Many people don’t fully understand what sex trafficking is, and with all the misconceptions about it, it can be very hard to identify victims and traffickers. There is no specific stereotype or trait to look for when it comes to trying to identify perpetrators or victims of these crimes. For instance, many don’t suspect women to be sex traffickers, when oftentimes a woman is the one running these teams of sex traffickers. Although there are no characteristics or physical traits to victims and perpetrators, there are a few things that you should look out for in case you spot a vulnerable victim and a trafficker that might take advantage of their vulnerability. Let’s take a look.

Victims

The majority of victims of sex trafficking are young girls that had previously fled violent or abusive situations. This can be anyone. Victims don’t necessarily have to be female, either, though the majority of them are. If someone looks vulnerable, they might be susceptible to traffickers and their abuse. Anyone can fall prey to sex trafficking, but most of the time, it will be someone who is defenseless and in a situation where they are left vulnerable. Traffickers will do their research on these people before approaching them. In order to identify whether or not a victim is being trafficked, you will want to look at those who are vulnerable because of mental or physical disability, homelessness, poverty, violence, and substance abuse. Traffickers will prey on anyone who hopes for a better life and has nowhere else to go. When it comes to the ages of these victims, pre-teen or adolescent girls are more susceptible to sex traffickers, but that does not mean that other ages or sexes are not as vulnerable. These pimps will often frequent schools, malls, parks, bus stops, and even group homes. If you see someone younger who shows signs of physical abuse, has unexplained absences, displays sexualized behavior, dresses inappropriately, is depressed, is distracted, wears expensive clothes, has a lot of money, is branded with a tattoo, has an older boyfriend, and constantly talks about parties, they might be a victim of sex trafficking.

Traffickers

These victims are targeted and picked up by traffickers who coerce them into performing sex acts in return for food and shelter. Some traffickers will recruit these victims by getting friendly with them at malls. According to evidence, traffickers will use drugs, force, or emotional and financial tactics in order to lure in and control their victims. They will often try to form strong bonds with these girls by claiming that they love or need them, saying that these sex acts will allow a good future with the trafficker. Some may even promise marriage as well as other emotional bonds that these young women have never felt in their lives in order to lure them in. Some traffickers will resort to physical and sexual abuse in order to keep these youths under their control. Others might use drugs or alcohol while taking all their forms of identity so that these victims have nowhere to go but them. Some victims manage to escape their captors only to come back because they don’t have anyone to go to. Traffickers will often prey on runaway or at-risk youth, and they are good at manipulating, deceiving, and controlling child victims.

This type of abuse doesn’t have to be as prominent as it is today. For more information regarding sex trafficking in Reno, get in touch with us today to learn more about how you can make a difference.

Unlike many other states, the laws in Nevada permit some forms of prostitution in certain counties if regulations are followed. Here are five things that you may not know about prostitution laws in Nevada.

1 – Prostitution Is Legal In Some Counties

Just because prostitution can be legal in Nevada does not mean it is legal in all counties. The prostitution laws in the state of Nevada comes with a number of requirements which need to be met before it can be considered legal. Prostitution is only legal in licensed brothels and condoms must be used. Prostitutes must be tested regularly for STIs and only counties with a population fewer than 700,000 are legally allowed to have sex workers. This means that in popular tourist locations like Las Vegas, prostitution is illegal since the population there exceeds 700,000. Other counties where prostitution is illegal includes Douglas County, Eureka County, and Pershing County.

2 – There Are Health Regulations That Have To Be Followed

As previously mentioned, sex workers need to have monthly medical examinations and be tested for diseases like HIV, syphilis, and other STIs. It is the responsibility of the sex worker to demonstrate to the Nevada state that they have passed their medical tests and are free from sexually transmitted diseases; otherwise, they will not be able to work legally as prostitutes.  

3- There Are License Applications And Background Checks

To ensure there are no criminal affiliations with brothel businesses, a thorough background check is carried out on the people managing the brothel and where the source of money originates from. This is to prevent criminals from laundering money or using illegal funds to invest in this type of business. Only when the Nevada state is satisfied with the background checks are the brothels then given a license.

4 – Escorts Are Legal In Las Vegas

Escorts can obtain a legal license to work in Las Vegas. The legal definition of their work is someone hired to accompany others in a private or public setting. However, escorts are not allowed to advertise or offer sexual services. Moreover, they cannot engage in sexual activities with their customers for money. If caught, both the worker and client can be legally prosecuted.

5 – These Laws Help, To An Extent

Although the legalization of prostitution in some counties of Nevada has meant that it is safer for both sex workers and clients due to strict regulations, there are still some issues with how the law affects certain groups. For example, prostitution is only legal when a brothel hires you. This means sex workers who are rejected from brothels cannot legally work as prostitutes. This rule will affect mainly male and transgender workers, restricting their ability to work legally.

Furthermore, the medical examinations and license registration expenses can be too expensive for vulnerable groups meaning they have no other option but to work illegally in more dangerous and unregulated areas.

With the rise of these issues, human rights organizations are calling on the state to decriminalize all sex works as this will help protect both the clients and the workers. Nevertheless, compared to other states, Nevada is further ahead with its sex work regulations and is an example of how changing the law can benefit both the state and sex workers.

The laws regarding prostitution vary from place to place. It’s important for you to know when it is considered acceptable and when it isn’t so that both you and your partner are protected. For more information regarding prostitution in Nevada, get in touch with us today.

When we talk about slavery, most people will think of an outlawed practiced that no longer exists in modern day society.  However, this is not the case. Many vulnerable people are made to work in harsh conditions with little pay and no way of escape right under our noses. Despite it being illegal in most countries, slavery can come in many different forms, and it is not always clear when someone is a victim of this crime. This article will explain to you some of the different types of slavery that can be found today.

Human trafficking is the trade of individuals to use them for forced labor or sexual slavery. Whatever the job, trafficked individuals are exploited and forced to submit to the wishes of a person or an organized criminal gang. However a person gets into such a situation, they will be considered trafficked by the law, even if they were not physically transported anywhere. Human trafficking can occur within a country or across international borders. In any shape or form, it is a serious crime that violates someone’s human rights and is one of the fastest growing activities for international criminals.

Adult Sex Trafficking

Adult victims of sex trafficking are coerced to work as sex workers like prostitutes to earn money for the gang that is exploiting them. Women are particularly vulnerable to being victims of sex trafficking and very often, these victims have no means of escape as their possessions and passports are taken away. Gangs will use threats, force, and other manipulative techniques to make the victim work for them. They often have very elaborate plans to cover up their tracks, but if they are caught, whether they are found to be involved with the aid of sex trafficking or indirectly financing it, they can be punished for sex trafficking crimes.

Some forms of coercion are more subtle such as a “debt” that the victim must pay off before they are allowed to leave. As a result, it might seem like the victim is consenting to work as a prostitute. However, this is not the case. These debts usually require the victim to work for many years, and even when they manage to pay it off, criminal gangs will add to their sum or use other methods of keeping their victims as slaves for much longer.

Child Sex Trafficking

Young children are another group vulnerable to sex trafficking. Just like adult sex trafficking, these children will be recruited and coerced into becoming sex workers. Any individual under 18 years of age is considered a child and cultural or socio-economic reasons are not valid to justify the prostitution of victims. Fortunately, child sex trafficking is illegal in many countries around the world and in many developed countries, these laws are enforced strictly. There are many negative consequences of sex trafficking on child victims including the development of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological trauma, drug addiction, and pregnancy. It is also unlikely that they will receive medical attention for any of these. As a result, many victims of child sex trafficking pass away as a result.

Forced Labor

The exploitation of an individual for illegal work while receiving little-to-no pay is still a prevalent problem around the world. Ethnic minorities, migrants, and refugees are especially vulnerable as traffickers take advantage of their desperate situation. Through physical threats, deception, and psychological manipulation, victims will be made to work long hours on often manually intensive jobs. With no healthcare or safety regulations to protect them, many victims of forced labor will suffer from work-related injuries, only to still be forced to work again the next day.

Forced Child Labor

Forced begging, strenuous physical jobs, and high-risk work are some of the ways children are exploited. These children are often found to be treated like slaves and are forced to live in slave-like conditions. With no option to leave or fear of repercussions, the child is forced to remain with the traffickers and carry on doing the work they require. Strict criminal punishment is needed to deter criminals, and when the child is rescued, proper education and rehabilitation are necessary to ensure they do not fall back into the hands of traffickers.

Indebted Labour

When a person has debt with criminal organizations and has no means of payment, they may be forced to work for the gangs to pay off the acquired debt. Victims are often tricked into getting debt with the most common way of being the promise of work in another country. In some South Asian countries, family members can inherit debt, and it is they who will have to pay it off. With high-interest rates and low pay for their work, victims often end up working for decades before the debt is finally paid off. With threats of violence or deportation, victims will refuse to go to the police and remain working as slaves for the gangs.

Human trafficking doesn’t have to be as prominent as it is today. For more information regarding human trafficking in Reno, NV, get in touch with us today to learn more about how you can make a difference.

Human trafficking is not an issue that should be taken lightly, and it isn’t something that can only be handled by the authorities. Anyone can contribute to helping to fight against human trafficking, including:

Organizations

Businesses can play a part by providing jobs, internships, training programs, and other opportunities to trafficking victims.

College Students

Students can join forces by joining or establishing a university club to raise awareness regarding the issue of human trafficking in the local community. Just choosing a topic relating to human trafficking on one of their papers can make a difference! Students can also call for human trafficking to have a bigger part in university curricula to raise more awareness.

Health Care Professionals

Health care providers should be more aware and observant when it comes to pinpointing signs of human trafficking victims. With the help from anti-trafficking organizations, you can help the victims by offering them low-cost or free services.

Reporters

Nothing is more powerful than the power of the media when it comes to shaping perceptions and raising awareness. There are a lot of ways people in the media industry can do to shed some light on human trafficking, especially those who are journalists or reporters. For example, journalists can write more articles about the impact of human trafficking on victims and survivors.

Lawyers

Attorneys can provide human trafficking victims legal services that they need, especially issues regarding their immigration status.

These are only a few examples of how people across sectors can help to fight against human trafficking. Below are some of the most effective things that anyone, including you, can do to help:

1. You should become aware of the indicators of human trafficking so that you can identify a potential victim when you see one. There are human trafficking awareness training programs that are available for everyone to participate in.

2. If you live in the United States and you are convinced that someone may be a trafficking victim, do not hesitate to report your suspicions to the authorities. Call 911 or the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline line at 1-888-373-7888.

3. Be more conscious of your slavery footprint. If possible, before you go out and buy new clothes, check that they are not the product of human trafficking. You can check out the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor for more information. You can also encourage businesses to take some action to look into possible signs of human trafficking in their supply chains.

4. Volunteer and join anti-trafficking movements in your local community.

5. Arrange a meeting or write to your local, state, and federal government officials to show them that the issue of human trafficking should not be tolerated and more actions need to be taken. Also, ask them what they are doing right now to combat the problem.

6. Host an event in your local community to watch and analyze films that address human trafficking. You can also watch a documentary about sex trafficking, child slavery, and many other topics that will shed light on the issue. Check out CNN’s Freedom Project for more information about different kinds of human trafficking in different countries.

7. Organize a fundraiser and give all the proceeds to an anti-trafficking organization.

8. Speak with your local schools to include modern slavery in their curricula so that students and teachers will be more conscious of the matter. This is very important as students are often the targets of human traffickers.

9. Make sure that you’re always informed and up-to-date about the current news of human trafficking by setting up a web alert.

10. Partner up with your local religious community to help put a stop to human trafficking by spreading awareness.

You may think that you can’t do much against human trafficking, but that isn’t true. Even you can make a difference just by raising awareness and showing victims that you’re willing to help. Imagine – if you were in their shoes, you would need all the support you could get, wouldn’t you?

The effort to change the world has to start with us taking notice of these issues and coming together to solve them. For more information regarding human trafficking in Nevada, get in touch with us today to learn more about what you can do to be a part of the movement to better our society and the rest of the world.