Sex Trafficking and EXPLOITATION
Have you ever traded or been asked to trade sex/sexual acts for food, shelter or other basic needs?
Do you have access to all your identification/personal documents?
Do you have access to any money or the money that you earn?
What would happen if you didn’t do what this person asked of you?
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, blackmail, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, blackmail, or coercion.
Sex traffickers frequently target victims and then use violence, threats, lies, false promises, debt bondage, or other forms of control and manipulation to keep victims involved in the sex industry for their own profit.
Sex trafficking exists within diverse and unique sets of venues and businesses including fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, in public on city streets and in truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels and motels, online web applications and chat rooms, and elsewhere.
Have you ever traded or been asked to trade sex/sexual acts for food, shelter or other basic needs?
Do you have access to all your identification/personal documents?
Do you have access to any money or the money that you earn?
What would happen if you didn’t do what this person asked of you?
Sex trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, blackmail, or coercion. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, regardless of the use of force, fraud, blackmail, or coercion.
Sex traffickers frequently target victims and then use violence, threats, lies, false promises, debt bondage, or other forms of control and manipulation to keep victims involved in the sex industry for their own profit.
Sex trafficking exists within diverse and unique sets of venues and businesses including fake massage businesses, escort services, residential brothels, in public on city streets and in truck stops, strip clubs, hostess clubs, hotels and motels, online web applications and chat rooms, and elsewhere.
Red Flags for Trafficking May Include:
- A controlling and dominating partner who the victim has to frequently checks-in with
- Sexually explicit profiles on websites
- Prepaid/multiple cell phones; key cards
- Frequent STIs, pregnancies, abortions
- Unusual tattoos/brandings/scars
- New clothes/accessories/gifts with no explanation; unexplained shopping trips
- Unexplained injuries, bruises, cuts, etc.
- Hyper-vigilant or paranoid behavior
- Secrecy about whereabouts; unaccounted-for time; vagueness or defensiveness in response to questions or concerns
- Late nights and/or unusual hours
- A sex trafficker can be:
- A supposed professional modeling agent, photographer, or filmmaker
- An older boyfriend or partner who pretends to be loving but passes their victim on to other people for sex, or to other traffickers
- A relative or family friend who wants the victim to “give back” to the family
What can SAPARS Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Advocate do?
- Provide crisis intervention and ongoing support services to survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation
- Provide accompaniment and support for survivors during forensic medical procedures, police interviews and/or court proceedings (civil and criminal)
- Provide follow-up assistance and support to survivors
- Assist survivors with developing and implementing a comprehensive safety plan.
- Assess the needs of survivors
- Provide referrals and warm hand offs to other social service agencies as appropriate
- Help survivors file for victim compensation whenever appropriate
- Establish regular office hours in the Sex Trafficking Safe House to further assist survivors in reaching their identified goals
- Supporting survivors during their stay Continue to work with survivors after they have ended their stay in the Sex Trafficking Safe House, providing continuity and ongoing assessment and referral, and helping to modify their safety plan as needed.