Defining Exploitation

Exploitation can be a difficult word to understand. In more simple terms it can be seen as being taken advantage of. If you have felt pressure, or are feeling pressured, to do any kind of work or trade sex by being forced, tricked into, or manipulated into it, you may be experiencing or may have experienced an exploitative situation. A lot of times this can feel very uncomfortable and like someone is or was taking advantage of you. Exploitation is the unfair treatment of someone in order to produce a profit. Some severe forms of exploitation are defined as human trafficking under state and federal law.

Exploitation is not always easy to identify. People may be in exploitative situations without realizing it or it may take years to identify past circumstances as exploitative. Some signs that you may be experiencing or have experienced exploitation include:

Feeling controlled or manipulated by someone
Feel like you’re being taken advantage of
Feeling as though you have no other options or that you can't leave
Feeling afraid or unsafe
Feeling as though you are not being fairly compensated for your work
Being paid less than you were promised or about the type of work

What are Force, Fraud, and Coercion?

(Trigger Warning - Contains Descriptions of Violence)

These terms can be confusing, especially the legal definitions. We’ll try to make it as simple as possible. In short, people use force, fraud, and coercion to control, trick, or manipulate other people.

Force

Force is active and physical violence used to take away a person’s choice. Force can include:

Fraud

Fraud refers to intentionally distorting the truth in order to get someone else (who relies on that version of the truth) to surrender a legal right or give up something valuable that belongs to them. Fraud can include:

Coercion

Coercion is indirect and psychological manipulation used to take away a person’s choice. Coercion can include:

Threats of harm, constraint, or restraint
Trying to get a person to believe that if they don't do something, it will result in serious harm or physical restraint of themselves or someone else
Reputation damage, blackmail, or sextortion
The abuse (or threatened abuse) of law or the legal process

These methods of exploitation and manipulation can be used together and overlap. They can have a severe impact on your physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

Exploitation is a violation of your rights and you deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. There are people and organizations who are here to support you, and you have the right to exit exploitative and manipulative situations and seek help when you want to and are ready.

Next we’ll talk about the difference between labor exploitation and sexual exploitation but you should know that being taken advantage of can happen in both ways at the same time or at different points in your life. Many survivors talk about having experience with both types of exploitation.

Labor Exploitation

Is present when:

People are forced or tricked or manipulated into work, in a variety of places and businesses, for no or little pay or reimbursement. This can happen in agriculture (like on farms), construction, manufacturing, hospitality, food service, and many other workplace settings.
A domestic worker who works in someone’s home has their movement restricted and is forced to work long hours with no or little pay.
A person is forced to engage in criminal activity, like shoplifting or selling counterfeit or fake goods or illegal substances
A person is forced to work to pay off a debt is unfairly inflated and intentionally set at a cost the individual is unable to repay
Children are forced to work in dangerous or unhealthy conditions, often at the expense of their education and development
Physical and/or sexual abuse, as well as labor exploitation, can be present in any of these circumstances.

Sexual Exploitation

Is present when:

A person is tricked, coerced, or forced to engage in sexual activity in trade for something of value. This can happen in sex work, strip clubs, online forums and apps (also known as camming), and other sex trade establishments.
When someone under 18 is involved in commercial sex (trading sex for something of value), even if they weren’t forced, tricked into, or manipulated into it. People often target children who are experiencing homelessness, involved with the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system, or who have parents with substance use disorders or involvement in the sex trade.
Physical and/or sexual abuse as well as labor exploitation can be present in any of these circumstances.

Both labor and sexual exploitation can have a severe impact on a person’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It can get in the way of living a fulfilling life, as well as make it difficult to financially and emotionally support themselves and their families.

Want to learn more?

Watch this TED Talk about Elijah. He spent his childhood working in the restaurants of a religious organization, away from his family and frequently being moved from state to state. Elijah shares his story of silence, shame, abuse, and ultimately escape from human trafficking.

Or watch this short film about Maggie. This fictional short film tells the story of a young woman named Maggie, who is trapped in a cycle of abuse and exploitation as a victim of sex trafficking. The film follows her journey as she struggles to break free from her captor and escape the life of forced prostitution.

Exploitation takes on many forms. Learn about the different types here.

There is a lot of misinformation and misconceptions surrounding exploitation. We’re here to help you separate fact from fiction.