Facts About Human Trafficking

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What are some warning signs of Human Trafficking to look out for?

There are many risk factors and red flags that may indicate evidence of trafficking and/or exploitation. Top risk factors include youth who experience homelessness or have frequent runaway attempts, truancy, and those with incidence of drug abuse, physical abuse, or extreme violence and neglect within the home. Keep in mind that some, all, or none of these may be present and every trafficking victim is different.

Some indications that a person may be a victim of human trafficking include (especially in the case of women and children):
Appearing malnourished
Showing signs of physical injuries and abuse
Avoiding eye contact, social interaction, and authority figures/law enforcement
Seeming to adhere to scripted or rehearsed responses in social interaction
Lacking official identification documents
Appearing destitute/lacking personal possessions
Working excessively long hours
Living at place of employment
Checking into hotels/motels with older males, and referring to those males as boyfriend or “daddy,” which is often street slang for pimp
Poor physical or dental health 
Tattoos/ branding on the neck and/or lower back
Untreated sexually transmitted diseases
Small children serving in a family restaurant
Security measures that appear to keep people inside an establishment - barbed wire inside of a fence, bars covering the insides of windows
Not allowing people to go into public alone, or speak for themselves