Human trafficking is a national crisis in the United States. According to the Department of Homeland Security, human trafficking “involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act.” It is not limited to any single community, age, race, gender, or nationality, claiming an estimated 40.3 million victims across the globe.
Today, the United States is currently one of the largest consumers of commercial sex worldwide.
While it is impossible to nail down just how many victims suffer in the U.S. each year from forced labor and commercial sex trafficking, the impact on victims is felt for a lifetime. Individuals who live through these unique and painful experiences often go on to deal with mental health conditions like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression for the rest of their lives – often struggling to find quality care.
Mental health providers across the country need to do their part to better understand the unique impact of human trafficking and how to better serve clients managing PTSD and anxiety.
U.S. Human Trafficking Statistics:
- It is nearly impossible to know exactly how many victims of human trafficking exist in the United States. It is hidden and secretive in nature – meaning there are probably far more victims than we realize.
- According to the International Labour Organization, 4.8 million people are involved in forced sexual exploitation worldwide, and more than 1 million of those victims are children.
- Human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide.
- 90.8% of trafficking survivors reported being arrested, according to the National Survivor Network. Only 10% of buyers are arrested.
- 92% of Victims are physically assaulted, according to Loyola University’s Annals of Health Law.
- It is projected that between 60% and 70% of trafficked children in the U.S. come from child social services or the foster care system.
- LGBTQ youth have higher runaway rates, a higher likelihood of discrimination/violence/economic problems, and are therefore more vulnerable to being trafficked.
