How has COVID-19 impacted human trafficking and to what extent does a social disruptor, such as a pandemic, put more people at risk for trafficking?
Human traffickers exploit the chaotic environment of disasters, such as a pandemic, which leads to pornography, and sex trafficking, tricking youths into forced prostitution, falsely promising housing relief in exchange for ‘services,’ and/or coercing people into forced labor. In addition, as the spread of the pandemic and government mandated ‘stay-at-home’ orders close schools and place more children in online environments, children and youths in front of computer screens become prey for online traffickers trolling the internet.
This session will present the latest data known about the effects of COVID-19 on human trafficking, inform the audience about online predator dangers, and discuss the challenges in identifying trafficking victims.