What is Human Trafficking?
In the fight against sex trafficking, it’s important to have an understanding of human trafficking as a whole.
As defined by the Department of Homeland Security, “human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.”
Every year, human trafficking effects millions of people worldwide; it is modern day slavery, and it is the largest slave trade to ever exist:
Human trafficking generates $150 billion of annual illegal profits worldwide.
An estimated 40 million people are enslaved in human trafficking across the globe*
Victims of human trafficking can be of any race, age, gender or socio-economic background.
Human trafficking is occurring in every region of the world; in 2018, it was reported in 148 countries. **
The most prominent forms of human trafficking include forced labor or sex trafficking. Victims of labor trafficking are forced to work for little to no pay, while victims of sex trafficking are forced to engage in commercial sex acts. Human trafficking does not need to involve the moving or transporting of people as commonly believed; rather it can take place anywhere and in several different forms.
According to Polaris Project, forms of labor trafficking in the US include “domestic servitude (nannies, housekeepers), small businesses (landscaping, nail salons, restaurants, industrial cleaning, construction, hospitality), Sale Crews (magazine, flower and candy sale crews) and large scale labor cases (agricultural, factory settings).”
Forms of sex trafficking in the US include bars and clubs, strip clubs, salons, massage parlors, residential brothels (homes, apartments, hotels, mobile trailers), escort services, pimp-controlled prostitution (hotel-based, internet-based, private parties, street-based, truck stops).***
Traffickers manipulate and lure vulnerable individuals into these forms of trafficking through the false promise of a job, a false pretense of love, or many other lies and threats. They prey on their victims’ vulnerabilities and use those against them to trap them into situations against their will, exploiting them for a profit.
Because of the threats, manipulation, and fear that comes from the traffickers, human trafficking is often unreported or hidden within society, as many victims don’t speak out or may feel they have no way out. Some victims may not even realize they are being trafficked due to the extent of trauma and manipulation they’ve endured from their trafficker.
Though human trafficking is often hidden, it is taking place in every state in the US. It is happening in your city, but there is something we can do to take a stand against it. At Rescue America, we work directly against sex trafficking by rescuing, reviving, and empowering survivors of sexual exploitation through our 24/7 hotline and emergency care program.
We believe that there is a redemptive solution for every survivor of sexual exploitation. We know human trafficking will not have the final say, and we won’t stop working to bring freedom to the captives; will you join us?
*International Labor Organization
**United Nations Trafficking FAQ
***Polaris Project “Types of Trafficking Cases in the US”
