There have been many attempts to estimate the number of prostituted children within the United States. These estimates range from 1,400 to 2.4 million, although most fall between 300,000 and 600,000. A close look at these diverse estimates reveals that none are based on a strong scientific foundation. They are mostly educated guesses or extrapolations based on questionable assumptions. They do not have the substance of typically reported crime statistics, like the number of robberies or the number of child sexual abuse victims. The reality is that we do not currently know how many juveniles are involved in prostitution. Scientifically credible estimates do not exist.

The most often cited estimates on juvenile prostitution will be described here and their source, along with the major problems with their validity.

Juvenile Prostitution Factsheet (in pdf format)
Juvenile_ProstitutionFactsheet2008.pdf