Polaris – 2020
This brief presents data from the federally funded National Human Trafficking Hotline from January 1, 2019-December 31, 2019. Findings indicate: 22,326 victims and survivors were identified, including 14,597 victims of sex trafficking, 4,934 victims of labor trafficking, and 1,048 victims of both sex and labor trafficking; 11,500 trafficking situations were identified, 4,384 traffickers were identified, and 1,912 suspicious businesses were identified; there was a 19% increase in individual victims and survivors using the hotline in 2018-2019; the average age at the time sex trafficking began was 17, while the average age at the time labor trafficking began was 22; there were 15,222 female victims and survivors compared to 3,003 males; there were 4,601 victims were foreign nationals, compared to 1,388 U.S. citizens or permanent residents; the three top sex trafficking types were escort services, illicit massage, health, and beauty, and pornography; the three top labor trafficking types were domestic work, agricultural and animal husbandry work, and traveling sales crews; top five points of access for help included friends/family, law enforcement, health services, mobile apps/social media, and the child welfare system; top risk factors for sex trafficking victimization include substance use, runaway homeless youth, recent migration/relocation, unstable housing, and mental health concerns; and top recruitment tactics for sex trafficking included intimate partner/marriage proposition, familial, job offer/advertisement, posing as a benefactor, and false promises/fraud. The growing importance of texting for help is emphasized and the report states text comprised 17% of the trafficking-related contacts made to the Trafficking Hotline in 2019, an increase of 33% from 2018.
