The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and its subsequent reauthorizations define human trafficking as:

a) Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or

b) The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. (22 U.S.C. § 7102(9)).

*The TVPA [18 U.S.C. Sections 1589-1594] allows for victims of trafficking who participated in illegal activity such as prostitution or immigration fraud to be protected rather than punished. 

• The Victim knew what they were getting into 

Fact: Victims are often groomed into a trafficking situation and are sold lies.

• The Victim committed unlawful acts 

Fact: The Crime Triangle identifies three factors that create a criminal offense. The desire of a criminal to commit a crime; the Target of the criminal's desire; and the Opportunity for the crime to be committed.

• The Victim was paid for services. 

Fact: Victims are often underpaid, experience wage theft, are in constant debt, or turn their money over to their trafficker.

• The Victim had freedom of movement. 

Fact: Psychological control is often used over physical control. So just because they are physically moving around does not mean they are not living under threats or fear of retaliation.

• There were opportunities to escape the victim didn't. 

Fact: An opportunity to escape does not come without retaliation or repercussions.

• Trafficking involves crossing of borders

Fact: The illegal crossing of a border is “smuggling”

• U.S. Citizens can’t be trafficked 

Fact: According to a 2011 report from the Bureau of Statistics in the Department of Justice, 80% of victims are U.S. are citizens.

• The trafficker's actions are culturally appropriate. 

Fact: When you are in the United States, the laws of the United States including labor laws, wage laws, and penal codes must be followed.

• It can't be trafficking if the victim and the trafficker are married or related. 

Fact: Interfamilial pimping and Servile (arranged or "mail order") marriages are common in the United States.