Partners Against Trafficking Humans (PATH)
The Partnership Against Trafficking Humans (PATH) and Tribune Media CT have targeted and enlisted key stakeholders to support and promote our evidence-based public education campaign to foster awareness and protect children from human trafficking in all forms. The overreaching goal is to engage local anti-human trafficking coalitions, and other organizations to educate the public about sexual exploitation of children and domestic minor sex trafficking; and to increase awareness and the number of referrals to the DCF’s Careline and the National Human Trafficking Hotline and Text.
The PATH initiative is comprised of businesses, organizations, civic and religious groups, educational institutions and municipalities which are unified in their conviction that human trafficking in all its forms must be eliminated.
Connecticut DCF’s Careline is open 24 hours/7 days a week and staffed by full-time, highly skilled professionals who are available to answer your questions and gather critical information from callers to determine if a report meets Connecticut’s statutory criteria for child abuse or neglect. To make a child abuse or neglect report, call 1-800-842-2288 (TDD; 1-800-624-5518)
FACTS ABOUT HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN CONNECTICUT
Child trafficking referrals from 2008 through 2018 totaled 1,056 unique children and youth. Most victims were runways and had experienced sexual abuse and/or neglect. They ranged in age from 2-18 years. Referrals were from social workers with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, law enforcement, emergency medical services, congregate care facilities, courts and public defenders’ office and nonprofit organizations.
What is human trafficking?
Federal definition of human trafficking: Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for –
- Sex Trafficking:
A commercial sex act, in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age. “Commercial Sex Act” means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person. - Labor Trafficking:
Labor or services, using force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) is the exchange of any sex act with a child under the age of 18, who is a US citizen or permanent resident, for anything of value.
Types of Child Trafficking:
- Internet Based/Social Media – is the most prevalent form of child trafficking
- Street/ Public (increasingly less common)
- Stripping
- Pornography
- Escort Services
- Casinos/Clubs
- Private Parties/High School Parties
- Interfamilial
- Survival Sex (includes any sex act for anything of value; examples include a place to sleep, food, clothing, etc.)
- Sex for Drugs
- Gang Based
- Marriage Trapping