Vulnerable Populations

18 November 2021

Bianca Lara

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Human trafficking victims do not have a set criterion nor does a trafficker have a specified appearance. Practically anyone can become a victim of trafficking, but according to reports from the National Human Trafficking hotline, certain demographics are more vulnerable to trafficking than others. This usually includes low-income minority communities, foreigners, runaways/homeless youth, lgbtq+ and indigenous.

Specifically black and Latinx communities are disproportionately prone to trafficking since these communities tend to have lower economic status. Low-income communities tend to live in rough neighborhoods that can become overrun with violence and be places where trafficking thrives. Living in poverty or low-income communities can force individuals to become desperate for a better life, even if that means selling themselves or a loved one. They are promised opportunities for work, money, and education and once they have been trapped by their trafficker, they lose all basic human rights.

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Many young girls are sold into sex slavery or forced to make a living out of prostitution. Young boys often get recruited for drug trafficking, something that is very difficult to get out of once trapped. Unfortunately, if there is poverty, traffickers will continue to target these communities and the cycle will keep going. Where there are buyers, people will sell.

Although trafficking may never be completely eradicated, understanding how certain communities are more vulnerable can become the initial steps to tackling trafficking. Coming from a place of understanding and no judgment will also allow victims to be seen as humans who were in tough situations and faced with desperate choices.

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References

The victims. National Human Trafficking Hotline. (2020, April 7). Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-trafficking/human-trafficking/victims.

Project, B. (2020, July 3). Poverty and it's contribution to human trafficking- Borgen. The Borgen Project. Retrieved November 19, 2021, from https://borgenproject.org/poverty-contribution-human-trafficking/