Is Sex Trafficking the Only Issue?

We've talked a lot about sex trafficking, but that is actually not the only type of human trafficking that is occurring. 

Labor trafficking

Labor trafficking occurs when people are forced or coerced, through violence, threats or lies, to work against their will in many industries such as agriculture, domestic work, restaurants and factories. Another common type of labor trafficking is peddling and begging. 

This is the most common type of human trafficking in America.

 Image source: polarisproject.org

 Image source: polarisproject.org

Image source: polarisproject.org

Labor trafficking victims can be children teenagers, men and women. Some of them are migrants, and others are domestic workers. Some enter legally and some enter illegally. Since we can't narrow down who the victims are by their gender, age, or nationality, we can look for common patterns. 

These patterns are:

- Isolation 

- Blackmailed into cooperating

- Usually part of a vulnerable population (characterized by oppression, high rates of illiteracy, and few economic opportunities