Homelessness - Polaris

Action Guide: Trafficking Prevention for Homeless Youth in Louisville

Published December 15, 2022

For Louisville, we created this action guide with and for local stakeholders to help prevent trafficking of the local homeless youth population.

Human Trafficking Does Not Happen in a Vacuum

Blog Post — January 11, 2021

This January, Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Polaris and United Way are reflecting on compounding issues that are impacting human trafficking.

Separating Fact From Fiction: Recent Cases of Recovered Missing Children and What They Show About Child Sex Trafficking

Blog Post — September 24, 2020

Not all the missing children recovered in recent high profile U.S. Marshals operations were victims of human trafficking. But what we know about those operations reconfirms what we know about how sex trafficking happens in the vast majority of situations.

Human Trafficking During the COVID-19 Pandemic

June 10, 2020

Polaris tracked the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking. As part of this effort, Polaris has undertaken a systematic examination of relevant data from the Polaris-operated U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline. The data brief includes the findings of this analysis and policy recommendations.

Crisis in Human Trafficking During the Pandemic

Published June 10, 2020

This data brief includes analysis of relevant data from the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline to examine the potential impact of COVID-19 pandemic on victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking.

The Typology of Modern Slavery: Defining Sex and Labor Trafficking in the United States

Published March 1, 2017

From sex trafficking to labor trafficking, the ways humans are exploited differ greatly. Each type has unique strategies for recruiting and controlling victims and concealing the crime.

Staying Safe: New Resource Helps LGBTQ Youth Protect Themselves from Human Trafficking

Blog Post — November 16, 2016

We can’t just depend on law enforcement, service providers, or concerned citizens to intervene in a potential trafficking situation. We have to equip individuals with the tools to recognize and respond to trafficking within their own communities.

A Call to Action on Runaway Youth in Your Community

Blog Post — October 25, 2016

As the streets chill this November, we at Polaris recognize National Runaway Prevention Month. According to the National Runaway Safeline, between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away from home each year.

Empowering Women to Change their Lives

Blog Post — June 7, 2016

According to a report, more than 12,000 people throughout the Washington D.C. region are currently homeless. Our homeless population need services, not stigma.

Sex Trafficking and LGBTQ+ Youth

Updated June 1, 2019

Sex Trafficking and LGBTQ Youth, made possible by the support of the Palette Fund, provides an introduction to sex trafficking for LGBTQ+ youth providers and others.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation

April 22, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, issued a statement today following passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, S.178, introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).

Senate Lets Politics Overshadow Support for Human Trafficking Survivors

March 17, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors, criticized the U.S. Senate today for failing to proceed with key anti-human trafficking legislation.