HUMAN TRAFFICKING & ABUSE

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National Hotline Data: 2019

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines “severe forms of trafficking in persons” as:

  • Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or

  • The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Note: A victim need not be physically transported from one location to another for the crime to fall within this definition.

It is perhaps the most repugnant social blight imaginable as it is -- at its core -- modern day slavery. It is proliferating worldwide and effects as many as 40 million men, women and children. There is no escaping ownership of our responsibility as a community to be vigilant and proactive because it is not only found across foreign borders or states lines – it is in our own backyard.  We support it when we purchase our clothes with delight at low prices, we utilize migrant workers to leverage cheaper labor, and when we leave women and youth vulnerable to predators in our community.  

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime published a report based on data gathered from 155 countries in a global assessment of Trafficking in People.  A few facts among their findings:

  • Approximately 80% of human trafficking is attributed to sexual exploitation.

  • Victims are predominantly women and girls

  • Almost 20% of all trafficking victims are children

  • The second most common form of human trafficking is forced labor, but it is under-reported.

What should you do if you believe someone is being trafficked?

DO NOT PUT YOURSELF IN HARM’S WAY

Call 9-1-1;

Report incidents and suspicions at https://www.ncsbi.gov/Contact-Us

    • It’s ok to report suspicions

    • If the victim is in immediate physical danger, call 9-1-1

    • Human trafficking, domestic violence, and/or sexual assault centers are trained in identification an outreach

    • Leave them with contact information that is inconspicuous or can be easily hidden

    • Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

    • If possible, separate the victim from any suspected traffickers

    • Rehearsed or canned stories are common and are not reflective of uncooperativeness or stubbornness by the victim

    • BE PERSISTENT; it may take several attempts for a victim to decide to seek assistance

    The COVID Effect:

    Polaris is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to take down the systems that support and fuel human trafficking. Polaris has operated a national hotline that responds to tips and trafficking victims requesting help since 2007. They are a leading authority on the collection of data, development of referral and reporting protocols, and outreach. Here were their findings regarding the Crisis in Human Trafficking During the Pandemic based on hotline surveys:

    • The number of trafficking situations increased by 40%

    • Of the service providers surveyed, 50% were either considering or had already limited referrals

    • The number of situations in which people needed immediate emergency shelter nearly doubled

    • Vulnerability risk to survival trafficking was significantly increased

  • Who is most vulnerable?

    • Individuals who have experienced childhood abuse or neglect

    • Children involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems

    • Runaway and homeless youth

    • Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders

    • Victims of Violence

    • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) individuals

    • Migrant workers

    • Undocumented immigrants

    • Racial and ethnic minorities

    • People with disabilities

    • People with low incomes

    • Those with a history of substance abuse

    • Those communities exposed to intergenerational trauma

    • People who remain socially isolated and/or have low self-esteem

    What are the Warning Signs from NCDOA’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement Kiricka Yarborough Smith, NCDOA, Human Trafficking Director

    For Businesses and Homes

    Location:

    • Odd entrances

    • Odd hours, and

    • The security seems over the top, blacked out windows, security cameras, barbed wire, etc.

    Employees:

    • Tend to live where they work,

    • Travel to and from in a single group using shared transportation

    Visitors:

    • Frequent and high traffic entering and exiting the establishment, particularly by men

    • Women enter, but rarely leave

    • Women are always accompanied by men

    For Individuals

    Behavior:

    • Fearful, anxious, and avoid eye contact

    • Frequent travel to other cities

    • Dramatic changes in usual attire, behavior, or relationships

    Appearance:

    • Few to no personal possessions

    • Not in control of their ID

    • Unexplained injuries

    • Tattoos/branding marks

    • Inappropriate clothes for age or climate

    • Suddenly acquire significantly more expensive material possessions

    Company:

    • Noticeable older significant other

    • Always accompanied, never allowed to speak for themselves

The Connection

North Carolina is positioned in the eye of the Human Trafficking storm and is consistently among the states with the highest number of human trafficking reports through the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In 2019, North Carolina lined up against other states as #11. Ashville Today, reported North Carolina had moved up to #9 in the early part of 2020 with 385 calls from NC victims and survivors through the National Human Trafficking Hotline with an additional 266 new reports of cases in our state.  However, most cases go unreported. It is in our metropolitan areas; it is in our rural areas; it is in our schools; and it is in our neighborhoods.

  • Geographical halfway point between New York and Florida

  • Metropolitan areas with explosive growth, development, and labor shortages

  • Rural, agricultural economies with a glaring lack of affordable labor and resources

  • Significant military presence

  • Increasing gang activity

  • Extensive interstate system both east/west and north/south

Perhaps the most frightening statistic is that the age group at highest risk for being trafficked is between 15 and 18 years of age.  So, our children are being targeted with intension by forces beyond their capacity to fight alone. Crimes of exploitation target the weak, the disconnected, the vulnerable, and particularly, people in crisis and poverty. So, it is a CPN imperative that we, as a community, come together to make a stand to protect our youth and vulnerable communities. It is a multi-billion dollar, world-wide industry that is taking root and growing even here in Wake County.

Active Projects

Project 1
There is a distinct intersection between the homeless youth population and human trafficking. Since predators seek the week and those without connectivity, youth experiencing homelessness are among those at the highest risk for recruitment and abduction.  Polaris reported that 64 percent of their survivors surveyed reported being homeless or experiencing unstable housing at the time they were recruited.

The CPN, CarePoint and many of Wake County’s ministries serving homeless encampments across Wake County will work to identify and connect youth in homeless camps with service providers who are trained and equipped to help them find the escape ramp as first responders. 

Project 2
Locating housing and shelter for victims exiting human trafficking is perhaps one of the most critical steps to stabilizing a victim of exiting human trafficking. Housing and shelter is also a scarce resource in Wake County and poses one of the most difficult barriers for case managers seeking client stabilization. The CPN will work in tandem with the Department of Administration to inform a rapid response process for victims of human trafficking within the Coordinated Access process for NC Continuums of Care.