United against labor trafficking: Spotlight on organizations leading the charge
Labor trafficking is defined as “the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.”
Anyone can be affected by labor trafficking—including children. Companies and their contractors that unlawfully employ children hurt vulnerable communities, undercut labor standards for all workers and, in some cases, create the demand that gives rise to human trafficking. Addressing child labor exploitation and child trafficking is critical to advancing the health, education and well-being of children and families in the United States.
OJP, through its Office for Victims of Crime, is dedicated to combating these crimes and addressing the needs of victims. As the largest federal funder of victim services for survivors of human trafficking, OVC has worked across government and with the anti-trafficking field for over 20 years to strengthen the:
- identification of victims of human trafficking;
- enforcement of human trafficking victims’ rights;
- access to services through victim-centered and trauma-informed programs, policies, and resources; and
- justice, access, and empowerment for all survivors of human trafficking.