The reasons for homelessness among trafficking victims vary: Some are kicked out of their homes by a parent or guardian, and others leave unfathomable living situations on their own. Some are abducted and then abandoned. Some escape. Still others are lured away by the promise of love, gifts, or just a better life, only to find themselves on a path where they lose their freedom, dignity, health, and in some cases, their lives. It’s not clear if homelessness came first, or if the abuse and exploitation came first. Even the levels of abuse can vary: some are sold into the sex trade, others are exploited online, and others find themselves used as slave labor. And sadly, some fall victim to all three scenarios. Victims in the U.S. are not distinguished by class, race, ethnicity, or gender. A few things, however, are evident: Perpetrators prey on the young (typically ages 12–24). The risk is extremely high that within the first 48 hours of being on the streets, these young people become statistics in the human trafficking industry. Big questions surround the connection between homelessness and the human trafficking epidemic in the U.S. But rescue missions could become a more important piece in the battle to end exploitation. Who Are the Victims? S hare Hope International de- scribes some of the particularly vulnerable groups: “Factors that make individuals more susceptible to trafficking include low self-esteem, being abused or neglected, poverty, homeless- ness, being in the foster care system, and identifying as LGBT.” Typically, perpetra- tors look for those who are already vulnerable or abused, in need, or in an unstable family environment. Then they make enticing offers of emotional, physical, or financial support. “A fairly common scenario,” says Laura Albritton, communications direc- tor for Life for the Innocent, “is a kid is sexually abused in his or her own home, and then runs away. He or she might end up in foster care, then runs away from foster care, maybe lives for a while with friends, but is essentially homeless. The FBI estimate is that within 48 hours of running away, one-third of those youth will be approached by a pimp, who lures them in with emotion and brings them into their ‘family.’ They give them shelter or feed them. When your basic needs haven’t been met, and you’re angry because you’ve been assaulted by your dad, then a roof over your head sounds pretty good. You are a lot easier to exploit when your basic needs aren’t being met.” Research from Covenant House explains the complexities: “Studies indi- cate risk for both sex and labor trafficking in the United States is high- est when a confluence of individual risk factors collides with societal and famil- ial pressures.” Physical and emotional abuse at home, socioeconomic issues, gaming, pornography, gangs, substance abuse, mental health, food security, and housing issues all increase the risk of becoming victims. Victims of nonsexual forced labor are 32 WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2017 Big questions surround the connection between homelessness and the human trafficking epidemic in the U.S. But rescue missions could become a more important piece in the battle to end exploitation.