Facts About Human Trafficking

  • Human trafficking wasn’t illegal until 2000, when the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed, which made it a federal crime.
  • The United States, along with Mexico and the Philippines, was ranked one of the world’s worst places for human trafficking in 2018.
  • Since 2007, more than 49,000 cases of human trafficking in the U.S. have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, which receives an average of 150 calls per day.
  • More than 300,000 young people in the U.S. are considered “at-risk” of sexual exploitation, according to the U.S. Department of Health.
  • Children are more vulnerable than adults because they are easier to control, and less likely to demand proper working conditions.
  • Children raised in foster care have a greater chance of becoming victims. In 2013, 60% of the child victims that the FBI recovered had been in the foster care system.

Red Flags of Modern Slavery

“It’s all about opening your eyes. If you see something suspicious, call 9-1-1 or the national hotline and report it. It’s everyday people who can make a difference,” says Linda. Here are the red flags to look for among the children in your community:

  • Unexplained absences from school for a period of time
  • Chronic running away from home or foster care
  • Inappropriately dressed for age and/or weather
  • Engaged in sexual situations or behaviors beyond age-specific norms
  • Has a noticeably older significant other
  • Frequent travel to other cities, living in a hotel, or possession of hotel keycards or business cards
  • Having received expensive gifts, clothing, or possession of more than one cell phone
  • Suspicious jewelry and/or tattoo branding seeming to denote ownership
  • Living with adults who are not biological parents (i.e. “working” for an aunt or uncle)
  • Responsibility for child care, elder care, or cleaning, framed  as “chores”

haggadah Section: -- Ten Plagues