What The Bridge to Hope Offers
Although slavery is commonly thought to be a thing of the past, human traffickers generate billions of dollars in profits by trapping individuals in horrific situations in the United States and around the world. Human trafficking victims are often forced, through sexual, physical and/or psychological violence, to perform work under slavery-like conditions.
The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary considerably. Some victims become involved with someone who then manipulates or forces them into prostitution. Others are lured in with false promises of a job, such as modeling or dancing. Some are forced to sell sex by their parents or other family members. They may be involved in a trafficking situation for a few days or weeks, or for years. Under federal law, all minors, under the age of 18, involved in the commercial sex industry are considered trafficked; no consent needed.
The Bridge to Hope can assist victims of human trafficking; victims typically need numerous types of emergency and long-term services. The Bridge to Hope can provide holistic case management assisting the victim with housing and food, needed interpretation services, as well as finding appropriate medical care, mental health treatment and/or substance abuse treatment. The Bridge to Hope will assist the victim with any legal concern and/or immigration issues.
If you believe you are the victim of a trafficking situation or may have information about a potential trafficking situation, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888.
NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year related to potential trafficking victims, suspicious behaviors, and/or locations where trafficking is suspected to occur.
You can also submit a tip to the NHTRC online.
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of children, women and men through recruitment or abduction, by means of force, fraud, coercion, or debt bondage for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation.