Human Trafficking
Services
What is Human Trafficking?
Human Trafficking is widespread and occurs in the United States, California, and here in Monterey County. As it is one of the largest criminal industries in the world and the fastest-growing, we focus on victims. Traffickers do not discriminate; they target the young and the old, men and women, and people from all social-economic backgrounds. Homeless and foster care youth are among those at the highest risk of being trafficked. Young girls are the most common victims. We see human trafficking victims every day as they are found in places familiar like city streets, strip clubs, massage businesses, hotels, and motels. We also see trafficking in places we never expect like factories, construction, truck stops, domestic work, farming and landscape, and janitorial services.
In January 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta informed Californians of the support services offered in the state and released new directions to assist trafficking survivors in obtaining exoneration for offenses that occurred because of their trafficking. Follow the link to read the full statement.
Types of Human Trafficking are:
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Labor Trafficking
Recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of the 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.
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Sex Trafficking
Sex Trafficking is the force, fraud or coercion to cause a commercial sex act. The coercion can be subtle, overt and/or psychological. Sex trafficking, as well as all Human Trafficking is a part of modern day slavery.
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Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is a range of crimes and activities involving the sexual abuse or exploitation of a child for the financial benefit of any person or in exchange for anything of value.
Our services cater to the needs of survivors and include:
Human Trafficking Support through our 24/7 Crisis Line
Information and Agency Referral
When Human Trafficking intersects with Domestic Violence, we are able to provide our Domestic Violence resources
Since 2017, the YWCA of Monterey County has been serving victims of Human trafficking through a trauma informed approach, focusing on safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support collaboration and mutuality, empowerment voice and choice, and cultural historical and gender issues. Currently, our support services have shifted but we do hope to broaden our scope of help available in the fall of 2024.
Are you ready to make a change?
Reach out to our crisis line
Questions?
Contact our offices for more information: