Dependency on their trafficker They often limit or block all communication with friends and loved ones and keep any earnings for themselves. This renders victims of trafficking completely dependent on their abusers with their chances of escape significantly diminished from the outset.
They might have been kidnapped or coerced by someone; they may have been trying to escape abuse or poverty; or they could simply have been trying to improve their lives and support their families. Debt can be used to as a way to entrap people.
Fear of retaliation against themselves and/or family. Fear of not being believed by others. Fear of the unknown, including how to re-enter mainstream life.
Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological.
Human traffickers prey on people who are hoping for a better life, lack employment opportunities, have an unstable home life or have a history of sexual or physical abuse.
Victims of human trafficking can be young children, teenagers, men and women. They can be U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) or foreign nationals, and they can be found in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Children account for half of the victims of human trafficking. In fact, the average age that a young person becomes involved in sex trafficking is 12 years old.
While there isn't one face of a human trafficking victim, certain populations are more vulnerable, including runaway and homeless youth, children and youth in foster care, individuals fleeing violence or natural disasters, individuals with a disability, and those who have suffered other types of abuse or exploitation ...
Some women and girls still manage to escape human trafficking on their own, finding ways to run and get help. Some ask for help when they've been arrested for sex work. Others will be able to send the occasional text message, email, or phone call.
Everyone has the potential to discover a human trafficking situation. While the victims may sometimes be kept behind locked doors, they are often hidden right in front of us at, for example, construction sites, restaurants, elder care centers, nail salons, agricultural fields, and hotels.
Today, the Internet provides easy access to a much larger group of potential victims because traditional physical and geographical limitations no longer exist. Traffickers create fake websites or post advertisements on legitimate employment portals and social networking websites.
Trafficked women and girls encounter high rates of physical and sexual violence, including homicide and torture, psychological abuse, horrific work and living conditions, and extreme deprivation while in transit.
According to the International Organization for Migration, the definition of a human trafficker is "anyone who knowingly contributes in the trafficking of people with the intent of exploiting a victim is considered a human trafficker." And, trafficking involves a wide range of people, including: Recruiters.
Traffickers are adept at identifying people with noticeable vulnerabilities or needs. They may scour specific locations such as bus stations, shelters, or local malls looking for someone without a safe place to stay or who they may be able to charm with their flattery and attention.
Women and girls represent 65 per cent of all trafficking victims globally. More than 90 per cent of detected female victims are trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The United States is one of the top destinations for sex trafficking, and many children from the United States are trafficked to other industrialized nations, including the Netherlands, Germany, and Japan.
Organ trafficking is a broad concept that includes several illegal activities, of which the main goal is to profit from human organs and tissue, for the sole purpose of transplantation. These activities include THBOR, transplant tourism and trafficking in organs and tissues [7,8,9].
At 14 years old, Faith Robles was smuggled into the United States and sold for sex by a family-run human trafficking ring. After years of horrific abuse, she made a daring escape. But what makes her story even more incredible is her bravery to face her traffickers in court and help bring down the trafficking ring.
Mass displacement, conflict, extreme poverty, lack of access to education and job opportunities, violence and harmful social norms like child marriage are all factors that push individuals into situations of trafficking.