When and how should I report?

If you see something suspicious, report it.Exploitation and abuse occur in many situations, in addition to crimes of human trafficking. Never hesitate to report any concern you have for any individual that may be in harm’s way. Be vigilant and take note of all suspicious activity around you. Consider and plan ahead of time how you would report specific situations, …

What are signs to look for?

We have covered a lot so far. You know what human trafficking is, who is at risk and why, and where it takes place and why. Now, let’s learn specific signs that can indicate human trafficking and take time to consider each indicator in the context of what you have learned so far. Please remember:The indicators listed in this course …

Story: Carla is trapped

Self-Care Check The details of this scene can be troubling to read. Please keep in mind that this story in this course is a scenario created based on a compilation of common details from actual cases. Take the necessary time and steps for your mental and emotional health as you proceed. If you would like to skip this scene, you …

What might increase the likelihood of human trafficking in a location?

What we know from reported data is that most, if not all, countries around the world have some form of human trafficking occurring in their nation. You might also remember from Lesson 1 in this course that there are more than 50 million victims of modern slavery today according to the latest estimates from the International Labour Organization. That’s approximately …

What information helps us understand where this crime occurs?

Before we learn more about where human trafficking occurs, it’s important to know how organizations are tracking and reporting this data. This will help to clarify how and what information is being tracked, so that you have a better idea of the possible scope of this crime beyond the statistics in this course. There are three main ways that experts …

Story: Carla meets Eddie

Carla meets Eddie at the mallAt the mall, Eddie meets Carla with another girl—a friend of Eddie’s. They have fun. Eddie buys her new clothes. She has not had new clothes in a very long time. She feels nervous, but also accepted and understood for the first time. They do not judge her, ever. They like her. She agrees to …

Isn’t it hard to know where human trafficking occurs?

In short, yes.As you might suspect already, human trafficking is actually very difficult to identify with perfect accuracy. Why? For starters, human traffickers work hard to keep their crimes out of sight, as do buyers. And trafficked persons may not be in a position where they can reach out for help. You may wonder why a victim, if they are …

What are common misconceptions about human trafficking victims?

Often, we have a very specific image of a person who’s been trafficked in our minds because of a documentary, film, or news story we’ve seen. You may now realize that these images don’t provide a complete picture of all forms of human trafficking nor illustrate all the ways an individual can fall prey to human traffickers. Victims are often …