2.5.5 Human Trafficking
The definition of human trafficking is labor or commercial sex acts induced by force, fraud or coercion.
Often, we think of human trafficking as alien smuggling, meaning bringing people illegally across the border.
Human trafficking does not have to involve the movement of people; it’s a crime against the person themselves.
In human trafficking, the survivor does not consent to their situation and they are being forcibly exploited.
For minors under the age of 18, there does not need to be any proof of force, fraud or coercion because minors under 18 cannot consent to sexual activity.
Sex trafficking can include many types of commercial sex work, including dancing, prostitution and domestic servitude. Survivors are often denied food, water and medical care or are confined so that they can’t leave.
Survivors of human trafficking may be particularly vulnerable because many have previously experienced violence or abuse or may not have a way to meet their own basic needs.
Sex trafficking of minors within their own countries is also an issue.
Adolescents who run away from home are at high risk of becoming victims of sex trafficking because recruiters usually make contact with adolescent runaways within 48 hours of them leaving home.
We often have inaccurate stereotypes of how trafficked people look. This stereotypes keep us from correctly identifying survivors in our neighborhoods and communities.
These can include, but are not limited to, the false belief that trafficked people must be injured, dirty, drug-addicted or from another country.
As an advocate, asking the right questions can help determine if someone is a victim of human trafficking. We want to be sure to create a safe environment for that person to disclose, if they choose to do so.
If you suspect that a survivor is being trafficked, you can shift your questions towards whether the survivor was being paid to participate in the sexual assault.
Some questions to determine if a survivor is being trafficked might include the following:
Did anyone take photos of you? If so, what did they use them for?
Did anyone ever force you to engage in sex through online websites, informal arrangements or escort services?
Are you required to meet a certain monetary quota by engaging in sex? If you do not meet the quota, are there consequences?
Are you threatened with violence or being deprived of water or food?
Are you locked up, shut in your room or not allowed to communicate with family and friends?
Are you afraid that someone might harm your family?
Much like intimate partner violence, survivors of sex trafficking face a significant fear of sexual and physical abuse if they try to leave.
Like intimate partner violence, perpetrators use brainwashing techniques to convince the survivor that they will not be able to survive without them, especially if the survivor is afraid that they will be prosecuted for commercial sex work without the protection of their trafficker.
Adolescents often run away because there is not a safe situation at home, and if they are trafficked, their situation becomes worse. They may fear that changing their situation again might worsen things even further.
Especially if the trafficker is holding the survivor’s identity documents, leaving may feel unsafe or almost impossible.