Recognizing potential indicators of human trafficking can help healthcare providers connect victims with resources and assistance.
The individual in question:
- Is not free to leave or come and go at will
- Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
- Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
- Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
- Is living and working at the same site
- Experiences verbal or physical abuse by their supervisor
- Is not given proper safety equipment
- Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/ paranoid
- Shows signs of substance use or addiction
- Shows signs of poor hygiene, malnourishment, and/or fatigue
- Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture
- Is not in control of their own money or identification documents
- Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves
- Appears to have lost the sense of time and location
- Shares scripted, confusing, or inconsistent stories
- Protects the person who may be hurting them, or minimizes abuse
Source: Polaris