The attorney general's office reports that at any given time in Texas, there are an estimated 234,000 victims of labor trafficking and 79,000 victims of youth and juvenile sex trafficking statewide. The majority of the victims are female. Many of them are children.
The problem is so bad that the U.S. Department of Justice has designated January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
DOJ defines human trafficking and modern slavery as “any crime that exploits another person for labor, services or commercial sex,” and the federal agency wants to raise the public’s awareness of human trafficking so that people can learn to spot it and report it.
Texas, California and Florida are the states with the highest instances of human trafficking.
Trafficking can occur in both legal and illegal businesses, including child care, elder care, restaurants, hotels and factories, as well as in the drug trade and in prostitution.
Traffickers prey on individuals who are poor, vulnerable, living in unsafe situations and those who are in search of a better life.
Native Americans, LGBTQ individuals, the disabled, undocumented migrants, runaway and homeless youth, temporary guest-workers and poor people are among the groups that most often are targeted by traffickers.
Victims of labor trafficking often have signs of bruising, scarring, chronic pain, malnutrition and untreated medical conditions.
Human traffickers are among the most violent criminals, the DOJ says. If you suspect someone is a victim of trafficking, contact authorities for help or encourage the victim to make contact with authorities.
If someone is seriously hurt or in immediate danger, call 911 and tell dispatchers that human trafficking may be involved.
If child trafficking is suspected and the situation requires urgent investigation, reports can be made to the Texas Abuse hotline by calling 1-800-252-5400.
In non-emergency situations, call the 24-hour, National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “Help” to 233733, or email help@humantraffickinghotline.org. Reports can be made confidentially.
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