Trafficking in the United States
No single scenario describes how every human trafficking case takes place. However, there are patterns traffickers utilize to target, lie to, and manipulate individuals into trafficking situations.
12-14Average age of entry
300%increase in online enticement reports in 2023
$236 billionGenerated annually by commercial sexual exploitation & forced labor
the problem
There are 1,091,000 people living in conditions of modern day slavery in the USA.
Human trafficking affects individuals across the world, including here in the United States, and is commonly regarded as one of the most pressing human rights issues of our time. Human trafficking affects every community in the country across all age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Definition
What is trafficking?
Human trafficking myths
There are all kinds of common myths and stereotypes about human trafficking. Learn the truth and share the knowledge.
Human trafficking is always a violent crime.
The most pervasive myth about human trafficking is it often involves kidnapping or physically forcing someone into a situation. In reality, traffickers use psychological means such as tricking, defrauding, manipulating, or threatening victims into providing commercial sex or exploitative labor.
The trafficker or pimp is a creepy guy, gang member, or drug dealer.
Just as victims of trafficking are not limited by gender, race, age, or nationality, a trafficker is also not limited by these parameters. While the conventional notion is an adult male controlling younger women, this perspective fails to highlight the many women who are involved. Traffickers present themselves as the victim's boyfriend/girlfriend, father-figure/mother-figure, or manager. They are often family members or intimate partners.
People in active trafficking situations always want help getting out.
National statistics say it takes seven times for a victim to leave a trafficking situation. Every trafficking situation is unique and self-identification as a victim or survivor happens along a continuum. Fear, isolation, guilt, shame, misplaced loyalty, and expert manipulation are among the many factors that may keep a person from seeking help or identifying as a victim even if they are, in fact, being actively trafficked.
Zip ties, white vans, and marked windows are used to target victims.
Rumors about the use of white vans, zip ties, or marking of vehicles by traffickers have been proven to be false. Data examined from the US National Human Trafficking Hotline from January 2015 to August 2022 found there have been zero cases of zip ties being used as lures or markers that alert a potential trafficker of a vulnerable person.
Traffickers target victims they don’t know.
In most instances, trafficking victims, including child victims, know and trust their traffickers. 88 percent of victims report being trafficked by people they know, including family and acquaintances. 90 percent of prosecutions or investigations originated online in some form, through someone the victim encounters online and begins a relationship/friendship with through apps, social media, gaming, and other activities.
Only women and girls can be victims and survivors of sex trafficking.
The identification of men and boys has risen to 22 percent, with LGBTQ boys and young men being particularly vulnerable. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by modern slavery, accounting for 54 percent of all victims, and 78 percent of victims of forced into commercial sexual exploitation.
Recognizing the cycle
Grooming and Controlling
The purpose of the grooming process is for a trafficker to be able to gain full control over their victim and manipulate them into cooperating in their own exploitation.
Step One: Targeting an Individual
Traffickers are adept at identifying people with vulnerabilities or needs. Social media, apps, and gaming provide low barrier access to potential victims. They may identify vulnerable individuals across the country, or geographically target them using location-based apps.
Step Two: Gaining Trust
Once a trafficker has identified their victim, they gain that person’s trust. They may have several conversations where they form a bond over common interests or pretend to care about what the victim has experienced. Traffickers will gain trust and collect information that can be later used to manipulate their victims.
Step Three: Meeting Needs
Once traffickers have gained the trust and better understand a victim’s needs, they offer a solution to meet those needs. By fulfilling needs, traffickers gain power which provides the opportunity for an often unspoken threat to take away what the victim thinks they’ve gained.
Step Four: Isolation
Traffickers place themselves at the center of victims’ lives to create a near-total dependency. This establishes distance between their victims and anyone who might weaken their influence or contradict the messaging they’re providing. By isolating their victims, traffickers make it more difficult for them to reach out to others for help.
Step Five: Exploitation
The way traffickers begin the process of exploiting their victims isn’t always transparent. They may start slowly by pushing them to do things they might be uncomfortable with. Over time, the victim may be conditioned to believe that what they’re being asked to do is normal.
Step Six: Abuse
The trafficker will introduce drugs, alcohol, pornography, or abuse at this point. The expected culture will be established, either in demanding payment or favors, forcing participation in illegal activities, or the demand of labor or sexual acts. Traffickers utilize force, fraud, or coercion and use psychological trauma that often make it difficult for victims to identify or verbalize what is taking place.
Step Seven: Maintaining Control
After traffickers establish control over their victims, they carefully craft strategies to maintain it. These strategies differ depending on the person or the situation. In many cases, physical force is not necessary. The trafficker may keep their victim in the trafficking situation by continuing to isolate them, threatening them or their loved ones if they attempt to leave, controlling them through their addiction, or even manipulating their sense of self.
It is less about knowing the questions that help someone identify, and more about understanding the story
There is no universal sign that indicates how every individual is trafficked. There are patterns and vulnerabilities traffickers target. Understanding them allows you to realize the complexity of this crime, the nuanced ways individuals become victimized, and how to become more aware of it in your own environment.
Who is a victim?
There is no consistent visual trend that describes every human trafficking survivor, but there is one commonality: every survivor has a vulnerability a trafficker identifies, abuses, and then exploits.
How do they become trafficked?
Traffickers exploit vulnerabilities, including:
- lack of safety at home due to violence, abuse, and/or neglect
- homelessness or runaway status
- mental health concerns
- involvement in the child welfare or juvenile justice systems
- poverty or economic hardship
- isolation from family and/or community
- recent migration, relocation, or displacement
- unstable living situation
- substance abuse
Where does it take place?
The reality is human trafficking is happening everywhere. It is reported in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and in every type of community: suburban, rural, urban, and tribal lands. There are 1.1 million victims in the United States alone—3.3 per every 1,000 people.
What are the signs?
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation: “The attempt to put every sign of trafficking on an all-inclusive and exhaustive list is counterproductive. Some of the signs are contradictory; too numerous to be easily recalled; often vague to the point of causing a false identification, while the sheer number prohibits effective publication. Once a person understands what trafficking truly is, they are capable of being much more situationally aware of their own environment.”
Is there a people group at higher risk?
While anyone can be vulnerable, evidence suggests 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 create community-wide vulnerabilities. In addition, runaway and homeless youth increase risk significantly.
Trafficking affects every aspect of life. Restoration transforms them.
In the same way trafficking affects, we impact by addressing the whole person and their needs in each of the five areas of life. You can see the effects of this approach through these voices of our survivors.
Emotionally
"WillowBend Farms helped me to go from being emotionally dead and living till the next suicide attempt to being emotionally stable and filled with life."
Mentally
"The WillowBend Farms program has been able to strip away the fears, shame, guilt, remorse, anger, hurt, and pain. I have been restored, redeemed, and taught to receive and give love in a healthy way. The program has challenged me to fight for me. Today I have a new confidence, gratitude, humbleness, honesty, trust, love, inner peace, and joy. It is truly a miracle."
Physically
"Part of my identity issues used to be defined by medical problems. WillowBend Farms helped me get the medical care I needed and showed me how God would restore my physical health by taking care of my temple. I am able to exercise, eat healthy, work, and show others they can do it as well through Christ."
Financially
"Donations are more than just monetary contributions. Over the years, I have been impacted by the generosity of wonderful people donating their time, wisdom, and knowledge, prayers, and other resources. As much as I have received, I pray that I can give back just as much."
Spiritually
"It’s amazing how God can take a distorted life and begin molding it into something beautiful. Through him there are beautiful human beings who look forward to taking their time to give people such as myself something to believe in. God filled my life with a family so dedicated to making my life worth living again."
Our mission
We exist for the restoration of survivors of human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and sexual violence.
The Survivor’s Voice
To begin the journey of restoration together, it is critical to have an informed understanding of the connection between the individual's background of violence, abuse, and other trauma and vulnerabilities, as well as the profound and complex effect of the trauma of being trafficked itself. It is a partnership with a commitment of honesty, willingness, and respect. We must take the time to listen, learn, earn trust, and to remain steadfast with humility and integrity of care. That is where the steps of change begin.
“What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV)
our initiatives
To impact change, we address the entire cycle of human trafficking.
We model the Body of Christ in each of our five strategic initiatives.
Restoration of Survivors
Providing residential programs, community services, and workforce development opportunities
Prevention, Education, Awareness
Equipping communities with strategy, training, and tactical applications
Network of Emergent Care Safehouse
Connecting survivors to safe placements across the United States
Rescue Opportunities
Partnering with local, state, and federal law enforcement as a resource for survivor services
Demand Reduction
Advocating for change within the judicial and legislative systems
Restoration is happening
“WillowBend Farms has affected my life by giving me a safe place for me to find out who I am.”
Program Participant
“Many strongholds have been broken as we learn to lean on God more by studying His Word in depth. We have learned to lead with love, humility, and compassion as we mentor new residents. We move forward with forgiveness in our hearts toward ourselves and others, and we can now offer and inspire that Christ-given love to others.”
Program Participant
“When you surrender yourself to God, your eyes begin to open to a light your soul is unable to comprehend. Your spirit starts to gain this peace on the inside you’ve never experienced, and you start to feel this warm sensation of overwhelming freedom and joy. You start to realize you are awake!”
Program Participant
“Today we value who we are because we know and accept whose we are. We have found lasting joy in diving through God’s Word and finding out what He says about us. The joy within has been ignited through phase work and the hard work we have done in therapy. We have a loving and supportive staff who push us to be creative and independent with the gifts God has given each of us. We continue to carry the joy that was ignited, as we are now more confident and know ourselves better than ever before.”
Program Participant
“WillowBend Farms is a gift, a home, and a family filled with love, compassion, support, dedication, hope, and many blessings. WillowBend Farms is not a program I attend but a family so patiently dedicated to filling my life with hope and a place to belong.”
Program Participant
“We are hoping for a better life for the future. We are able to show others that there is hope. We are able to have hope in finding God during our journey and our recovery here, and to do things we thought we could never do. We will keep seeking God in hopes for a strong relationship with Him and a better future for us.”
Program Participant
“I was not awake until my very life was at stake. Even then, I had much difficulty shaking off the nightmare I was trapped in. Now I am very aware and awake as I live out each day under God’s grace and mercy.”
Program Participant
Restoration looks like
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Inviting Hope
Hope, trust, and feelings of safety and security are essential to the foundation of restoration.
Igniting Joy
Exploration and learning what brings joy, internally and externally, while discovering what is desired for the future is pivotal in making strides forward in restoration.
Inspiring Love
Love transforms to create healthy relationships, both within and toward others, and leads to an outward restoration that serves those just beginning their journey.
A Long Road to Healing and Recovery
Published by The Cleveland Daily Banner • January 17, 2023
Fueled by generosity
Since 2017, our community of passionate donors, enthusiastic fundraisers, and loyal volunteers have equipped WillowBend Farms to offer survivors sustainable, transformative healing to live lives fully restored.
1,055Survivors Served
10,520Nights in Safety
12,172Volunteer Hours
32,561Individuals impacted through trainings and events
Get involved today
Community partners, donors, and volunteers make freedom possible for survivors. Together we can dream big and achieve more than we ever thought possible.
Partners & Resources
National Partners
Commitment stretching across the entire United States promotes consistency.
State & Partner Resources
State collaborations allow regional and statewide impact. These are but a handful.
Local & Partner Resources
Our partnership with over 85 local agencies and community groups is imperative to the work.
Additional Educational Resources
Still have questions?
The very best way to learn more is through in person trainings. These cost you nothing but time, but they have the potential to save lives. A list of trainings offered can be found here (link to the trainings offered part of the website.)