human trafficking
facts
Did you know?
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.
Sex Trafficking thrives because there is a demand. Minors under the age of 18 engaging in commercial sex are considered to be victims of human trafficking, and they don't have to prove the use of force, fraud, or coercion.
Individuals from any class, religious, cultural, or ethnic group can be targeted in human trafficking schemes. There is no standard profile of a sex trafficking victim. Individuals who have experienced childhood abuse or neglect, homelessness, violence, substance abuse, and migrant workers are often targets.
Human trafficking occurs everywhere. It occurs in every country and state. It can happen in any neighborhood regardless of income status. Texas is ranked #2 in the nation for human trafficking calls.
The Trafficking Institute conducted a study on trends from recent human trafficking cases. Although online solicitation of buyers has been a constant for many years, the websites and apps traffickers use change considerably year over year. According to the Trafficking Institute, 83% of trafficking cases in 2020 started online.
- Texas has 79,000 minors and youth victims in sex trafficking.
- Dallas has 400 underage girls sold for sex each night.
- North Texas has 0 residential beds for trafficked children to heal long-term
- There are less than 1,000 residential beds for survivors of sex trafficking to heal long-term
TVF currently serve females ages 18-24 rescued from sex trafficking in North Texas. We look forward to helping each girl walk towards freedom and receive the long-term, residential care they need. Each bed in each home represents a life that deserves freedom and healing, and they are the reason we are doing what we are doing.
No one has a place for them to go. Not the Feds, not the State, not CPS, no one. Even if there were available spaces, there is a lack of placement available to them that primarily focus on their healing and restoration. A majority of the time they are identified as criminals and treated as such (incarcerated). Many are never identified as trafficking victims and many victims believe the choices they made led them to be trafficked. The pimp/trafficker psychologically manipulates (brainwashing) them into believing:
- He’s their boyfriend or father figure. He will gain their trust by meeting their every need, even if that means (at first) they just have a trusted friend to talk to.
- They can’t go to law enforcement because they will be taken to jail.
- They can’t tell anyone what’s happened to them because the trafficker threatens to blackmail her with pictures or videos, or she’ll be bullied at school for ‘sleeping around’.
They have experienced a level of complex trauma and PTSD that an average parent is untrained in how to properly help their child. They require a unique level of counseling for their healing and restoration. While a parent means well some can suffer from secondary trauma themselves and can be ill equipped to walk their child through the healing process.
- He’s their boyfriend or father figure. He will gain their trust by meeting their every need, even if that means (at first) they just have a trusted friend to talk to.
- They can’t go to law enforcement because they will be taken to jail.
- They can’t tell anyone what’s happened to them because the trafficker threatens to blackmail her with pictures or videos, or she’ll be bullied at school for ‘sleeping around’.
At TVF, we provide safe communities that restore survivors of sexual exploitation to achieve their true potential. In order to achieve this, it is important that we educate ourselves and understand the process of how Human Trafficking works. Below are a few downloadable resources that you can use to share.
GET THE FACTS
Learning About Human Trafficking
Over this past year we have managed to become a part of different task forces and learn from CPS, to help us understand the lane we were meant to run in. This has helped us get closer to tailoring our program to the needs of each survivor.
Be The One
This video was produced by the Attorney General of Texas. Human trafficking is a media buzz word that often conjures images of brothels in Thailand or confusion with the ongoing immigration debate. This innovative digital training tool cuts through the confusion, arms the viewer with an understanding of what human trafficking is and is not, and helps them recognize that this is a Texas problem with Texas buyers, sellers, and victims.
Get In Touch
Treasured Vessels Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) organization | EIN 46-3947870