Office of Life, Justice and Peace

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking, per the United Nations, is:

  • "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation."
  • "Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs."

Facts

  • An estimated 10 million children are trafficking victims.
  • According to the International Labor Organization, 403,000 people are trafficked in the U.S. at any one time.
  • 16 million (64%) forced labor victims work in domestic work, construction or agriculture.
  • The International Labor Ogranization estimates of the size of the trafficked population worldwide at 40 million.
  • In 2018, 83% of  sex trafficking cases and 13% of labor trafficking involved women or girls.  82% of labor trafficking cases and 10% of sex trafficking cases involved men or boys.

Legal Background & Resources

Utah has enacted state laws criminalizing human trafficking and/or addressing the direct results of actions on behalf of vulnerable persons. For a list of current state laws related to trafficking, see the Polaris website.

To Report a Potential Trafficking Situation

Please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) Hotline at 1-888-373-7888

  • The call is toll free and the hotline is open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
  • Call specialists are available to take your tips and offer referrals to local service providers, as well as provide comprehensive anti-trafficking resources and information.
  • All calls are confidential; interpreters are available.

To report a situation electronically email: NHTRC@PolarisProject.org.