SEX TRAFFICKING
Human Sex Trafficking, including sex buying, is a form of modern-day slavery widespread throughout the United States.
HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING
HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING IS DEFINED AS:
Violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion used to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will
& IT GENERATES $150BILLION ANNUALLY & GROWING.
WARNING➔ Material below may be too disturbing for some.
Sex Trafficking is one of the largest criminal industries in the world, second only to drug dealing.
Victims of trafficking are forced to work in the commercial sex industry, such as prostitution or sex entertainment, and are often also exploited for labor.
All of the human trafficking numbers and statistics are based on estimates because human trafficking is a hidden crime and victims rarely come forward to seek help.
Statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline and Polaris BeFree Textline
The International Labour Organization estimates that there are 40.3 million victims of human trafficking globally.
The International Labor Organization estimates that forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide.
The U.S. Department of Labor has identified 139 goods from 75 countries made by forced and child labor.
In 2016, an estimated 1 out of 6 endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims.
Of those, 86% were in the care of social services or foster care when they ran.
More than 40,000 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the Hotline in the last 10 years.
The Hotline annually receives multiple reports of human trafficking cases in each of the 50 states and D.C. Read more Hotline statistics here.
The number of human trafficking cases that Polaris learns about in the U.S. increases every year. Review our 2017 statistics fact sheet here.
20% of texting conversations on the Polaris BeFree Textline were from survivors of human trafficking compared to 13% of phone calls on the Hotline. Read Polaris BeFree Textline statistics here.
The Hotline receives an average of 90 calls per day. Read stories of survivors who called the hotline for help.
All statistics above gathered from PolarisProject.org and ILO.org
STATISTICS
In September 2017, the International Labor Organization (ILO) estimated that
26.3 MILLION MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN WERE VICTIMS OF HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING AROUND THE GLOBE.
According to the United Nations, the most common form of human trafficking is trafficking for sexual exploitation.
A number of organizations, including the Department of Defense have characterized human trafficking as the world's fastest growing crime, second to drug dealing.
Although there are no official numbers or estimates regarding the number of human trafficking victims in the United States, Polaris, a nonprofit working to combat modern-day slavery and human trafficking, said they saw a 13 percent jump in identified cases from 2016 to 2017.
While trafficking victims can be individuals of both genders, the majority of victims are women and girls. According to data from the UN, 51 percent of victims are women while another 20 percent are girls, accounting for 71 percent of victims.
According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, women make up a relatively large share of convicted traffickers when compared to most other crimes.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, the majority of reports regarding sex trafficking cases pertained to escort services.
The U.S. Department of State estimates that in the last ten years 145,000 to 175,000 foreign nationals have been trafficked into the U.S for commercial sexual exploitation of forced labor.
Data suggests that at least 100,000 U.S. children are currently being exploited in the commercial sex trade in the U.S and another 200,000 are at risk.
MYTHS VS FACTS
from Blue Campaign; Homeland Security
MYTH: HUMAN TRAFFICKING ONLY OCCURS IN COUNTRIES OUTSIDE OF THE USA
➔FACT: NO
Myth: Human trafficking only happens in other countries, not the United States.
➔ Fact: Human trafficking exists in every country, including the United States. It exists nationwide—in cities, suburbs, and rural towns—and possibly in your own community.
Myth: Individuals must be forced or coerced into commercial sex acts to be considered victims of human trafficking.
➔ Fact: Under U.S. federal law, any minor under the age of 18 who is induced to perform commercial sex acts is a victim of human trafficking, regardless of whether he or she is forced or coerced.
Myth: Human trafficking victims will attempt to seek help when in public.
➔ Fact: Human trafficking is often a hidden crime. Victims may be afraid to come forward and get help; they may be forced or coerced through threats or violence; they may fear retribution from traffickers, including danger to their families; and they may not be in possession of or have control of their identification documents.
Myth: Human trafficking is only sex trafficking.
➔ Fact: Sex trafficking exists, but it is not the only type of human trafficking. Forced labor is another type of human trafficking; both involve exploitation of people. Victims are found in legitimate and illegitimate labor industries, including sweatshops, massage parlors, agriculture, restaurants, hotels, and domestic service.
For more info, see https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/myths-and-misconceptions
NEED HELP? NEED TO REPORT?
To report suspected human trafficking:
To get help from the local Human Trafficking Hotline (NM):
To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline:
HELP US REPORT SEX TRAFFICKING BY DOWNLOADING THE STOP APP ON YOUR MOBILE DEVICE
SEE SITE MAP BELOW FOR MORE INFORMATION/EDUCATION ON HUMAN SEX TRAFFICKING.
