Every year, <\/span>millions of people<\/span><\/a> are victimized by human trafficking across the globe, including hundreds of thousands of men, women, and children in the United States. While public understanding of human trafficking has grown significantly in recent years, misconceptions about traffickers still shape the way many people view the crime. However, effectively combating human trafficking requires clear information about who traffickers are, how they operate, and the methods of control they use.<\/span><\/p>\n Media portrayals often suggest that traffickers are strangers who abduct people and transport them across international borders. While this image is widespread, it does not reflect the reality of the vast majority of trafficking situations. Most victims are exploited by someone they know in their own community, including family members, romantic partners, friends, peers, or employers. These existing relationships often allow traffickers to gain the trust of their victims before escalating to exploitation.<\/span><\/p>\n Most survivors report being trafficked in their own neighborhoods or homes, and many never cross state lines or travel between cities while being exploited. Despite the general perception that trafficking victims come from other countries, <\/span>about 94%<\/span><\/a> of identified survivors in the U.S. are citizens exploited by other citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n When the general public believes that trafficking victims are only young women and children, many survivors who don\u2019t fit this profile are left without opportunities to be identified. Instead of focusing on a single demographic, traffickers look for existing vulnerabilities that they can use as methods of isolation and control. Trafficking survivors represent all ages, genders, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the U.S., but people are more frequently targeted when they experience systemic and social challenges like poverty, homelessness, past abuse, social isolation, and addiction.<\/span><\/p>\n Just as trafficking survivors do not fit a single stereotype, human traffickers vary in age, gender, race, and occupation. Some operate independently, while others are part of small groups or organized criminal networks. Despite these differences, traffickers consistently seek to exploit others for commercial sex, services, or labor for their own financial profit.<\/span><\/p>\n Traffickers often rely on existing relationships to gain access to and maintain control over their victims, including:<\/span><\/p>\n Many traffickers use physical, emotional, and\/or psychological abuse to establish power. These methods may differ between trafficking situations, but many rely on the trauma bonds created through cycles of abuse and rewards to keep victims compliant, silent, and trapped in exploitation. Common forms of trafficking abuse include:<\/span><\/p>\n The control inherent to a trafficking situation is often so strong that leaving exploitation is incredibly difficult for survivors. Many survivors say that they tried to leave multiple times, but were forced to return to their trafficker because they had no safe place to go, no way to buy food or basic necessities, and no way to protect themselves from being found by their trafficker. Most survivors also face severe and co-occurring physical, mental, and behavioral health conditions, as well as addiction, which require comprehensive and immediate support. Without access to emergency services and long-term restorative care, 80% of survivors are revictimized.<\/span><\/p>\n Human trafficking happens in every community, from rural towns to large urban centers and from private homes to city streets. All of us can educate ourselves and those around us to be aware of the signs of trafficking and report suspicious activity. Traffickers depend on stereotypes, myths, and ignorance to keep their victims hidden. By recognizing that both traffickers and survivors can be anyone, we can overcome the culture of silence around human trafficking. Together, we can build proactive communities to combat human trafficking, bring traffickers to justice, and restore hope, freedom, and a future to every survivor.<\/span><\/p>\n To learn more about what human trafficking looks like, take our <\/span>free OnWatch training<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\nCommon Misconceptions About Human Traffickers<\/b><\/h2>\n
Types of Trafficking Relationships<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Methods of Control<\/b><\/h2>\n
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How You Can Help<\/b><\/h2>\n