Ch 4 Trafficking Study Guide

What is sexual exploitation in human trafficking?

Sexual exploitation is the abuse of a person for sexual purposes in exchange for money, favors, or something of value.

What methods are often used in sexual exploitation?

Coercion, manipulation, or force.

What activities are included under sexual exploitation?

Prostitution, pornography, or sexual acts someone is pressured or forced to perform.

What is forced labor?

When a person is made to work against their will under threats, punishment, or deception.

Can victims of forced labor leave freely?

No, they cannot leave the job freely.

Who controls the labor of forced labor victims?

Another person or entity controls the labor.

What is organ removal trafficking?

Coercing, deceiving, or forcing a person to give up an organ (e.g., kidney or liver) for someone else’s use, often for illegal profit.

What is domestic servitude?

A situation where someone is forced to work in a private household—cooking, cleaning, or caring for children—under conditions they cannot escape.

How is a victim’s freedom affected in domestic servitude?

Their freedom is restricted, and they may be exploited or abused.

Who are child soldiers in human trafficking?

Children under 18 who are recruited, forced, or manipulated into serving in armed groups.

What roles do child soldiers perform?

Fighting, acting as messengers, carrying supplies, or being exploited in other harmful ways.

What is forced marriage?

A marriage in which one or both individuals are compelled to marry without full, free, and informed consent.

How can forced marriage be enforced?

Through threats, emotional abuse, or physical force.

What percentage of trafficking survivors are female?

83.4% in 2016.

What proportion of survivors were minors (ages 12–17)?

Over a quarter of survivors.

What percentage of trafficking survivors are Latina/o?

42%.

How many White survivors were reported in 2016?

577.

How many African American survivors were reported in 2016?

553.

How many Asian American survivors were reported in 2016?

75.

How many multiracial survivors were reported in 2016?

139.

Which nationality accounted for half of U.S. trafficking survivors?

Mexico (359 survivors).

How many survivors were from China?

159.

How many survivors were from the Philippines?

119.

How many survivors were from Guatemala?

114.

How does SES influence trafficking vulnerability?

Poverty, lack of education, unstable housing, and limited employment opportunities increase vulnerability.

Where did most U.S. trafficking cases occur in 2016?

Within the United States.

How does migration or relocation affect vulnerability?

It increases susceptibility to trafficking due to unfamiliarity with laws and resources.

Where do trafficking victims often interact with the public?

Salons, hotels, restaurants, schools, and similar locations.

How does substance abuse relate to trafficking victimization?

It is common and often cited as a reason for returning to a trafficking situation.

What percentage of U.S. trafficking cases in 2016 were sex trafficking?

73%.

What percentage were labor trafficking?

14%.

How profitable is human trafficking globally?

It is the second most profitable criminal industry after drugs, generating 150 billion annually.

What is the estimated profit per trafficking victim?

3,900–$38,400 globally, depending on region and exploitation type.

How does globalization contribute to trafficking?

It enables traffickers to exploit cheap labor markets and increases the free movement of people.

How does globalization affect migrants specifically?

Migrants are more vulnerable due to unfamiliarity with laws and increased exposure.

How does supply and demand impact human trafficking?

Trafficking relies on vulnerable populations (supply) and high demand for sex work, cheap labor, or organs.

What is the “Acts + Means + Purpose” framework?

Recruitment/snatching + deceit/intimidation/abuse + exploitation.

Why is demand critical in trafficking?

Without demand, the supply of victims holds no value.

What populations are most targeted due to demand?

Women and young girls; traffickers exploit vulnerable populations for cheap labor, sex, or organs.

What is the number one risk factor for trafficking?

Migration or relocation.

Why does migration increase risk?

Victims face unfamiliar laws, language barriers, and financial vulnerability.

How does substance abuse factor into trafficking?

It can be a tool of control or a consequence of trauma/exploitation.

Why are runaway or homeless youth at risk?

They are seeking basic needs and are more easily recruited.

How do mental health concerns increase trafficking risk?

Traffickers exploit mental health vulnerabilities.

How does unstable housing increase risk?

Housing insecurity makes individuals more vulnerable to exploitation.

Why are disabled individuals at higher risk?

Due to social powerlessness, communication deficits, diminished self-protection, and difficulty identifying safe people (US v. Kozminski).

How can religion increase vulnerability?

Practices like Voodoo may induce fear, control obedience, and force victims into exploitation.

What percent of African women are trafficked to Europe?

90%.

How does sexual orientation and gender identity increase risk?

LGBTI youth face family rejection, higher homelessness (20%), and sexual victimization (58.7%).

How does statelessness affect trafficking vulnerability?

Stateless individuals are denied housing, employment, and healthcare and cannot legally marry or gain citizenship for children.

Why are youth heavily targeted?

Because of dependency, naivety, and perceived submissiveness.

How does poverty increase trafficking risk?

It creates desperation for work, making populations easier to manipulate.

How does social and cultural exclusion increase risk?

Marginalized groups have fewer protections, making them more vulnerable.

How does limited education affect trafficking vulnerability?

Reduces job access, increasing susceptibility to labor exploitation.

How do war and conflict increase risk?

They cause instability, displacement, and heightened vulnerability.

How many traffickers operate alone?

More than half.

What are push factors for traffickers?

Globalization, displacement, and gender discrimination leading to low-paying, insecure jobs.

What are pull factors for traffickers?

Demand for women/girls, assumptions of submissiveness, preference for younger victims due to STDs.

What characteristics do traffickers often share with victims?

Gender, citizenship, country of origin, religion, hometown, cultural identifiers, and shared language.

What motivates traffickers?

High profits, low risk, lack of legal sanctions, weak enforcement, and inadequate funding.

What justifications do traffickers give for their actions?

Earning money, family pressure, belief that victim was voluntary, ignorance of victim’s age, or survival.

What abusive recruitment practices are common?

Debt bondage, isolation, surveillance, withholding wages, threats, contract substitution, visa exploitation, withholding travel documents, recruitment fees.

How do traffickers mitigate risk?

Coaching victims to avoid police, minimal collaborators, direct contact, avoiding minors, changing locations, operating internationally, using airlines.

What are warning signs of trafficking?

Held documents, cash-paid tickets, someone else answering for the victim, evasive answers, constant monitoring.

What percentage of labor trafficking arrives by plane?

71%.

What is recruitment in trafficking?

Finding, persuading, or enlisting individuals through coercion or deception.

What is transportation in trafficking?

Moving victims across cities or borders to exploit them.

What is exploitation in trafficking?

Taking unfair or abusive advantage, including forced labor or sexual acts, for profit.

What is supervision in trafficking?

Monitoring and controlling victims to ensure compliance.

What is management in trafficking?

Organizing and directing trafficking operations or networks.

What is a funder in trafficking?

Someone who provides money or resources to support the trafficking operation.

What is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA)?

U.S. law defining and punishing human trafficking for sex or labor.

How does the TVPA define sex trafficking?

A commercial sex act induced by force, fraud, coercion, or involving a minor.

How does the TVPA define labor trafficking?

Recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining a person for labor/services through force, fraud, or coercion.

What are the three Ps of the TVPA?

Punishment, Prevention, Provision.

What does punishment entail under the TVPA?

Fines and imprisonment (3–8 years; minimum 4 years if minor or rape involved).

What does prevention entail under the TVPA?

Monitoring trafficking globally via the State Department and President’s Interagency Task Force.

What does provision entail under the TVPA?

Visas and victim support services.

How was Markie Dell initially recruited?

Invited to a birthday party in another city by a popular girl.

What happened the next day?

Taken to a strip club near Toronto airport and told she owed 600 for party expenses.

How was Markie exploited at the club?

Forced to dance repeatedly to pay off her “debt.”

What addictions did Markie develop?

Several substance addictions and prostitution.

How was Markie rescued?

A police officer rescued her and took her to a safehouse.

How was she retraumatized in the safehouse?

She was forced to pay for sex by a volunteer.

How did forgiveness help Markie?

Encouraged her to move forward and recover emotionally.

What manipulation tactics were used against Markie?

Threats to her and her family, debt bondage, intimidation, and physical/sexual violence.

Does trafficking require movement?

No; victims can be exploited locally (“slave across the street”).

Does trafficking require physical bondage?

No; coercion or fraud is sufficient.

Does consent apply in trafficking?

No; consent is invalid when coercion or fraud exists.

Can victims interact with the public?

Yes, victims often work in visible locations.

Can victims bond with traffickers?

Yes; Stockholm Syndrome may occur.

What is the prevention approach?

Awareness campaigns and interventions to stop trafficking before it occurs.

What is the protection approach?

Identifying victims and providing support.

What is the prosecution approach?

Improving legal responses, specialized institutions, and convicting traffickers.

What is the partnership approach?

Collaboration among governments, service providers, law enforcement, healthcare, financial institutions, researchers, and the public.

Traffickers can be married, in relationships, single, have children, and in most cases, the family is unaware of their involvement in human trafficking. True or False?

True