This is the first in a series of four articles about human trafficking.
January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. But, what is Human Trafficking? According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, “Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. This crime occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will. Force, fraud, or coercion need not be present if the individual engaging in commercial sex is under 18 years of age”. To be considered human trafficking under federal law, the trafficker must take an action, then use a means of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of using the victim for commercial sex acts, or acts of labor, or service. This is referred to as the A-M-P Model or the Action-Means-Purpose Model. Anyone can be a human trafficking victim, regardless of their age, race, gender, or nationality.
Victims of human trafficking are in plain sight. Because of this, it is essential to know how to identify the signs. Victims are usually isolated, monitored, threatened, controlled, and/or pressured into doing things they do not want to do. Victims may also mention wanting to quit their job, but they cannot. While victims can be anyone, traffickers can too. There is no evidence of a specific race, gender, or nationality trafficking people more than another. It is important to stay aware of your surroundings and keep the identifying signs of human trafficking victims in mind in case you run into one. If that occurs, contact law enforcement immediately without putting yourself in danger. If you have information about Human Trafficking, contact the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling them at 1-888-373-7888 or texting them at 233733.