This data story presents key characteristics from the Global Victim Dataset of almost 18,000 victims exploited in the region of the Americas. Most data is shown at the regional level, and there are some key statistics for the five 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.

TYPE OF EXPLOITATION ALL VICTIMS

GENDER OF VICTIMS

Just over 70% of victims exploited in the Americas are victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation, while around a fifth are victims of trafficking for labour exploitation.
Among identified cases of victims exploited within the region of the Americas, females represent just over 80% of the caseload.

ADULTS AND CHILDREN

REGION OF ORIGIN OF VICTIMS

Notably, almost a third of victims exploited in the Americas are children. This is in contrast to the Global Victim Dataset at large, which has a higher proportion of adults.
Over 80% of identified victims exploited in the Americas have citizenship of a country from the Americas, representing the intra-regional nature of trafficking. Some victims represented have dual citizenship.

GENDER AND AGE OF VICTIMS

There is consistently a higher proportion of females across all age categories of victims exploited in the Americas.
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 victims exploited in the Americas tend to be controlled much more through taking of earnings, restrictions on movement, and threats than children. Children are controlled more through psychological abuse and sexual abuse than adults.

MEANS OF CONTROL USED ON ADULTS

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.

MEANS OF CONTROL USED ON CHILDREN

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

MARITAL STATUS

Almost four fifths of identified victims exploited in the Americas are single.

EDUCATION LEVEL

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

SECTOR OF WORK

RECRUITER RELATIONSHIP

The most common sector of work for victims of trafficking for labour exploitation in the Americas is domestic work, representing just over a quarter of victims. Other sectors victims are commonly trafficked into include agriculture and hospitality.
A high proportion of victims identified in the Americas were recruited by someone they knew, with the largest proportion being recruited by an intimate partner.

SUBREGION OF EXPLOITATION

Within available data, almost half of victims are exploited in Northern America. 5% are exploited in South America, and almost 4% in the Caribbean.

DURATION OF TRAFFICKING

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

GENDER DISTRIBUTION IN COUNTRIES WITH LARGEST DIRECT ASSISTANCE CASELOAD

AGE DISTRIBUTION IN COUNTRIES WITH LARGEST DIRECT ASSISTANCE CASELOAD

EXPLOITATION TYPE DISTRIBUTION IN COUNTRIES WITH LARGEST DIRECT ASSISTANCE CASELOAD