The Justice Project: Addressing Human Trafficking

“Trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” are used as umbrella terms to refer to both sex trafficking and compelled labor. These can be described as compelled service including involuntary servitude, slavery or practices similar to slavery, debt bondage, and forced labor.

• • • Human trafficking is the business of exploiting vulnerable women, men, and children in conditions of sexual and labor servitude. Traffickers use fraud, deception, coercion, threats and force to transport, harbor or obtain people to perform commercial sex or labor acts against their will.
    • Human trafficking is a global problem. More than $40 billion in profits are generated worldwide from trafficking in human beings in this second largest criminal industry after drug dealing.
    • There are about 100 trafficking victims every hour. Between 600,000 and 800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year.
    • According to the Department of Health and Human Services and the Justice Department, each year:
    • Between 14,500 and 17,500 people are brought to the United States in trafficking operations.

50% of these are children.

46% of those trafficked are in sex trafficking.

According to a Justice Department report in 2008:

83% of those trafficked were involved in sex trafficking

92% of those trafficked were women

27% were 17 years old or younger; another 38% were between 18 and 24

By ethnicity, 40% were Hispanic and 21% were Black

55% were U. S. citizens

According to the U. S. Department of Justice and the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children, 1/3 of the teens on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.