Why We Exist

• A person appears fearful, anxious, withdrawn, or controlled by another individual.
• Someone else speaks for the person or prevents them from communicating freely.
• A person shows signs of being monitored, threatened, or isolated from friends, family, or support systems.
• The individual does not have control of their identification documents, does not have access to their identification, or may have no identification at all.
• The individual lacks control over their money, transportation, or personal decisions.
• A person is working excessive hours, in unsafe conditions, or appears unable to leave an employment situation.
• Someone owes a debt or feels obligated to continue working because of threats, manipulation, or promises that were not fulfilled.
• A person has unstable housing, frequent moves, or is dependent on others for basic needs.
• The individual has unexplained injuries, health concerns, or signs of physical, emotional, or psychological trauma.
• A person has experienced grooming, exploitation, or manipulation through relationships, online contact, or promises of love, safety, money, or opportunity.
• A child or vulnerable adult is involved in commercial sex or situations where they are being exploited for another person's financial gain.

Human trafficking occurs in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and U.S. territories. It impacts people of all ages, genders, races, and backgrounds.
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Many survivors interact with community systems, including healthcare, education, social services, and law enforcement, before trafficking is recognized.
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Human trafficking is often hidden. Victims may not immediately recognize they are being exploited or may face fear, threats, manipulation, or dependence on their trafficker that prevents them from seeking help.

An estimated 50 million people worldwide are living in some form of modern-day slavery. This includes forced labor, forced marriage, sex trafficking, and other forms of exploitation.
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Human trafficking is a global crime that affects every region of the world, including communities here in the United States.

Traffickers profit by exploiting people through force, fraud, or coercion, often targeting individuals experiencing vulnerability, instability, poverty, isolation, or a lack of support.

Women and girls are disproportionately impacted, particularly in cases of commercial sexual exploitation, though men and boys are also victims of trafficking. Children are especially vulnerable to exploitation, including child sex trafficking and forced labor.

Human trafficking generates billions of dollars in illegal profits each year, making it one of the most profitable criminal industries in the world.

Many survivors are not immediately recognized as trafficking victims because exploitation can involve manipulation, threats, emotional control, and relationships of dependence, not just physical force.

Human trafficking can happen in cities, rural communities, workplaces, homes, and online spaces. It is not limited to other countries or distant places, it happens in communities everywhere.

Awareness is the first step to combating human trafficking. It assists communities to have a meaningful and impactful response in prevention, to assist victims, and to take action against the demand for human trafficking.