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Trafficking victims in the U.S. under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 include: - Minors (under age 18) induced to perform commercial sex acts
- Those age 18 or over who are forced, deceived, or coerced into providing commercial sex acts
- Children and adults forced to perform labor and/or services in conditions of involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery, through force, fraud, or coercion
- Commercial sex industry
- Domestic street prostitution, strip clubs, and escort agencies
- Asian massage parlors, residential brothel, and room salon networks
- Latino residential brothel, cantina bar, and escort agency networks
- Russian and Eastern European strip clubs and escort agencies
- Online websites, like Craigs List and escort agency websites
- Agriculture
- Industry and Manufacturing
- Retail Business
- Private Homes
There is no one consistent face of a trafficking victim. Trafficked persons can be rich or poor, men or women, adults or children, or foreign nationals or U.S. citizens. Some are well educated with college degrees, while others have no formal education. While anyone can become a victim of trafficking, victims usually come from vulnerable populations, including undocumented migrants, runaways and at-risk youth, oppressed or marginalized groups, and the poor. Traffickers specifically target individuals in these populations because they are often easiest to recruit and control.
Undocumented immigrants are highly vulnerable to being trafficked due to a combination of factors, including lack of legal status and protections, limited language skills and employment options, poverty and immigration-related debts, and social isolation. They are often victimized by traffickers from a similar ethnic or national background, on whom they may be dependent for employment or support in the foreign country. 
Runaways and at-risk youth are targeted by pimps and traffickers for exploitation in the commercial sex industry or labor and service industry. Pimps and sex traffickers are skilled at manipulating child victims and maintaining control through a combination of deception and violence.
The needs of survivors of trafficking are among the most complex of crime victims, often requiring a multidisciplinary approach to address severe trauma and medical needs, immigration and other legal issues, safety concerns, and financial hardship.
Facts and Statistics
13: Average age of first being prostituted and trafficked in the commercial sex industry in the US
50: Percent of transnational victims who are children (U.S. Department of Justice)
244,000 – 325,000: Number of American children and youth who are at risk for sexual exploitation and sex trafficking every year (University of Pennsylvania)Sign up to stay informed. Donate to make an impact now.
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