What is Human Trafficking?

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking, also known as modern day slavery, is a serious crime that involves violation of human rights and exploitation of women, children, and men for a profit or something of value. Human trafficking is largely defined by the Trafficking Victim’s Protection Act of 2000. This federal law states that a case is determined to be human trafficking by the presence of at least one component from each of these three categories: Act, Means, and Purpose. There must be an act of recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of force, coercion, or fraud for the purpose of sexual exploitation, forced labor, involuntary servitude, or the removal of organs.

It’s important to note that essentially all human trafficking cases are accomplished by means of coercion, fraud, grooming, or manipulation. Somebody being kidnapped and forced into sex or labor trafficking is virtually unheard of (Myths & Facts | National Human Trafficking Hotline). Social media has increased traffickers’ ability to groom, romance, or trick children and adults into “the life”. Facebook is the number one social media site used by traffickers to lure and manipulate (A-Roadmap-for-Systems-and-Industries-to-Prevent-and-Disrupt-Human-Trafficking-Social-Media.pdf (polarisproject.org)).

Human trafficking is often split into three main types: sex trafficking, labor trafficking, and organ trafficking.  Sex trafficking incidents are the vast majority of cases reported in the state of Tennessee.

For any commercial sex act with a person under the age of 18, there does not need to be proof of force, coercion, or fraud to be considered a human trafficking crime.