Force-Fraud-Coercion

You may be wondering, how exactly does sex trafficking happen?

Human trafficking is “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for commercial sex through force, fraud or coercion...” (Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 2000)

As you may have guessed, the three bolded words are significant. These are the three methods that traffickers use to obtain and maintain control over victims.

The use or threat of physical violence or power to restrain, injure, or inflict harm.

Examples of force:

  • Physical and/or sexual abuse

  • Confinement, such as locking someone in a room

  • Withholding

    • Food or other essentials

    • Addictive substances

Traffickers use force to “break down the victim’s spirit” (Chesnay, 2013).

The use of false promises or lies to lure and deceive.

Examples of fraud:

  • False promises of jobs, better living conditions, payment, etc. Some examples include promising

    • A person overseas a position as a nanny or a model forcing the person into prostitution upon arrival.

    • A parent their child is being recruited for a job that allows for better living conditions

Traffickers use fraud to “exploit dreams or hope for a better life” (U.S. Department of State, 2009).

The use of threats of harm made towards the victim or those close to them.

Examples of coercion:

  • Threats of harm

  • Blackmail or humiliation tactics

  • Debt manipulation and bondage (forcing victims to conduct services as “payment” for a non-existent debt)

  • Withholding earnings

  • Emotional Manipulation

Traffickers use coercion to “control a victim’s state of mind, or their perceptions, and gain compliance through fear.” (Vanek, 2018).