Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery hidden in plain sight, in every community. 

Human Trafficking Defined

Human Trafficking is defined as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. The US Federal Law states that one element from each of the three following categories must be prevalent:

 

Act of.

An activity associated with initiating, participating, facilitating, or maintaining operations for the use of exploitation. Including but not limited to, recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, housing, or selling individuals.

By means of*.
Force, holding, or taking someone against their will, including physical harm, rape, and/or torture. Fraud, when a trafficker promises one thing and delivers on something completely different (often a promise of house and lifestyle with the delivery of servitude and rape). Coercion, compelling a person to act in an involuntary manner by use of threats or propaganda.

 For the purpose of.

All trafficking has the element of exploitation, meaning, someone is gaining from someone else’s loss. This can include sex and labor exploitation, debt bondage, involuntary servitude, or forced military service.

Any commercial sex act with a person under the age of 18 does not need to prove by which means they were trafficked.

Know The Signs

Below are some signs to help identify a perpetrator of human trafficking, or a victim of human trafficking. This link is our source and also a great resource.

Signs of a Perpetrator

  • Perpetrators use a series of tactics to try to engage a victim. It can start with:

    • testing a victim- getting in their personal space to see how they react

    • confidently approaching and sparking up a conversation

    • offering unsolicited help

    • observing someone; following, stalking, tracking, etc.

    • creating an isolating moment with intent to convince someone to change locations

  • Someone who makes promises of lifestyle, job, love, family, support, etc., and never follows through.

  • An online predator may have a higher ratio of female friends, use direct messages, request personal information, and ask to meet offline very quickly.

  • Some characteristics may include outgoing, charming, overly supportive, but lack sincerity, empathy, and emotional regulation.

Signs of Someone Being Trafficked

  • A person receiving healthcare that is unwilling or hesitant to answer questions, has someone else speaking for them, signs of sexual violence, or a pattern of repetitive injuries.

  • Someone who has multiple short or timed visitors, sometimes with a third-party watching or hovering nearby.

  • A worker who has sleeping arrangements on the floor, in a garage, closet, laundry room, or somewhere else that is not intended for sleep.

  • An excessive number of personal items at a place of business. Such as toiletries, make-up, food, clothing, etc.

  • An employee that rarely leaves the company property or is never seen without the employer.

  • An individual being trafficked is susceptible to depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, suicide, and substance abuse.

  • Someone who has physical indicators such as, burns, repeated injuries and abnormal scarring, branded tattoos, numbers, barcodes, symbols, etc.

 We Are Here For You.

View our resources page for important advocacy and victim support information.