Human trafficking survivors

Labor trafficking means forcing someone to work through deception, assault, threats or manipulation. It can happen in homes, farms, factories, restaurants, and many other places.

Cases have been reported in ordinary, legal businesses like restaurants, cleaning services, construction and factories, not only in hidden or illegal ones.

Being paid something, or having agreed to the job at first, does not change things once force, fraud or coercion is involved.

Sex trafficking means forcing someone into commercial sex. For adults, commercial sex is trafficking when force, fraud or coercion is involved. For anyone under 18, it is always trafficking.

Men and boys are also trafficked for sex. Polaris notes that LGBTQ boys and young men are seen as especially vulnerable.

Under U.S. law, a young person under 18 who is involved in commercial sex is a trafficking victim, even if they seemed to “agree”. Their consent is not relevant.

Warning signs include a young person who often runs away and stays with someone who isn’t their guardian, or who suddenly has gifts, money or an intense relationship with someone much older.

Traffickers can be anyone: family members, partners, employers, gang members, or people in business or government. Anyone can be trafficked, in any community.

Situations traffickers often take advantage of

• A family member’s or one’s own substance use
• Being in foster care or the juvenile justice system
• Having recently moved to a new place
• Homelessness or running away
• Past violence or abuse
• Poverty or an unstable living situation
• Struggling with mental health

Trafficking is often confused with smuggling, which involves crossing borders illegally. Trafficking requires no movement at all. People can be recruited and exploited in their own hometown, or even their own home.

Polaris explains that most traffickers rely on deception, manipulation and threats rather than kidnapping or physical force.

Many survivors were trafficked by romantic partners, including spouses, or by family members, including parents. Employers can be traffickers too.

Experts believe labor trafficking affects more people worldwide, even though sex trafficking gets far more attention in the U.S.

Polaris has handled thousands of cases involving people from other countries who were living or working in the U.S. legally. U.S. citizens are trafficked too.

Sometimes people are locked in. More often they stay because they have no transport or housing, fear for their safety, or have been manipulated into not seeing their situation clearly.

People may also stay because of trauma, shame, emotional attachment, or threats against their family. Staying is not the same as agreeing.

Fear, isolation, guilt, shame, misplaced loyalty and manipulation can stop someone from asking for help, even while it is happening.

Watch for

• A contract that isn’t given, or is in a language the person can’t read
• A job offer far away, with vague answers about the work
• An employer or recruiter charging fees for the job
• An online-only relationship that feels unusually close
• Sudden gifts, money or an intense relationship with someone much older or richer

A person may

• Be cut off from family and support
• Be pressured to stay in a job they want to leave
• Be threatened with deportation or other harm
• Have someone watching their conversations
• Have their passport or ID held by the employer
• Live in unsafe housing provided by the employer
• Owe a debt to an employer or recruiter, or not be paid

A person may

• Be escorted between home and work, or live where they work
• Have a controlling person watching their money, messages or movements
• Have a “manager” or “boyfriend” who controls them
• Want to leave commercial sex but feel unable to

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security suggests noticing if a person

• Can’t move around or leave freely
• Has stopped going to school (for a child)
• Has very few belongings or no stable home
• Is always with someone who seems to control where they go or who they talk to
• Seems coached on what to say
• Seems fearful, timid or very submissive
• Shows signs of being denied food, sleep or health care

Traffickers may charge for the job, travel or housing, or take a person’s money, then say they owe a debt they must work off.

An employer keeping someone’s passport or ID is a common sign of labor trafficking. Without documents, people may feel trapped and afraid to go to anyone for help.

Common control tactics

• Cutting them off from friends and family
• Physical and emotional abuse
• Taking their money or making them owe a debt
• Threats of deportation
• Threats to the person or their family

A controlling person may restrict contact with others and watch a person’s money, movements or messages. Isolation makes it harder to see what is happening and harder to reach out.

People may be coached on what to say, so their story can sound rehearsed when someone asks.

People may stay because of trauma, shame, emotional attachment, or threats against themselves or their families. Staying is not the same as agreeing.

Fear, guilt, shame and misplaced loyalty can keep someone from seeking help, even while it is happening.

Depression, anxiety and trauma reactions are the most commonly reported mental health effects among survivors.

Common reactions after trauma include upsetting memories or dreams, trouble concentrating, feeling numb, and feeling hopeless about the future.

Survivors often report physical illness and body symptoms, and may have been denied food, sleep or health care.

Trouble sleeping, feeling tired all the time, headaches and a racing heart are also common after trauma.

Long-term control can affect how people see themselves, how much they trust others, and how safe it feels to make choices.

It might sound like

• “I should have known.”
• “I agreed to go, so it’s my fault.”
• “No one will believe me.”
• “I don’t know who I am anymore.”

Being jumpy, on guard, or wanting to avoid people and places is one of the most common reactions after trauma.

After being controlled and lied to, it makes sense to be careful about who to trust. Trust can grow back slowly, with people who keep their word and respect your choices.

The U.S. Office on Trafficking in Persons says survivors may be eligible for assistance such as education and job training, financial help, food, foster care, housing, medical and behavioral health care, and victim compensation.

U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents can apply for this help directly. People from other countries usually need a letter from the Office on Trafficking in Persons first.

The T visa (T nonimmigrant status) is for people who are or were victims of sex or labor trafficking and are in the U.S. because of it. It is generally granted for 4 years.

Applicants usually need to have helped with reasonable law enforcement requests. This may not be required if you were under 18 when the trafficking happened, or if physical or psychological trauma makes it impossible.

Some family members can be included. After 3 years, people with a T visa may be able to apply for a green card.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security notes that the National Human Trafficking Hotline is not a law enforcement or immigration authority. It is run by a nonprofit organization funded by the federal government.

Contact with the hotline is confidential. Advocates can talk through options without pressure.

Survivor-centered support explains options clearly and leaves the choice with you. Voice and choice is one of the core principles of trauma-informed care.

What survivor-centered support looks like

• Basic needs come first: safety, housing, food, health care, legal help
• Choices are explained clearly, with no pressure
• Support is respectful of culture and language
• Survivors can connect with other survivors and peer mentors
• The survivor decides what to share, and when

After trauma, small steady routines help: regular meals, a short walk, and going to bed at the same time. Recovery is usually gradual, not a sudden cure.

Taking direct, active steps to cope can give a sense of power back. Quick fixes that numb the pain, like drinking more, can make things worse over time.

Peer support is one of the six principles of trauma-informed care. Meeting others who have lived through similar things can ease shame and loneliness.

Help may be available with education, job training, housing and money, which can make independence feel more possible.

Small rebuilding steps

• Get copies of your ID and important papers, with help if needed
• Open your own bank account that only you control
• Pick one goal for this month, like a class or a job program
• Write down your strengths and skills

A trauma-informed helper will explain what they are doing, ask before going into painful topics, and respect your “no”. A steady, respectful relationship can slowly show your body that closeness can be safe again.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security advises never confronting a suspected trafficker directly or alerting the person to your suspicions. Your safety and theirs comes first.

Avoid

• Asking for details in front of others
• Calling them names like “prostitute” or “illegal”
• Making promises you can’t keep
• Posting about them online
• Pushing them to leave before they are ready

Things that can help

• “I’m glad you told me.”
• “It’s not your fault.”
• “You don’t have to tell me everything.”
• “What would help you right now?”

Let them lead. Survivors decide what to share and when, and being believed can make a big difference.

You can share the hotline number privately if it’s safe to do so: 1-888-373-7888, or text 233733. You can also call the hotline yourself to talk through what you have noticed.

Remember a controlling person may watch their phone or messages. Saving the number under a different name or memorizing it may be safer.

Many people don’t see themselves as victims at first, and may go back or stay in contact with the person who controlled them. Fear, guilt, shame and loyalty are powerful.

Supporting someone through trauma can bring up strong feelings. Talk to someone you trust, rest, and set limits on what you can give.

Anyone can notice signs that something is wrong. Learning the indicators, and knowing to call the hotline rather than confront anyone, can make a real difference.

Safety, trust, peer support and respect for culture are core principles of trauma-informed care. Community groups can use them too.

Ways to welcome someone

• Don’t ask for their story; let them share if they want
• Include them in ordinary things, like meals and outings
• Offer practical help: rides, language practice, job tips
• Respect their culture, language and faith

The International Labour Organization estimates that 86% of forced labor happens in the private sector, in industries that make goods and services people use every day.

Young people who run away, are homeless, or are in foster care face higher risk. Safe places, steady adults and open conversations about online relationships can help.