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What is Human Trafficking?
Sex Trafficking:
1. Using force, threats of force, coercion or fraud to cause someone to engage in commercial sex; and/or
2. using a minor (<18) to engage in a commercial sex act
AND
Labor Trafficking:
Using force, serious harm, abuse of legal process or threatening any of these OR a scheme to obtain labor or services
*Human Trafficking, Polaris Project, https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/
A $150 BILLION GLOBAL INDUSTRY
Greater than the combined annual revenue of Netflix ($29.698B), PayPal ($25.371B), McDonald’s ($23.223B), Uber ($17.455B), and Best Buy ($51.761B).
Financial Flows from Human Trafficking, FATF, https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/Methodsandtrends/Human-trafficking.html
Trafficking
in Texas
- Texas is #2 in the U.S. for human trafficking reports
- Drugs are sold once; a person can be sold 20-30 times a day
- 12-15 is the average age a girl is trafficked
- On average, youth return to trafficking 7-10 times due to
psychological manipulation, complex trauma, and lack of family support
*Human Trafficking 101, ATI, https://preventht.org/human-trafficking-101/
Traffickers recognize and take advantage of people who are vulnerable
Risk Factors & Vulnerabilities
- Runaway/Homeless Youth
- Substance Use Concern
- Mental or Physical Health Concern
- Recent Migration/Relocation
- Unstable Housing
- Experienced Abuse or Violence (both sexual and nonsexual)*
- History of Domestic Violence
- Caregiver or Family Member who has a Substance Abuse Issue
- Involvement in Juvenile Justice System
- Child Welfare System Involvement and Foster Care
- Undocumented Immigrants
- Facing Poverty or Economic Need
- Person of Color*
* Polaris Analysis of 2021 Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Polaris-Analysis-of-2021-Data-from-the-National-Human-Trafficking-Hotline.pdf