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Human Trafficking: The methods of coercion

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Human trafficking thrives within the borders of the United States, though it often goes unnoticed. It can include organized criminal syndicates forming prostitution rings, forcing labor on victims in various industries, or it can be a form of serious abuse within relationships.

Every once in a while we see victims come forward and tell their stories. Each story is unique with different motivators and circumstances that led them into being trafficked — if you were to think of the typical life events that brought someone into, say, the illicit sex industry, what type of things do you imagine? Substance abuse, little to no family support, financial struggles — these issues are common when discussing victims, but it can also be surprising at how incredibly ordinary some of the them are. Some are regular mothers, teenagers or children from relatively normal families.

And how do very regular people get caught up in the world of human trafficking? They are coerced by the traffickers, often in a number of different ways. If a woman has moved with her son to a new town for a fresh start, she may have no support system. If the trafficker threatens her son, she may feel like going to the police is not an option. The threat of physical force is just one of many tactics employed by traffickers to manipulate their victims.

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  • Luke Ryan

    Absolutely! In the case I covered the other month, he broke her down, blackmailed her, threatened her kid (that was always the big one that kept her from going to the cops), and when he had her at her lowest… he was able to convince her to try cocaine to “de-stress” her for once. Of course, she was already broken down, but then he had her hooked on drugs too.
    Glad she crawled out of that one. Not everyone can.

  • shooten

    Good stuff Luke. What about the role of illegal narcotics? Are these networks generally intertwined? I know that a few victims become hooked on narcotics once they are in the pipeline (Taken?).

  • Jason P

    Another tactic they use is finding a young woman down on her luck and plying her with gifts, money, and drugs. They are good at finding girls with low self esteem and mentally lifting them up with positive words which is all bs, but it normally works.
    I could tell you some stories. Truth is if there was no demand the supply would not exist.

  • Stephanie M

    Good article, Luke. Some law enforcement agencies are now working with non-profit groups who try to help victims who get sucked into prostitution. Especially if they are minors.

  • Michouette

    Also, it’s tough when you’re stuck to honestly believe that there’s really anything better out there as an alternative to staying right where you are. Particularly if they know someone who *tried* to break away and got sucked back in for any of a variety of reasons.
    And law enforcement objectives and public perception are pretty heavily stacked against them if they don’t present an immediately obvious sympathetic case. A five year old in an animal cage? It’s like saving the dolphins from the evil tuna fishers. A rebellious teen that tried drugs and has vacant eyes that occasionally flare to life to hate the world? Or if that same five year old is now an adult that doesn’t remember any other life? Eh, not so sympathetic. Which is just how traffickers like it.