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SHATTER
THE CHAINS

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide – including right here in the United States. It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers might use different methods to lure victims into trafficking situations

Human Trafficking

WHAT IS SEX TRAFFICKING?

Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Sex trafficking exists within a variety and unique sets of venues and businesses including fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, in public on city streets and in truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels and motels, and elsewhere. In the United States, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA), revised by the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (JVTA), defines trafficking as recruiting, harboring transporting, providing, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting an individual by means of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of commercial sex.

WHAT IS LABOR TRAFFICKING?

Forced labor happens when individuals are made to work or provide services against their will, often through force, fraud, or coercion. This crime occurs in the U.S. and globally. The ILO estimated 24.9 million people were in forced labor as of 2016. Victims face challenges in seeking help due to language barriers and monitored movements by employers. Traffickers often target vulnerable groups like children, undocumented individuals, and those who are isolated or impoverished. Victims of forced labor can include U.S., foreign nationals, and people of all genders and ages.

FORCE, FRAUD, OR COERCION

Below are some methods that Traffickers are using to get a hold of the victim. ~Violence ~Manipulation ~False promises of well-paying ~jobs ~Romantic relationships

TRAFFICKING VS SMUGGLING

Human smuggling involves bringing aliens into the United States by deliberately evading immigration laws and unlawfully transporting and harboring aliens who are already unlawfully present in the United States. It is possible the crime may start out as human smuggling but quickly turn into human trafficking.

DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE

Human Trafficking does not discriminate, anyone can fall victim to it. Traffickers look for people who are easy targets for a variety of reasons, including: Psychological or emotional vulnerability Economic hardship Lack of a social safety net Natural disasters Political instability

Child Sex
Trafficking

Is a form of child abuse that occurs when a child under 18 is advertised, solicited or exploited through a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act is any sex act where something of value – such as money, food, drugs or a place to stay – is given to or received by any person for sexual activity.

Familial Trafficking

Child is trafficked by a family member established by blood, marriage, or adoption. This includes, but is not limited to, biological mother and/or father, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, in-laws, and adoptive, foster, or stepparents.

Nonfamilial Trafficking

Child is trafficked by an unrelated individual, male or female, who often develops an intentional relationship with the child which is later used as leverage in the exploitation.

Buyer-Perpetrated Trafficking

Child is being trafficked but does not have a trafficker. Instead, the buyer is directly exploiting the child’s vulnerabilities by offering money, food, and/or shelter in exchange for the sexual exploitation.

Gang-Controlled Trafficking

Child is trafficked by a member of a gang or trafficked by the gang. Gangs leverage their organizational structure, violence, and local, national, and international networks to instill fear and loyalty in the child victim.

Risk Factors

Understanding adverse childhood experiences as common risk factors helps identify opportunities to proactively intervene in an effort to prevent child sex trafficking. The factors are organized into three categories. The list below is not exhaustive and many factors may be interconnected.