Break-Thru Tennessee Educational Forum

Anti-Human Trafficking Conversation Transcript from Break-Thru TN

Today we're getting into some really crucial data. It's pretty heavy stuff, honestly. We're reviewing human trafficking statistics, specifically across the US state by state. And for this, we're leaning mainly on two key sources.

There's a recent study from the Jocelyn Law Firm. They analyzed confirmed cases from 2019 to 2023. Okay. And we've also got some additional context and insights from the Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition or NAHT. 

So our goal here is to really unpack what these sources are telling us, like which states pop up with the highest and lowest rates of these confirmed cases per capita. And what's the overall picture of human trafficking according to this data, and maybe what can actually be done about it. 

Let's start with that Jocelyn Law Firm Study. It kind of gives us the statistical framework. They really tried to get a clear review across the country. So they looked at confirmed human trafficking cases reported between 2019 and 2023. And the really key thing they did was compare those numbers to recent census data which lets you calculate the rate per 100,000 residents and per capita.

It's super important because it gives you a sense of the problem relative to how many people actually live in a state. It's different from just looking at the raw total number of cases, which could be skewed by large populations. And understanding the data means understanding the definition first.

How are they defining human trafficking? 

The Joslyn source uses the definition “involving the use of force fraud or coercion, force fraud or coercion, right, to obtain some type of labor or a commercial sex act.” And it really points out how traffickers often prey on vulnerability. 

What kinds of vulnerability?

Well. People who might not speak English well or folks who are emotionally vulnerable for some reason, or people really struggling economically, those kinds of situations. 

And you know, the sources remind us this isn't just like one thing. The US Department of Justice says the two main types are sex trafficking and forced labor.

That sounds broad.

It is. It covers a lot like domestic servitude. That's where someone is basically controlled by an employer, their movements, their life, or, forced child labor where kids are made to work and denied basic stuff.

Now, you mentioned something earlier about a common assumption this study challenges.

Yes. This is really important. Most people, when they think of trafficking victims, they picture women and girls, right?

I think that's the common image. But the source specifically estimates that young men, particularly those who identify as LGBTQ, actually make up at least half of the sex trafficking victims in the US.

At least half.  That's a huge number. 

It really is. It definitely broadens how we need to think about who's at risk. The study even gives some specifics for Nevada, which ranks highest in their analysis. 

Okay. Nevada, what did they find there? 

So in Nevada, based on their confirmed case data, roughly 90% of victims were female. About 21% were minors under 18. And, a pretty big chunk, 40% were not US citizens. 

Interesting demographics. 

And the source also mentioned that in Nevada specifically, the vast majority of the cases they looked at involve sex trafficking. 

Okay. So, let's get to those rankings. The per capita numbers, based on confirmed cases from 2019 to 2023 per 100,000 people.

Where did things shake out? 

So Nevada came out on top and quite significantly. Their rate was 58.48 victims per 100,000 residents. 

And who was next? Georgia was second highest with a rate of 46.60 per hundred thousand. So you can see even between number one and number two, there's a  pretty noticeable drop.

Yeah, definitely a gap there. Okay. What about the other end of the scale?  

The lowest rate was Rhode Island. According to this study, their rate was 8.12 victims per a hundred thousand over that same period. 

Okay. 8.12. Quite a range from Nevada's 58. The study obviously lists the top 10 and bottom 10, right? We probably don't need to read every single one. 

After Nevada and Georgia, you see states like Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana, pretty high up. And on the lower end after Rhode Island, you've got states like Massachusetts, Vermont,  Connecticut, showing the lowest rates per capita in this analysis.

And as you mentioned earlier, it's really crucial to remember the difference between this per capita rate and just the total number of cases. Absolutely critical because a state with a huge population is almost always gonna have a higher total number of cases just because there are more people.

Right. Like California. 

Exactly. California had the highest total number of victims in this study's data. Over 11,000 confirmed cases between 2019 and 2023. A massive number. But because California's population is so huge when you do the math, the per capita rate. It actually drops to number eight on the list.

So highest total volume, but not the highest rate relative to population. 

Precisely. It just tells you different things about maybe the density or concentration of the issue versus the sheer scale. 

Okay, that makes sense. So understanding where the data shows these concentrations like Nevada or Georgia per capita, it kind of leads to the next question, what's actually being done and that Nashville Anti-Human Trafficking Coalition source, the NAHT?  They had a really stark point about this, didn't they?

Oh, yeah. Their source makes this statement that just hits you. They say human trafficking is happening in every zip code. Every single one. They cite that out of, I think it was 41,704 zip codes in the US, 100% have reports of human trafficking. 

Wow, that really reframes It, doesn't it? t's not just somewhere else. 

Exactly. It kind of shatters the idea that it's confined to certain areas or types of places. It's pervasive. 

So given that, what do the sources say about efforts at the state level? Are states trying to tackle this? 

Yeah. The Joslyn source does mention some examples like Georgia, which ranked high per capita. They actually set up a statewide human trafficking prosecution unit back in 2019, a  specific prosecution unit.

And even Rhode Island, which had the lowest rate in the study, they're not complacent. They have a human trafficking task force and a sex trafficking, law enforcement task force. So efforts are being made even at the lower end of the rankings.

Right. But the source also kind of adds a caveat, noting that even with those task forces in Rhode Island, you can still easily find news articles about sex trafficking happening there. So it highlights the need for constant vigilance and continuous action. It's not a problem you just solve and walk away from.

Right. So, an important questions is what can people actually do based on these sources? How can individuals get involved or or help combat this? 

Well, they suggest a few practical things. One is just education. Getting trained to recognize the signs of trafficking training. Like for law enforcement, not just them.

The sources mentioned training classes available for lots of groups, healthcare workers, teachers, but also concerned citizens. 

What else? Another avenue is  the political one, electing officials. Candidates who actually show they support strong laws and initiatives against human trafficking. Use your vote.

Makes sense. And then there's direct support for the organizations doing the work on the ground. Donating. 

Yeah, donating time if you have it, or money to anti-trafficking charities, that can make a real difference in helping survivors and funding prevention work. 

And the NAHT source, they mentioned specific programs too, right?

They did. They talked about their educator recognized presentations, which is all about awareness. And they have programs directly helping survivors, like their rescue team and restore program. And they also mentioned volunteering as a way to help and even supporting social enterprises.

They have one called Sweet Daisy Social Enterprise, which helps survivors with jobs and support. That's a great example of practical help. 

And one last piece, mainly from the Joslyn law firm source is the legal side. Just reinforcing that human trafficking is a very serious federal crime, but also important is that false accusations are also taken extremely seriously and can have major legal consequences. So it cuts both ways in the legal system. 

Okay, so wrapping this up, it seems like we have this kind of complex picture emerging from the sources.

Definitely. You've got the specific data points from the Joslyn study showing those per capita rates where confirmed cases seem more concentrated relative to populations like Nevada and Georgia. But then you layer on that message from the NAHT source. Yeah, that incredibly powerful message that human trafficking isn't isolated at all.

So maybe the final thought for you ,based just on what we've explored in these sources today, is to really consider that statistics report human trafficking in a hundred percent of US zip codes. 

What does that actually imply?

How might knowing that that ubiquity change how you think about recognizing and addressing this issue?

Human trafficking is not something distant, but potentially right there in your own community. It is definitely something to think about.