Northeastern University

Background on Human Trafficking

Modern day human trafficking takes many forms. Individuals may be held against their will as domestic workers, working for little or no pay, and with no way to find other employment. Others may be forced into prostitution and isolated from people who could provide a means of escape. Victims of human trafficking have few resources and most often go unrecognized by law enforcement, social services representatives and other service providers. Their hidden victimization allows perpetrators to offend under the radar of law enforcement, making the significance of this crime more important to understand.

The United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, Article 3, defines human trafficking as:

The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation or the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.

U.S. Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation

In the United States, the Trafficking Victims Violence Prevention Act of 2000 (TVPA) defined and classified human trafficking into two main categories: sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

Human Trafficking Reporting System Member Login:

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The Institute on Race and Justice at Northeastern University

The Institute on Race and Justice has strived to fulfill its mission of utilizing strategic social science research methodologies and community, practitioner, and government collaboration to assist in the development of policy changes that advance the cause of social justice. The Institute's affiliated faculty members help broaden the scope of interdisciplinary race and justice scholarship around the Northeastern campus. The Institute is also incredibly grateful for its internal and external sponsors, who provide the support necessary to help the Institute achieve its race and justice research goals.

Partners

Urban Institute

The Urban Institute was established in 1968 to promote sound social policy and public debate on national priorities. The Institute's 10 policy centers carry out independent, nonpartisan research, gather and analyze data, evaluate programs and services, and educate policymakers and the public on critical issues and trends. The Justice Policy Center (JPC) studies crime, justice, and community safety. JPC researchers collaborate with practitioners, public officials, and community groups to make the Center's research useful to decision makers and agencies in the justice system, and also to the neighborhoods and communities harmed by crime and disorder.



Bureau of Justice Statistics
the United States' primary source for criminal justice statistics

BJS' mission is to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to Federal, State, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.