Decision Step Archives

Hotline Professionals receive reports regarding potential human trafficking situations and tailor their response by considering multiple factors, such as the signaler’s proximity to the situation and their level of comprehension.

Sometimes victims want help but are not in a position to ask for it. Victims may also not be ready to accept help but a friend or loved one wants to keep them safe.

Victims, friends and family members can keep in touch with the Trafficking Hotline for as much help and support as they need while they are concerned about their loved one and as the situation changes and evolves.

How signals are handled depends on the situation. Hotline Professionals work with the signaler to understand as much as possible about what is happening before making decisions about whether or not to connect to law enforcement. Based on those conversations, Hotline Professionals and signalers make detailed plans to try to support the victim without necessarily … Continued

If the victim wants help, or is in immediate danger, the Trafficking Hotline can connect signalers with trusted law enforcement agencies who are most likely to provide a trauma-informed and situationally appropriate response. In some emergency cases, the Trafficking Hotline will coordinate extractions to safety on behalf of victims.

The best tips come from people who know the potential victim or have some specific context to understand what they are seeing. For example, friends, family members, employers, customers and others with who you have interacted – not just seen from far away

Trafficking Hotline professionals take detailed notes and share the signalers’ experience/information with other agencies including law enforcement as feasible. Not all tips are shared with law enforcement. Repeat reports, for example, of online rumors may not be shared every time they are reported. Nor will the Trafficking Hotline share information that presents no actual evidence … Continued

The Trafficking Hotline often hears from people who are concerned about something they saw or read online or on social media about human trafficking – particularly about child sex trafficking. While some rumors stem from genuine concern about children there are a lot of people online who are using fears about child sex trafficking to … Continued

The Trafficking Hotline maintains relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies around the country, promoting victim-centered and trauma-informed policing, partnering to share vital information, and working to keep people and communities safe from trafficking. Because of the complexity of trafficking as a crime, these relationships can be vital to the outcome of situations … Continued

People in active trafficking situations often connect with the Trafficking Hotline numerous times, over the course of months or even years, as they go through their own journeys and make the decision to break free. When they do, they trust that the Trafficking Hotline will be there to help them seek services, or hold their … Continued

The Trafficking Hotline can support victims who want to report their situations to law enforcement or who need immediate help getting away from a dangerous situation.

Any reports involving minors or potential minors are subject to specific, detailed protocols that ensure all social services and law enforcement agencies are aware of the situation.