About Human Trafficking

A human trafficker is anyone helping in any part of the process of trafficking: recruitment, transportation, harboring, exploitation.  Both females and males have been convicted for their involvement as traffickers nationally and internationally.  

Trafficked persons in the United States can be men or women, adults or children, foreign nationals or US citizens.  Some are well-educated, while others have no formal education. Average age range of entry is 11-14 years old (boys and girls).  However, people can become victims at any age, as infants and adults.

Note: Any situation where one is forced, tricked, or coerced into doing a commercial sexual act such as stripping, pornography or explicit photos also falls under the definition of sex trafficking.

Currently listed as the second largest, fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world, human trafficking cases have been reported in every state in the United States. Assessing the prevalence of any illicit crime is incredibly difficult, especially for a hidden crime like slavery.  In 2014, the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that human trafficking generates $150 billion in illicit profits.  Experts also estimate that in 2016 at any given time, there were 40.3 million people held in modern slavery (ILO, Walk Free Foundation); these estimates indicate there are more slaves today than at any other time during recorded history, including during the trans-atlantic slave trade.

Click here to be directed to our FAQ page, to find out more about human trafficking.

Click here to find out how you can be a part of the solution, through our award-winning Prevention Project program.