How trafficking happens in your city
Human trafficking takes place in every state in the U.S. This means that it is happening in our own neighborhoods. It’s woven between the roads we drive on and the streets we walk down. There isn’t one state that is void of trafficking. However, states with the highest reported cases of human trafficking in 2019 include: California (1507 cases reported), Texas (1080 cases reported), and Florida (896 cases reported). There are a few things that we can all do in order to recognize trafficking on a local level and stay informed.
When discussing human trafficking at a local level, there are many different avenues to look at. For instance, it is important to first know how trafficking starts. Additionally, it is necessary to look into what organizations and sources you can stay connected with locally in order to fight against human trafficking.
Human trafficking Methods of control happens through family or relatives, intimate partners, friends and others. Methods of control involved in human trafficking include psychological, physical, sexual, and psychoactive substances. To break this down further, family involvement in the trafficking of children is four times higher than that of adults. While 66% of trafficking survivors are female, families are more likely to be involved in the trafficking of boys (in 61% of cases) than girls (in 46% of cases). Ultimately, this brings up a need to project anti-trafficking efforts specifically towards children and their families.
“What most people think they know about child sex trafficking generally involves stories – young girls and boys being kidnapped by strangers, forced into windowless vans, then driven to another city or state where they are kept drugged and chained in a brothel. While situations like these do exist, they are more of an exception than the rule.”
Oftentimes there is an idea that trafficking always involves abduction. The Polaris Project addresses this well in an article titled, “What We Know About How Child Sex Trafficking Happens.” The article states, “What most people think they know about child sex trafficking generally involves stories – young girls and boys being kidnapped by strangers, forced into windowless vans, then driven to another city or state where they are kept drugged and chained in a brothel. While situations like these do exist, they are more of an exception than the rule.” This statement alone helps dissect the truth about trafficking. When it comes to how trafficking is happening in your own city, it is likely that it is happening through situations when a survivor knows the person who is trafficking them.
Traffickers often lure people in with promises of profitable wages, a better life, or tales of romantic love. Those most vulnerable to trafficking may have an unstable living situation, have a caregiver or family member with a substance abuse issue, be facing economic hardship or poverty and more.
In order to combat trafficking within our neighborhoods, we can remember how it typically happens. When we are informed, we are more effective at spotting signs of trafficking. As we learn what trafficking looks like, we are able to spot it and report it.
To recognize trafficking in your neighborhood, pay attention to the following factors:
If someone you know was offered a job that seems too good to be true, it may be a sign of trafficking.
If someone you know has developed an extremely close relationship with someone through social media, it may be a sign of human trafficking.
If a friend, family member, etc. is suddenly given many gifts and finances from a romantic partner, this may be a sign of trafficking.
In order to stay informed and get involved locally:
Take a look at resources in your area through the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Join Dressember in our style challenge this December in order to raise awareness of trafficking within your community.
Follow organizations, such as those in our Dressember Network, that aim to work with survivors and double-check to see if there are any volunteer opportunities near you.
Take a look at Shared Hope International to see what your state is already doing to prevent trafficking.
In recent times, there has been misinformation circulating that claims that most human trafficking happens through kidnapping and nefarious crime rings. While there are instances of trafficking that look like this, it is evident that this is not the most common way that trafficking occurs. It is always important to fact-check information and be positive that what you share is accurate. Now that you know what to keep an eye out for in your own neighborhood, you can make a difference by using this knowledge to protect survivors.
About the Author
Shannon Haupert is originally from the West Coast and is now navigating life in New York City. You can find her anywhere with a journal in one hand and snacks in the other. She is passionate about sustainability, human rights, and creativity. When she's not writing, she spends her time working as a nanny, exploring the city, and drinking far too much coffee along the way.