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    Types of Crimes

    Human Trafficking

    Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. 

    National Human Trafficking Hotline

    Human Trafficking Resources

    National Human Trafficking Hotline

    The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a toll-free hotline available , 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Support is provided in more than 200 languages.

    Learn more

    Department of Homeland Security

    By identifying and reporting suspected human trafficking, you are doing your part to help law enforcement recover victims.

    Learn more

    What is Human Trafficking?

    Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological.  Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used. 

    Signs of Human Trafficking in Adults

    Sex trafficking occurs when individuals are made to perform commercial sex through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Any child under 18 who is involved in commercial sex is legally a victim of trafficking, regardless of whether there is a third party involved.

    Someone may be experiencing sex trafficking if they:

    • Want to stop participating in commercial sex but feel scared or unable to leave the situation.
    • Disclose that they were reluctant to engage in commercial sex but that someone pressured them into it.
    • Live where they work or are transported by guards between home and workplace.
    • Are children who live with or are dependent on a family member with a substance use problem or who is abusive.
    • Have a “pimp” or “manager” in the commercial sex industry.
    • Work in an industry where it may be common to be pressured into performing sex acts for money, such as a strip club, illicit cantina, go-go bar, or illicit massage business.
    • Have a controlling parent, guardian, romantic partner, or “sponsor” who will not allow them to meet or speak with anyone alone or who monitors their movements, spending, or communications.

    Labor trafficking includes situations where men, women, and children are forced to work because of debt, immigration status, threats and violence. Keeping victims isolated — physically or emotionally — is a key method of control in most labor trafficking situations. But that does not mean you never cross paths with someone who is experiencing trafficking. 

    Someone may be experiencing labor trafficking or exploitation if they:

    • Feel pressured by their employer to stay in a job or situation they want to leave
    • Owe money to an employer or recruiter or are not being paid what they were promised or are owed
    • Do not have control of their passport or other identity documents
    • Are living and working in isolated conditions, largely cut off from interaction with others or support systems
    • Appear to be monitored by another person when talking or interacting with others
    • Are being threatened by their boss with deportation or other harm
    • Are working in dangerous conditions without proper safety gear, training, adequate breaks, or other protections
    • Are living in dangerous, overcrowded, or inhumane conditions provided by an employer

    Who is Most Vulnerable?

    Anyone can experience trafficking in any community, just as anyone can be the victim of any kind of crime. While it can happen to anyone, evidence suggests that people of color and LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience trafficking than other demographic groups. Generational trauma, historic oppression, discrimination, and other societal factors and inequities create community-wide vulnerabilities. Traffickers recognize and take advantage of people who are vulnerable.

    People may be vulnerable to trafficking if they:

    • Have an unstable living situation
    • Have previously experienced other forms of violence such as sexual abuse or domestic violence
    • Have run away or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare system
    • Are undocumented immigrants
    • Are facing poverty or economic need
    • Have a caregiver or family member who has a substance use issue
    • Are addicted to drugs or alcohol

    Who Are the Traffickers

    There is no evidence that traffickers are more likely to be of a particular race, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. They may be family members, romantic partners, acquaintances, or strangers.

    How Traffickers Lure People In

    Human traffickers wield stories as powerful tools, spinning tales of everlasting love or enticing job opportunities with fair pay just out of reach. While some narratives may raise alarms, others may reveal red flags during the recruitment process.

    Here are several warning signs to watch for:

    • A potential employer refuses to provide a signed contract or insists on a contract in a language the worker doesn’t understand.
    • A potential employer asks for fees in exchange for the “opportunity” to work.
    • A friend or family member suddenly receives an abundance of gifts or money and enters a fast-paced, uneven romantic relationship (e.g., a significant age or financial gap).
    • A friend, family member, or student has a history of running away and may be living with someone who isn’t their parent or guardian.
    • Someone close to you is developing an unusually intense relationship with someone they’ve only met online.
    • A friend or family member shows signs of abuse while living with a parent or guardian.
    • A colleague or acquaintance is presented with a job offer that seems too good to be true.
    • A friend, family member, or coworker is recruited for a job far away, but the recruiter or prospective employer is evasive about details or avoids questions.

    Resources for Survivors

    If you are a victim of human trafficking, know of somebody who may be a victim of human trafficking, or have information about a potential trafficking situation, there are many programs and resources to help in Pennsylvania.

    What you share with victim service providers is up to you and will be kept private.  Providers are required by Pennsylvania law, however, to report suspected child abuse or neglect or if an individual is at risk of themselves or  someone else. 

    Additional Resources

    If you are victim of human trafficking and need help or suspect that someone else is a victim: 

    Human Trafficking Task Forces are a coalition of victim service providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, community members, courts and other parties working to combat human trafficking.  

    If you are interested in getting involved in anti-trafficking response efforts, contact your local task force. 

    This list is not a service directory. If you are looking for services or immediate help, or want to report a human trafficking tip, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. If you are experiencing an emergency, call 911.