Human trafficking is one of the largest humanitarian issues of our lives. It is all around us in every state. For instance, victims are found in:
- Trucks and vans
- Stash houses
- Hotels
- Massage parlors
- Boats
- Homes
- Schools
- Airplanes
Human trafficking often hides in plain sight. Not all trafficking victims are physically controlled by their perpetuators. Some continue to go to school or work and live a normal life, even though they are being forced into trafficking.
Unfortunately, human trafficking is poorly understood and often not recognized, even by its victims.
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day Is January 11
January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and everyone should be aware of the dangers of human trafficking and forced labor.
Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, and it’s profitable for the traffickers. According to the International Labour Organization, human trafficking generates $236 billion in illicit profits each year and 39.4% of victims are women and girls.
For the past seven years, I have researched human trafficking throughout the United States and the world. As a result, I was invited to testify in front of a U.S. Senate committee on the findings from my research.
I’ve also provided training to government agencies and stakeholders in multiple areas, such as:
- North America (the United States)
- Central America
- South America
- Asia (India and Thailand)
This research consisted of conducting interviews with countless human trafficking victims as well as actual human traffickers incarcerated in the United States and abroad. Speaking to imprisoned human traffickers provided in-depth insights into this crime from the lens of the people responsible for it.
This research has showed ways that traffickers:
- Target and recruit human trafficking victims
- Exploit the vulnerabilities of their victims
My research also revealed various ways that we can protect ourselves and loved ones from becoming human trafficking victims.
How Human Traffickers Target Their Victims
The internet is a major way that traffickers target their victims. Traffickers use social media and gaming platforms to seek out people who post about their vulnerabilities. They especially target children who make online public comments, such as “No one understands me!” or “I hate my parents!”
Human traffickers monitor various areas of the internet, such as social media, gaming platforms, and chatrooms. They search the internet for children who have unrestricted and unsupervised access to the internet. This unsupervised access is dangerous because unsuspecting parents can be blindsided by these criminals.
Human Trafficking and Artificial Intelligence
Increasingly, human traffickers are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to target their victims. According to the U.S. Department of State, traffickers weaponize AI against their victims by crafting “culturally nuanced messages that resonate with victims in their native language.” Consequently, traffickers around the world don’t even need to speak a victim’s language or reveal their true identity.
The Department of State also observes that traffickers use AI’s automation capabilities for large-scale victim targeting. AI tools can create tailored exploitation strategies with chatbots and other technologies, resulting in more victims trapped in human trafficking at unprecedented levels.
AI is used to sort through large online datasets to identify children and adults on the internet who publicly expose their vulnerabilities. According to the Department of State, AI can:
- Impersonate trusted friends
- Deceive victims through deepfake photos
- Portray traffickers as children, teens or adults to build trust with victims
The Threat of Sextortion
Sextortion is a growing trend and can lead to human trafficking. Sextortion is the use of sexually explicit images for the purposes of extortion, and it’s a crime.
According to the FBI, sextortion often occurs when young people believe that they are communicating with a peer who wants a romantic relationship. This “peer” then asks for a sexually explicit photo. Once human traffickers have access to these compromising images, they threaten to publish the embarrassing content online or threaten violence to coerce the victim into sharing more images.
Traveling across the country, I’ve warned many people about the dangers of sextortion. Sadly, I met parents of children who committed suicide due to the shame and fear of being sextortion victims.
Before allowing their children to go online, parents should have a conversation with their children. They should discuss the dangers of the internet and know to never share potentially compromising images or content online with anyone, even with their friends. Parents should also encourage their children to confide in them if they make a mistake online.
There are resources available to parents. Sextortion is a crime and should be immediately reported to law enforcement.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has a free service available for victims of sextortion, called Take It Down. This service is available to child sextortion victims who were under 18 when their sexually explicit images were posted online. This service removes explicit online images and enables victims to remain anonymous.
Ways to Prevent Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is far more complex than people realize. It often starts with someone exploiting vulnerabilities through:
- Coercion
- False promises
- Intimidation and threats
Once a trafficker controls a victim, they often threaten to harm victims and their loved ones. As a result, the victims are scared to leave their trafficking situation and are convinced that being trafficked is their own fault.
Education is key. For parents, it is critical to educate children and teenagers about the internet’s dangers.
Children should be taught to maintain privacy settings on social media platforms. They should only accept connections from people they know well and should verify that person’s identity.
Parents should emphasize that their children can always go to a loved one, a teacher, or a police officer if they feel that someone online is dangerous.
Recognize the Signs of Human Trafficking
Everyone has a responsibility to remain cognizant of the signs of human trafficking. Some of the common signs include:
- Changes in behavior or personal hygiene
- No control of money, cell phone or personal belongings
- Silence as another person speaks for them
- Talking in language that sounds coached
- Bruises at various stages of healing
- Sudden changes in grades
- Withdrawal from activities they previously enjoyed
- Self-harm or drug abuse
- Bar code, money bag, coins, dollar bill, or other tattoos used to indicate a trafficker’s ownership
- Excessive timidness
- Lack of freedom to leave a current living situation
When you observe signs of human trafficking, don’t ignoring them. Each situation is different. Victims typically have an immense amount of fear of their trafficker, so ask potential victims if they are safe and okay when the trafficker is not present.
Some situations require immediate intervention by notifying law enforcement. However, sometimes victims are not ready to escape from their captors.
In this situation, concerned individuals should tell trafficking victims that they are victims and that there are resources available to help them escape from traffickers.
If you are a victim of human trafficking or if you suspect someone else is a human trafficking victim, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
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