Human trafficking is a pervasive, global problem with acute consequences for the survivors. Human trafficking, according to the U.S. Department of State, is a form of modern-day slavery involving the recruitment, harboring, or obtaining a person for labor or services, through force, fraud, coercion or threat for the purpose of exploitation. There are an estimated 40 million slaves in the world today - that’s more than at any other point in human history. Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise worldwide, with estimated total profits of $150 billion.
Human trafficking is happening right here in the United States:
- More than 49,000 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the Hotline in the last 10 years.
- According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported call data, there were 5,147 sex trafficking cases reported in the first half of 2018 alone.
- The 2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report found that more than 94% of active criminal cases for human trafficking involved sex trafficking.
- Of the active sex trafficking cases in the U.S. in 2018, 67.8% involved child victims.
The Issue in California:
- In 2019, there were 2,138 calls made to the Human Trafficking Hotline from California, leading to the investigation of 749 cases. Of these, 630 involved female victims and involved 77 males. Roughly of these cases involved 165 children (Polaris Project, 2019).
- In 2019, Tennessee received an “C” on the grade scale for their efforts to combat human trafficking.
In the last five years, communities across the country have worked to increase services for victims, help survivors find new jobs, strengthen penalties against traffickers, pass new laws, combat the demand for the purchasing of commercial sex, increase training for law enforcement, conduct awareness campaigns and so much more (Polaris Project, 2016). Let's keep the momentum going and continue running for freedom!
National Human Trafficking Hotline: CA Statistics
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