In Focus: Human Trafficking

Human trafficking has been defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of adults and children by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.

Human trafficking today takes many forms. For example, in the United States, human trafficking cases have involved migrants (both documented and undocumented), exploitation of children who have run away from home to escape abuse, and the abuse of developmentally disabled adults who are forced to labor for long hours with little pay.

The Department of Justice has and continues to support the development of multidisciplinary task forces across the United States to investigate and prosecute traffickers, support victims, and educate the public.

During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month (January), access the Human Trafficking Special Feature for information and resources about the prevention of human trafficking, services available to victims, and efforts to investigate and prosecute those committing trafficking offenses.

Access the Human Trafficking Special Feature

Publications

Human Trafficking Task Force e-Guide: Strengthening Collaborative Responses

Improving the Investigation and Prosecution of State and Local Human Trafficking Cases

Model Programs Guide Literature Review: Child Labor Trafficking

National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking

More Publications

Related Resources

Faces of Human Trafficking

NIJ: Human Trafficking

OJJDP: Human Trafficking – Services for Survivors

OVC: Human Trafficking

More Related Resources