Missionaries of the Sacred

Traffickers use three principal methods, force, fraud and coercion, to instill fear in and control their victims. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, violence is used especially during the initial period after a person has been trafficked in order to break his or her resistance, which in turn, makes it easier to control the person. Commonly used methods of force include rape, beatings and confinement.

Fraud involves false advertisements and is used to lead people into situations where it is easier to traffic them. For instance, women in other countries responding to job advertisements for waitresses, seamstresses, maids, dancers, etc. may find themselves trafficked for forced labor or prostitution once they arrive to the United States.

Coercion uses the threat of physical violence or (and sometimes actual physical violence) to control a victim and prevent them from escaping or seeking help. For instance, a trafficker may make threats not only against the person, but also against his/her family. Traffickers may also threaten to shame victims by exposing their true circumstances to their families. Other common threats include those of imprisonment or deportation for immigration violations if a victim contacts the authorities.

In addition to the methods noted above, traffickers often use debt bondage and isolate their victims from the public, family members and members of their ethnic and religious communities. People trafficked to the United States from other countries will find their passports and other identifying documents confiscated upon arrival. Traffickers also hold their victim's money, sometimes for alleged "safe-keeping".