When someone poses the question, “How big is a problem…” they usually are looking to quantify an issue. They want a number. How big of a problem is human trafficking? To answer this question, we don’t want to just tell you that human trafficking (most commonly labor and sex trafficking) is a huge problem, but also provide numbers that can be readily understood.
The Problem Globally
According to the most recent International Labour Organization (ILO) study, there are an estimated 49.6 million people currently living in modern slavery around the world. This alarming number includes 27.6 million in labor and sex trafficking and 22 million in forced marriage (ILO, 2022). To make these unimaginable numbers more easily understood, 49.6 million people is about 1 in every 150 people in the world, or approximately 15 times the population of the state of Utah (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). And this number has been on an upward trend. In 2016, the ILO reported an estimated 40.3 million people in modern slavery—24.9 million in labor and sex trafficking and 15.4 million in forced marriage. All have risen significantly over the five years between studies.
Human trafficking is truly a global issue being fought by government and non-government organizations, such as OUR Rescue (formerly Operation Underground Railroad). OUR currently provides international support in 27 countries, spanning five regions. Those include Africa & the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States & Canada.
The Problem in the United States
When discussing the human trafficking problem, it is easy to think that while human trafficking may be horrific, it is not happening here, not in the United States. Unfortunately, the same ILO study estimates that approximately 5.1 million people are in modern slavery on any given day in the United States (ILO, 2022). That is about 1 in every 65 people (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022).
Child sex trafficking has been reported in all 50 United States (NCMEC, 2021). Children can often be groomed by traffickers from very young ages. This process includes manipulation during vulnerable moments, working angles, and leveraging fears to get the victim to love or trust their trafficker. Human trafficking does not need to begin with a violent abduction, popularized by media, which only increases the size of the problem by failing to address the much more prevalent risks (Polaris, 2021).
The Scale of the Problem
The relative scale of a problem must also be considered. Human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal industry in the United States, second only to the drug trade (Gould, 2017). Drugs are bought and sold in one single transaction. Human beings, however, can be sold over and over again. Some victims report being forced to engage in commercial sex with up to fifty “clients” in single day (Kloer, 2010).
This system of forcing victims in commercial sex or labor is a relatively low risk/high reward system that motivates other to engage in the trafficking industry. While it is difficult to estimate the exact amount of profit this industry brings in yearly, the ILO last estimated this number to be $150 billion annually (ILO, 2014). The massive price tag on this illicit industry only escalates the problem, as criminals seek to exploit the most vulnerable populations to their own advantage as much as possible for maximum profits.
Defining Human Trafficking
Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act, although force, fraud or coercion do not need to be present to be considered sex trafficking when it involves children under the age of 18 (DHS, 2022, Human Trafficking Hotline, n.d.). “Human trafficking,” “modern-day slavery,” “forced labor,” “sex trafficking,” and “online exploitation” are all terms people may use to describe similar interlinking problems. They all involve preying on victims’ vulnerabilities like poverty, unstable housing, substance use, history of sexual abuse/assault, child abuse/neglect/drug endangered, runaway, recent migration or relocation (Human Trafficking Hotline, 2019). Those who are marginalized or in difficult circumstances are often the most vulnerable to being trafficked (UNODC, 2020).
Human Trafficking and Technology
Technology and the world of online exploitation are only making the human trafficking situation worse. At any given time, there are an estimated 750,000 child predators online (FBI, 2011). These predators prey on vulnerabilities to recruit victims into trafficking. Often, this can start with soliciting explicit images—in the case of children, child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This material can then be used for extortion, or “sextortion,” for further sexual acts or images. These traffickers have adapted with changing technology to make it work best for them.
What Can You Do?
With all this discussion about how enormous human trafficking is, it may feel like there isn’t much you can do to help. But there is:
- If you believe you may have information about a trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 888-373-7888.
- If you are unable to call, you can text the Hotline at 233733 or chat the Hotline online at www.humantraffickinghotline.org/chat.
- To learn more about online safety, view OUR Rescue’s “Start Talking: A Guide to Keeping Children Safe Online” at https://ourrescue.org/online-safety and text “SAFETY” to 75004 for online safety tips.
- If you would like to get involved with OUR Rescue directly, you can volunteer. More information on our volunteer opportunities can be found at https://ourrescue.org/conductor-club.
- Finally, if you would like to directly help support OUR Rescue and our mission to rescue children from sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, you can donate now at https://ourrescue.org/give-now. Your donations go directly to supporting rescues, law enforcement, survivors, and so much more.
However you decide to offer support, it makes a difference in the fight against human trafficking. We can tackle this big problem, one small step at a time, together.