Hyde County Hotline
Addressing Human Trafficking and Exploitation through Collaboration, Outreach & Awareness Education
P.O. Box 335
Engelhard, NC 27824
Office Phone: 252-925-2502
Fax: 252-925-2501
24-Hour Crisis Line: 252-925-2500
Human Trafficking is Modern-Day Slavery
Human Trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery, widespread throughout the United States today. Trafficking of humans is the fastest growing and second largest criminal industry in the world after drug dealing.
What is Human Trafficking?
Sex Trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.
Note: Any child engaged in commercial sex is a victim of human trafficking
The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery, ( source: National Institute of Justice)
Human Trafficking in North Carolina
The prevalence of human trafficking in North Carolina is due to many factors, including the major highways that run through our state (40,85, and 95), a large, transient military population surrounded by sexually oriented businesses, numerous rural agricultural areas with a high demand for cheap labor, and an increasing number of gangs.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, in 2017 North Carolina had 221 reported human trafficking cases. This statistic terms of the number of reported human trafficking cases. (source: North Carolina Department of Administration)
Understanding Human Trafficking:
Force, fraud and coercion are the methods used by traffickers to press victims into lives of servitude and abuse:
- Force – Rape, beatings, confinement
- Fraud – False offers of employment, marriage, better life
- Coercion – Threats, debt-bondage, psychological abuse, confiscation of identification and legal documents.
Victims of trafficking may look like many of the people you see every day. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women.
Many victims of trafficking are made to engage in prostitution, pornography or exotic dancing, but trafficking also occurs in forms of labor exploitation, such as domestic servitude or restaurant work, sweatshop factory work or migrant agricultural work.
Victims can be found in a wide variety of jobs.
These may include:
- Commercial Sex
- Domestic Situations ( Nannies or Servants)
- Construction
- Farming or Landscaping
- Hotels or Tourist Industries
- Pan Handling
- Restaurant Services
- Fisheries
- Massage Parlors
Victims of trafficking may look like many of the people you see every day. Victims are young children, teenagers, men and women.
Recognizing potential red flags and knowing the indicators of human trafficking is a key step in identifying more victims and helping them find the assistance they need.
Common Work and Living Conditions:
- Is not free to leave or come and go at will
- Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
- Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
- Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
- Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restriction at work
- Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
- Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
- High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up window bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.
- Is living and working on site
- Experiences verbal and physical abuse by their supervisor
Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior:
- Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
- Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement or immigration official
- Shows signs of substance use or addiction
Poor Physical Health:
- Shows signs of poor hygiene, malnourishment, and/or fatigue. Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture.
Lack of Control:
- Has few or no personal belongings
- Is not allowed to speak for themselves ( A third party may insist on being present and/or translating.)
- Is not in control of their own money, financial records, bank account.
- Is not in control of their own identification documents.
This list represents only a small selections of possible indicators. The red flags in this list may not be present in all trafficking cases.
Anyone Can Join in the Fight Against Human Trafficking
Here are just a few ideas to consider:
- Learn the indicators of human trafficking so you can help identify a potential trafficking victim.
- Volunteer and support anti-trafficking efforts in your community.
- Join your local rapid response team.
- Host a film night sharing documentaries and anti-trafficking films.
- Host a fundraiser and donate the proceeds to the local anti-trafficking agency.
- Organize your church, business, civic group or school to host educational events to build awareness and show your support for victims of human trafficking.
SPEAK UP FOR THOSE WHO CAN NOT SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES!
If you or someone you know is being trafficked you can get help by calling the
National Human Trafficking Hotline at
1 (888) 373-7888 or Text 233733
OUR MISSION:
The purpose of Hyde County Hotline, Inc. is to work to eliminate domestic abuse, sexual victimization and human trafficking and provide safe shelter in Hyde County, North Carolina through the collaborative community.
We promote dignity, respect and safety at home resulting in safer communities.
WHAT WE DO
- Crisis Intervention
- Domestic and Sexual Violence and Human Trafficking Advocacy
- Survivor Services
- Safe Shelter
- Safety Planning
- Support Groups (Call for additional information)
- Referrals