How widespread is sex trafficking in Texas? Here are the red flags and how to help
Cases of alleged human trafficking have made headlines across the country, however experts say the number of cases is underreported.
There are different types of human trafficking, including labor and sex trafficking. Texas has the second highest number of cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In 2020, there were 987 cases of human trafficking in Texas reported to the hotline and 739 involved sex trafficking.
Sex trafficking is when a person is forced or coerced to perform commercial sex. Traffickers may use violence, lies, money or threats to control victims. A 2016 report by the University of Texas at Austin found there were an estimated 79,000 minors in Texas who were victims of sex trafficking.
Many organizations in Tarrant County and North Texas work to help recover and support adult and youth victims of sex trafficking. Experts say signs of trafficking may not be obvious, but there are things people can do to help victims and with prevention.
Unbound North Texas opened a shelter, called the Underground, for young people who may be at-risk or are escaping a trafficking situation. The organization has helped 560 youth trafficking victims. Brad Walcher, development and communications director for Unbound North Texas, said it is important for people to know the signs.
“Many victims are never identified because people simply don’t know what to look for,” Walcher said. “Victims often do not know about human trafficking and therefore don’t know that’s what’s happening to them, or fear or hopelessness may keep them from reaching out for help.”
Sex-trafficking in North Texas
The Fort Worth Police Department Human Trafficking Unit has received four cases are human trafficking this year. During an investigation, a case may start off as trafficking but later receive a different charge, such as promotion of prostitution or compelling prostitution.
The unit has received 46 tips and made 10 arrests. In 2020, there were 15 trafficking cases.
Traffick911 works with law enforcement to recover youth from sex trafficking situations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. In 2021, the organization served over 276 child sex trafficking victims. Lindsay Speed, executive director of Traffick 911, said nearly every three days the organization is responding to a crisis situation. The average age of the survivors helped by the organization is 15.
Speed said Traffick911 has found that many youth know their trafficker. They may have met them through a friend or family member, or even connected with them on social media.
The Net, a Fort Worth organization, works to help women who are survivors of sexual exploitation, including trafficking. The organization was formed 10 years ago and has served over 1,000 women.
“People should keep in mind that physically trafficking isn’t the type of crime that happens in an instant,” said Melissa Ice, founder and executive director of The Net.
Victims of sex trafficking can be of any gender or age. People can be at risk for trafficking if they have unstable housing, are experiencing poverty, have run away or were in foster car, or have a substance misuse problem or have a caregiver with one. They are also at risk if they have a history of experiencing abuse.
The National Foster Youth Institute reported that 60% of child trafficking victims are former or current foster youth.
A 2019 study by the University of Texas-Austin found that child victims of sex trafficking spend about 35% of their lives in “circumstances of exploitiation” after their first incident.
“The lack of healthy, trusted relationships in participants’ lives and their economic instability create ideal conditions for exploitation through force, fraud, or coercion,” the report stated.
What can you do to help?
It can be hard to know if someone is in a trafficking situation, Speed said. The signs might not be so obvious, but there are things people can do to help victims and prevent others from entering into the situation.
Ice said one sign of sex trafficking is if someone communicates that they are working in the sex trade, but are scared to leave or feel like they can’t. A person that isn’t dressed appropriately for the weather or is in sexualized clothing are also signs.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office stated there can be multiple “red flags,” including:
- A person seems scared, submissive or paranoid.
- A person waits for someone else before giving information.
- A person has injuries.
- A person doesn’t have their personal identification documents.
- A person may have multiple phones.
- A minor is unaccompanied or hesitant in giving an explanation of their identity and what they are doing.
A trafficker may make their victim work at night or take them to a different city to work during weekends. Unbound North Texas suggests watch out for students who may be missing school frequently, travel a lot or appear to have run away.
“Traffickers often isolate their victims from their friends and families and try to change them physically as much as possible to create a new identity,” Walcher stated. “That makes it a lot harder for them to reach out for help.”
A person who is being trafficked may start to show behavioral symptoms like trauma, anxiety, aggression or fear toward a particular person.
Katia Gonzalez, director of training and team relations at Alliance for Children, said the most helpful way to recognize concern is to pay close attention. Alliance is an advocacy organization that provides support to children involved in criminal cases concerning abuse.
“Recognize that traffickers and people that abuse children, do not always present as someone that looks and acts like a criminal,” Gonzalez said. “They could be family members, close friends of the child or someone you would not think of as a person that intends harm.”
Families and caregivers working to build trust in their child can be helpful with prevention. Building trust and a safe home environment can help families be able to have tough conversations and know what their child is doing on social media. Alliance for Children suggests families should have frequent conversations about boundaries, personal safety and healthy relationships.
Caregivers should be mindful if their child starts pulling away or becoming secretive, is hanging out with different people, starts talking differently about sex or drugs, has clothes and items that were not bought by their family, or is dating and spending a lot of time with someone who is significantly older than them.
Speed said it is important for the public to learn from advocacy organizations who can tell them what is happening in their community. Various organizations in Tarrant County provide the community with education opportunities, such as trainings for parents and educators.
Resources
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
Unbound emergency shelter hotline: 817-668-6462
This story was originally published May 13, 2022 at 4:36 PM.
