An analysis of data on human trafficking situations reported to the US National Human Trafficking Hotline from 2020-2022 (covid-19 pandemic period)
We have long known human trafficking to be a pervasive and versatile crime, as traffickers and exploiters adjust to changing environments. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us the profound adaptability of human trafficking. A global pandemic did not stop or impede trafficking from happening and, with few exceptions, did not seem to change how it happens or to whom it happens.
In this report, we examine data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline from January 2020 through August 2022 and explore a snapshot of the top findings of human trafficking during the calamitous pandemic years. We provide top trends and answers to questions we typically report on as a part of our data analysis, and introduce how select trends that began early in the pandemic changed or continued as the crisis evolved.
About this Data
This data presents information collected on situations of trafficking reported during the majority
of the pandemic years, January 2020-August 2022. This report presents trends observed in data collected by the Hotline during this time frame, but does not determine cause or specifically attribute these changes and trends to the pandemic. The information provided is limited to empirical information provided directly by Hotline data.
Limitations: The National Human Trafficking Hotline’s primary purpose is to assist victims and survivors. Data collection via the Hotline is limited to information relevant to the signaler’s safety and privacy. Data that is not relevant to the signaler’s needs, such as details of their trafficking experience, is not collected. Individuals are never asked questions specifically for data collection purposes
and are asked to share only the information that they are comfortable providing for the purposes
of helping them get help and stay safe. Due to this, data presented here does not represent prevalence data, nor should it be considered a representative sample of all trafficking situations or trafficking victims in the United States.
Findings Summary
- Much of what we know about how human trafficking happens and who is vulnerable remained the same during the pandemic. No substantial changes in these trends were observed during the January 2020-August 2022 timeframe.
- Trends that did change were specific to the identity of Hotline signalers and the rates of reporting of online sexual exploitation.
Read or download full report here
Polaris: Named after the North Star, an historical symbol of freedom, Polaris is leading a survivor-centered, justice- and equity-driven movement to end human trafficking. Since 2007, Polaris has operated the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, connecting victims and survivors to support and services, and helping communities hold traffickers accountable. Through that work, Polaris has built the largest known dataset on human trafficking in North America. The data and expertise gained from two decades of working on trafficking situations in real time informs strategies that hold traffickers accountable, support survivors on their healing journeys and address the vulnerabilities that enable the business of stealing freedom for profit.
- Survivors help lead Polaris and our programs. While we never ask people to disclose whether they have experienced human trafficking directly, we are proud that there are survivors on our Board of Directors, among our senior leadership team, across levels of the organization, and on our Advisory Councils.
- Polaris has hired 175+ survivor consultants to contribute their expertise to the anti-trafficking movement. We also engaged 457 survivors in the NSS, making it the largest known survey of its kind, and had seven survivors in the project’s Community Advisory Group and six survivors who were part of the core research team.