Victims from the Americas

This data story presents key characteristics from the Global Victim Dataset of approximately 7,500 victims with the Americas as their region of origin. Most data is shown at the regional level, and there are some key statistics for the ten countries within the region where the largest amount of data is present. The subset mainly comprises data from Polaris' counter trafficking activities, and therefore some data is largely reflective of Polaris' hotline assistance activities in the region. Regions and sub-regions are defined according to the official UN classification.

Global dataset analysis

Regional analysis

Trafficking locations

TYPE OF EXPLOITATION ALL VICTIMS

GENDER OF VICTIMS

Over two thirds of victims from the Americas are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, while almost a third are victims of trafficking for labour exploitation.

Among identified cases of victims exploited the Americas as their region of origin, females represent just over 80% of the caseload.

Adults and children

Region of exploitation of victims

Around two thirds of victims exploited in the Americas are adults, and just over 30% are children.

Almost all victims with the Americas as their region of origin are also exploited in the Americas, representing the intra-regional nature of trafficking.

GENDER AND AGE OF VICTIMS

There is consistently a higher proportion of females across all age categories of victims from the Americas.

MEANS OF CONTROL USED ON ADULTS

MEANS OF CONTROL USED ON CHILDREN

Traffickers use many means of controlling their victims, and each victim can be subject to several means of control during the course of their trafficking experience.

Adult and child victims from the Americas are both controlled most through psychological abuse, but children are also controlled more through physical and sexual abuse.

MARITAL STATUS

EDUCATION LEVEL

Almost four fifths of identified victims from the Americas are single.

Over a third of victims from the Americas have completed just primary or elementary school education, while approximately a quarter have completed high or middle school.

SECTOR OF WORK FOR VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING FOR LABOUR EXPLOITATION

RECRUITER RELATIONSHIP

The most common sector of work for victims of trafficking for labour exploitation in the Americas is domestic work, representing just over 30% of victims. A high proportion are also trafficked into agriculture.

A high proportion of victims from the Americas were recruited by someone they knew, with the largest proportion being recruited by an intimate partner.

SUB-REGION OF ORIGIN OF VICTIMS

Within available data, the majority of victims are from Northern America. 16% are from Central America, and 14% from South America. Some victims have dual nationality.

DURATION OF TRAFFICKING

The highest proportion of victims from the Americas were trafficked for two years, and on average victims from the region are trafficked for a longer duration when compared to the Global Victim Dataset at large.