OVERVIEW OF
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Polaris Project’s vision is for a world without
slavery. Named after the North Star that guided
slaves towards freedom along the Underground
Railroad, Polaris Project has been providing a
comprehensive and community-based approach to
combating human trafficking and modern-day
slavery since 2002.
OVERVIEW OF POLARIS PROJECT
• Founding Story
• Committed to comprehensive approach
• Our work includes the following
program areas...
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Victim Services and Housing
Federal and State Policy Advocacy
Training and Technical Assistance
National Resource Center (Hotline)
Public Awareness and Outreach
Fellowship Program
Polaris Project
NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING
RESOURCE CENTER
• Toll-Free National Hotline 24/7, 365 Days, Live
Person, 172 Languages, Confidential
• Responds to Crisis Calls
• Reports Tips to Law
Enforcement
• Provides Victim Service
Referrals
• Conducts Training & Technical
Assistance
• Generates Statistical Reports and Offers Resources
Polaris Project
NHTRC REPORTED TRAFFICKING CASES
NHTRC (2007-2012)
THE SCOPE
• 20.9 Million Forced Labor Victims (ILO)
• 14.5 Million Sex Trafficking Victims
• Federal (2011): 118 Individuals Charged
125 Prosecutions
151 Convictions
• Innocence Lost: 2,100 Children Recovered
1,010 Convicted
• Total # of NHTRC Calls: 69,375
• Potential Victims Referenced on Hotline: 8,133
DEFINING THE CRIME
INTERNATIONAL, NATIONAL, LOCAL
International: Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and
Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women
and Children of 2000 (Palermo Protocol)
National: Trafficking Victims Protection
Act of 2000 (TVPA)
Local: Currently, 49/50 states have
specific laws against human trafficking.
TRAFFICKING VICTIMS PROTECTION ACT
Sex
Trafficking
Labor
Trafficking
• The recruitment, harboring, transportation,
provision or obtaining of a person for a
commercial sex act, in which a commercial
sex act is induced by force, fraud, or
coercion, or in which the person induced
to perform such an act has not attained 18
years of age.
• The recruitment, harboring,
transportation, provision or obtaining of a
person for labor or services, through the
use of force, fraud or coercion for the
purpose of subjection to involuntary
servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or
slavery.
22 USC § 7102
THE A-M-P MODEL
Action
•
•
•
•
•
•
Recruits
Harbors
Transports
Provides
Obtains
OR so
attempts
Means*
• Force
• Fraud
OR
• Coercion
Purpose
• Commercial
Sex Acts
OR
• Labor or
Services
*Force, Fraud, and Coercion are not required for minors
induced into commercial sex acts.
MEANS
Force
• Physical assault
• Sexual assault, rape
• Physical confinement or isolation
Fraud
• Fraudulent employment offers
• False promises about work and living
conditions
• Withholding wages
Coercion
•
•
•
•
•
Threats to life, safety, family members or others
Threats of deportation or arrest
Debt bondage
Withholding legal documents
Psychological manipulation
VICTIM &
TRAFFICKER PROFILES
POPULATIONS AFFECTED
Sex Trafficking
Adults
Minors
U.S.
Citizen
and
Foreign
Nationals
Labor
Trafficking
Adults
and
minors
U.S.
Citizen
and
Foreign
Nationals
WHERE DOES TRAFFICKING OCCUR?
SEX TRAFFICKING
Street Prostitution
LABOR TRAFFICKING
Domestic Servitude
Massage Parlors
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing
Residential Brothels
Construction
Escort Services
Peddling & Begging Rings
(Sales Crews)
On-line Exploitation
Factories
Hotels & Motels
Service Industry (Hotels & Restaurants)
Truck Stops
Small Businesses
Hostess Clubs/Cantina Bars
Exotic Dancing/Stripping
Pornography
WHO IS VULNERABLE?
• Age, limited access to resources,
need for shelter, food, etc.
Runaway and
Homeless Youth
• History of domestic violence, abuse
or neglect, sexual assault, etc.
Victims of Prior
Violence/Abuse
• Displaced after disasters or conflicts,
lack of job prospects
Economically
Vulnerable
• Lack of identification, unauthorized
status, fear of immigration or police
Undocumented
Foreign Nationals
• Visa restrictions; debts; transient
Temporary Visa
Holders
SPOTLIGHT CHILDREN
• Age is the most vulnerable
factor
• Force, fraud or coercion
does NOT apply
• Automatically recognized as
victim if induced into
commercial sex
• Trafficking does NOT
require movement
• Invisible or Misidentified?
Microsoft Free Images
CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE
• Child victims of sexual abuse 27.7 times more
likely to be arrested for prostitution as an adult
– Murphy P. Making the Connections: Women, Work and Abuse. Paul M Deutsche
Press, Orlando FL (1993)
• 70-90% of commercially sexually exploited
children have a history of childhood sexual
abuse
– National Institute of Justice “Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse – Later
Criminal Consequences” (1995)
WHO ARE THE TRAFFICKERS?
Traffickers are people who exploit others for profit
• Any demographic
• Individuals and groups
• Street gangs and
organized crime
• Businesses or contractors
Microsoft Free Images
TRAFFICKERS AT SCHOOLS
• They can be all ages and genders
• Target most vulnerable students (e.g., foster or
low income students, IEPs, homeless)
• Recruit on and off campus directly and/or
through other victims (i.e., peer recruitment)
• Utilize cell phones and social media to find,
groom, monitor, and control victims
VICTIM UNDERSTANDING
& INDICATORS
NHTRC CASES INVOLVING MINORS
NHTRC (2007-2012)
Hotline Cases Involving Minor Victims
12/07-1/13
We have had 384 hotline calls from educators/school personnel.
Nationality of
Gender of Potential Victim
Potential Victim
Male: 17%
US Citizen: 45%
Foreign Nationals: 26%
Female: 83%
Unknown: 29%
Sex Trafficking
Labor Trafficking
Pimp Controlled Trafficking
Internet-Based
Commercial Sex
Pornography
Peddling Rings
Domestic Work
Restaurant/Food Service
BARRIERS TO VICTIM
SELF-IDENTIFICATION
Limited
family/social
support/contact
False Promises
of protection – to
love like parent
they didn’t have
Loyalty or
Traumatic
attachment to
Trafficker
Lack of
resources
available while
living on streets
Normalization
of sex trafficking
as survival
Juvenile arrests
for prostitution –
treatment as a
criminal
Distrust of
Service
Providers/Law
Enforcement
No established
roots with
schools/service
providers
Increased
fear/distrust of
adults
Feeling that no
one will
understand
Fear of judgment
from peers
Lack of access to
money to afford a
means to leave
VICTIM INDICATORS
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•
•
•
•
•
•
Under 18 and providing commercial sex acts
No control of own money or ID
Use of drugs (e.g. marijuana, ecstasy, etc)
Truancy and chronic absenteeism
Change in friends or social group
Sudden drop in school performance
Rumors among other students regarding sexual
activity
• Running away from home
• Unequal treatment of children from the same
household
VICTIM INDICATORS
• Sudden change in attire, new belongings
• Signs of physical abuse, restraint, or confinement
• Talk of new, older boyfriend
• Signs of untreated illness, injuries, etc.
• New cell phone or multiple cell phones
• Rapid weight loss/malnourishment
• Branding or suspicious tattoos
• Changes in attitude/emotional demeanor
• Presence of sexualized content or images on social
media websites
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Designate a point of contact for human trafficking
related issues within your school districts
• Provide training for teachers, teaching aids, and
school resource officers regarding CSEC
• Build partnerships with local law enforcement
and resources within your community for “at risk”
youth
• Develop protocols and reporting procedures for
addressing potential victims and
recruiters/controllers on your campus
CALL THE HOTLINE
• Call 1-888-3737888 if you
encounter red flags
• Note the
location(s),
date/times, names
(if known), and
physical identifiers
Polaris Project
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• U.S. Department of Education
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oese/oshs
/factsheet.html
• Federal Bureau of Investigation
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/civilrights/slavery.htm
• U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement
http://www.ice.gov/pi/investigations/publicsafety
/humantrafficking.htm
• National Human Trafficking Resource Center
Hotline 1-888-373-7888 or
www.traffickingresourcecenter.org
POLARIS PROJECT
ONLINE RESOURCES
CONNECT TO POLARIS PROJECT
Join our Grassroots Network!
• Connect
potential
victims to the
hotline
• Connect to
your online and
local
community
Polaris Project