Incidence
The actual incidence of human trafficking in the U.S. is unknown especially at the national level. Much of the data available is based on estimates from populations at risk. Some estimates are as follows:
It is estimated that 199,000 incidents occur within the United States every year. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/human-trafficking-statistics-by-state
National arrest data of prostitutes, which includes forced prostitution, is another source of estimates of human trafficking. A report by the Scelles Foundation estimates there are 1 million prostitutes in the U.S. (Langer et al, 2004). It is calculated that 40% of prostitutes are forced into this sex trade by traffickers. https://sex-crimes.laws.com/prostitution/prostitution-statistics
There are even fewer reliable and valid statistics that describe trafficking for forced labor. According to the International Labor Organization (2002) girls are typically trafficked for sexual exploitation and domestic service while boys are used for forced labor in farming, small criminal activities including the drug trade. The Child Labor Coalition (CLC) estimates there are 5.5 million children between the ages of 12 and 17 employed in the U. S. In some cases, these children are working as ‘street peddlers’ selling candy, magazines, drugs and a variety of goods. How many of those children are forced into this employment is unknown.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) maintains a call-in center where trafficked individuals can call for help and others can report cases. Since victims are often unable or fearful of reporting their situation, the statistics available are described as considerably lower than the amount of trafficking that is occurring. In 2019 the Human Trafficking Hotline had 11,500 reports of human tracking; 8,248 cases of sex trafficking.
California and Texas are the states with the most call ins. https://humantraffickinghotline.org/states. Again, the number of these call ins are exceptionally small compared to the large number of individuals being trafficked in the U.S. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/human-trafficking-statistics-by-state .
State trafficking estimates
California
The California Against Slavery (CAS) organization has as its mission the following:
The mission of CAS Research and Education (CASRE) is to protect children, women, and men from being victimized through human trafficking and exploitation.
The CAS has been focusing on children in foster care as especially vulnerable to being targeted by traffickers. These children need love, a feeling of belonging and protection. Traffickers offer them a sense of family. The CAS reports 50% to 80% of sexually exploited children had involvement with the child welfare system. In Los Angeles County they found 58% of the 72 sexually trafficked girls were foster children. In Alameda county, 41% of 267 trafficked victims were in foster care.
New York
New York City is described as the hub for human trafficking in New York state due to its proximity to international ports, industries with severe labor violations, large numbers of homeless people, runaways and foster care children leads to its large number of trafficked victims. The city even has a Vice Major Case/Human trafficking Team which monitors short stay hotels and digital solicitations.
Any victims of human trafficking are encouraged to call please call 911 and/or call the Office's Human Trafficking Hotline at 212-335-3400, or visit us at the Manhattan Family Justice Center, located at 80 Centre Street in lower Manhattan. NYC's Anti-Trafficking Program is called Safe Horizon - Hotline: 800-621-4673 (HOPE) www.safehorizon.org
Services Provided: Community Education, Court/Police Accompaniment, Crisis Counseling, Domestic Violence, Immigration, English as a Second Language Classes, Emergency Assistance/Transportation, Health Services, HIV/AIDS (Referral), Job Training (Referral), Legal Services, Long Term Counseling, Public Assistance (Referral), Referrals, Sexual Assault, Shelter/Housing Assistance (Referral), Emergency Housing (Adult and Children), Stalking, Trafficking Victims Services. https://www.manhattanda.org/victim-resources/human-trafficking/
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/new-york
Texas
Texas provides opportunities for traffickers to find victims because of its location, immigrant communities, and 6,000 runaway minors. According to a benchmark study of human trafficking by members of the Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault from the School of Social work at the University of Texas at Austin, there are estimated to be 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas. Of these victims, 79,000 are minors solicited into sex trafficking. These statistics estimate that 25% of children that are in the foster care system, are victims of abuse and/or are homeless are likely to become trafficked.
It is estimated that there are 234,000 victims of labor trafficking. Labor trafficking estimates are determined by the percentage of victimized migrant farmworker (28%), cleaning services workers (36%), construction workers (35%), kitchen workers (32%) and landscaping and grounds workers (27%) will be victims of trafficking (Armendariz, 2016).
Florida
Florida has organized multiple areas of focus to reduce the number of human trafficking cases and provide assistance to the victims. They are using the, If you see something, say something, motto. Here are some their recommended help lines.
- Contact the Florida Abuse Hotline 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873) to report known or suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment; and known or suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
- For help,contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888.
- Text HELP to 233733 (BEFREE): To get help for victims and surviviors of human trafficking or to connect with local services.
- Visit the National Human Trafficking Hotline online at: https://humantraffickinghotline.org.
While California, Texas, and Florida are considered states with large numbers of trafficking victims, no states are free from incidences of human trafficking. The calls to the NHTH do not claim to represent the total incidences of trafficking in each state, but they do provide some indication of high to low numbers of call ins.
The following is a report of human trafficking by states from highest to lowest conveyed to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) in 2019. (https://humantraffickinghotline.org/states)
Here is a report of the number of cases called in to the Hotline in 2019.
States Ranked by Incidence of Human Trafficing |
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California |
1507 |
North Carolina |
266 |
Indiana |
157 |
Kansas |
92 |
Maine |
36 |
Texas |
1080 |
New Jersey |
247 |
Mississippi |
148 |
Utah |
90 |
Hawaii |
35 |
Florida |
896 |
Nevada |
239 |
South Carolina |
139 |
Arkansas |
86 |
Idaho |
26 |
New York |
454 |
Arizona |
234 |
Kentucky |
136 |
Alabama |
82 |
South Dakota |
25 |
Ohio |
450 |
Missouri |
233 |
Oregon |
132 |
New Mexico |
64 |
North Dakota |
23 |
Georgia |
417 |
Virginia |
189 |
Oklahoma |
109 |
Nebraska |
62 |
Alaska |
15 |
Michigan |
364 |
Maryland |
187 |
Massachusetts |
107 |
Connecticut |
52 |
New Hampshire |
15 |
Washington |
272 |
Tennessee |
180 |
Minnesota |
104 |
Delaware |
38 |
Rhode Island |
14 |
Pennsylvania |
271 |
Colorado |
176 |
Iowa |
98 |
Montana |
38 |
Wyoming |
12 |
Illinois |
267 |
Louisiana |
159 |
Wisconsin |
94 |
West Virginia |
38 |
Vermont |
9 |
| Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/human-trafficking-statistics-by-state |
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Which of the following is a true statement about Human Trafficking in various states?
Reference
Armendariz, N. B., Nale, N. L., Kammer, M., Kellison, B., Torres, M., Killison, B., et al (2016). Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas. University of Texas.
Langer, G. Arnedt, C. & Sussman, D. (2004). "Primetime Live Poll: American Sex Survey". ABC News. Retrieved 2018-03-26. http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/PollVault/story?id=156921&page=1