Human trafficking is a $150 billion
dollar industry affecting nearly
25 million people around the globe
There is no reliable
number for how much human
trafficking happens in the United States
or in individual cities or states
Human trafficking officially became
a crime in the U.S. in 2000.
The law that did this was called
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
This law defines what
human trafficking looks like legally,
but still leaves a lot of
room for questions, including
what is the difference between
trafficking and other crimes of fraud
or exploitation? And how do
we know when something is trafficking?
So let's break it down.
First, force, fraud and/or
coercion has to be present for
something to be considered trafficking.
Without these elements, it's
exploitation, not trafficking.
Second, there has to be money or
something of value involved.
When we say something of value,
it could mean money saved by
NOT having to pay someone to
do work like clean the house.
It could also mean other material
needs, such as clothing or shelter.
Sexual abuse or assault without
an exchange of money or
something of value is a crime,
of course, but it is not trafficking.
There is one major
exception to the rule about force,
fraud or coercion: Anyone under
the age of 18 who is having
sex for money or for something
of value is considered a victim
of human trafficking. Period.
There is no such thing
as a child prostitute.
The most important way
to understand trafficking
is to recognize that it follows
a very specific pattern, be
it labor or sex trafficking.
Human trafficking is about power,
vulnerability and profit.