Human trafficking is a type of modern-day slavery that exploits victims for purposes of forced labor or a commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion.
Human trafficking is often a hidden crime. Fear of police, fear of the trafficker, and language barriers combined with unfamiliarity of local geography and legal protections prevent victims from reaching out for help.
According to federal law, any minor under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking, regardless of the presence of force, fraud, or coercion.
Sex trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age (22 USC § 7102).
Labor trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery, (22 USC § 7102).
It’s important to know the story of the individual when assessing signs of human tracking. Cultural differences and “red flags” must be considered in context, not as absolute verification of trafficking. Paying attention to the people in our lives is our biggest resource in spotting trafficking.
Victims can include all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and income levels. While it’s true that “anyone” can be trafficked, just as anyone can be a victim of a crime, perpetrators of human trafficking prey on vulnerable poplulations.
An online resource consisting of anti-trafficking organizations and programs that offer emergency, transitional, or long-term services to victims and survivors. Call toll-free (24/7 Confidential)
1-888-373-7888
Text: 233733
To report sexually exploited or abused minors, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST, or report incidents at http://www.cybertipline.
By supporting Broken Wings, you are making the difference between slavery and freedom in the lives of the survivors we serve.
