Human Trafficking
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What is Human Sex Trafficking?
Human trafficking is defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.” It involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to make an adult engage in commercial sex acts. However, any commercial sexual activity with a minor, even without force, fraud, or coercion, is considered trafficking. - CDC
Human trafficking is not something you can see happening across a crowded room. It is not a crime that occurs in an instant, like a kidnapping or carjacking, that a bystander can witness and report. In fact, many people in active sex trafficking situations do not recognize themselves as being victims because they have been expertly groomed by a trafficker to believe they have chosen to participate in commercial sex. Understanding how sex trafficking really works can help families and communities to recognize vulnerable people before they become victims and provide survivors with the support they need to break free, heal and move on with their lives. - Polaris Project
What are the signs that someone may be a victim?
Recognizing key indicators of human trafficking is the first step in identifying victims and can help save a life. Here are some common indicators to help recognize human trafficking.
- Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship?
- Has a child stopped attending school?
- Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?
- Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
- Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?
- Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?
- Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive?
- Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?
- Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?
- Does the person appear to be coached on what to say?
- Is the person living in unsuitable conditions?
- Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation?
- Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?
Not all indicators listed above are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking. - dhs.gov
The Assrveo Project is an example of a great organization that has the ability and experience to help. Call them to learn how. 877.7283.994
How do I protect myself and my loved ones from becoming a victim?
- Avoid self-doxxing. Be careful about posting too much personal information online and do not trust "friendly" strangers on social media that know too much about you or say just the right thing.
- Stay vigilant and don't "look" like easy prey. Traffickers go after those they perceive as vulnerable and meek. Therefore, individuals who walk around appearing sad, lonely, or lost — or post things online that indicate low self-esteem — come across as "easy pickings" for their criminal intentions. It's best to walk around with confident body language and posture: it sends the message that you are self-aware — and willing to stand up to predators.
- If stalked, call 911. Though you may feel tempted to dial a friend when feeling threatened, it's wiser to dial 911 and quickly provide your name, and coordinates, and describe the person or vehicle following you. Pro tip: with iPhones, one can permanently share their location with a confidante: this way, even if one is kidnapped, but the abductor does not take their phone immediately, the victim can be geo-located by the authorities._
- If accosted, make a full-blown scene!!! Start yelling for others to call the police, making as much commotion as possible: the noise and public attention may be enough to spook away the predator.
- If attacked, be ready to fight. Unfortunately, most women are taught not to defend themselves but to shrink away in fear of any physical confrontation — and criminals count on that! Standing up for oneself can discourage an attacker as he would much rather his kidnapping not involve resistance. People who fight back don't make for easy-to-control victims: traffickers don't want that! - EasyLlama.com
Schedule a Self-Defense & Firearms Training workshop.
Is Your Child Being Groomed
Grooming
Grooming is a process that involves a perpetrator forming a relationship with a child and testing their boundaries. Some signs that a child may be being groomed include:
- Being secretive about their time, including online
- Having an older boyfriend or girlfriend
- Having money or new things that they can't explain
- Spending more or less time online
- Being touched or hugged in front of trusted adults
- Being given gifts or special attention
- Being asked to keep secrets
- Always wanting to be alone with the child
- Discouraged from being involved with other adults
- Being given rides, special outings, or a place to stay
The stages of grooming include:
- Identifying and targeting the victim
- Gaining trust and access
- Playing a role in the child's life
- Isolating the child
- Creating secrecy around the relationship
- Initiating sexual contact
- Controlling the relationship
- safechild.org, NSPCC, https://safekidsthrive.org/, SAPREA
If you think your child is being groomed, call for help: 877.7283.994
Healing for Survivors
Sanctuary for Families
Sanctuary for Families provides survivors of human trafficking and youth at risk of commercial sexual exploitation with a range of resources to achieve self-empowerment.
Through client-centered and trauma-informed legal, clinical, and support services we help survivors restore their sense of self, rebuild lives free from violence, and achieve their goals.
Statistics & Online Safety
Over 80% of child sex crimes arise from social media.
82% of online predatory incidents happened through communication on social media sites. Online predators use these sites to know their victims' habits and interests. - Organization for Social Media Safety.
- Never share pictures of yourself online that you wouldn’t want to be seen by your family, teachers, or a total stranger.
- Set user profile to private so only real friends can get access. Know who you’re chatting with – a “friend” is not always a friend.
- Treat people online as you would in person: be polite!
- Don’t share personal information online such as your full name, school, address or phone number, or user passwords.
- Don’t meet up in person with anyone you met online.
- Report suspected abuse to law enforcement or a trusted adult.
Modern Slavery
Modern slavery in the form of human trafficking is on the rise in many parts of the world. In the United States alone, the business seems to be very profitable for traffickers and puts $975 million in the pockets of human traffickers every year. - Deliver Fund
In the 2022 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery report, there were over 27.6 million reported global human trafficking cases in 2021. Of this number, 6.3 million were sexual exploitation victims, while 17.3 million fell under the private sector.
