HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery which is illegal under Federal and Nevada law. Federally, the Trafficking Victims Protection Ant (22 USC § 7102) prohibits both labor and sex trafficking. Trafficking is defined as using force, fraud, or coercion used to induce someone to perform labor or commercial sex acts. The Nevada Revised Statute (NRS 200.463-468) prohibits involuntary servitude, the purchase or sale of a person; and human trafficking.

According to the United States Department of State, approximately 14,500-17,500 foreign-born nationals are trafficked into the country annually. Additionally, it is estimated that almost 200,000 incidents involve sexual exploitation of minors. These numbers do not include the number of adults sex trafficked or the number of youth and adults trafficked for labor.

There is a common myth that human trafficking involves criminal organizations kidnapping and smuggling the victims to different countries. While this does happen, the reality is that often traffickers are known to their victims, including family or partners. In fact, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, intimate partners and family are the top recruiters for sex trafficking.

Intimate partner trafficking and familial trafficking involve many of the same dynamics of power and control found in domestic violence and sexual assault. Victims may be subjected to physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and economic abuse. Spouses, intimate partners, and family members may force the victim into commercial sex, forced labor or involuntary servitude to support the family or an addiction.

It is important to note that a victim does not have to be transported across state or national borders to be trafficked. Individuals are trafficked in their own communities.

1. US Department of Health and Human Services, aspe.hhs.gov/report/human-trafficking-and-within-united-states-review-literature#Trafficking accessed 12.22.2020
2. Estes, R., & Weiner, N. (2001). The commercial sexual exploitation of children in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania.
3. Issue Brief: Domestic & Sexual Violence Intersections with Trafficking, National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, http://www.ncdsv.org/images/DSVintersectionsWithTraffickingANDTraffickingWheel_2012.pdf accessed 12.14.2020.
4. Polaris Project, https://polarisproject.org/2019-us-national-human-trafficking-hotline-statistics/
5. Issue Brief: Domestic & Sexual Violence Intersections with Trafficking, National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, http://www.ncdsv.org/images/DSVintersectionsWithTraffickingANDTraffickingWheel_2012.pdf accessed 12.14.2020.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.

Awaken (Northern Nevada)
Bamboo Bridges (Southern Nevada)
The Embracing Project/Center for Peace (Southern Nevada)
Hookers for Jesus/Destiny House
The Rape Crisis Center
Seeds of Hope, The Salvation Army of Southern Nevada

Children of the Night
Futures Without Violence
National Human Trafficking Hotline—888-373-7888 or text *233733
RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network)
Polaris Project
Shared Hope International