Labor Trafficking is defined as the crime of using, force, fraud or coercion to get individuals to work or provide service. Common type include agriculture, domestic work, restaurants, some amateur sports and performance teams and cleaning services according to Polaris Project and the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

Sex Trafficking is the crime of using force, fraud, or coercion to get another individual to sell sex acts. Common types include escort services, pornography, illicit massage businesses, brothels, and outdoor solicitation. According to Polaris Project.

Grooming is when someone builds a relationship, trust, emotional connection with the victim so they can manipulate, exploit and abuse or traffick them.

Sextortion as defined by Oxford Languages is the practice of extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity.

With online exploitation on the rise the more we hear about sextortion. There are ways to combat against sextortion the first being to speak up and say something to someone you trust if this happens to you.

NCMEC -National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has a cybertip line in which you can report. www.missingkids.org

Studies suggest that a large percentage of perpetrators of sexual abuse as an adult have had a type of childhood abuse in their past. Studies also show that pornography also may play a roll in perpetrators, however on both accounts it is still very difficult to clearly say if that is the reason for perpetrators behavior.

While both studies are related to sexual abuses it is known that in sex trafficking there are times that the person who is the “Bottom” or the person controlling the females in the group and is the one disclosing any rule breaking etc., have started as a victim first.

“Bottom” refers to female picked by the trafficker/Pimp that manage all others and acts as the as the right hand man.

References - SMART-Office f Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. RAINN, National Human Trafficking Hotline, Shared Hope

Sudden behavior changes like spending more time online or with new friends they are secretive about. May appear withdrawn, depressed, or distracted.

There may be signs of physical abuse such as burns, marks, bruises or cuts.

Unexplained absence from school., overly tired in class or unable to keep up with school work.

Sudden inappropriate dress or sexualized behavior. They may take off a lot without saying any thing or runaway.

Bragging about making or having lots money or may have expensive clothes, gifts or even a new tattoo.

May have new friends but are secretive about them and where they go.

Has an older man for a boyfriend.

May have job opportunity that promises large pay.

May appear to be isolating self specifically the “boyfriend” and spending less time with friends and people they once spent more time with.

References: National Human Trafficking Hotline, NCMEC, SharedHope