$236B

Human trafficking generates $236 billion in illegal profits per year, a 37% increase since 2014. Forced commercial sexual exploitation accounts for more than two-thirds (73 per cent) of the total illegal profits, despite accounting for only 27% of the total number of victims. (International Labour Organization, 2024)

49.6M

According to a September, 2022 report from the International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration, an estimated 49.6 million victims are trapped in modern-day slavery (forced labor, forced sexual exploitation and forced marriage). It occurs in almost every country in the world, and cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious lines. More than half (52 per cent) of all forced labor and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle income or high-income countries with women and children remaining disproportionately vulnerable.

All 10

Sex Trafficking has been documented in every state - including all 10 counties in New Hampshire. It is happening in rural areas and suburbia as well as urban centers. There were 86 new human trafficking investigations by the NH Human Trafficking Collaborative Task Force in 2022.

It is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world and incredibly lucrative, an industry built on the buying and selling of human beings for profit and pleasure. The profits are substantial and the risks of being prosecuted are slim.

Federal law defines sex trafficking as the “recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age”. A commercial sex act, which can include prostitution, pornography, work at strip clubs, and/or webcamming, is an act performed in exchange for anything of value. What is received in this exchange is often money, but can include something as simple as a hamburger for someone who is hungry, a place to stay, drugs, or higher status in a gang.

While it is true that there are individuals who are at higher risk of victimization - such as runaway and homeless youth, those who have experienced abuse and young people who have been in the foster care system - all children, teens, and adults are vulnerable to some extent. Traffickers are masters at targeting and manipulation, seeking out the vulnerable at malls, schools, transit stations, shelters, group homes, recovery meetings – as well as through social media. Potential victims are approached and groomed, sometimes while living at home, and are often advertised for sale on the internet. A comparatively small percentage of these cases involve abductions. Most are being trafficked by people they have met and know, threatened with harm to themselves or their families if they try to leave or tell someone.

A lack of community awareness and understanding of the dynamics of sex trafficking, coupled with the hidden nature of the crime, make the roles of the trafficker/pimp and the recruiter relatively easy and the task of law enforcement much more difficult. Fueled by a growing demand for commercial sex and the considerable profits that can be be made, the magnitude of this crime can seem overwhelming, but we can work together to make a difference. Seek out education and training, share with those in your sphere of influence about the tactics of traffickers, and know the red flags to watch for. There is truly no place for ignorance and complacency - this is happening on our watch. We who have the freedom, resources and opportunity can take a stand, seek justice, and support victims and survivors.

List of Potential Indicators and Red Flags

The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report is the U.S. Government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking. It is also the world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-trafficking efforts and reflects the U.S. Government’s commitment to global leadership on this key human rights and law enforcement issue.

If you believe you may have information about a
trafficking situation or need help:

Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free hotline at 1-888-373-7888: Hotline Advocates are available 24/7 to provide help or receive tips of potential human trafficking and when appropriate, will connect to service providers or law enforcement in the reported state.

Text the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 233733. Message and data rates may apply.

Chat the National Human Trafficking Hotline via www.humantraffickinghotline.org/chat