Human Trafficking is the most misunderstood, overlooked and under-recognized form of human exploitation in our world today.
This crime can happen to anyone with no regard to age, gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship, economic status, education level, or community lived-in. But to see it, one has to know the red flags.
Awareness is the first step to stopping and preventing this crime.
Victims have been recognized in all 50 states
Victims are both U.S.citizens and foreign nationals
Traffickers target people with vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities include low self-esteem; a desire to belong and be loved; loneliness; a need for food, shelter, clothing; a need for economic stability; a desire for fame, wealth and money.
Victims are tricked into a trafficking situation and do not know it until it is too late; there is no safe way to leave without harm to self or others.
Force, fraud or coercion are used to target, groom, control and exploit an individual
The physical, psychological, and emotional consequences of being trafficked are far-reaching and long-lasting. Complex Trauma is the number one health problem in victims and survivors.
Persons under the age of 18 who are involved in the commercial sex industry (e.g. stripping, pornography, prostitution) are not criminals. They are automatically VICTIMS of CHILD ABUSE and deserve protection under the law. Force, fraud or coercion do not have to be proven. That said, there is no such thing as a "child prostitute."
Truth #1: Both U.S.citizens and foreign nationals are trafficked in the U.S. Truth #2: There are more people being trafficked for labor than for sex in the U.S. Truth #3: Yet, resources are spent mostly fighting sex trafficking.
The violence experienced in labor trafficking is just as horrific as the violence experienced in sex trafficking. It is not uncommon for a person to be trafficked for BOTH labor and sex, compounding the adverse health impacts suffered by victims.
We need to understand and respond to both types of violence with EQUAL public awareness, rigor, dedication and compassion. Learn Why...
In this 7-minute video, you'll learn about the $1 trillion agriculture industry in the United States. You can also find out which products are cultivated in your state.
30-second PSA: What labor trafficking can look like in the United States. It's not all about sex trafficking.
In this case study, a U.S. minor with needs of housing stability, income, and purpose is exploited in the traveling sales industry.
Our economy relies on workers from around the world who come here to fill jobs American businesses say they can’t fill otherwise. We owe it to them to enforce our own rules and protect their rights.
Top 3 Identified Labor Trafficking Types in the U.S. in 2019: 1) Domestic Work, 2) Agriculture & Animal Husbandry, 3) Traveling Sales Crews
Worldwide, experts believe there are more situations of labor trafficking than of sex trafficking, but there is much wider awareness of sex trafficking in the U.S. than of labor trafficking.
