Sex Trafficking

The Impact of Victim-Blaming on Human Trafficking Survivors

Blog Post — April 26, 2023
Denim Day is an internationally-recognized day to support survivors of sexual violence and bring awareness to the issue of victim-blaming. Human trafficking survivors know this issue all too well.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month: How Does Human Trafficking Fit In?

Blog Post — April 3, 2023
Many survivors of human trafficking are also survivors of sexual abuse. During April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we are exploring the intersection of sexual abuse and human trafficking.

Study Confirms Trafficking Victims Like Zephi Trevino Are Being Consistently Criminalized

Blog Post — March 28, 2023
Zephi Trevino’s upcoming trial in Texas shows that law enforcement and prosecutors are ignoring a victim’s trafficking experience and going ahead with criminal charges.

Listen to Black Survivors

Blog Post — February 1, 2023
The voices of Black survivors have historically been left out of the anti trafficking movement. To tell the true story of human trafficking, we can no longer separate it from race.

The Tate Brothers and the Basics of “Romeo Pimping”

Blog Post — January 26, 2023
Social media personality Andrew Tate is behind bars in Romania, amid rape and human trafficking allegations. In the US, what the Tate brothers are accused of is sometimes called Romeo pimping.

In Harm’s Way: How Systems Fail Human Trafficking Survivors

Published January 25, 2023
The National Survivor Study used the experience and expertise from survivors to create a detailed picture of the arc of trafficking.

Eyes on the Future: Survivor-Partnered Research in the National Survivor Study

Blog Post — January 18, 2023
The findings of the National Survivor Study tell the story of survivors after they exit their exploitation – and it’s the first time this story is being told.

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.

Answering the Call: 15 Years and Counting

Blog Post — November 30, 2022
For 15 years, Polaris has never turned off the lights on the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline — the country’s lifeline for victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking.

Action Guide: Trafficking Prevention for LGBTQ+ Communities in San Diego

Published September 29, 2022
For San Diego, we created this action guide to help prevent trafficking of the local LGBTQ+ community.

New Estimates of Human Trafficking in the World: Shocking but Not Surprising

Blog Post — September 14, 2022
The estimated number of people in situations of trafficking rose by 12 percent between 2016 and 2021, the latest international consensus study found. Today, some 27.6 million people around the globe are living without the freedom to choose how they live and work, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and Walk Free.

Criminalizing Victims: Trafficking Survivors With Criminal Records Deserve Relief

Blog Post — August 15, 2022
Keyana Marshall was just 15 when she was manipulated into selling sex by a female trafficker she originally went to work for as a babysitter. Throughout her teen years she was passed from one trafficker to another. Finally, law enforcement stepped in. But for Keyana, that only made things worse. She wound up serving nearly … Continued

Need help? Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline.