1. Human Trafficking
Overview
Why Trafficking Exists
The Traffickers
The Victims
The Facilitators
Myths & Misconceptions
Anti-Trafficking Efforts
Sex Trafficking in the U.S.
Labor Trafficking in the U.S.
Recognizing the Signs
International Trafficking
Trafficking FAQs
State-by-State Resources
Calendar of Events
The NHTRC Human Trafficking Report a Tip Access Training Resources Map Get Involved Contact
Like drugs and arms trafficking, human trafficking is a market-driven criminal
industry that is based on the principles of supply and demand. Many factors
make children and adults vulnerable to human trafficking. However, human
trafficking does not exist solely because many people who are vulnerable to
exploitation. Instead, human trafficking is fueled by a demand for cheap labor or
services, or for commercial sex acts. Human traffickers are those who victimize
others in their desire to profit from the existing demand. To ultimately solve the
problem of human trafficking, it is essential to address these demand-driven
factors, as well as to alter the overall market incentives of high-profit and low-
risk that traffickers currently exploit.
Why does demand thrive?
Labor traffickingandsex traffickingof U.S. citizens andforeignnationals persist andthrive for a
number of reasons, including:
1. LowRisk:Whenthe community is unaware of this issue, whengovernment andcommunity
institutions are not trainedto respond, whenthere are ineffective or dormant laws to address the
crime, whensafety nets for victims do not exist, andwhenlawenforcement does not investigate
andprosecute the crime, humantraffickers perceive little risk or deterrence to affect their
criminal operations.
2. HighProfits:Whenindividuals are willingto buy commercial sex, they create amarket andmake
it profitable for traffickers to sexually exploit childrenandadults.
Whenconsumers are willingto buy goods andservices fromindustries that rely onforcedlabor,
they create aprofit incentive for labor traffickers to maximize revenue withminimal production
costs.
Left unchecked, humantraffickingwill continue to flourishinenvironments where traffickers canreap
substantial monetary gains withrelatively lowrisk of gettingcaught.
Demand For Labor Trafficking: What You Need To Know
Humantraffickingvictims make analarmingly highnumber of consumer goods andfoodproducts that
are bothimportedto the UnitedStates andproduceddomestically. More oftenthanwe realize,
somewhere inthe supply chainof the products we buy, elements of exploitative childlabor or forced
labor may be present. As economies aroundthe worldintegrate, it has become faster andeasier for
goods producedwithforcedlabor to enter the global market. Inthe U.S., labor traffickers exploit and
enslave bothforeignnationals (some of whomenter the U.S. legally)andU.S. citizens. Click here for a
list of industries where labor traffickingoccurs.
Inmany cases of labor trafficking, consumers provide the demand, andthus the profit incentive, to the
traffickers. These consumers caninclude companies that subcontract certaintypes of services, end-
consumers who buy cheapgoods producedby traffickingvictims, or individuals who use the services
of traffickingvictims. By changingpurchasingchoices andaskingquestions about howour products
were made, consumers have the power to reduce these types of demandandhelpstophuman
trafficking.
Demand For Sex Trafficking: What You Need To Know
Why Trafficking Exists E-mail PrintShare
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2. Top Resources
HumanTrafficking
National HumanTraffickingResource
Center
Sex TraffickingintheU.S.
RecognizingtheSigns
TheVictims
Client Quotes
Individuals who buy commercial sex acts create the demandfor sex trafficking. Click here for alist of
venues withinthe commercial sex industry inwhichsex traffickinghas beenfoundto take place.
Many sex buyers may be unaware, ill-informed, or indirect denial of the abusive realities of sex
traffickingsituations as they exist withinthe broader sex trade. Whensex traffickingis present,
victims are oftensubjectedto violence, threats, controllingbehaviors, false promises, lies, and
manipulationperpetratedby the traffickers/pimps. Popular media, includingcertainbooks, movies,
televisionshows, andmusic, sometimes glamorize andromanticize the commercial sex industry
without properly acknowledgingthe presence of sex trafficking. This glamorizationthenfuels the
demandfor payingsomeone else to have sex withthem. Additionally, it is commonthat victims of
traffickingwill not discuss their situationwithcustomers or ask for helpbecause they are trainedby
their traffickers to lie andkeepupthe act. As aresult, "johns" may not fully realize the truthbehind
the facade, or the painbehindthe smile. Inplaces andcommunities where there is ademandto bux
sex, sex traffickers directly respondto the demandby seekingto offer a"product" to be soldfor
profit. To sex traffickers, the "product" they sell are the womenandchildrenthey control.
Contact
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Washington, D.C. 20009
Tel: 202-745-1001
Fax: 202-745-1119
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