Services for Victims of Trafficking Program

 24/7 National Trafficking Hotline (CONFIDENTIAL): 1-888-3737-888

Catholic Charities Fort Worth: 817-534-0814

What is human trafficking?

the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the 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 of 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 of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs as defined by Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons.

Our Purpose

The purpose of Services for Victims of Trafficking Program is to develop and implement outreach curriculum in order to educate law enforcement, social service providers and the general population about human trafficking. It is through outreach and raising community awareness that victims of labor and/or sexual trafficking will be identified and assisted to free themselves from their modern day bondage.

Services for Victims of Trafficking Program offers holistic culturally competent services to identified victims of human trafficking.

Services include case management, shelter, counseling, employment services and legal services.

Get Involved

• Join Rescue Community Alliance (RCA): Meets monthly in order to discuss and share outreach ideas and network with other community members who share the same passion to eradicate modern day slavery.
• Use your social media network to spread the word and raise awareness about this covert crime against humanity which is occurring in your backyards
• Request a speaker for your next community, religious or staff meeting
• Educate Yourself:
  • U.S. Dept. of State Human Trafficking Information 
  • The Campaign to Rescue & Restore Victims of Human Trafficking
  • Polaris Project
  • Slavery Footprint: Interactive survey of how many slaves may be working for you

Red Flags of Human Trafficking

If you suspect human trafficking, please report it immediately to the National Hotline listed at the top of this page. 

• Unable to leave or come and go as they wish 
• Under 18 years old and providing commercial sex acts 
• Unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips 
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours 
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off 
• Have high security measures in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.) 
• Fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid 
• Lacks health care 
• Appears malnourished 
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint 
• Has few or no personal possessions 
• Not in control of own money, no financial records, or bank account 
• Not in control of own identification documents (ID or passport) 
• Not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating) 
• Claim to  “just be visiting” and unable to clarify where they are staying/address 
• Loss of sense of time 
• Has numerous inconsistencies in their story

The Trafficked

There is not ONE consistent face of trafficking victims; they can be men, women, children foreign nationals or US citizens. Some are well-educated, while others have no formal education. Sadly, it is the most vulnerable among us who become targets for traffickers.

• Undocumented migrants 
• Runaways 
• Homeless youth 
• Families and individuals living in poverty

These groups are specifically targeted because they are vulnerable to recruitment tactics and methods of control.

Victims have been identified in cities, suburbs, and rural areas in all 50 states.

The Traffickers

• Pimps
• Intimate partners/family members
• Gangs and criminal networks
• Brothel and massage parlor owners and managers
• Growers and crew leaders in agriculture
• Labor brokers
• Employers of domestic servants
• Small business owners and managers
• Large factory owners and corporations 

You can make a difference today by getting involved in raising awareness about human trafficking in your community. Please visit out Get Educated page to learn more about human trafficking.