Types of Exploitation

Exploitation or being taken advantage of can look different for each person, and it can be difficult to identify and label the experiences. Exploitation or being taken advantage of is the unfair treatment of someone in order to produce a profit. It can be used to control and manipulate individuals for various purposes.

Familial trafficking

Is a form of human trafficking where people, usually children and teenagers, are taken advantage of by members of their own family. This can include parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings, or other relatives. The exploitation can take many forms, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, and forced begging. In some cases, the family member may be aware of the exploitation and actively participate in it, while in other cases, they may be manipulated by someone else into allowing it to happen.

Escort services

Can be a form of exploitation through commercial sex that involves the hiring of a person to provide companionship or sexual services in exchange for money. Escort services are often fronts for sex work and sex trafficking operations. Ads for services are made available online, in newspapers, or on billboards. Apartments, homes, or hotels may be used as locations for commercial sex.

Pornography

This type of exploitation involves individuals being forced, tricked or manipulated into performing in pornographic materials. Profits from the production and distribution of this content are withheld from people and can fuel the trafficking industry.

Illicit massage businesses

Are also known as “massage parlors” or “spas”. These establishments offer massages or other spa services as a front for illegal activities such as sex work or human trafficking. These businesses are often found in strip malls or other low-profile locations. They may advertise services such as “happy endings” or “full service” massages.

Brothels

Are commercial sex venues often run by a madam or a pimp, who controls the operation. Brothels are considered illegal in many jurisdictions, but they may still exist and operate in a covert manner. Sex workers in brothels may be there by choice but often are forced, tricked, or manipulated into commercial sex. Brothels can be found in many different settings, including homes, apartments, and massage parlors.

Public solicitation

Refers to the practice of people engaging in commercial sex with clients in exchange for money on the street or in public places. Public solicitation is often associated with urban areas and truck stops. It can be found in red-light districts or areas known for prostitution. Individuals engaged in public solicitation may be there by choice, but they may also be victims of sexual exploitation or trafficking. Public solicitation can be dangerous and carries a high risk of violence.

Forced marriage

This type of trafficking involves people being forced into marriage, often as part of a larger scheme to exploit them for labor or sexual services. Forced marriage can involve physical, emotional, and financial abuse. It can have serious long-term consequences for the person who is forced into the marriage.

Online exploitation

Sextortion

Also known as camming, being taken advantage of this way involves the use of the internet to exploit people through activities such as live streaming and online pornography on platforms like OnlyFans. Read more here.

Sextortion is another form of online exploitation. It is a type of sexual exploitation where people are threatened with the public release of sexually explicit images or videos unless they comply with certain demands. This type of abuse can happen to anyone who has shared sexually explicit images or videos with someone, it can be a stranger or a person known to the victim.

Distribution of child sexual abuse

Distribution of child sexual abuse material is another form of online sexual exploitation. It refers to the sharing, distribution or possession of images or videos that depict child sexual abuse.

Child labor exploitation

Is a form of trafficking that uses children in work that is exploitative, hazardous, or harmful to their physical, mental, or social well-being. Children who are taken advantage of for labor are often forced to work long hours, in dangerous or unhealthy conditions, and for little or no pay. Child labor exploitation can take many forms, including forced labor, debt bondage, or forced criminality. It can be found in many sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, domestic work, and construction, as well as in criminal activities such as drug trafficking. Children may also be forced to beg or to sell goods in the streets.

Debt bondage

Is also known as debt slavery or bonded labor in which an individual is forced to work to pay off a debt. It often involves contracts that seem legal or legit but are actually unenforceable or illegal. The person may have taken out a loan or incurred a debt in order to pay for basic needs such as food or medical care, or for immigration-related expenses. In debt bondage, the terms of the loan or debt are often exploitative in an attempt to ensure the individual is unable to pay off the debt, trapping them in a cycle of forced labor or commercial sex. Individuals may be forced, tricked or manipulated into a situation of debt bondage. This type of exploitation can be found in many sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, domestic work, and sex work. Individuals in debt bondage may not be able to leave their job or place of work, and may be subject to physical, emotional, and financial abuse. They may also be denied basic rights such as fair pay, safe working conditions, and freedom of movement.

Forced labor

This type of trafficking involves people being forced to work against their will, typically under the threat of violence or other forms of punishment. The people may have been tricked or manipulated into the situation, or they may have been forced into it through debt bondage or other forms of exploitation. Forced labor can be found in many sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, domestic work, and construction, as well as in criminal activities such as drug trafficking, or illegal organ harvesting. It can take many forms including physical and emotional abuse, withholding of wages, and denial of basic rights such as freedom of movement. People in forced labor may not be able to leave their job or place of work, and may be subject to poor working conditions and long hours.

Forced criminality

Forced criminality refers to people being forced, tricked, or manipulated into engaging in criminal activity, such as drug trafficking, shoplifting, or fraud. It is often used as a tactic by criminal organizations, including gangs and sex trafficking operations, to expand their operations, reduce risk to the operators, and increase profits.