Human Trafficking

This article provides general information about human trafficking. Here, you will learn general information about trafficking, including definitions, safety concerns, how to recognize trafficking, how to get help, and how to report suspected trafficking.

This article was compiled from material written by Polaris and Texas Health and Human Services. It has been lightly edited for style. Revised by TexasLawHelp.org on December 9, 2022.

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How is human trafficking defined?

U.S. law defines human trafficking as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor against their will.

What is sex trafficking?

Sex trafficking occurs when individuals are made to perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Any child under 18 who is involved in commercial sex is legally a victim of trafficking, regardless of whether there is a third party involved.

Someone may be experiencing sex trafficking if they:

Want to stop participating in commercial sex but feel scared or unable to leave the situation.
Disclose that they were reluctant to engage in commercial sex but that someone pressured them into it.
Live where they work or are transported by guards between home and workplace.
Are children who live with or are dependent on a family member with a substance use problem or who is abusive.
Have a "pimp" or "manager" in the commercial sex industry.
Work in an industry where it may be common to be pressured into performing sex acts for money, such as a strip club, illicit cantina, go-go bar, or illicit massage business.
Have a controlling parent, guardian, romantic partner, or "sponsor" who will not allow them to meet or speak with anyone alone or who monitors their movements, spending, or communications.

What is labor trafficking?

Labor trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

Labor trafficking includes situations where men, women, and children are forced to work because of debt, immigration status, threats, or violence. Keeping victims isolated—physically or emotionally—is a key method of control in many labor trafficking situations. But that does not mean you never cross paths with someone who is experiencing trafficking.

Someone may be experiencing labor trafficking or exploitation if they:

Feel pressured by their employer to stay in a job or situation they want to leave.
Owe money to an employer or recruiter, are not being paid what they were promised, or are not being paid what they are owed.
Do not have control of their passport or other identity documents.
Are living and working in isolated conditions, largely cut off from interaction with others or support systems.
Appear to be monitored by another person when talking or interacting with others.
Are being threatened by their boss with deportation or other harm.
Are working in dangerous conditions without proper safety gear, training, adequate breaks, or other protections.
Are living in dangerous, overcrowded, or inhumane conditions provided by an employer.

Who are the victims of trafficking?

Anyone can experience trafficking in any community, just as anyone can be the victim of any kind of crime.

While it can happen to anyone, evidence suggests that people of color and LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience trafficking than other demographic groups.

Generational trauma, historic oppression, discrimination, and other societal factors and inequities create community-wide vulnerabilities. Traffickers recognize and take advantage of people who are vulnerable.

People may be vulnerable to trafficking if they:

Have an unstable living situation.
Have previously experienced other forms of violence, such as sexual abuse or domestic violence.
Have run away or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare system.
Are undocumented immigrants.
Are facing poverty or economic need.
Have a caregiver or family member who has a substance use issue.
Are addicted to drugs or alcohol.

Who are the traffickers?

Traffickers may be family members, romantic partners, acquaintances, or strangers.

How do traffickers control victims?

Traffickers employ a variety of control tactics. The most common include physical and emotional abuse and threats, isolation from friends and family, and economic abuse.

They may make promises aimed at addressing the needs of their target in order to impose control. As a result, victims can become trapped and may fear leaving for many reasons, including psychological trauma, shame, emotional attachment, or physical threats to themselves or their family.

What are examples of situations that might raise concerns about trafficking?

The following examples might raise concerns that a person is experiencing trafficking:

A would-be employer refuses to give workers a signed contract or asks them to sign a contract in a language they cannot read.
A would-be employer collects fees from a potential worker for the "opportunity" to work in a particular job.
A friend, family member, co-worker, or student is newly showered with gifts or money or otherwise becomes involved in an overwhelming, fast-moving, and asymmetric relationship, such as one with a large difference in age or financial status.
A friend, family member, or student is a frequent runaway and may be staying with someone who is not their parent or guardian.
A family member, friend, co-worker, or student is developing a relationship that seems too close with someone they know solely through social media.
A family member, friend, or student lives with a parent or guardian and shows signs of abuse.
A family member, friend, or co-worker is offered a job opportunity that seems too good to be true.
A family member, friend, or co-worker is recruited for an opportunity that requires them to move far away, but their recruiter or prospective employer avoids answering questions or is reluctant to provide detailed information about the job.

What are the safety concerns of victims of labor and sex trafficking?

Victims of both labor and sex trafficking may have multiple safety concerns that should be addressed when developing a safety plan, including:

Isolation or abandonment.
Movement, disorientation, or unfamiliarity with their current location.
Lack of food, medicine, clothing, or safe shelter.
Increased vulnerability to exploitation, abuse, or other crimes.
Confiscation of money or identity documents.
Physical harm or violence to the victim or others.
Abduction, kidnapping, confinement, or restraint.

How can I get help if I am experiencing sex or labor trafficking?

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

If you or someone you know needs help, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Support is provided in more than 200 languages. Callers can dial 711 to access the Hotline using TTY. Calls are confidential.

You can also email help@humantraffickinghotline.org.

How do I report a potential human trafficking situation?

To report a potential human trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or submit a tip online.

How do I identify human trafficking in my practice as a health care provider?

Many trafficked persons interact with the health care system while being trafficked. Health care providers often do not recognize the signs of trafficking or are unsure how to help. Trafficked persons often do not disclose their situation.

The following are indicators, or red flags, to look for when treating patients.

Physical health

Frequent treatment of sexually transmitted infections or injuries.
Multiple unwanted pregnancies.
Fractures or burns.
Bruising.
Gastrointestinal problems.
Skin or respiratory problems caused by exposure to agricultural or other chemicals.
Communicable and non-communicable diseases.
Oral health issues, including broken teeth.
Chronic pain.
Signs of concussions, traumatic brain injuries, or unexplained memory loss.
Malnutrition.

Behavioral health

Unwilling to answer questions about their health.
Unable to concentrate or provide basic information, including age, address, or time.
Gives confusing or contradicting information.
Abuses substances.
Has depression or anxiety.
Appears nervous or avoids eye contact.
Has post-traumatic stress disorder.

Other indicators of trafficking

Another person appears to be in control and does not let them answer questions.
Reports a high number of sexual encounters.
Does not have possession of their own identification documents.
Lives in an overcrowded area or at their workplace.
Has tattoos or branding of ownership.
Wears inappropriate clothing for the weather or venue.

Learn more about required training for health care practitioners on the Health Care Practitioner Human Trafficking Training page from Texas Health and Human Services.

For a list of screening tools, visit the Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center from Texas Health and Human Services.

Where can I learn about immigration relief available to victims of trafficking?

T nonimmigrant status (T visa) is available to noncitizens who are or have been victims of a severe form of trafficking in persons and assist law enforcement in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of acts of trafficking.

To learn more, visit the Victims of Human Trafficking: T Nonimmigrant Status page from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Also see T Visas and Trafficking: Answers to Common Questions.

More information

For a list of state and national resources, visit the Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center from Texas Health and Human Services.

The Office of the Attorney General of Texas created the film "Be the One" about preventing, recognizing, and reporting human trafficking. In the film, survivors share their experiences and the impacts of human trafficking.

Content warning: The film contains stories that some viewers may find triggering or upsetting. Viewer discretion is advised.

Also visit Fact Sheet: Human Trafficking from the Administration for Children and Families.

Sources

"Human Trafficking", TexasLawHelp.org, archived by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine on July 23, 2025. Original article last updated December 23, 2022.
Polaris
Texas Human Trafficking Resource Center, Texas Health and Human Services.