OVERVIEW

What is Human Trafficking?

Men, women, and children are sold into a $150 billion annual market for sex and labor. This is happening globally, nationally and locally; in hotels, restaurants, and on street corners. Slavery is wrapped up in almost every industry’s supply chain, tainting the food we eat, the clothes we buy, and the electronics we love. Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery and involves the movement of people by means of violence, deception or coercion for the purpose of forced labor, servitude, or slavery-like practices. It is a market-based economy that exists on principles of supply and demand. It thrives due to conditions, which allow for high profits to be generated at low risk.

Types of Human Trafficking

Sex Trafficking
Victims of sex trafficking can be found working for massage parlors, brothels, strip clubs, escort services and on the street. They may be children, teenagers or adults lured by false promises and ultimately forced into prostitution.

Labor Trafficking
Victims of labor trafficking can be found in many types of domestic and non-domestic situations. They work as nannies and maids, in sweatshops, janitorial jobs, restaurants, hair and nail salons, in street sales and on construction sites and farms. The victims are trapped into a cycle of debt, forcing them into involuntary servitude, debt bondage and slavery.

Additional Information

Polaris Human Trafficking Training

Polaris Project Human Trafficking 101 Training

Faces of Human Trafficking | Office for Victims of Crime

Man to Man Campaign • TRUCKERS AGAINST TRAFFICKING

Human Trafficking Fact Sheet - Office on Trafficking in Persons

Love146 Not a Number Curriculum ~ Child trafficking and exploitation prevention curriculum.

The Life Story ~ Explore 13 moments when survivors, service providers, funders, advocates and allies can make a difference for girls and women in life.

Labor Exploitation and Trafficking of Agricultural Workers During the Pandemic
A Snapshot: June 2021 ~ Polaris examined data from the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline to determine the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human trafficking in the United States. The effort involved comparing the volume of identified likely trafficking situations in separate periods before and during the pandemic response.

RADIO, TV, PODCASTS

Prairie Public Main Street Interview

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 - Stacy Schaffer is the founder and executive director of 31:8 project. The organization works to address issues regarding human trafficking. She joins us to discuss issues of human trafficking in North Dakota, and she’ll preview the group’s Bakken Human Trafficking Summit, coming up June 7-8.