Human Trafficking Prevention
Need Immediate Assistance?
24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-654-1211
If you are in need of help, please call our free and confidential hotline to speak to an advocate about safety planning and options available to you. If you are in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Who qualifies for this service?
… To qualify for these YWCA services, we look for individuals who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery
- If you believe you’ve been forced into prostitution, escort services, pornography or
- Labor trafficking including forced work in sweatshops, factory work, migrant agricultural work, domestic servitude (maids, nannies, housekeeping)
- Call our hotline at 1.800.654.1211
Counties Served
Adams, Bradford, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lycoming, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Tioga, Union and York
Helping Victims of Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking happens here. It is a form of modern day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. It can occur anywhere including restaurants, hotels/motels, farms, factories, strip clubs and more. Victims are international and domestic and forms of trafficking include labor, organ and/or sex. We offer a variety of services to victims of human trafficking including legal services, housing and counseling.
What is Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery, a local, national and global epidemic. There are nearly 24.9 million victims of human trafficking in the world today. Many victims of sex trafficking are forced into prostitution, escort services, pornography or “exotic dancing.” Labor trafficking is also widespread and occurs in sweatshops, factory work, migrant agricultural work, and through domestic servitude as maids, nannies and housekeepers.
How Does it Happen
Traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion to force victims in to some form of labor or commercial sex act. Victims of traffickers can be found in commercial sex and “gentleman’s clubs,” massage parlors, nail salons, hotel or tourist industries, farming or landscaping, factories, janitorial services, restaurants, construction and more.
How to Identify Traffickers & Victims
Traffickers prey on the most vulnerable in our communities. They target those struggling with drug addiction, a history of trauma, an unstable home life, lacking employment and those without a support system. They can be both US and foreign nationals and work independently or as a criminal enterprise. They can be male or female, family members or strangers. The following red flags and indicators may help identify a victim: Bruises, signs of trauma, addiction, no control over money, living with employer at workplace, depression and anxiety, hunger and malnutrition, branding, no access to ID, not able to keep money earned from employment.
Support for Victims of Human Trafficking
Supportive services are available to help victims safely and securely rebuild their lives by connecting them to basic services including: 24/7 crisis intervention, emergency shelter, safety planning, housing, health care, immigration assistance, food, employment assistance, legal aid, case management services, medical and legal accompaniments. For more information or assistance, call our hotline at 1.800.654.1211 or the National Human Trafficking hotline at 1.888.373.7888.
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