What is Human Trafficking?

What are the types of human trafficking?

There are two types of human trafficking: labor trafficking and sex trafficking.

What is labor trafficking?

Labor trafficking is when a person is made to work against their will because someone else forced, threatened, pressured, or lied to them. A trafficker might scare people into working by threatening harm, or they might lie about the law to convince people they have to work or they’ll get in trouble. Even if someone agreed to work in the past, traffickers can still be guilty of labor trafficking if they ever used force, threats, pressure, or lies.

What is sex trafficking?

18 or older:
Sex trafficking for adults is when someone makes someone else do sexual acts for money or something of value by forcing, threatening, pressuring, or lying to them. Even if the person made a choice to do sexual acts for money or something of value in the past, traffickers can still be guilty of sex trafficking if they ever used force, pressure, threats, or lies.

Under 18:
Child sex trafficking is when a person under the age of 18 is involved in a sexual act for money or something of value. Even if the person is not forced, threatened, pressured, or lied to, it is still sex trafficking because the law says people under the age of 18 are too young to consent to sex acts. This means even if there was no force, the youth still experienced sex trafficking

Note: You may have heard this called “child prostitution” but people under the age of 18 should not ever be referred to as “prostitutes” because the law says they are not old enough to consent to sex acts.

What is a sexual act or sexual purpose?

Examples of a sexual act or purpose are someone touching your private parts, you touching someone else’s private parts,  or someone taking a sexual picture or video of you. This also includes sexual performances such as dancing at a strip club.

What does it mean when the law says “something of value” or something valuable?

When the law talks about “something of value” it means something that could be used like a payment for a sexual act. This could be food, clothing, a place to stay, or other necessities. Other examples include makeup, alcohol, drugs, or taking you to get your hair or nails done. Protection from something or someone else can also be something of value. Even a favor can be “something of value” given in exchange for a sexual act.

In some cases, money or something of value may be given to the victim, or sometimes it may all be given to the trafficker. In some cases, money or something of value is given to the victim, but the victim is forced to give some or all of that money or valuable item to the trafficker later.

If someone finds out I experienced sex trafficking, will I be arrested and/or punished by the law?

A person who was forced, threatened, lied to, or pressured into doing a sexual act for money should not ever get in trouble for sex trafficking because they are considered the victim.  A person under the age of 18 who does a sexual act for money or something of value should also not ever get in trouble for sex trafficking because they are considered the victim. If the police find out that a person has experienced sex trafficking, they are supposed to try to help and protect that person.

What is debt bondage?

Debt bondage is when a trafficker tells you that you have to do what they say because you owe them a debt. This can happen when people try to move to the U.S. from another country. Traffickers may say that you owe money for your journey to the U.S. and the only way to pay that money back is to work for the trafficker (usually for little to no money). This is human trafficking, and it is against the law.

What is domestic servitude?

Domestic servitude is when someone is made to work in a private home for little to no money and they are not free to leave. Domestic servitude may involve being forced to work, being forced to do sexual acts, or both. This is human trafficking, and it is against the law.

What is survival sex?

Survival sex is when someone is involved in sexual acts to get basic things they need, like food, clothing, and a place to stay. If you are under the age of 18, this is sex trafficking.

What is grooming?

Grooming is how traffickers slowly build trust in order to gain control. It usually doesn’t feel harmful at first. Grooming can look like care, support, or love. Traffickers often look for vulnerable people who need help or connection, like people without a safe place to stay, people who feel lonely, or people who are trying to survive. They may meet people at places like bus stations, shelters, schools, online, or through social media. At first, they may seem kind, caring, and helpful. They might offer help, like food, a place to stay, rides, money, attention, or affection. They work to build trust by listening, showing interest, and acting like they truly care. As they become closer, traffickers isolate (take away) their victims from friends and family, making them feel like they need the trafficker more. Eventually, they may begin asking victims to do things they do not want to do by making them believe that it is normal, necessary, or “just how things are.”

Do traffickers always move victims from one place to another?

No. In some cases, human traffickers take victims far away from their homes. In other cases, human traffickers may traffic victims in the same neighborhood where the victims have lived their entire lives.

FosterPower provides information on the benefits, protections, and legal rights of children in Florida’s foster care system and does not include opinions. FosterPower is a non-partisan and independent project that is not affiliated with a government agency or organization. FosterPower is updated frequently, but you should always verify the law independently to ensure it is current.