Human Trafficking - When People are Bought and Sold to Make a Profit.
Human Trafficking is:
- A public health issue
- A crime
- A violation of human rights
Anyone Can be a Trafficking Victim.
It affects people regardless of:
- age
- race
- ethnicity
- Gender/gender identity
- Sexual orientation
- immigration status
- socioeconomic level.
A common myth is that trafficking happens only to people from other countries. The fact is: both U.S. citizens and noncitizens can be victims. It affects people in every community across New York State -- urban, suburban, and rural.
Studies show that up to 88 percent of victims meet with health care providers while they are still being trafficked. [1]
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, human trafficking is the second largest international criminal industry. It is second only to the drug trade.
Two Most Common Forms of Human Trafficking in New York State
Labor Trafficking –This is when a person makes another person work or provide a service. They use force, fraud, or coercion. A person may also recruit, entice, harbor, or transport another person for work or services. [2]
Sex Trafficking – This is when someone makes another person perform a commercial sex act. force, fraud, or coercion to help make it possible or profit from it.[3]
- Lederer L, Wetzel, CA. The health consequences of sex trafficking and their implications for identifying victims in healthcare facilities. Ann Health Law. 2014; 23 (1): 61-91.
- NY Penal Law §135.35
- N.Y. Penal Law § 230.34
