10 Powerful Ways to Identify Human Trafficking, and Rescue Slavery Victims!

Trafficking is not just an issue that happens to people in other countries. The United States is a source and transit country, and is also considered one of the top destination points for victims of child trafficking and exploitation. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 U.S. States; anyone can be trafficked regardless of race, class, education, gender, age, or citizenship when forcefully coerced or enticed by false promises.Child victims of trafficking are recruited, transported, transferred, harbored or received for the purpose of exploitation. They may be forced to work in sweatshops, on construction sites or in houses as domestic servants; on the streets as child beggars, in wars as child soldiers, on farms, in traveling sales crews or in restaurants and hotels. Some are forced to work in brothels and strip clubs or for escort and massage services. Slavery has many forms and names, but it’s still slavery. And it’s still wrong. Can you imagine being forced to work without pay, trapped, unable to walk away, subject to violence or the threat of violence, by another person as they control you? Own you? Isolated, yet hidden in plain sight. This is reality for those trapped in slavery today. Slavery is illegal in every single country in the world. Yet it still exists. Many labor victims don’t know they’re victims. They’re told they owe debt and have to work to pay it off.

“If a trafficker says you have to pay a debt, in the U.S., that's peonage [debt slavery]. That’s illegal,You can’t be forced to pay a debt through labor.

According to the recent USD trafficking report, local gangs are seeing sex slavery as a bigger money maker than drugs. The study estimates pimps make nearly $600,000 a year.

Stephan said common areas for sex trafficking recruitment include malls, high schools, trolley and bus stops. Local experts said this is happening all throughout the county and pimps especially target at-risk children and runaways.

The First thing you can do to help is become informed: Here is a list of ways you can help.

1. BE INFORMED

To spot a potential victim, you should look to see if she’s looking down and not making eye contact, and if there’s an older male with her and you say ‘Hello,’ and she doesn’t respond. Tattooing or branding. Anything with a money symbol.  When it comes to trafficking, perception is usually not reality. You don’t always see chains and shackles. Often, the chains are psychological.If you see a potential trafficking situation and you believe it’s an emergency, don’t hesitate to call 911.

COMMON SITUATIONS OF CHILD TRAFFICKING

Strip clubs, exotic dancing, pornography
Begging Online ads, chat services and porn sites Escort or dating services Domestic labor (housecleaning, childcare, elderly care)Restaurants or bars The street Factories, sweatshops, or agricultural work Businesses such as hotel/motels, massage parlors, nail salons

Common Work and Living Conditions: The individual(s) in question

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health

• Lacks health care
• Appears malnourished
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control

• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
• Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
• Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

Other

• Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
• Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or do not know what city he/she is in
• Loss of sense of time
• Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story
•  

    POTENTIAL RED FLAGS

    Is under 18 years old and performs commercial sex acts

    Is excessively monitored or controlled by parents, a supposed guardian or older partner or “sponsor” who claims to provide for their upbringing and needs, or who insists on speaking for them or being present at all time

    Is unable to give answers about their schedules or living and work locations/conditions; appears to possibly work and live in the same building or location

    Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story; contradictory personal information (age, place of birth, family life)

    Has excessive security measures at his/her home or work (i.e., security cameras, boarded or covered windows); constant traffic of men at his/her home or work location

     Noticeable change in dress, jewelry, hair or nails without explainable source of income

    Shows signs of physical or sexual abuse (bruises, cuts, burns, submissiveness, jumpy, malnourishment); appears fearful, anxious, depressed, overly submissive, and avoids eye contact

    

    Suffers from substance abuse problems (alcohol and/or drugs), an array of other psychological disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, or chronic illnesses

    Carries multiple hotel key cards, lots of money, sharp objects (weapons)

    Sudden presence of an older boyfriend

    Tattoo with a name that is not their own; or that he/she is reluctant to explain

This list is not exhaustive and represents only a selection of possible indicators. Also, the red flags in this list may not be present in all trafficking cases and are not cumulative. Learn more at

2. Report Trafficking 

 

1.888.3737.888
ADD THIS NUMBER TO YOUR CELL

 Just as “it takes a village to raise a child,” it takes a community that’s aware and looking out for its children to keep them protected from child trafficking and exploitation. Be informed and watch out for the children in your community:
Are you or someone you know being trafficked? Is human trafficking happening in your community? Recognizing potential red flags and knowing the indicators of human trafficking is a key step in identifying more victims and helping them find the assistance they need.
To request help or report suspected human trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Or text HELP to: BeFree (233733).

3. Sign A Petition

http://freedomcommons.ijm.org/action-alert/end-slavery-put-your-name-line?_ga=1.56908394.1176019971.1486135244

 

4. Learn About Statistics

5. Get Some Tools

 https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/publications.html#Tools

 

 

 Join a Cause:  End It Movement

6. See The Joy you can bring somebody by being Rescued

 

HOW ZOE RESCUES CHILDREN FROM TRAFFICKERS

Liliana's Story - Human Trafficking

Somaly Mam A Hero of Amazing Grace

Ashton Kutcher Near TEARS in EMOTIONAL  Opening Testimony at Hearing on Human Trafficking 

 

7. Sponsor a Child 

 ZOE

samaritans purse

global modern slavery

8. Be a conscientious and informed consumer.

 Discover your slavery footprint, ask who picked your tomatoes or made your clothes, or check out the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor. Encourage companies to take steps to investigate and prevent human trafficking in their supply chains and publish the information for consumer awareness. Do not support Pornography which drives the human trafficking business.

 

9. Encourage your local schools to partner with students and include modern slavery in their curricula. As a parent, educator, or school administrator, be aware of how traffickers target school-aged children.  

10. Meet with and/or write to your local, state, and federal government representatives 

to let them know you care about combating human trafficking, and ask what they are doing to address it.