WWW.AGRM.ORG MAY/JUNE 2017 33 often immigrants—both documented and undocumented—who expect to build a new life and new opportunity, only to find a downward spiral of unthinkable living and working condi- tions, with few options for freedom. The Global Slavery Index estimates that almost 60,000 people in the United States suffer in forced labor conditions. Often victims will pay recruitment fees in their home countries, and many enter initially on valid visas. Forced labor victims aren’t all immigrants, however; vulnerable children and adults can be recruited by “boyfriends” to sell drugs, shoplift, beg for money, or sell stolen goods. How Does Homelessness Factor in? F or young people, homelessness is a strong indicator for risk of human trafficking. A recent study by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families has shed some light on this tie between homelessness and trafficking. The April 2016 “Street Outreach Report” discovered that more than 60 percent of youth on the streets have been assaulted in some way. They have spent an average of two years on the streets. And 36 percent of these youth have engaged in “survival sex”—trading sex for money, somewhere to stay, food, protection, or drugs. The National Runaway Switchboard (NRS) estimates that 1.3 million home- less youth are on the streets, and that 5,000 unaccompanied youth die each year as a result of assault, illness, or Ī Recognize the Signs Watch for these indicators of potential trafficking victims Share Hope and the Polaris Project are both excellent online resources for identifying warning signs that an individual is being trafficked. They suggest being on the lookout for: • Signs of physical abuse such as burn marks, bruises, or cuts. • Unexplained absences from class. • Less appropriately dressed than before. • Sexualized behavior. • Being overly tired in class. • Being withdrawn, depressed, distracted, or checked out. • Bragging about making or having lots of money. • Displaying expensive clothes, accessories, or shoes. • Having a new tattoo (tattoos are often used by pimps as a way to brand victims). Tattoos of a name, symbol of money, or barcode could indicate trafficking. • Having an older boyfriend or new friends with a different lifestyle. • Talking about wild parties or inviting other students to attend parties. • Showing signs of gang affiliation (such as a preference for specific colors, notebook doodles of gang symbols, etc.). • Showing signs of anxiousness or paranoia. • Being malnourished. • Avoiding eye contact. • Not controlling his or her own identification or money. • Being unreliable, often absent, or noncommittal.