Safe Harbor
Human Trafficking: a Hidden Crisis for Youth in Orange County
It may come as a surprise, but human trafficking is prevalent across New York State, including right in our own backyard here in Orange County. What’s even more concerning is that youth under the age of 18 are among those at greatest risk.
What is Human Trafficking
Simply put, human trafficking is nothing less than a form of modern day slavery. Its victims are forced, coerced, defrauded and exploited for sexual purposes, compelled to live in domestic servitude or perform sweatshop or migrant labor.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- Human Trafficking is the 3rd largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, with nearly 21 million victims being identified (As reported by the Internal Labour Organization)
- Between 2007 and 2012, New York was one of four states generating the greatest number of potential reports of human trafficking (As reported by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center)
- In 77% of all human trafficking cases, the perpetrators are family members, friends or other people the victims know (As reported by the Covenant House Trafficking Study May 2013)
- 85% of child victims of sex trafficking had prior experience with the child welfare system (As reported by Office of Children and Family Services of New York)
Orange County Safe Harbor: Eliminating Exploitation, Empowering Our Youth
The Orange County Safe Harbor Initiative is a collaboration of the region’s most effective service providers, developed to raise awareness as well as provide resources and assistance for victims and survivors of human trafficking.