Mississippi State Department of Health

Human Trafficking

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Human trafficking involves the exploitation of a person for labor, commercial sex, or other service against their will. It victimizes youth and adults, Mississippians and otherwise, who are physically, socially or psychologically vulnerable.

Human trafficking affects 12 to 27 million men, women and children worldwide who are held in slavery. Its victims can be found working in restaurants or homes, on farms or construction sites, or in the sex trade. It is a worldwide problem, but also a local one. Human trafficking is happening in Mississippi, with Mississippians as victims.

Human trafficking is defined as the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for labor services or commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion; for the purpose of exploitation, involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. It includes any commercial sex involving a minor. People who are subjected to involuntary servitude are held against their will and forced to work, frequently under the threat of violence to themselves or their families.

Human traffickers prey on those who become disadvantaged – even temporarily – due to age, social abandonment, economic hardship, disasters, emergencies or criminal activity. The demand for cheap labor drives the market for human trafficking victims.

Recognizing Human Trafficking

Victims of human trafficking could be people you meet, work with, or care for every day. Traffickers use a variety of means to control victims and limit their freedom. Here are signs to look for:

To Report Human Trafficking

If you are a victim, or you suspect that human trafficking is taking place, call your local law enforcement, and make a report to the State Human Trafficking Coordinator at:

ReportHT@dps.ms.gov
601-987-1671

State law requires anyone who suspects that a person under 18 is being trafficked to report it to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services. Call 1-800-222-8000 or make an online report.


National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or text BEFREE (233733).

Avoid Becoming a Victim

Human traffickers exploit vulnerable individuals by offering money, jobs or comfort. It's easy to fall into these traps. Here's what to look for:

Resources

Statistics

More Information

Human Trafficking Hotline



Links referenced on this page
ReportHT@dps.ms.gov    mailto:reportht@dps.ms.gov
online report    https://reportabuse.mdcps.ms.gov/
National Human Trafficking Hotline    https://humantraffickinghotline.org
More about warning signs and how to stay safe    https://www.dhs.gov/bluecampaign/protect-yourself
Mississippi human trafficking reporting data    https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/mississippi
National human trafficking data    https://polarisproject.org/facts
The Blue Campaign    https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign
Mississippi Attorney General    http://www.ago.state.ms.us/victims/human-trafficking/
The Polaris Project    https://polarisproject.org/
help@humantraffickinghotline.org    mailto:help@humantraffickinghotline.org
humantraffickinghotline.org    https://humantraffickinghotline.org

Find this page at http://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/index.cfm/index.cfm

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