Human Trafficking Awareness Month

January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. What is human trafficking? Does it take place in our area? What is being done about it? How can you help? Let’s dive in.

Despite its clandestine nature, human trafficking is not confined to distant lands; it lurks in communities everywhere, including Santa Barbara County.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a serious crime and human rights violation involving the exploitation of individuals for forced labor or commercial sexual purposes.

Perpetrators induce, recruit, harbor, transport, provide or obtain victims. They use force, fraud, or coercion to do this. Their purpose is to compel victims into providing commercial sex acts or labor/services.

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Youth (CSECY) is a particularly heinous aspect of human trafficking, targeting minors for sexual exploitation. The consequences impact victims physically, emotionally, and psychologically.

Here we'll provide an overview of these types of trafficking and their prevalence on the California Central Coast, along with valuable resources for further information. 

Santa Barbara County's vulnerability

Santa Barbara County is vulnerable to human trafficking due to its unique characteristics. 

• Transit corridor: it's a stop along the trafficking corridor between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
• Tourist attraction: the transient tourist population creates opportunities for trafficking.
• Migrant labor: the presence of migrant labor adds to the risk.
• Economic disparities: Traffickers often prey on vulnerable populations, taking advantage of individuals facing poverty, homelessness, or unstable family situations. 

Who is being trafficked in our county?

• 97% are female.
• 60% are age 24 and younger.
• 41% are Santa Barbara County residents.
• The average age a teen enters trafficking is age 12-14.

Sex trafficking often takes place at massage parlors, hotels, motels, and bars. Labor trafficking often takes place in agricultural labor, domestic labor, hotels/motels, and restaurants.

Since 2017, more than 225 survivors of human trafficking have been identified in Santa Barbara County. These are our friends, relatives, co-workers, and neighbors. For #HumanTraffickingAwarenessMonth this year, we recognize them in our midst with the hashtag #WeKnowThem. 

Recognizing signs of trafficking

• Excess cash
• Hotel room keys
• Multiple cell phones
• Malnourishment
• Fake IDs
• Physical abuse
• Inconsistent information
• Lack of community knowledge
• Tattoos or branding
• Missing school
• Expensive gifts
• Avoiding eye contact
• Withdrawal from activities

Remember, any minor in the commercial sex trade is a trafficking victim; there is no such thing as a child prostitute. For more information, visit the visit the Abolish Movement and Polaris Project websites. 

How to report suspected human trafficking

Do not attempt to intervene. The best way to maintain safety for all involved is to report suspicions. All of the following are available 24/7. When you call, describe the location (neighborhood, city, state), describe the immediate concern, who is involved, and if you recognize the individual(s).

• If the individual appears to be in imminent danger, contact police at 911. Use the key words "potential trafficking situation." 
• If the suspected trafficking survivor is a minor, contact Child Welfare Services at 1-800-367-0166. 
• If you have a general suspicion of trafficking, contact the Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, text BeFree (233733), or visit them online.   

How to get involved

For more information and suggestions on how to take action, along with a full calendar of this month’s events, please visit www.safesbc.org/getinvolved.