Have you ever seen a victim of human trafficking? Contrary to common beliefs, chances are you have. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion in exchange for labor, services, or a commercial sex act and hinges on the exploitation of an individual. Victims work and live in our communities and can be found in surprisingly “safe” places. Victims have been known to work inconspicuously as landscapers, construction workers, janitors, agricultural workers, migrant laborers, foreign national domestic workers, childcare providers, and in other hospitality-focused business places. Parents should pay particular attention to signs of trafficking with their children, as human trafficking targets people of all ages, affluence, and demographics.

Perhaps the greatest chance of identifying victims lies with law enforcement. Most identified victims are referred to support agencies through initial identification by law enforcement suggesting the importance of informed law enforcement. Recommendations as per The U.S. Department of State 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) pertaining to law enforcement include screening immigrants in custody for human trafficking indicators, encouraging state and local authorities to implement policies to not prosecute victims for unlawful acts their traffickers compelled them to commit, training investigators, prosecutors, and judges to increase the number of forfeiture orders and mandatory restitution orders for trafficking victims. Children are also trafficking through illegal immigration. The Human Trafficking Training Center conducts training for local or state law enforcement that focuses on providing current data and law enforcement interventions for combating human trafficking.

Another critical point of interaction between victims and community members is in the healthcare systems, especially emergency departments. Healthcare providers may be the only professionals’ victims encounter while they are under the control of traffickers. Many victims do not believe they are being trafficked, making their identification in healthcare problematic. Children can attempt to conceal signs of trafficking from parents, teachers, and counselors. Medical professionals have the ability and opportunity to treat and prevent further abuses to children and patients. Several state and professional medical societies have endorsed the requirement for formal training on human trafficking victim identification for healthcare provider licensure, on victims of all ages. See CDC Train for more information.

Human traffickers’ use of the internet to recruit victims has increased during the pandemic. Unfortunately, advancements in the use of simulated, virtual metaverses has provided traffickers the opportunity to socially interact one-on-one with prospective victims online. These online metaverse realities provide an ideal place for traffickers to meet, groom, pay, persuade, and lure victims, particularly minority males. Online gaming platforms have also become of particular interest as a gateway to child exploitation and human trafficking. Thorne and the Crimes against Children Research conducts research using ads on Facebook to ascertain vulnerable demographic profiles and provide statistical analysis of targeted victimization. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has created an online toolkit to help educate parents on the dangers of online exploitation in order to better protect their children.
Promising practices for identifying victims include training and education of professionals and the community, screening practices and interview protocols, and task forces. Governmental and medical agencies, such as APHA policies, are adapting preventative and treatment procedures as we better understand victim profiles, where they live, and their journey.

Parents are encouraged to cultivate calm nonjudgmental environments to encourage open-ended dialog with their children to persevere through difficult situations. Thanking their children for speaking to them on often uncomfortable and embarrassing situations is important, building trust for future endeavors. Adults with intersecting relationships should approach parents with sensitive and learned information discretely, not to embarrass the child in question. This could cause the child to withdraw, negatively affecting treatment and legal remedies.

If you suspect child sexual exploitation is occurring, please contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Find a crisis counselor with resources in your area by calling 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).

To report suspected human trafficking crimes or to get help from law enforcement call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 1-866-347-2423.

To request general information about human trafficking crimes, call National Human Trafficking Resource Center at 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center provides an interactive map, which includes in-depth state and local resources. ❦

About the Authors

Gwendolyn Quintana is a clinician and public health professional with expertise in Texas public health policy. Her interests include safe haven programming for women and children, policies for reducing human trafficking, and health systems thinking.

She currently serves on several boards and works as a family medicine resident physician at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Dr. Christian A. Nanry is a veteran and serves his community as a law enforcement official. Dr. Nanry’s research has focused on the relationship between higher education and law enforcement performance, and Human Trafficking and Exploitation.

His current research aims to evaluate the criminal justice degree curriculum in America and the associated occupational needs using a decision analysis to determine its efficacy and make recommendations for meeting the current law enforcement needs of our communities.

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