A recent report has revealed a disturbing trend in human trafficking across the United States. According to data collected by law enforcement agencies, 2,950 incidents of human trafficking were reported in 2022 alone.
As the fight against human trafficking continues, these statistics serve as a stark reminder of the work that remains to be done. Efforts to support victims, hold perpetrators accountable, and prevent future incidents must remain a top priority for law enforcement agencies and policymakers alike.
The majority of these incidents, a staggering 81%, involved sex trafficking, while 19% involved labour trafficking. This translates to 3,570 victimisations, with 78% being sex trafficking victims.
The report also sheds light on the demographics of human trafficking victims. A significant 88% of victims were U.S. citizens, highlighting the domestic nature of this issue. Women and girls bore the brunt of sex trafficking, accounting for 85% of victims, while men and boys made up 65% of labour trafficking victims.
Most incidents involved a single victim, with 70% of cases featuring one person. However, law enforcement agencies struggled to effectively address these crimes, with two-thirds of incidents remaining uncleared.
Local law enforcement agencies reported the majority of incidents (73%), with 44% involving joint investigations with federal authorities.
Labour trafficking mainly involved domestic work (44%), agriculture (21%), and construction (14%). Law enforcement agencies cleared only 34% of sex trafficking incidents and 32% of labor trafficking incidents.
A total of 1,433 arrests were made in connection with human trafficking incidents, with 75% being for sex trafficking offenses.
The report also notes that 61% of incidents involved a single offender, 21% involved multiple offenders, and 15% had an unknown number of offenders.
This report serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle against human trafficking in the US, emphasising the need to address root causes and provide support to victims.