10/02/2026
HUMAN TRAFFICKING 101: WHAT IS IT?
Human trafficking can feel like a distant problem, something that happens somewhere else, to someone else.
But human trafficking can happen anywhere.
The U.S. Department of Transportation defines human trafficking as:
“A crime that involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain labor or a commercial s*x act.”
So what do force, fraud, and coercion actually mean?
🔹 FORCE — Physical violence, restraint, or threats of physical harm may be used to control someone.
🔹 FRAUD — A person may be deceived through false promises of a job, housing, education, a better life, or even a relationship.
🔹 COERCION — Threats, intimidation, manipulation, psychological abuse, financial control, or threats against a person or their loved ones can be used to make someone feel they have no way out.
And trafficking doesn't always look the way we expect.
A trafficker may be a stranger, but they may also be an employer, romantic partner, family member, friend, or acquaintance. Recruitment can happen in person or online.
Human trafficking also does not require someone to be transported from one place to another. People can be trafficked right in their own communities.
Children and adults.
Women and men.
Citizens and non-citizens.
People from every background.
Trafficking can happen anywhere, and awareness is one of the first steps toward prevention.
This is why we talk about it.
This is why we educate.
This is why knowing the facts matters.
🤍 Operation Love Global — Protect. Prevent. Restore.