Modern-day slavery that forces adults, teens and children into involuntary servitude for labor, drugs or sex through fraud or coercion.
Labor trafficking is the most prevalent type of human trafficking, and mostly found in these industries: agriculture, such as marijuana farms, home cleaning services, manufacturing, and hotel and restaurant sectors.
Sex trafficking targets men, women, boys and girls in rural, suburban and urban communities. Typically, it is a slow recruiting process, usually through social media or apps, or by a family member, friend or acquaintance to create a false friendship, romance, promise or job offer.
In Oklahoma, most human trafficking is not happening by people passing through on highways, but by Oklahomans entrapping Oklahomans without leaving the state or their hometown.
At least 350 Oklahoma victims per year have received assistance to heal and recover from a human trafficking experience; and at least 4,000 Oklahomans per year are requesting help.
The Commission has launched the “Not Me” initiative to help stop human trafficking in Oklahoma. By partnering with high schools, colleges and universities statewide, the Commission will educate teens, young adults and parents on how to recognize the early signs of labor and sex trafficking.
Recognize early signs of a person being entrapped by traffickers, such as a combination of sudden changes in behavior, appearance, friends, unusual work patterns, or unusual rapid new romantic relationship. Intervene by actively asking questions until answers are genuinely satisfactory or removes concerns.
These are: