A few indicators can help us identify potential trafficking victims. The main problem is that it can happen in plain sight, while it is not simple to notice. Therefore, you should learn how to recognize possible indicators and red flags, which will help you rescue the victim and aid in arresting the people responsible.
After entering here, you will understand the entire process of human trafficking.
This is especially true for sex trafficking because most victims stay in massage parlors, brothels, motels, strip clubs, and hidden apartments. At the same time, child exploitation and labor victims have either come from foster care or run from home.
You should know that people in similar situations should get relevant meds, mainly since the virus still affects people around us. Of course, signs of abuse and terrible living conditions indicate potential criminal activity. At the same time, individuals who are not allowed to speak freely and use scripted sentences may be in danger.
Signs Someone is a Victim of Trafficking
1. Control
Something terrible happens when someone is not in control of their passport or ID. At the same time, the person can wear the same clothes and have a small property in a trash bag, which is why you should call someone to determine the best course of action.
Victims of trafficking do not control their money, meaning everyone pays them in cash without using bank accounts and financial records.
2. Workplace Conditions
In most cases, others recruit them by using false promises about the conditions and nature of the work. At the same time, they will get paid by cash tips without relevant records. For instance, sex trafficking victims have managers, pimps, or someone who protect them while keeping a watch.
If a person is under eighteen and performs sex in exchange for money, the problem exists, and you should inform law enforcement. As you can see, they are not free to come and go and leave as they wish, which is why they work in unusual and long hours. Some of them get in debt due to drug abuse, meaning they must pay it off through prostitution.
They can also exchange sex acts for needs such as food, shelter, and survival in general. This is a transparent indication that something fishy is happening.
3. Mental Health
They are most likely depressed, anxious, fearful, nervous, tense, paranoid, and submissive, among other things. At the same time, the main problem that happens is being under the influence of alcohol and drugs throughout the process.
Apart from that, they can form a significant attachment to a single person, which is a sign of a mental problem you should address by calling local law enforcement and submitting the victim to a hospital checkup. If a person requires direction or permission to make a simple decision, such as visiting a bathroom, you should react immediately because it is a red flag.
4. Physical Health
When someone shows signs of sexual or physical abuse, confinement, physical restraint, torture marks in the form of cuts, bruises, etc., it is a clear sign that something is going on. The branding scars such as tattoos and burns with money or crown symbols are also problematic, which is essential to remember.
Generally, they do not have access to healthcare without the supervision of their molesters and other people who oversee them. Of course, they will appear as drug addicts, meaning extremely skinny and malnourished.
Things You Can Do
When you suspect someone has undergone mental or physical abuse due to trafficking, you should report suspicious behavior or illegal activity to law enforcement. The worst thing you can do is to attempt to rescue a victim by yourself because you will confront a suspected trafficker directly, which is a life-threatening situation.
It is important to remember that law enforcement must investigate suspected cases and then handle each step along the way. The best way to assist is to alert them about indications, how they act, how they look, where they are, and who they are with, which will help police determine the best course of action.
Check out this link: https://www.state.gov/humantrafficking-about-human-trafficking/ to learn more about human trafficking.
You can also take down vehicle plate numbers and information, note the time, and record the address when you encounter a potential victim. As soon as you are clear and out of the way, you should call 911 and say that you witnessed an emergency.