The GUARD Human Trafficking Dictionary

A

 

 

Abduction — The unlawful taking or carrying away of a person by threat, force, or deception.

 

Abolition Movement — The global movement to end slavery and human trafficking in all its forms.

 

Advocate — A person who provides support, information, and resources to victims or survivors of trafficking.

 

Aftercare — Comprehensive support services for survivors following their recovery from trafficking, including housing, counseling, legal aid, and education.

 

Age of Consent — The legal age at which a person can consent to sexual activity; varies by jurisdiction.

 

At-Risk Populations — Groups of people more vulnerable to trafficking due to poverty, homelessness, immigration status, past trauma, or lack of social support.

 

Awareness Campaign — Public education initiative designed to increase understanding and recognition of human trafficking indicators.

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B

 

 

Bonded Labor (Debt Bondage) — A form of forced labor in which a person is compelled to work to repay a debt, often under unfair or impossible terms.

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Buyer — The individual who purchases sex or forced labor; also called “John” in sex trafficking contexts.

 

Business Front — A legitimate-seeming business (e.g., massage parlor, nail salon, farm) used to conceal trafficking operations.

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C

 

 

Call House — A location or online network used to arrange sexual encounters in commercial sex trafficking.

 

Child Labor — Employment of a person under the legal working age, especially in exploitative or hazardous conditions.

 

Child Pornography (now referred to as “Child Sexual Abuse Material” or CSAM) — Any visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

 

Coercion — Use of threats, force, fraud, or psychological pressure to control another person.

 

Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CSE) — Sexual abuse of a person in exchange for money, goods, or favors.

 

Consent — A voluntary and informed agreement to participate in an activity; in trafficking, true consent is absent when coercion, fraud, or force are present.

 

Control Tactics — Methods traffickers use to dominate victims, such as isolation, threats, drugs, violence, or emotional manipulation.

 

Criminalization of Victims — When victims of trafficking are treated as criminals due to their exploitation (e.g., arrested for prostitution).

 

Cross-Border Trafficking — Trafficking that involves moving victims across international borders.

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D

 

 

Debt Bondage — See Bonded Labor.

 

Deception — False promises of employment, safety, or opportunity used to recruit victims.

 

Demand Reduction — Efforts to reduce the market for commercial sex or exploitative labor through education, enforcement, and deterrence.

 

Domestic Servitude — A form of labor trafficking where victims work in private households under coercive or exploitative conditions.

 

Drop-In Center — A safe place offering food, hygiene, and support to individuals experiencing exploitation or homelessness.

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E

 

 

Economic Exploitation — The act of profiting from someone else’s labor through coercive or unfair means.

 

Exploitation — Taking advantage of another person for profit, power, or personal gain.

 

Escort Services — Legal or illegal businesses sometimes used to facilitate commercial sex trafficking.

 

Exit Services — Programs designed to help individuals leave exploitative industries and transition to safety and stability.

 

Extraterritorial Jurisdiction — The legal ability of a nation to prosecute crimes that occur outside its borders, often applied to trafficking cases.

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F

 

 

Familial Trafficking — When a family member exploits or sells another family member for profit.

 

Force — Physical violence or threats used to compel a person’s behavior.

 

Forced Labor — Work or service extracted from someone under threat, coercion, or deception.

 

Foster Care Trafficking — Exploitation of children in or aging out of the foster care system.

 

Fraud — False promises used to manipulate or recruit victims (e.g., fake job offers).

 

Freedom of Movement — The ability to travel freely; often restricted in trafficking situations.

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G

 

 

Grooming — The process of building trust with a victim to exploit them later, often through emotional manipulation.

 

Gang-Controlled Trafficking — When organized crime groups or gangs exploit individuals for labor or commercial sex.

 

Global Slavery Index — An international measure of modern slavery prevalence worldwide.

 

Guardian ad Litem — A legal advocate appointed to represent the best interests of a child in court proceedings.

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H

 

 

Harboring — Concealing or keeping a victim in a location for the purpose of exploitation.

 

Human Smuggling — The illegal transport of individuals across borders with consent, differing from trafficking, which involves coercion or exploitation.

 

Human Trafficking — The use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit a person for labor or sex.

 

Hotline — A confidential service that allows the public or victims to report suspected trafficking and seek help (e.g., the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888).

 

Hotel-Based Trafficking — Exploitation that takes place within hotels or motels, often using online advertisements.

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I

 

 

Identification Indicators — Signs that someone may be a trafficking victim (e.g., restricted communication, unpaid labor, fear of authorities).

 

Immigration Status Abuse — Exploitation of undocumented persons by threatening deportation.

 

Informed Consent — Agreement made with full understanding and without coercion; rarely possible in trafficking.

 

Interstate Trafficking — Movement of victims across state lines within a country.

 

Intervention — The act of identifying and safely removing victims from trafficking situations.

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J

 

 

John — Slang term for a person who purchases sex.

 

Juvenile Sex Trafficking — Exploitation of minors in commercial sex, regardless of the presence of force, fraud, or coercion (minors cannot legally consent).

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K

 

 

Kidnapping — The unlawful abduction and holding of a person against their will.

 

Knowledge-Based Exploitation — Manipulation based on personal details or vulnerabilities learned during grooming.

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L

 

 

Labor Trafficking — The recruitment, harboring, or coercion of individuals for forced labor or services.

 

Law Enforcement Liaison — An advocate or professional who helps survivors navigate interactions with police or prosecutors.

 

Legal Remedies — Protections available to survivors through courts, such as restitution or vacating convictions.

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M

 

 

Migrant Worker Exploitation — Abuse or coercion of migrant laborers, often involving withheld passports or unpaid wages.

 

Minor — Any person under 18 years of age.

 

Missing Person — An individual whose whereabouts are unknown and may be at risk of exploitation.

 

Modern Slavery — Umbrella term for systems of exploitation such as trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage.

 

Money Laundering — The concealment of profits derived from trafficking or other criminal activities.

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N

 

 

National Human Trafficking Hotline — U.S. hotline connecting victims and witnesses with resources: 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” to 233733.

 

Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) — Independent nonprofit groups that provide advocacy, rescue, and survivor support.

 

Normalization of Exploitation — Cultural acceptance or minimization of trafficking-related behaviors (e.g., “sugar dating,” pornography).

 

Notario Fraud — Exploitation of immigrants through false legal services or visa assistance.

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O

 

 

Online Exploitation — Trafficking or abuse that occurs through digital means, such as social media or live streaming.

 

Organ Trafficking — The illegal trade of human organs, tissues, or body parts.

 

Outreach — Efforts to engage at-risk individuals and connect them to resources.

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P

 

 

Pimp — A person who profits from the commercial sexual exploitation of others.

 

Pornography Addiction — A behavioral disorder linked to increased demand for exploitative sexual content.

 

Prevention Education — Programs that inform the public on how to recognize, report, and prevent trafficking.

 

Prostitution (Commercial Sex Work) — The exchange of sexual services for money or goods; when under coercion or involving minors, it constitutes trafficking.

 

Psychological Coercion — Non-physical control through threats, manipulation, or dependency.

 

Push and Pull Factors — Socioeconomic or environmental conditions that increase vulnerability to trafficking (e.g., poverty, unemployment, migration).

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Q

 

 

Quid Pro Quo Exploitation — Situations where something (housing, food, safety) is exchanged for sex or labor under coercive conditions.

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R

 

 

Recruitment — The act of luring or enlisting individuals into trafficking through deception, coercion, or false promises.

 

Rehabilitation — The process of helping survivors regain independence, health, and stability.

 

Restitution — Court-ordered compensation paid by traffickers to victims.

 

Restoration — A holistic process of healing and empowerment for survivors.

 

Runaway Youth — A child who leaves home without parental consent and is highly vulnerable to trafficking.

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S

 

 

Safe House — A secure shelter for trafficking survivors offering protection and recovery services.

 

Sex Buyer — An individual who purchases sexual services.

 

Sex Tourism — Traveling to another region or country to engage in commercial sex acts, often involving minors.

 

Sex Trafficking — The use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex; any commercial sex act involving a minor qualifies.

 

Shelter Services — Housing, counseling, and safety resources for survivors.

 

Smuggling vs. Trafficking — Smuggling involves consent and transportation; trafficking involves exploitation and coercion.

 

Social Media Recruitment — Using online platforms to identify, groom, or exploit victims.

 

Solicitation — The act of offering or requesting sex in exchange for money; may be linked to trafficking networks.

 

Sting Operation — Law enforcement strategy to identify and arrest traffickers or buyers.

 

Survivor — A person who has experienced trafficking and is in the process of recovery or advocacy.

 

Survivor-Led Organization — An advocacy or service group operated by individuals with lived experience of trafficking.

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T

 

 

Task Force — A multidisciplinary team that coordinates law enforcement, advocacy, and survivor services.

 

Technology-Facilitated Trafficking — Exploitation that occurs through online platforms or digital tools.

 

Therapeutic Support — Counseling and mental health care for survivors.

 

Trauma Bonding — Emotional attachment formed between victim and trafficker due to cycles of abuse and reward.

 

Trauma-Informed Care — An approach that recognizes the impact of trauma and prioritizes safety, trust, and empowerment.

 

Trauma Reenactment — Behavioral repetition of abusive patterns due to unresolved trauma.

 

T-Visa — A U.S. immigration benefit for trafficking survivors that allows legal residency and work authorization.

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U

 

 

Undocumented/Illegal Immigrant — A person without legal immigration status, often at heightened risk for exploitation.

 

Uniform Act on Human Trafficking — Model state law designed to harmonize trafficking legislation across U.S. states.

 

Unseen Exploitation — Hidden forms of trafficking occurring in domestic settings, supply chains, or informal labor sectors.

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V

 

 

Vacatur — Legal process allowing survivors to clear convictions that resulted from their trafficking.

 

Victim-Centered Approach — A framework that prioritizes survivor needs and agency in all anti-trafficking efforts.

 

Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) — U.S. legislation supporting victims of violence, including trafficking survivors.

 

Vulnerability — Conditions that increase risk of exploitation, such as poverty, abuse, or lack of education.

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W

 

 

Walk-In Center — Facility offering crisis response and immediate aid for victims.

 

Witness Intimidation — Efforts by traffickers to silence victims or prevent testimony.

 

Work Visa Exploitation — Abuse of legal immigration status for coercive labor purposes.

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Y

 

 

Youth Exploitation — The manipulation, abuse, or coercion of minors for labor or sex.

 

Youth Outreach — Programs aimed at educating and protecting young people from trafficking risks.

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Z

 

 

Zero-Tolerance Policy — A firm stance that prohibits any form of trafficking or exploitation within organizations or supply chains.