DOJ: Human trafficking on the rise; Do you know the signs?

Arrested The 11-year-old’s adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, 49, was arrested on Monday following a months-long investigation into the girl’s death. (Bill Oxford/Getty Images)

By WHIO Staff

Law enforcement and humanitarian agencies throughout the United States promoted human trafficking awareness this month.

>> MORE: Teachers, Disney employee among 160 arrested in human trafficking investigation

Local agencies, like Centerville Police, encouraged people to “know the signs and report suspicious activity to law enforcement.”

Knowing the signs has grown in importance over the years with cases of human trafficking on the rise.

In 2011, 729 trafficking instances were reported; but in 2020, that number rose to 1,343, an 84 percent increase, the Department of Justice reported.

These cases of human trafficking included exploitations of people including, but not limited to, sexual exploitation, forced labor, and forced marriage.

To help fight human trafficking, the Department of Homeland Security recommended keeping a keen eye on these common signs:

  • Does the person appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship?
  • Has a child stopped attending school?
  • Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?
  • Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
  • Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?
  • Does the person have bruises in various stages of healing?
  • Is the person fearful, timid, or submissive?
  • Does the person show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?
  • Is the person often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?
  • Does the person appear to be coached on what to say?
  • Is the person living in unsuitable conditions?
  • Does the person lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation?
  • Does the person have freedom of movement? Can the person freely leave where they live? Are there unreasonable security measures?

The Department of Homeland Security noted that “not all indicators listed above are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.”

For a portable information card that lists these common signs in 39 different languages, you can visit the department’s website.