Victims of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a significant issue in Florida; many people are forced into this life right in our backyard, right next door. If you or someone you know is experiencing this, LSF can help. Be advised the content on this page can be disturbing or triggering.   

What is Human Trafficking exactly? Human trafficking is the process of coercing people using violence, deception, or coercion, stripping them of their freedom and exploiting them for financial or personal gain.  It can look like a girl forced into sexual exploitation; men tricked into accepting dangerous job offers and forced into free labor in building sites, farms, or factories; or women recruited then trapped to do domestic work in private homes. All victims are exploited and/or abused while being denied access to a way out. There does not need to be a crossing of borders for trafficking to take place.   

Who is a potential victim of Human Trafficking? 

Human trafficking affects all kinds of people anywhere, in cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Although some people are bigger targets, victims can come from any background including any race, gender, social class, age, ethnicity, and immigrant status or documentation. A person younger than 18 who engages in a commercial sex act, is a victim of sex trafficking—regardless of force, lies, or threats. Traffickers target people who are trying to escape poverty or discrimination. Victims often have their documents taken away and they are forced to work until their debt is paid off.  

According to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC):  

• 51% of identified victims of trafficking are women; 28% children and 21% men  
• 72% people exploited in the sex industry are women  
• 63% of identified traffickers are men and 37% are women  
• 43% of victims are trafficked domestically within national borders  

How can LSF help? 

Through Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP) in the Tampa Bay Area, LSF can provide comprehensive case management services to foreign-born victims of trafficking, derivative family members and minor children of victims of trafficking through a cooperative agreement with social agency Tapestri, the Department of Health & Human Services(HHS), Office of Trafficking in Persons (OTIP), and others. All services are free and confidential. 

How does the process of case management work?   

Enrolled clients will receive comprehensive case management services such as:  

• Initial needs assessment, based on trauma-informed and victim-centered approaches  
• Culturally and linguistically sensitive services  
• Financial assistance  

• Assistance with basic needs (safety planning, food, clothing, transportation)  
• Linkage to shelters and housing options  
• Linkage to mental health and medical care providers  
• Referrals to legal services (immigration attorney)  
• Enrollment in public benefits and refugee programs  

• Linkage to career and employment services  

What can I expect from LSF staff?  

• LSF staff will NOT compromise victim safety  
• They respect the privacy and dignity of all clients regardless of their race, background, or belief.  
• They will ensure that consumer and client confidentiality is protected.  

• Case managers assess the needs of a client and coordinate, arrange, evaluate, monitor, and advocate for multiple services to meet the needs of human trafficking survivors.  
• They have experience assisting survivors through a network of providers throughout the country. 

To report a trafficking tip, call the
National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888
a national, toll-free hotline, available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.

If you suspect someone is in immediate danger, please call 911.