1. Characteristics of Human Trafficking Victims and Perpetrators
Kelsey E. Peterson, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dr. Moira Murphy, The University of Texas at El Paso
Introduction Perpetrator Characteristics Regional Victim Considerations Conclusions Impacting Policy
This project develops a profile of victims and perpetrators of human Of cases with known ethnicities… Geographical Regions of the U.S.  Perpetrators are Latinos victimizing Latinos and are working with family
trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border into the U.S. Unlike transportation- 98.5% involve perpetrators and victims of the same ethnicity members; these Latino perpetrators have a lower average age than
based human smuggling, human trafficking is exploitative and uses victims 93.9% involve Latino perpetrators traffickers from other ethnic groups.
for the purposes of labor and/or sex. A review of over 800 open-source cases Latino perpetrators have a lower average age than non-Latino perpetrators Northeast  Victims are entering the U.S. undocumented suggesting a link between
yielded 74 cases of relevance based on the following criteria: victims crossing Across ethnicities, men have a lower average age than women West smuggling and trafficking perpetrators and instances.
from Mexico into the U.S.; discernable exploitation; and post-2000 victim  Unit of analysis (case vs. victims) will yield very different policy
liberation. U.S.-Mexico trafficking trends do not necessarily apply to other Relationship between Perpetrator Gender Midwest prescriptions.
geographical regions. and Ethnicity by Average Age
50  The notion that drug cartels control trafficking on the U.S. side of the
Assumptions around the cross-border, illegal flow of trafficking victims Men Women border is lacking evidence; traffickers on the U.S. side tend to work in self-
40
represent a U.S. national security threat. Recent trends note that Mexican contained familial groups .
Southwest
drug cartels are diversifying into other criminal enterprises, which may 30 South  Results do not necessarily apply to all types of human trafficking in the
Age
include human trafficking. Cartel involvement would threaten safety as their 20 U.S. but only to those which cross from Mexico.
violence victimizes growing numbers. Scant accurate data largely challenges
10
efforts to confront human trafficking. Additionally, a false assumption of
cartel involvement in human trafficking would hinder U.S. national security 0
Traffickers sexually exploit in urban destination areas; the graphs below show
Bibliography
Latino Non-Latino All Ethnicities
due to misappropriation of resources. the regional location of preferred urban areas for sex trafficking.
Ethnicity Ahluwalia, S., Branchini, C., Bresnahan, K., Bury, C., CdeBaca, L., Chan-Downer, C.,…Zinn,
The unit of analysis (cases vs. victims) yields different areas of policy focus, as J. (2010). Trafficking in persons report. Retrieved from the United States Department
Number of Victims and Perpetrators Rural and Urban Victim Considerations exemplified by labor trafficking trends toward perpetration by large rings. of State website: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/142979.pdf
Banks, D., & Kyckelhahn, T. (2011). Characteristics of suspected human trafficking
There are about 17 % more known labor trafficking victims than known sex Traffickers do not necessarily remain in the U.S.-Mexico border area; other incidents, 2008-2010. Retrieved from the United States Department of Justice,
Population types as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau: regions show trafficking prevalence. Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics website:
trafficking victims.
2,500 people 50,000 people http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf
Men are labor trafficking victims. The Midwest is an unfavorable trafficking destination. Beittel, J. S. (2009). Mexico’s Drug-Related Violence. Retrieved from
Boys are not typically victims. Rural Urban Cluster Urban Area http://assets.opencrs.com/rpts/R40582_20090515.pdf
Women are twice as likely to be victims of sex than labor trafficking. Relationship between Trafficking and Cardhouse (Cartographer) and Keefe, P. (Editor). (2005). US Map Series 1 [Map].
The graphs below highlight that analyzing cases vs. victims will result in very
Girls are victims of sex trafficking. Geographical Region by Number of Cases Retrieved from http://cardhouse.com/design/free/usa.htm
different policy prescriptions. For example, more labor trafficking cases occur 20 Human Trafficking Law Project (HTLP). (2011). Human Trafficking Law Project (HTLP)
There are about 3.5 times more known sex trafficking perpetrators than in urban destination areas, but more labor trafficking victims are found in Database [Data file]. Retrieved from
Labor Sex
known labor trafficking perpetrators. rural areas. This trend suggests that urban labor trafficking is highly 15 http://www.law.umich.edu/clinical/HuTrafficCases/Pages/searchdatabase.aspx
There are twice as many known men than women perpetrators. splintered and rural labor trafficking is perpetrated by large rings. Kangaspunta, K. (2004). Mapping the inhuman trade: Preliminary findings of the
Number
This ratio remains constant between labor and sex trafficking. of Cases†
10 database on trafficking in human beings. Forum on crime and society, 3(1-2).
Relationship between Trafficking and Retrieved from http://www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/forum/forum3.pdf
Labor trafficking perpetrators traffic more victims than sex traffickers. 5
Population Type by Number of Cases Northeastern University, Institute on Race and Justice. (n.d.). News, Reports, and
Average victims/perpetrator: labor, 13.98; sex, 3.54; all trafficking, 5.68 40 Archives. Retrieved from http://www.humantrafficking.neu.edu/news_reports/
0
Number of Victims Labor Sex West Southwest Midwest South Northeast Not For Sale Project. (2011). Slavery Map [Data file]. Retrieved from
30
Labor* Sex Both Total Geographical Region http://www.slaverymap.org
Number United Nations, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2009). Global report on
Men** 58 0 0 58 of Cases†
20
Relationship between Trafficking and trafficking in persons. Retrieved from the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime
Boys 1 0 0 1 website: http://www.unodc.org/documents/Global_Report_on_TIP.pdf
10 Geographical Region by Number of Victims
Males, unknown age 40 0 0 40 800 United States Census Bureau. (2010). American FactFinder [Data file]. Retrieved from
Total Males 99 0 0 99 0
Labor Sex http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en
Rural Urban Cluster Urban Area 600
United States Census Bureau, Geography Division, Geographic Standards and Criteria
Population Type Number
Women 31 56 2 89 Branch. (2010). 2010 Census Urban and Rural Classification and Urban Area Criteria.
of 400
Girls 6 141 3 150 Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/geo/www/ua/2010urbanruralclass.html
Relationship between Trafficking and Victims†
Females, unknown age 31 914 0 945 200 United States Department of Homeland Security. (2011, February 10). Human trafficking
Population Type by Number of Victims indicators. Retrieved from
Total Females 68 1111 5 1184 1200
http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1268926167753.shtm
0
1000 West Southwest Midwest South Northeast Wyler, G. (2011, June 13). The Mexican drug cartels are a national security issue.
Labor Sex
Adults, unknown gender 704 0 0 704 800 Geographical Region Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com
Number
Children, unknown gender 13 0 0 13 of 600
Unknown 416 0 0 416 Victims† 400
Relationship between Trafficking and Geographical Full bibliography available upon request. Sources are U.S.-based.
Total Unknown 1133 0 0 1133 200
Region by Number of Victims per Perpetrator
40
0 Acknowledgments
Total Males 99 0 0 99 Rural Urban Cluster Urban Area
30
Labor Sex
Total Females 68 1111 5 1184 Population Type Number of
Victims per This project would not be possible without the help of many. I would like to
Total Unknown 1133 0 0 1133 20
extend gracious thanks to the following individuals and organizations: Dr.
Relationship between Trafficking and Population Perpetrator†‡
Total 1300 1111 5 2416 Moira Murphy for mentoring me throughout this entire project; Victor
Type by Number of Victims per Perpetrator 10
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Talavera for directing the program; the National Center for Border Security
0
and Immigration (NCBSI) and The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for
West Southwest Midwest South Northeast
Number of Perpetrators 30 Labor Sex hosting this project; the Center for Inter-American and Border Studies (CIBS)
Geographical Region
Labor Sex Both Total Number of for providing my workspace; the Department of Homeland Security Science
Men 64 166 7 237 Victims per 20 and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science
Perpetrator†‡
Women 29 84 4 117 10 Other Trends and Education (ORISE) for funding this project; my home institution the
Unknown Adults 0 64 0 64 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for helping prepare me for
0 Out of all 74 cases… this project; and everyone else that helped me with this project.
Total 93 314 11 418 Rural Urban Cluster Urban Area
Population Type 39 (52.7%) involve a perpetrator working with at least 1 family member
*“Labor” and “sex” refer to cases where only labor or sex trafficking 6 (8.1%) involve a perpetrator victimizing a family member; 5 of these 6
occurred, respectively. “Both” refers to cases in which the victims were †Some cases involve trafficking victims to multiple destinations; therefore, are sex trafficking cases
subjected to both types of trafficking. the total number of cases, victims, and perpetrators graphically represented 67 cases identify the victim’s form of entry into the U.S.
**Men and women are adults, age 18 and older. Boys and girls are minors, is higher than in actuality. 66 (98.5%) of these 67 involve undocumented entry
age 17 and younger ‡Values less than 1 indicate more perpetrators than victims. Implies that victims are smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border
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