Recognize the Signs of Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry

Child sex trafficking is more common than most people think. It is therefore essential that hotel employees are properly trained in human trafficking awareness so that they can remain diligent and know how to spot a child sex trafficking situation.

According to the 2021 Federal Human Trafficking Report released by the Human Trafficking Institute, the number of known cases of child sex trafficking in the United States increased by 17% between 2019 and 2020, and children accounted for more than 66 % of victims in sex trafficking cases in the United States. 2020. Their ages ranged from 4 to 17 years old, but 89 percent of the victims were between 14 and 17 years old, with the average age being 15 years old. More than 45 percent of these children knew their trafficker before being exploited.

While any child can become a victim of human trafficking, homeless or runaway children, foster youth, LGBTQIA+ youth, Black or African American youth, Latino youth and Native American youth are at higher risk of being targeted by human traffickers.

Warning signs of child sex trafficking may be apparent in subtle ways in the hotel environment. When hotel employees become aware of the indicators of human trafficking, they can learn how to safely identify and report potential cases of child sex trafficking to their managers. Some of the warning signs of child sex trafficking in hotels include the following indicators:

• No luggage
• A person who looks very young but dresses and behaves like an adult
• Lack of eye contact with hotel staff on the part of the young person
• Evidence of violence, abuse or intimidation
• Signs of unusual fear, anxiety or submissiveness
• The young person is dropped off by an adult who is waiting in the parking lot
• A young person asks staff for help, food or money
• Repeated requests for additional towels, linens, or room service
• Several adult guests visit the room, especially at regular intervals.
• A child expressing fear or discomfort around certain people, especially adults who are with them, should not be ignored and should prompt intervention.

Hotel staff can play a crucial role in combating child sex trafficking within their properties by being properly trained on how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and respond safely. This can protect more vulnerable children and help locate more missing children at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Oregon Hotel & Lodging Association (ORLA) is now offering free training on Inhospitable to Human Trafficking, provided by the nonprofit Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST). By training frontline hospitality staff to be able to identify signs of human trafficking and providing them with clear protocols on how to report suspected cases, it can ensure a rapid and appropriate response, especially when a minor is involved.

Anyone under the age of 18 engaging in a commercial sex act is considered a victim of human trafficking under the law, without exception. Observing guest behaviors and reporting anything suspicious to hotel management can raise awareness and prompt prompt and appropriate action to investigate suspected cases of child sex trafficking.

When employees are trained to report potential child sex trafficking to managers, hotels should have a plan in place for how managers report incidents to local law enforcement. Not only is this important for finding missing and exploited children, but it is essential that hoteliers respond appropriately to protect their liability if a child is abused on their property.

By recognizing the warning signs of child sex trafficking in hotels and taking steps to safely report human trafficking, the hospitality industry can help make a big impact on protecting vulnerable children and to recover more victims of human trafficking. | Katie Amodei

Katie Amodei is the communications director for the nonprofit Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST). Their goal is to help employers learn what they can do to make a difference in preventing human trafficking through awareness, consultation, training and providing employment opportunities. employment for survivors.