Myths and Truths about Human Trafficking

Truth: The federal definition of human trafficking includes U.S. citizens and foreign nationals; both are protected under the federal human trafficking statutes. In the U.S., Human trafficking affects victims who are citizens, lawful permanent residents, visa holders, and undocumented workers.

Truth: Trafficking does not require transportation. Though transportation may be tool used to disorient victims, maximize profit, and evade the law, it is not a given.

Truth: While labor trafficking gets less media attention than sex trafficking, labor trafficking in the United States exists in industries such as agriculture, hospitality, domestic work, live-in help, and traveling sales crews. Victims may be charged a fee that’s impossible to pay off, be forced to work 12 or more hours per day, 7 days a week, and not be allowed to leave work premises.

Truth: Often, adults choose to perform commercial sex work (e.g. prostitution, stripping, pornography) due to a lack of options rather than an actual choice. Providers must avoid passing judgment and offer compassion and resources to any patient, including commercial sex workers, in need of help.

Truth: Anyone can be a trafficker, including friends, neighbors, and even family members. The term “Pimping” has become so normalized and even glamorized in popular media that many young men and boys, especially gang members, want to become pimps. Gangs consider it easier to sell a person for sex than to sell drugs or guns, since drugs and guns can be sold only once.

Truth: Force, restraint and bondage can be through psychological methods such as threats, fraud, or abuse. Methods of coersion are included as federal crimes in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000.

Truth: For many reasons, human trafficking victims won't immediately seek help or tell others they are victims of a crime because of threats, self-blame, strict instructions from their traffickers, or lack of trust in outsiders. Sex traffickers often target abused/vulnerable youth, who, due to prior abuse, may not realize they are being manipulated or exploited. Many survivors of sex trafficking reported feeling so isolated and stigmatized by society that they felt unable to reach out for help. Trafficking victims may blame themselves, may fear authorities, or may fear retaliation by their traffickers. Foreign national victims may not speak English and may not know they have rights in America.

Truth: While poverty can increase a person's vulnerability to human trafficking, poverty alone is neither a sole causal factor nor a universal indicator of who becomes a human trafficking victim. Victims of trafficking can and do come from families of all income levels and socioeconomic classes, including those with higher status.