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Each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States. The number of U.S. citizens trafficked within the country each year is even higher, with an estimated 200,000 American children at risk for trafficking into the sex industry. (U.S. Department of Justice.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that at least 12.3 million people are victims of forced labor at any given time, 2.4 million of whom toil in forced labor as a result of trafficking. The U.S. Department of State estimates that 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year.
In 2019, the United States had 11,500 human trafficking cases reported. The most common type of trafficking was sex trafficking (8,248 reports), with the most common venues being illicit massage/spa businesses and pornography.
Pakistan, Thailand, China, India, and Bangladesh are in the top 10 for countries with the largest number of trafficking victims around the world. India is at the top of the list with 14 million victims, China comes in second with 3.2 million victims, and Pakistan comes in at third with 2.1 million victims.
Their data shows that the top three states with the most human trafficking cases reported are California, Texas, and Florida. 1,507 cases of human trafficking in California were reported to the National Hotline in 2019.
Child trafficking is most common in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa. The number of chases in industrialized and developed countries are unknown due to their highly covert nature. With this information in mind it is clear that child trafficking is most common in Latin America and the Caribbean.
What does the human trafficking of children look like in the United States? Across the globe, traffickers buy and sell children, exploiting them for sex and forced labor, and moving them across international borders.
Ohio is particularly vulnerable to human trafficking because it has both large urban centers and rural counties and a large transient and immigrant population, as well as five major highways with easy access to other states and Canada.
Child trafficking occurs in all 50 U.S. states
Trafficking can — and frequently does — occur within a single country. According the U.S. Department of State 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report, 77 percent of trafficking victims are exploited within their country of residence.
Some of the most vulnerable populations for trafficking in the United States include American Indian/Alaska Native communities, lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-questioning individuals, individuals with disabilities, undocumented migrants, runaway and homeless youth, temporary guest-workers and low-income individuals.
We identified their customers as being male drug dealers, members of law enforcement, lawyers, construction workers, truckers, businessmen, social workers, pastors, city employees and more. Purchasing sex online has also become big business.
Human Trafficking Indicators
Multiple people in cramped space. Inability to speak to individual alone. Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed. Employer is holding identity documents.
Rank | Country |
---|---|
1 | Equatorial Guinea |
2 | Eritrea |
3 | Iran |
4 | North Korea |
This is consistent with the U.S. Department of Justice report that the largest concentrations of survivors of human trafficking were located in California, Oklahoma, New York, and Texas.
According to Enrile, anyone can fall victim to human trafficking. However, vulnerable populations who have little social and legal protection are the most at risk. The majority of victims are women—70 percent—and risk for women may be heightened further in areas where extreme gender discrimination prevails.
Age of victims (IOM only)
The average age for IOM registered victims of trafficking is 27, and half of all victims are aged between 19 and 33. There is a slight spike in age at 0 and 1 years of age- this is because of the number of children who are born into trafficking.
Human trafficking is everywhere. Every continent in the world has been involved in human trafficking. In the United States, it is most prevalent in Texas, Florida, New York and California. … Globally, about one in five victims of human trafficking are children.
Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888: Anti-Trafficking Hotline Advocates are available 24/7 to take reports of potential human trafficking. Text the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 233733.
The TVPA became the first comprehensive federal law designed to protect victims of sex and labor trafficking, to prosecute traffickers, and to prevent human trafficking in the United States and around the world.
Targeting the Victim
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.
Daddy: The term a pimp will often require his victim to call him. Date: The exchange when prostitution takes place, or the activity of prostitution. A victim is said to be “with a date” or “dating.” … Family/Folks: The term used to describe the other individuals under the control of the same pimp.
Though statistics regarding the magnitude of child trafficking are difficult to obtain, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 10,000 children are trafficked each year.
Each year, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders (some international and non-governmental organizations place the number far higher), and the trade is growing.
The different forms of child trafficking include, but are not limited to: involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, illegal activities, child soldiers, and children exploited for commercial sex.
NSA is working to raise awareness on the issue of Human Trafficking. … Law enforcement is in a position to protect and assist victims of trafficking as well as bring traffickers to justice.
Work with a local religious community or congregation to help stop trafficking by supporting a victim service provider or spreading awareness of human trafficking. … With assistance from anti-trafficking organizations, extend low-cost or free services to human trafficking victims.
27% of trafficking victims are children.
More than two-thirds of trafficking victims fall into this category, including more than 10 million adults and nearly 4 million children.
Isolation: The victim is unfamiliar with the language of the country they are in and often do not know how to get around. If from another country, traffickers remove the passport/identity documents from victims. Stripped of their identity, victims believe that there is nowhere to go to receive help.
Attempted abductions most often occur on the street while children are playing, walking, or riding bikes. Younger children are more likely to be playing or walking with a parent or an adult whereas school-age children are more likely to be walking alone or with peers.