How to Spot Victims

Traffickers love silence. And secrecy. They love the fact that most people would love to ignore this problem. But millions of victims are praying that you don’t. If you have the resources to donate to this or other trafficking causes, please click here to donate. But even if you don’t have financial resources, there’s a good chance you have eyes. And that is how you can help.

Sexual slavery is literally all around you at this very moment. Red flags are everywhere, yet most of us don’t realize they are indeed red flags. If you see or suspect anything from this list(even though you might think it is minor), please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-3737-888 to report what you saw. You could very well save someone’s life.

LIVING CONDITIONS

  • The individual in question:
  • – Is not free to leave or come and go as they please
  • – Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
  • – Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp/manager
  • – Is unpaid, paid very little, or is paid only through tips
  • – Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
  • – Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
  • – Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work.
  • – High security measures exist in the work and/or living conditions (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows. bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.

BEHAVIOR

  • The individual in question:
  • – Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
  • – Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up “law enforcement”
  • – Avoids eye contact

HEALTH

  • The individual in question:
  • – Lacks health care
  • – Appears malnourished
  • – Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement or torture

LACK OF CONTROL

  • The individual in question:
  • – Has few or no personal possessions
  • – Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (I.D. or Passport)
  • – Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records or bank account.
  • – Is not allowed to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

OTHER

  • The individual in question:
  • – Claims of “just visiting” and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
  • – Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or do not know which city he/she is in
  • – Loss of sense of time
  • – Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story

—This list courtesy of Nita Belles. Author of In Our Backyard