Sex trafficking is defined as the recruitment, abduction, transportation, harboring, buying or selling of persons, using force, fraud, or coercion.
13-16 YEARS OLD
is the national average age of entry into the sex trade
SAN DIEGO
has been in the top 8 high-intensity areas for commercial sexual exploitation of children in the nation
$810 MILLION
made from the illicit sex trade in San Diego in just one year
3,417-8,108
sex trafficking victims estimated per year in San Diego alone
(C) KRISTIAN GALLEGO PHOTOGRAPHY
If trafficking is everywhere, why can't I see it?
Victims of trafficking are hidden in plain sight. Traffickers isolate and intimidate their victims so they live in constant shame and fear. By keeping them constantly moving on a circuit, victims are kept disoriented and without a means to escape.
Victims of trafficking are frequently betrayed by people they know and trust and may feel deeply connected or even grateful to the captor. 83% of confirmed sex trafficking cases in the United States were US Citizens
Most victims are not held in physical chains, yet physical and psychological abuse prevent them from running away or asking for help. Traffickers condition their victims through various methods of violence and manipulation to keep them mentally and emotionally enslaved.
It's extremely difficult for victims to come forward for help. Through psychological conditioning, most don't identify themselves as victims. Others believe there is no way out, as they have been completely stripped of their identity and worth.
Traffickers use many methods of threats and coercion to control victims. Forced drug use and threats against family and loved ones are common. This violence encourages victims to cooperate to avoid additional punishment.
Even if a victim appears to be alone, her trafficker is likely nearby watching her every move. Controlling personal documentation, when she eats, sleeps and what she wears, the trafficker takes complete control over her life.
How Traffickers Lure People In:
“Stories become weapons in the hands of human traffickers – fantastical tales of romantic love everlasting and happily ever afters, or tall tales about decent jobs, good wages, waiting for vulnerable workers, just over the horizon. Sometimes, the stories themselves raise red flags. Let’s say, for example, a teacher learns her student plans to run away with a man who promises to make her a model.”
- Taken from Polaris Project, the leading organization in national data and research, and the organization responsible for managing the National Human Trafficking Hotline
How to Recognize the Signs
Someone appears to be newly showered with gifts or money or otherwise become the object of some kind of overwhelming, fast-moving and asymmetric (young/older; wealthy/struggling) romantic relationship.
The person is developing a relationship which seems “too close” with someone they know solely on social media.
The person is offered a job opportunity that appears too good to be true
A person is recruited for an opportunity that requires them to move far away but their recruiter/prospective employer evades answering their questions or is reluctant to provide detailed information about the job.
Is the person accompanied by someone who seems controlling or abusive?
Do they have to ask permission to eat, sleep or go to the bathroom?
Is the person rarely allowed in public? Can they go out in public alone?
Do they have more than one cell phone?
Can you detect physical or psychological abuse?
Is someone else collecting their pay or holding their money for "safe keeping"?
Keep in mind that many victims have a strong sense of distrust and do not see themselves as victims. Being discrete is essential as their trafficker is likely near by. If you see someone that appears to need help, please contact the National Trafficking Hotline (1.888.3737.888) or your local law enforcement.
Please visit polarisproject.org for more information on human trafficking.
Laws Against Trafficking
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA)
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2013
California Trafficking Victims Protection Act
Find California Trafficking Legislation here
