How is Human Trafficking Defined?

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(The following is an excerpt from my book, The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery (2016). Beginning on January 11th, every other day I’ll be posting excerpts from my book to help readers learn more about this issue during National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The Essential Abolitionist answers the most often-asked questions about human trafficking, and the response to modern slavery.)

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) defines human trafficking as the following.

  1. Sex Trafficking: the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; and
  2. Labor Trafficking: 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.

Several important elements of this definition need to be clearly understood. The most obvious is that there are two different categories of human trafficking, with distinct specifications. Note that both include the words “force, fraud, or coercion,” which are addressed in detail later. However, there is a key distinction between these definitions. When the type of trafficking is commercial sex and the “person induced to perform such act”—the victim—is under the age of 18, no force, fraud, or coercion needs to be shown. Yet, in the specification for labor trafficking, force, fraud, or coercion needs to be shown regardless of the age of the victim.

The first category in the definition of human trafficking addresses “commercial sex acts,” not sex acts in general. A commercial sex act is defined in the TVPA as “any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.” So to be considered human trafficking, the incident must include a commercial element; something of value must be given or received. This requirement distinguishes human trafficking from, for example, rape or other forms of sexual assault where no commercial element exists. Value is often represented by money but can be satisfied by anything of recognizable value.

For now, there are three important reasons to understand these basic definitions. First, when discussing human trafficking, we must all have a mutual understanding of the definition. Second, when potential victims of human trafficking are identified, these definitions set the criteria used to classify them as victims of trafficking, which then allows them access to specialized benefits and reliefs available to trafficking victims by law. Finally, this definition is the standard by which individual state laws are measured, with most states using similar language in their statutory definition of human trafficking.

Two other points to clarify: The TVPA uses the term “severe forms of trafficking in persons,” implying there are forms of trafficking less than “severe.” This language causes confusion, but any case of human trafficking involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion is considered “severe.” Also keep in mind that this definition is not a criminal statute used to prosecute traffickers. Both federal and state statutes exist which address more specific elements of the crime of human trafficking and their associated monetary and penal penalties.

In short, human trafficking is using force, fraud, or coercion to obtain commercial sex acts or other labor or services—with the exception that when the type of trafficking is commercial sex, and the victim is under 18, no force, fraud, or coercion need be shown.

Two Important Human Trafficking Grant Opportunities

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This is important if you have an interest in obtaining federal funding for a Human Trafficking Task Force, or for serving victims of trafficking. The two grants listed below are the largest grant programs in the country. This year they have been released earlier than usual! That means the deadline for submissions are earlier – late February!!

The Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking grant is the “task force” grant; it funds a local law enforcement agency and a local victim services provider for a total of $1.5 million for three years. You must have MOUs with the USAO, and either the FBI or HSI. Submission Due: Feb 27th

The Comprehensive Services to Victims of All Forms of Human Trafficking funds a service provider up to $750,000 for three years. Submission Due: Feb 21st

Please excuse a little self-promotion: Since 2012 I have been a peer-reviewer on the Enhanced Collaborative Model grant (that means I’m scoring them). One of the most common errors (and, consequently, loss of points) is due to the writer’s lack of understanding of many general issues within human trafficking, particularly on the issue of statistics. If you, or your grant writer, needs to enhance your knowledge of trafficking, I recommend you read my book, The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery. The Kindle version is 50% off during January. It will help you write a much better submission.

So if you want to get federal funding (or continue your funding if you are already a part of either of these programs), get to work! Time is very short this year!

Best wishes for successful submissions!

John

Backpage Shutters Adult Ads Section: What Happens Next?

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Backpage shuts down adult ad section, citing government pressure and unlawful censorship campaign.

Of course this story is making news today, especially within the anti-trafficking community. But is also raises the debate – among many passionate people within the community – on the real value of this action. (If you read the article you will see a quote from the founder of Children of the Night who considers this a loss of a valuable investigative tool – just one argument among many.)

If we want to know what will really result from this shutdown, we need only look at what happened after Craigslist shuttered their Adult Services section in 2010.

First, Backpage (just like Craigslist) shut down these ads ONLY in the United States, so the impact on trafficking (and the loss of revenue) is domestic, not global.

Next; someone, somewhere, at this very moment is desperately building a platform to replace the void from Backpage’s departure – just as Backpage filled the void when Craigslist exited. Both Federal and local law enforcement officials (who actually work HT cases) will tell you that both Craigslist and Backpage were typically very helpful to law enforcement, quickly responding to subpoenas and other requests for help. Yes, this is a little like playing with the devil, but a cooperative devil, at least.

There are several other online platforms buyers of sex can access, many of which are private and require membership to access (My Redbook was among the most infamous until they were indicted). Pushing the advertising further underground can create operational and financial challenges for many law enforcement agencies. When these companies operate off-shore, they can thumb their noses at law enforcement, which may be powerless to act against them.

Looking back to 2010, there is scant evidence that shutting down Craigslist’s Adult Services section had any real impact. We will have to wait and see what the real impact will be here.

My point is not to defend Backpage, Craigslist, or any other advertiser; it is to point out the complexity in these issues (and tactics) within the anti-trafficking community.

I addressed this issue in my book, The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery. (See the special offer notice below.)  I’ll end here quoting the final paragraph from my answer to the question: What was the impact of shutting down the Craigslist Adult Services section?

“Not all anti-trafficking initiatives actually reduce human trafficking, or are they always intended to. Analyzing the potential consequences and looking for unforeseen consequences are both critical steps when exploring potential anti-trafficking actions. Some efforts raise public awareness; other improve the response of law enforcement or service providers. And some efforts arise from the simple moral ground that requires us to act if we oppose slavery. But, however worthy these aspirations, they do not guarantee our efforts will always have a tangible outcome.”

**January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. To help educate others about modern slavery, during January the Kindle version of The Essential Abolitionist is 50% off on Amazon. **

New Data on Youth in the Sex Trade, Everyone Should Read

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Two of the most commonly promoted “facts” about the human trafficking of children within the United States tell us “100,000-300,000 children are at risk of sex trafficking every year in the United States” and, “the average age of entry into the sex trade is between 12-14 years of age.” Both of these estimates are, in fact, based upon outdated and fuzzy research. Even the authors of the report from which the “100,000-300,000” estimate is based have stated their findings should not be promoted. Yet these myths (and others) persist at an alarming rate.

But a new report (supported in part by the United States Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention) gives us fresh information on this topic. And based upon this research effort, the two trafficking myths of at-risk youth and age of entry into the sex trade are seriously challenged.

Youth Involvement in the Sex Trade, is the result of interviewing 949 individuals (respondents), age 13-24, in six regions across the United States: Atlantic City, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, and the San Francisco Bay Area (including Oakland and the South Bay/San Jose area). Researchers focused on the exchanging of sex for money, food, housing, drugs, or other goods. While looking for data on youth involvement in the sex trade, the researchers rightly understood that the issue of youth involvement doesn’t end when the youth turns 18, which is why the interviews included subjects up to age 24. The researchers also factored in arrest data, and examined the intersection of youth with law enforcement and service provision agencies.

As the report relates to the two myths mentioned above, the research found that 77% of those interviewed first exchanged sex for goods under age 18; the average age being 15.8 years.

But the most striking finding suggests that the number of children engaged in the sex trade is 10,506 — far less than the “100,000-300,000” estimate promoted as fact for so long. The researchers acknowledge that this number is not precise: the number could be as low as 4,457 or as high as 20,994.

The researchers were focused on the dynamics of youth involved in the trading of sex for money or goods, not solely those being exploited by a pimp or trafficker. Using a liberal definition of pimp, the researchers believe their data more likely over-estimates the prevalence of pimps. While it is striking that only 15% of respondents reported having a pimp, the researchers make clear the line separating force, fraud, and coercion from complete consensual involvement is hazy: “The population is often involved in complex social relationships that, for a vast majority, does not involve direct coercion, control, or force–but often involves others who find themselves in broadly analogous positions in the underground economy.” (Executive Summary, p. xv)

So what does this mean for those of us involved in the response to trafficking? Do we reduce our efforts because–potentially–far fewer youth are at risk than previously believed? Of course not! We will not rest as long as anyone, anywhere, is at risk of exploitation or enslavement. While all research includes the caveat that the data is only a sampling and that more research is needed, we should take this data to heart as we develop and implement strategies and programs to reduce all forms of trafficking and aid all types of victims.

We should also bury outdated and baseless “facts” that misrepresent the work we do, and often preys on the emotions of donors and others from whom we seek support. This report should be studied by all involved in the response to trafficking.

 

Note: The two myths described above are among many promoted by well-meaning groups and organizations within the anti-trafficking community. As a result, in The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery, I devote an entire chapter to myths and misconceptions. As an abolitionist community, we need to share with others the best information we have, or explain why we don’t have better information. Using bad data reflects upon our community as a whole. When quoting or promoting data or estimates please make sure your information is reliable and based upon sound research.

Human Trafficking Estimates: Local is Best, Part 2

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StatisticsIn the past weeks we have examined how trafficking estimates can be flawed, and the challenges in obtaining local or regional estimates. With this understanding, let’s focus on exactly what we need to know (and share) to answer this question: How much human trafficking is occurring in our community?

But before we begin, two caveats: First, laws (along with agency protocols) dictate what type of information can be shared with other persons and agencies. This is commonly referred to as confidentiality. Confidentiality laws also protect certain persons — for example, case managers and attorneys — from disclosing certain information in court. Do not violate confidentiality; when in doubt, do not share information. But, as we will see, we should be willing to share generalized information that helps us understand the prevalence of trafficking.

Second, we must be willing to accept that the silos of data regarding human trafficking victims and incidents are difficult to keep nice and neat; more often, we must be willing to accept (and explain to others) the complexity of trafficking. We are not professional researchers; we are just trying to collect information from a variety of anti-trafficking stakeholders from our community.

What information really needs to be shared? We do not need names, specific age, or other personally identifiable information. We need basic information regarding victims: gender; age range (5 year segments are good); type of exploitation (labor or commercial sex) and perhaps a category, such as domestic servitude, agricultural labor, forced prostitution, etc., and; nationality. If partners are willing, it is also useful to know what country the victim is from. That’s it. No additional information is needed. A specific victim cannot be identified based on this information. When we realize this is all the information we need to share–not names or other identifying information–sharing becomes much easier.

When collecting this information, steps should be taken to avoid a victim being reported more than once. For example, if a victim has received assistance from more than one service provider, the providers should ensure the victim is not reported more than once. This can be avoided in a couple of ways: The victim will usually have one case manager, so they can help avoid duplicate reporting; in addition, case managers and agency attorneys usually are protected by confidentiality laws, so the case manager and attorney can share details in private to avoid duplicate reporting.

Information regarding traffickers who have been arrested is usually public information, but for basic information to be shared in public, track the same information as for victims.

What categories should we use?

1 – Potential Victims of Trafficking: This is a good term for describing those who we believe are victims, yet we lack statements or evidence to clearly classify them as victims. For example, if police conduct an operation at a brothel, locating five persons whom they believe are working against their will, but all five are too afraid to disclose their victimization, count these as five Potential Victims. From the victim services perspective, this could be an individual who sought assistance for another reason (e.g., domestic violence or sexual assault) but whom the service provider believes is also a victim of trafficking. Yes, this is a vague category based upon our observations and perspective, but count them! Just be careful to avoid over estimating the number, and never combine this estimate with others categories, below.

2 – Identified Victims of Trafficking: This is a person who has either received services as a victim of trafficking from a service provider, or who has been identified by law enforcement as a victim of trafficking. This person has been exploited via forced labor or sexual exploitation through force, fraud, or coercion. This is the number which will be most beneficial to estimating the level of trafficking in a community.

3 – Suspected Incidents of Trafficking: This category reflects instances where law enforcement examined a situation for the elements of human trafficking, but were unable to find them because they either didn’t exist, or victims chose not to cooperate. In the above example where police investigated the brothel, this could count as one Suspected Incident of Trafficking, with five Potential Victims. Again, this is far less precise than the categories below, but is shows that law enforcement is looking for trafficking!

4 – Trafficking Suspects Arrested: This number should reflect individuals who have been arrested on the specific charge of human trafficking.

5 – Trafficking-related Suspects Arrested: The most common example to illustrate this category is a pimp/trafficker who is arrested for pimping and pandering, but not for the specific charge of human trafficking. There are many reasons a law enforcement agency would arrest on pimping charges but not human trafficking, but they are too numerous to explore now.

6 – Trafficking Charges Filed: A prosecutor has filed the specific charge of human trafficking against a suspect.

7 – Trafficking-related Charges Filed: See #5; this is the prosecution equivalent.

8 – Convictions: Again, these should also be separated by specific charges of trafficking, and trafficking-related charges. Frankly, this number can be abused. A prosecutor’s office may count convictions of pimping, pandering, and assault against the trafficking victim as three convictions of “human trafficking,” when the specific trafficking charge was never filed and, obviously, only one person was convicted.

When a community of anti-trafficking stakeholders share minimal information with each other, we all begin to see the bigger picture, and the value of combined efforts. These numbers are critical for agencies seeking grant funding. Collecting these numbers illustrate that partnerships and trust already exist and, that based on these numbers, realistic performance targets can be established. Even better, those responsible for educating the public are not forced to use estimates of questionable origin.

Wouldn’t it be great to stand before an audience and say, “Based on the efforts of all our collaborative partners, we have identified and served 173 victims. They included 143 adult women, eight adult men, and 22 victims under age 18. 57% were victims of commercial sex exploitation, 43% victims of forced labor, including domestic servitude, agricultural labor, and work in local restaurants. 22% are foreign nationals, from South America, Africa, and Asia.  We have made contact with another 332 individuals whom we believe are victims but who, for a variety of reasons, we are not able to classify as victims. 32 cases have been investigated by our law enforcement partners, with over a dozen traffickers arrested. Three have been convicted on charges of human trafficking, and two suspects are awaiting trail.”

At first, the numbers will be much smaller, but don’t worry about that! Your local numbers are best! Your community will understand the challenges of data collection if you educate them about the hurdles you face. And they will support your efforts. In any case, it is always better to have your own numbers than to tell your audience, “Ah, we just don’t really know.”

Are the partners in your collaborative efforts sharing numbers so you all have a better understanding of the level of trafficking in your community? If not, why not?

Human Trafficking Estimates: Local is Best, Part 1

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Over the past several weeks we’ve examined the problem with most estimates related toStatistics human trafficking: They are very broad, hard to obtain, and often the data supporting them is unreliable. So what estimates should anti-trafficking organizations use?

The very best data reflects the work actually performed. Victim services providers (VSPs) who render assistance know exactly how many victims they have served. Law enforcement agencies know exactly how many cases of trafficking they have investigated, number of cases prosecuted, and number of offenders convicted. This sounds simple, but the reality is more complex.

For example: A VSP may identify an individual as a victim of both trafficking and domestic violence. But if the VSP has a policy of “client defined services,” (which means, if the client [victim] chooses only to receive services as a victim of domestic violence, that is the only victimization data the VSP collects) the human trafficking victimization may never be reported.

Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors have their own challenges with data. For instance, prosecutors may choose (for a variety of reasons) to charge an offender with criminal statutes that do not include human trafficking, even though the case is exactly that. In commercial sex exploitation cases, prosecutors may choose to charge pimping and pandering, for example. Yet, in the perspective of the prosecutor this is a case of human trafficking. They may even refer to this case in public as a human trafficking conviction. This explains the discrepancy when the number of convictions reported by law enforcement and prosecutors don’t always match the data from a state’s database of criminal convictions. Those who understand the dynamics of trafficking will call the case human trafficking, but if the conviction was actually for pimping, only the pimping conviction will appear in the database.

So how is a community, or a region, supposed to collect this data in an attempt to derive meaningful numbers of victim identified or served, along with cases investigated, prosecuted, and offenders convicted?

First, and critically, there needs to be a spirit of collaboration and a willingness to share the data with other stakeholders! This can be a huge stumbling block for some individuals and agencies due to the issues described above (or others); a hesitancy to report data based upon experience or observation instead of empirical data (an example would be police identifying a brothel where they know the women are coerced, but none of the women give statements to the fact – therefore the case will not move forward as a trafficking case), or; on grounds of confidentiality – the laws that state who information can be shared with, and what types of information can be shared.

While these problems may seem insurmountable, they have been overcome through effective collaboration. And while it may be impossible to say how many trafficking victims exist within the United States, many effective collaborative teams can give very good numbers reflecting the work they have done within their community or region.

In the next post we will examine some ways to categorize data, and what information truly needs to be shared, when the goal is for a community to be able to answer this simple question: How much trafficking is occurring in our community?

Meanwhile, what are your thoughts on this topic?

(The discussion of estimates related to human trafficking, the challenges of gathering accurate numbers, and how many of these estimates are incorrectly used is addressed in The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery.)

Baseball and Human Trafficking: Unlikely Lessons on Slavery From America’s Favorite Pastime

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baseballThe baseball season is upon us once again. Fans are pouring into stadiums to cheer their favorite teams, while sports writers wax poetic on the rejuvenating powers of a new season, freshly mown baseball fields, and the simple joys of a day at the ball park. Every spring, baseball offers us the hope of fresh starts, clean air and sunshine, and an unapologetic opportunity to enjoy hotdogs and beer.

Few fans would ever suspect a connection between baseball and the dark world of human trafficking; where victims are exploited through their labor, or commercial sex acts, by means of force, fraud, or coercion. Fewer still would suspect we can learn two valuable lessons about the complexities of human trafficking when viewed through the prism of America’s favorite pastime.

The first lesson we can learn is that anyone—even professional athletes—can be exploited when a trafficker instills fear in their victim.

Last February, certified Major League Baseball Player Association agent Bart Hernandez was indicted in federal court on charges of human trafficking and conspiracy, stemming from his alleged involvement in bringing Cuban baseball players into the United States who, in some cases, have received lucrative contracts. The indictment focuses on the case of Seattle Mariners center fielder Leonys Martin. Hernandez allegedly conspired with others to hold Martin and his family hostage while he negotiated Martin’s first MLB contract. Hernandez may have also coerced Martin into signing a contract which paid Hernandez a much higher agent fee than is usual. If true, Hernandez profited through Martin’s labor (playing baseball), after using force, fraud, or coercion to gain Martin’s compliance. This is human trafficking. If Hernandez is found guilty, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Lest we think this is an isolated case, associates of Hernandez are already serving time in federal prison for similar offenses.

Though trafficking cases involving professional athletes are rare, it illustrates an important concept in combating modern slavery: Human trafficking is limited only by the imagination of the trafficker, and the trafficker’s coercive skill in manipulating their victim through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. If true, Hernandez invented a ploy to exploit a talented baseball player, and by separating Martin from his family and then holding them hostage forced Martin into signing a contract favorable to Hernandez. Martin, a highly skilled athlete, may have been victimized while on the path to playing in the major league—just as other talented and smart people have fallen victim to traffickers.

The second connection we can make between baseball and human trafficking is examining the level of performance that equates with success. Major league players who can maintain a .250 batting average (getting a hit 1 in 4 times at bat) will likely have a successful career, given they possess the requisite defensive skills. A batter with a .300 average will be among a team’s better hitters. “Success,” in the case of a batter, equates with failing far more often than actually achieving their goal of getting a hit. This success rate is quite similar to those who assist victims of human trafficking, especially those who have been victimized through commercial sexual exploitation.

It is an unfortunate reality that many victims of trafficking do not immediately embrace those who offer to help them, whether law enforcement or victim services providers. Victims are often emotionally bound to their exploiter through the same fear that was used to exploit them, through a misconceived notion of “love” for their exploiter, or because the victim lacks trust in the social and legal systems that have failed to protect them in the past.

Ask a police officer or victim advocate experienced in working with sex trafficking victims how often they are successful in removing a trafficking victim from “the life” of forced commercial sex, and they will likely answer 1 in 4. Professionals skilled in working with sex trafficking victims achieve success the same percentage of time as batters. Sadly, it is not uncommon for the same victim to have multiple contacts with professionals who are ready, willing, and able to help, before they accept it. Tragically, some never do.

But does this stop the police officer, victim advocate, or community activist from continually going to bat for victims of modern slavery? Of course not. Dedicated professionals—just like the athletes who play on emerald fields under a spring sun—accept that success comes in a minority of their attempts. Abolitionists who oppose trafficking in all its form are not defeated by success rates of 1 in 4; they rejoice in it. And like the baseball player who “hits for average,” they take pride in the singles and doubles they hit, yet rarely experience the thrill of a home run.

The response to human trafficking, like baseball, is much more complex than it appears. The trafficking victim advocate, and batter, employs a nuanced approach to increase their chances of success, if only to a small degree. But they are both professionals in their tasks—in responding to human trafficking, and baseball—and they are the heart of the game. Their tenacity, not their high average, is their star quality. They are diligent, consistent, and dependable. And they take pride in their success, even if only a quarter of the time they step to the plate. We applaud them both!

Human Trafficking Statistics: What Numbers to Use

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In my last blog post I discussed why anti-trafficking organizations must be careful using and promoting statistics: most of them are flawed. The post received a lot of positive feedback, illustrating that many of us in the anti-trafficking community are concerned with this issue. Using dated or poorly researched estimates Pie Chartcan hurt an organization’s credibility. And while I believe we should place more focus what we are doing (more on that later), there are times when we need solid estimates to share for awareness, educational, or fundraising purposes. So what estimates can we use?

Two estimates I routinely use come from the International Labour Organization. The first is the ILO 2012 Global Estimate of Forced Labour, in which the ILO estimates the worldwide number of trafficking victims at 20.9 million people.

The second is the ILO’s 2014 report, Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labour. Here we find some interesting estimates:
Estimated worldwide profits from trafficking: $150 Billion
68% of victims are exploited via forced labor
22% of victims are exploited via forced sexual exploitation
(10% of victims are state-imposed forced labor)
Of particular interest, we see that while the vast majority of victims are exploited via forced labor, 2/3 of the profits (estimated at $99B) come from forced sexual exploitation.

I use these estimates because the ILO is an agency of the United Nations, their reports include their methodology, and they will update the reports in the years to come. (I also make sure that I list the ILO reports as the source when I offer these estimates. Estimates or statistics promoted without the source listed is big red flag.) I realize there are other estimates, including some from very knowledgeable professionals. But if you want to give global estimates, you cannot do much better than these. And, in any case, these are estimates: we really don’t know the exact numbers.

When addressing victims and incidents within the United States we can only, at best, piece together disparate sources of data, and some of these sources are seriously flawed. Better to say we just don’t know.

What are the best estimates to deliver to your audience, especially if you are a local anti-trafficking organization or task force? You should be promoting statistics and data from your own work!

For example, if you are serving victims, you should be sharing the number of victims you have assisted, their forms of exploitation (i.e. sex or labor trafficking), and some basic demographic information, such as their gender, nationality, and age range. (None of these elements violate confidentiality protocols.) Law enforcement statistics can include: the number of incidents suspected (an incident can be initially suspected to be trafficking but then proves to be something else, but capturing this number illustrates law enforcement are looking for trafficking cases); the number of incidents investigated as actual trafficking; cases brought before a prosecutor; cases in which charges were brought against suspected traffickers, and; convictions. Obtaining this data is not that difficult: many organizations and task forces have this information readily available.

But too often, organizations and agencies don’t take the time to gather this data. They pass it off as too much work to do; a complex process involving many reporting agencies; or push back on data sharing as a breach of confidentiality. Sometimes I’ve been told, “We don’t have many victims or cases and we will look like we are not accomplishing anything.” Well, every service agency had to have their first client (i.e. victim). Every law enforcement agency had to have their first human trafficking case. Don’t hide from the complexity and difficulty of fighting modern slavery, inform others about the hard work you are doing!

Audiences want to know about your organization’s accomplishments and challenges. And if they are donating, they should be given an honest picture of your work. Also, when you educate others about the difficult work you are doing, you are highlighting the commitment and passion of those doing the work; your staff! Even more important than sharing your stats is sharing stories of commitment by your organization. And share success stories of the survivors you have served.

Don’t focus on big numbers, focus on work you do!

In my next post I’ll explore how to conduct a basic community assessment to gather data on trafficking and response efforts. If you are interested in more information on the problems with many of the commonly-quoted statistics, they are addressed in The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery.

Doing THIS Hurts Your Anti-Trafficking Credibility!

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HTlogo_Z-SJPDThe biggest mistake an anti-trafficking organization can make is quoting – or promoting – incorrect statistics. And using incorrect, or unfounded, stats is all-to-common within the anti-trafficking community. Why does this occur and, more importantly, why does it matter?

First, a disclaimer: I have used bad information myself in the past. In the early days of the San Jose Police Human Trafficking Task Force (which I managed from 2006-2011) few estimates existed and we used what was available. I have also fallen into the trap of repeating what others (many of whom I respected) were saying without verifying the quality of the data or source, or questioning the context in which the statistics were offered. But with time, I’ve become much more critical about the statistics or studies I quote. Even our use of language leads to misrepresenting information.

For example, have you heard someone say (or post online), “The average age of entry into forced prostitution is 12-14 years of age.” But what does the word “average” imply? Using age 13 as the mid-point of 12-14, “average” implies that for every victim who is forced into prostitution at age 16, there must be a victim who was forced into prostitution at age 10. For every victim age 17, there must be a victim nine years of age. When we stop and examine the implication of using the word “average,” we begin to see a potential problem with this quote. While no definitive studies exist to confirm the exact average age of entry into forced prostitution, based upon my conversations with many anti-trafficking professionals across the country, a more reliable statement would be that many victims are forced into the sex trade as young as 12-14 years of age. (Of course, there are always the exceptions of very young victims, but the point is we must be concerned with reliable information.)

A decade ago it was common to see this statement: “14,500-17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year.” This stat – based on a vague analysis – was heavily used by United States government agencies. Though it was dropped from use several years ago it can still be found in use, often repeated by persons or organizations who have not taken the time to verify the source or think about its implication.

And why are we so dependent upon statistics to promote our anti-trafficking work, pass legislation, or raise funds? Agencies who support victims of domestic violence or sexual assault rarely offer big number statistics to justify their existence or their work. But, somehow, early in the evolution of the response to modern slavery statistics became part and parcel with justifying our response to slavery. This needs to change.

Why is this topic important? If you have not noticed, in the past few years the media has begun to question the validity of such statistics. Some have been bold enough to claim human trafficking is far less a problem than those of us within the anti-trafficking community believe. So we are being challenged to be more responsible with our claims.

At the organizational level, we risk losing credibility with our audiences, community, and financial supporters (or potential supporters) when we offer stats that have little to no merit behind them. Would you support an organization if you realized they were putting out incorrect information? If an organization can’t be relied upon to use current and correct information on a topic, would you trust them with our donor dollars? Simple things enhance – or detract – from our credibility!

This may seem like a minor issue, but it isn’t. We need to maintain the highest levels of integrity and credibility in our response to human trafficking. What we say in public, and post online, reflects upon the entire anti-trafficking community. (This is one reason why the use – and misuse – of statistics is closely examined in my book The Essential Abolitionist.)

For the record, the U.S. government now acknowledges the lack of solid data regarding trafficking; the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States (2012), a joint effort of the Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Homeland Security, includes no estimate of the number of victims within the United States! Instead, it openly recognizes the difficulty in measuring the magnitude of trafficking and calls for more definitive study. Take a close look at the statistics (and the sources) you use in your presentations or post online.

So, what data should we use? I’ll examine that topic in my next post. Meanwhile, what are your thoughts on this topic?

 

The Essential Abolitionist: The story behind the book

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IMG_1844With The Essential Abolitionist: What you need to know about human trafficking & modern slavery now on sale, I’m often asked about the writing and publishing process. Most often, I’m asked, where did I get the idea to write the book? This is the short story behind the book.

Since 2006 I’ve been involved in the response to human trafficking when I was tasked with managing the San Jose Police Department’s Human Trafficking Task Force. We were part of a nationwide program of task forces funded by the U.S. Department of Justice. When the program was launched in late-2005 it was the first effort to create and sustain multi-sector task forces involving local law enforcement, federal law enforcement, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) who provide services to victims of human trafficking. Being a brand new effort, each of the task forces was left to design their own plan to achieve the program’s four goals: Identify and rescue victims of trafficking; prosecute offenders; train local law enforcement, and; raise public awareness.

Our task force launched an aggressive campaign of educating the public (mostly by speaking at public events), and creating training programs for law enforcement and victim services providers. So from the start we were being asked lots of questions about human trafficking and how best to respond.

For me, this led to more and more opportunities to speak, train, and advise, usually with partners from other anti-trafficking sectors. What I began to realize over time was that people were usually asking the same questions, regardless if they were the general public, students, community activists, or even professionals with a role in the response to human trafficking.

About two years ago the idea came to me that the most-often asked questions could be condensed into a book, written in a style any reader would find engaging and valuable. What would set this book apart from many of the other excellent books focusing on human trafficking would be my experience putting this knowledge to work, and my experience helping other organizations enhance their response efforts. The book would focus on real-world challenges faced every day by those actively responding to modern slavery. After drafting an initial list of about 100 questions, I asked several colleagues their opinion of the book’s concept and the draft questions. I received enthusiastic feedback about the potential value of the concept, and most of my colleagues told me that they were routinely asked the same questions!

HOW TO MAKE THE BOOK EVEN BETTER?

There is one indisputable fact when it comes to fighting human trafficking: No single sector, no single organization, and certainly no single individual can do the work alone. Effective collaboration is critical. (Collaboration is also one of the greatest challenges faced in the response to human trafficking.)

So, again, I reached out to colleagues from across the country, each with expertise in their own area of responding to human trafficking. I will always be grateful that every contributor I invited to join me on the project quickly agreed. How much better is the book than if I had written it alone? It is immensely better! The contributors come from almost every sector involved in the response to trafficking. And though some of their topics seem focused on a particular sector, they crafted their contributions in such a way that every reader can gain knowledge, and a better understanding of the challenges faced by all. You can read the biographies of the contributors here.

The writing and editing process reduced the original list of 100 questions to 78; each a topic of value to anyone interested or involved in the response to human trafficking. The questions address the essential knowledge we should all possess.

So now you know the story behind the book!

Let me know what questions you have about the book, the writing process, or human trafficking in general. I’ll try to answer them in the comments or in a future blog post!

John