Human trafficking is a problem in every state, and in every community.
If you believe that someone is being trafficked or exploited, call the The National Human Trafficking Resource Center to report your suspicions and seek help. All calls are treated anonymously:
1-888-3737-888
Here are some of the warning signs to look out for.
Common Work/Living Conditions
Rarely allowed out of the house, unless their employer or guardian is with them
Has few personal possessions and always wear the same clothes regardless of the weather or circumstances
Lives in a location that has high security measures (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)
Seems to work excessively long or odd hours
Lack of Control
Does not have identification documents, or is not in control of his/her own identification documents
Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)
Abnormal Behavior in Public
Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
Avoids eye contact and speaking with others
Inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
Poor Physical Health
Shows signs of physical abuse or physical restraint
Appears malnourished
HUMAN TRAFFICKING: ABDUCTING, FORCING, DECEIVING OR RECRUITING SOMEONE INTO WORKING AGAINST THEIR WILL. MOST COMMONLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION.
TRATA DE PERSONAS: RAPTAR O FORZAR, ENGAÑAR O RECRUTAR A PERSONAS PARA TRABAJAR EN CONTRA DE SU VOLUNTAD. COMUNMENTE CON EL PROPÓSITO DE USAR PARA EXPLOTACIÓN SEXUAL.
"Trafficking in persons" shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs...
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83% OF CONFIRMED TRAFFICKING CASES IN THE UNITED STATES ARE AMERICAN BORN CITIZENS
It's hard to believe, but more humans are being used as slaves than ever before.
Between 700,000 and 4 million women and children will be trafficked this year, with the majority being forced to work in the sex trade. In America, there are an estimated 40,000 men, women and children enslaved at this very moment. If everyone who cares takes action, we can end slavery once and for all.
is the international symbol for currency. We use it in our design to emphasize that no human being should be anyone else's property.
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Resources
These modern day abolitionists are fighting slavery across the globe. Here's how you can join them.*
These resources are listed here as a public service. Inclusion on our website does not constitute an endorsement by Don’t Sell Bodies, Overbrook Entertainment or Jada Pinkett Smith.
The Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) is a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual human rights organization providing comprehensive case management, services, and advocacy to survivors healing from the violence endured during slavery. CAST provides comprehensive long-term services through a three-pronged empowerment approach which includes Social Services, Legal Services, and Outreach and Training. The organization also operates the first shelter in the nation solely dedicated to serving victims of trafficking and established the first partnership of its kind with Saban Free Clinic – a family clinic in Los Angeles trained to address the health and mental health needs of trafficking victims.
Not For Sale uses the power of business and social enterprise to create viable alternatives to slavery. By empowering vulnerable communities, and engaging business, government and the grassroots, Not For Sale has created a modern day abolitionist movement in countries across the Globe. On November 1st and 2nd 2012, Not For Sale will be hosting Justice for the Bottom Billion - a Global Forum on stemming the tide of human trafficking.
Named after the North Star which guided slaves to freedom on the underground railroad, Polaris Project is one of the largest anti- trafficking organizations in the United States and Japan. The organization is active in lobbying for legislative change - including the current push for the CASE Act - and provides direct support to victims of trafficking. Polaris has been instrumental in providing training on human trafficking for law enforcement, social services and other public sector employees.
Founded by Rachel Lloyd, GEMS works with women and girls who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. The organization helps young girls transition out of the sex industry and get back to their full potential. GEMS was also instrumental in lobbying for passage of the Safe Harbor Act for Sexually Exploited Youth, which provides that girls under the age of 16, who are arrested in New York for prostitution will be treated as victims, rather than criminals.
California harbors three of FBI's 13 highest child sex trafficking areas in the nation (Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego), and it has received an F rating from leading anti-trafficking organizations. California Against Slavery has already coordinated the successful push for THE CASE ACT - a groundbreaking ballot initiative that will increase penalties for human trafficking, ensure increased support for survivors, and mandate training for law enforcement and other officials.
The Slavery Footprint website shows consumers how their consumption habits are connected to modern-day slavery, showing them just how many slaves it takes to support their lifestyle. Through the "Free World" mobile app and online action center, Slavery Footprint provides consumers with an outlet to voice their demand for products made without slave labor.
Shared Hope International is a leading light in the worldwide effort to prevent and eradicate sex trafficking and slavery. The organization uses every means possible to alert the vulnerable to the dangers of trafficking, and partners with local organizations to offer victims of the sex trade safe shelter, therapy, spiritual and physical healing, education and vocational training. Shared Hope International also campaigns for fundamental cultural and legislative change to ensure the just treatment of victims and the prosecution of perpetrators alike.
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. It exists to help people to report tips/suspicious activity; connect with anti-trafficking services in their area, or to request training, technical assistance or anti-trafficking resources. The NHTRC is a program of Polaris Project, a non-profit, non-governmental organization working exclusively on the issue of human trafficking. NHTRC is not a government entity, law enforcement or an immigration authority. It can be reached at 1-888-3737-888
The fight to end slavery must include a robust response from Government. Every year, the Department of Justice publishes an overview of government efforts to and the trafficking of people. Covering everything from law enforcement and prosecutions to training and grant funding, this is a vital resource for anti-trafficking activists.
Tina Frundt was “freed” from sex trafficking as a teen, only to be forced into the juvenile detention system. She founded Courtney's House as an alternative – funding a group residential home for survivors where they could heal, recover and move beyond their experiences without criminalization. Their first group home was forced to close due to lack of funding, but they are actively working toward a new home. In the meantime, they are providing drop-in services, outreach and law enforcement training.
FAIR Girls provides education, outreach and empowerment to girls who have been, or are at risk of being, sexually exploited. With programs in Bosnia, Montenegro, Serbia, Russia, Uganda, and the United States, the organization creates opportunities for girls to become confident, happy, healthy young women. From emergency response through individual care to group empowerment workshops and prevention education, FAIR Girls works toward a world where all young women can live free from exploitation.
Polaris Project Japan is the only organization in Japan solely dedicated to combating all forms of human trafficking. They are a leading voice for victims of human trafficking and for calling attention to this human rights issue. Polaris runs case management services for survivors, a nationwide hotline for reporting trafficking, national education and awareness-raising efforts, policy advocacy, corporate outreach, and prevention programs.
Proyecto Esperanza (Project HOPE) is the response of the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers to the problem of trafficking in women in Spain. Since 1999, the group has offered a comprehensive support program for women who are victims of human trafficking for the purposes of exploitation. The Project has a multidisciplinary team who consider trafficking-in-persons to be a violation of human rights. The team consists of lawyers, educators, social workers, intercultural mediators, psychologists and other professionals.
Girls in the United States are subject to violence with horrifying frequency. One in four American girls will experience sexual violence by the age of 18. Girls aged 16 to 19 are four times more likely than others to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. And, nearly one in five women reports being subject to rape in her lifetime.
Violence against girls in the US is a human rights issue. Human Rights Project For Girls works to ensure it is viewed as such, and that ending this epidemic becomes a priority for our society.
Kristi House's Project GOLD program assists commercially sexually exploited children by offering coordinated service to the victims and through training and awareness building in Miami Dade County. Kristi House, as the Miami Dade County CAC, strives to create local model programs that are easily replicated in other communities and continuously works to recognize this population of child sexual abuse victims as just that - victims - not criminals. Project GOLD is led by Trudy Novicki, Executive Director and author of the Florida Safe Harbor Act and by Sandy Skelaney, Program Manager.
Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting, and Serving Sexually Exploited Youth (MISSSEY) advocates and facilitates the empowerment and inner transformation of sexually exploited youth by holistically addressing their specific needs. MISSSEY collaborates to bring about systemic and community change to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth through raising awareness, education and policy development. MISSSEY embodies a peer and survivor led model that recognizes the value of young people empowering other young people and the crucial voices of survivors in facilitating healing in victims of commercial sexual exploitation. MISSSEY seeks to partner with youth in their transition from victim to survivor to leader, encouraging their long-term stability and success in whatever path they choose.
International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that brings rescue to victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to secure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to ensure that public justice systems - police, courts and laws - effectively protect the poor. IJM's justice professionals work in their communities in 15 field offices in Asia, Africa and Latin America to secure tangible and sustainable protection of national laws through local court systems.
4Sarah builds trusting and non-judgmental relationships with women and girls working in the life as strippers, prostitutes, escorts or victims of sexual exploitation through outreach into their work environment.
The vision for Abolition International surfaced in 2005 when Natalie Grant founded the Home Foundation to support aftercare programs for victims of sex trafficking around the world. The Home Foundation later evolved into Abolition International, combating sex trafficking through accreditation, advocacy and restoration.
The Atlanta Women’s Foundation is dedicated to breaking the generational cycle of poverty for women and girls that often lead to trafficking. The organization aims to be a catalyst for change in the lives of individuals.
Children of the Night is dedicated to assisting children between the ages of eleven and seventeen who are being commercially sexually exploited. All programs are provided through the support of private donations.
Covenant House Georgia & Washington are part of the International Covenant House movement, the largest privately funded agency in the Americas serving homeless, runaway and at-risk youth.
The mission for Crosswalk Ministries USA, Inc. is to reduce juvenile crime and address its causes by providing Christ-centered preventive and aftercare programs for at-risk youth and juvenile offenders.
ECPAT International is a global network of organisations working together for the elimination of child prostitution, child pornography and the trafficking of children for sexual purposes. It seeks to ensure that children everywhere enjoy their fundamental rights free and secure from all forms of commercial sexual exploitation.
FFAWN’s mission is to empower and encourage women by shaping and supporting programs that foster education, career development, strong self-esteem and personal growth.
Georgia Women for a Change is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that stands on the front lines of progressive change for Georgia’s women and girls. Together with its non-profit allies and diverse constituents from throughout Georgia, Georgia Women for a Change speaks with a unified voice on issues of economic security, equal rights and freedom from violence.
Gracehaven is the only organization in Ohio focusing on domestic minor sex trafficking, offering care for sexually exploited children by providing comprehensive client centered services.
InterAct is a private, non-profit, United Way agency that provides safety, support, and awareness to victims and survivors of domestic violence and rape/sexual assault in Wake County, NC. InterAct fulfills this mission through the support of its volunteers and community.
GenerateHope provides a safe place for victims of sex trafficking to be restored through long-term housing, healing, and education. Since recovery from sexual exploitation is a long-term process, GenerateHope provides individualized support to work through past trauma.
Love146 is an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation through survivor care, prevention education, professional training and empowering movement.
Million Kids works with local law enforcement and concerned citizens, businesses, and organizations to end human trafficking domestically, helping activists and communities develop effective anti-trafficking programs in their locales.
Promise Place exists to prevent domestic violence through awareness programs, educational training and providing safe environments for the victims and their families, utilizing legal advocacy, emergency shelters and transitional housing.
Saving Our Children and Families (SOCAF), Inc. is a Georgia-based nonprofit organization committed to providing intervention services for children that have been sexually abused. Through education and mentoring, SOCAF will put these children on a pathway to success.
Streetlight’s vision is to eradicate child sex slavery through increased awareness by creating nationwide, community-based collaborations and safe houses.
The WellHouse is a nonprofit, faith-based and Christ centered organization devoted to the rescue and recovery of women who are being sexually exploited. Based in Birmingham, Alabama, The WellHouse reaches out to victims of sex trafficking across the southeastern United States.
When we think of human trafficking, more often than not we think of people who have been bought, sold, and forced to perform sexual acts. But while sexual slavery is a horrifying form of exploitation that is all too prevalent around the world, forced labour may in fact be a more common form of human trafficking. And it could be happening right outside your window.
A modern-day slave is often hidden in plain sight. You may even have met one today — according to anti-trafficking organisation the Polaris Project, some of the most common hubs of labour trafficking are domestic labour, farms, restaurants, and even health and beauty services.
Photographer Xyza Bacani spent several months documenting the daily reality of survivors of labour trafficking in New York City. In photos, she tells the story of Daisy Benin Santos, a woman who was trafficked from the Philippines in 2008 and spent two years in captivity before she escaped.
Benin Santos told Bacani she had been tricked. Promised a lucrative job in a hotel in Missouri, Benin Santos paid thousands of dollars to her trafficker to bring her into the country legally. Instead, the trafficker let Benin Santos’ work visa expire (leaving her undocumented), and took her to Panama, FL, where Benin Santos was forced to work as a cleaner. Her trafficker took the little money Benin Santos made and put it towards exorbitant charges for rent and food, keeping Benin Santos firmly locked in debt bondage.
“The hardest part for [these women] was the feeling of hopelessness,” Bacani told Refinery29 by email. She added that the stories hit close to home: “There were some scenes where it’s like a flashback of my life.”
Bacani, a native of the Philippines, spent close to a decade working as a domestic servant in Hong Kong, although she wasn’t trafficked. As a free labourer, Bacani had the ability to leave her employers if she wanted, and to pursue her own dreams and education on the side. But as a labourer and a migrant, Bacani connects to these women’s experiences. “I’ve been on both sides,” she said. “That gives me an extra perspective [on] these women’s stories.”
Andrea Panjwani works with survivors of trafficking every day. She’s a managing attorney for My Sister’s Place, a New York-based organisation that aids survivors. She told Refinery29 that immigrants are especially vulnerable to being trafficked. “They may not have the language [skills], or any sense…that they have a right to labour protections even though they’re not documented,” Panjwani said.
“Labour trafficking is a very significant problem in the U.S.,” she explained, estimating that there are tens of thousands of people trafficked in the New York City area alone. Panjwani said the problem has grown so large because: “Everyone benefits. We have cheaper products and services because people are trafficked.” And the fact that the practice is so widespread makes it hard to identify and help victims.
“Human labour trafficking victims are hard to pinpoint because some of them don’t have physical proof that they are victims,” Bacani says. “How should a victim look? We’ll never know.”
As for Benin Santos, she’s finally free from forced labour. After escaping her traffickers, she found work for a new family in New York City before finally returning home to the Philippines to live with her three daughters. “She loves her children so much,” Bacani said of Benin Santos. “I’m really happy for her.”
Ahead, powerful photos that tell the story of Dasiy Benin Santos.
Daisy Benin Santos cleans her new employer’s house, with the NYC skyline as a background. When she was trafficked, she said she felt like her life was always in chaos. Now, she is freely working for a new family.
New York City June 27, 2015
When Daisy first arrived in the U.S. on February 22, 2008, she was supposed to work in the Grand Plaza Hotel in Branson, MO. Her recruiter took her to Panama, FL instead.
New York City June 27, 2015.
Another nanny and a child arrive for a playdate with the children Daisy watches.
New York City June 27, 2015.
During the time Daisy was trafficked, she was forced to live with 12 other people crammed into a tiny apartment. She remembers the standard of living as terrible.
New York City June 27, 2015
Daisy has been nannying for this new family for four years, after escaping her traffickers.
New York City June 27, 2015.
Daisy talks to her youngest daughter, still back in the Philippines, every day.
Queens, NY July 06, 2015
Daisy and her friend Cherry share their experiences as trafficking survivors.
Queens, NY July 6, 2015
Daisy attends a human trafficking event after mass at Saint James church. A practicing Catholic, she attends mass every Sunday.
Queens, NY July 06, 2015.
Daisy lives in a tiny bedroom in Queens, New York City. She’s trying to save money to reunite with her children. Her walls are covered with photos of her three daughters.
Queens, NY July 02, 2015
The remaining members of another group of trafficking victims, known as the Florida 15, all live together in this home in Jersey City. They can’t afford the high cost of rent in New York City.
Jersey City June 3, 2015
Daisy has three daughters, with whom she skypes. She went without seeing her children for seven years, until she was recently able to reunite with them in the Philippines.
Investigators obtained emails from executives in California which showed that its employees in India were often found to simply remove a word, phrase or image to “sanitize” the advert rather than remove it, covering up any suggestion of illegality, said Senator Portman.
One email found read: “IF IN DOUBT ABOUT UNDERAGE: the process for now should be to accept the ad …. However, if you ever find anything that you feel IS UNDERAGE AND is more than just suspicious, you can delete the ad[.]” “ONLY DELETE IF YOU REALLY VERY SURE PERSON IS UNDERAGE.”
“Witnesses have told the trial they were lured from the shores of the Bay of Bengal with the promise of the good life in Malaysia, Radio Free Asia reports. But instead of disembarking there, they were held while traffickers demanded that their families back home paid ransoms. If they couldn’t pay, the victims were used as slave labor, or simply killed.”
“The United States and European Union are keeping up pressure on Thailand to continue with reforms in its fishing industry to resolve issues such as slave labor and the exploitation of seafood plant workers. The measures by the Thai Government are seen by analysts as key steps in a bid to boost Thailand’s rating in the U.S.’s annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report due later this year.
The world’s third largest seafood exporter, has faced intense pressure to reform work practices in the multi-million dollar seafood export industry, which is threatened by sanctions in markets such as the European Union and United States.”
At 17, Danielle was forced into prostitution - but she says the average age of girls being forced into sex slavery is just 12.
"It's like being raped over and over and over and over," says Danielle.
Rain is more typical of the average American victim, having entered prostitution at the age of 11.
When asked about the men whom she slept with, she is unequivocal about what they were: child abusers.
"I'm not going to label them Johns," she says.
VICTIMS NOT CRIMINALS
Carissa was 12 years old when she was coerced into prostitution.
"I remember him vividly putting his arm around me and acting like he was my buddy. Within days, he was raping me violently."
With children as young as 11 or 12 being exploited for sex, there is a pressing need to differentiate between pimps and prostitutes. Nearly all prostitutes in the US are victims of child sex trafficking, and activists around the country are pushing for law enforcement to recognize them as victims - while focusing their efforts on the real criminals, the pimps and johns who make this industry possible.
The CASE Act will raise the penalties for human trafficking, forcing sex traffickers to register as sex offenders, and mandating training on human trafficking for law enforcement.
It will also funnel more funds for victim support.
DISABLED CHILDREN TARGETED
When Vicki's 17-year-old daughter went missing, she feared she was dead. When she was found, Vicki discovered that she had been bought and sold for sex.
Vicki's daughter is developmentally disabled, with a mental age of just 11. Targeting of such vulnerable children is a growing trend within the trafficking industry.
Vicki is now helping to push the CASE Act (Californians Against Sexual Exploitation) - a ballot initiative that will raise penalties for trafficking and increase support for survivors.
Don't Sell Bodies was conceived by Jada Pinkett Smith and Overbrook Entertainment.
It was designed by The Change Creation and Goroboto.
It is dedicated to the victims and survivors of trafficking, and the heroes who are fighting to eradicate it.
Creative Team:
Jada Pinkett Smith
Chris "CJay" Jordan
Paress Salinas
Sami Grover
Jerry Stifelman
Chelsea Bay Dennis
Rebekah Miel
Tennessee Watson
Rob Biddiscombe
