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Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Human trafficking is a societal issue that is prevalent in every state, city and community, including Benton and Linn counties. We have dozens, if not hundreds, of survivors living around us on a daily basis: in schools, on the streets, in our hospitals and in our favorite restaurants or stores. The Department of Justice identifies human trafficking as a “public health crisis.” IHN-CCO, with the Linn/Benton Anti-Trafficking Coalition, is dedicated to addressing this issue with trauma-informed and evidence-based practices.
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About 1% of Human Trafficking survivors are ever identified.1
Trafficking can happen in every state, city, and community.2
While trafficking can impact people of any race, gender or social status, certain populations have been identified as more vulnerable to trafficking. These groups are LGBTQ+ youth, unhoused populations, survivors of previous assault, people experiencing mental or physical disability and Black, Indigenous and other People of Color.3
The National Center for Missing or Exploited Children reported a 93% increasein online enticement reports during COVID-19. 4
The average age a person is first trafficked is 12 years old.5
1. OnWatch Traininng. 2. National Human Trafficking Hotline. 3. National Human Trafficking Hotline. 4. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. 5. Homeland Security Digital Library.
The Linn/Benton Anti-Trafficking Coalition is a network of organizations and professionals who are passionate about the abolishment of human trafficking in our community. We strive to educate service providers and community members about this issue, as well as improve services for survivors who live in our community. Some of our community services include:
Serving survivors of child abuse.
Serving survivors of rape and domestic violence.
Serving youth experiencing housing instability.
The number one question we are asked is: “How can I help? How can I get involved?” There are many ways to support our efforts and help survivors of human trafficking.
On Watch training is designed for everyone with the intent to combat trafficking through education and encouragement to learn more and share information with co-workers, neighbors, family and friends.
The National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) is dedicated to equipping criminal justice professionals with the right training and tools to affect lasting and meaningful change in the communities they serve.
AEqiutas (EH-qui-tahs) offers training related to the investigation and prosecution of gender-based violence and human trafficking.
