What is Human Trafficking?

"Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims" (UNODC.org). 

Trafficking Defined

"Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs" (UNODC.org). 

The Numbers

SafeHorizon.org estimates the number of people affected by human trafficking to be between 700,000 and 2 million per year (SafeHorizon.org, 2013). PolarisProject.org estimates the number of children involved in the sex trade in the United States to be about 100,000 per year (PolarisProject.org, 2013). Furthermore, according to a report published by the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, an estimated $31.6 billion (US currency) in profit is generated "from the exploitation of all trafficked forced labour" (UNGlobalCompact.org). 

Global sex trafficking statistics. 

Effectiveness of U.S. anti-trafficking policies by state. 

Elements of Human Trafficking

The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons maintains that there are three essential elements to the crime of human trafficking (UNODC.org). 

The Act: Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons

The Means:  Threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person

The Purpose: Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs