
· Improved data sharing and case coordination across jurisdictions
· Decriminalization of trafficking survivors
· Stronger oversight in child welfare systems
In the coming weeks, we’ll explore the intersection of missing persons and sex trafficking in greater detail and share how tools like Traffic Jam can assist investigators in identifying victims across online platforms commonly used to advertise trafficked victims.
For more information about Traffic Jam or to schedule a demo, please contact: info@marinusanalytics.com
The information in this blog comes from a variety of reports and studies. For more detailed information, see the full citations below.
National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs). (n.d.). National Missing and Unidentified Persons Database. U.S. Department of Justice. .
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). (n.d.). Missing Persons. Government of Canada. .
Polaris Project: Polaris Project. (2020). Trafficking Victims Protection Act Report: Key Findings on Trafficking in the U.S.. .
U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime: U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. (2017). Human Trafficking Victim Assistance. .
National Human Trafficking Hotline: National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2019). Annual Report.
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2020). NCMEC’s Annual Report. .
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO): GAO. (2018). Human Trafficking: Agencies Can Improve Coordination and Data Sharing. .
Polaris Project: Polaris Project. (2020). The Typology of Modern Slavery: Defining Sex and Labor Trafficking in the United States. .
National Center for Victims of Crime: National Center for Victims of Crime. (2018). Trauma-Informed Care for Victims of Human Trafficking.
U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime: U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime. (2020). Combating Human Trafficking in the Digital Age. .
Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch. (2018). When I Was Sold: The Victimization of Children in the U.S. Prostitution System. .
National Human Trafficking Hotline: National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2020). Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Response. .
