What is Human Trafficking? A No-Hype, Honest Definition

Andy Olsen • Jun 11, 2014

No two victims of sex trafficking have the same story. But many stories sound a lot like Sarah’s: a big dream and a wrong turn.

A nursing student in Africa with six siblings, Sarah wanted to continue her nurse’s training in Europe. Her stepfather told her about a recruiter who would connect her with work at shops in Europe — exactly where, it’s unclear — to help her pay for her studies.

The door for her dream opportunity was swinging wide open, or so she thought. Then she found herself locked in a house with ten other girls, the start of a terrifying journey to a brothel in Austria by way of Libya. Her stepfather, it turned out, had been paid to hand her over to a sex trafficker.

The heartbreak of stories like Sarah’s angers us (or it should) and compels us to do something. The challenge is sifting through the hype and figuring out what exactly can be done for the estimated 30 million people who are trapped in modern-day slavery of some kind. And the solution, unfortunately, is far more complex then many of us realize.

Any attempt to sum up the problem of human trafficking in just a few paragraphs is bound to oversimplify, this one included. With that disclaimer, here’s a brief back-to-basics review of what exactly trafficking in persons is and how we can combat it.

What is human trafficking?

Trafficking in persons, or “human trafficking,” is a broad term. The international community mostly understands it to mean recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for labor or commercial sex acts through force, fraud or coercion.

When deciding if an activity rises to the level of trafficking, authorities examine three areas: action, means, and purpose. In other words, they ask, “What did these suspected bad guys do?” Did they recruit, harbor, sell, or “traffic” in human beings in some other way? Then they ask, “How did they do it?” Was it deceptive, forceful, fraudulent? Finally, they ask, “Why did they do it?” Was it for sexual commerce or other labor?

In the United States, if the trafficked person is a minor, then authorities don’t even look into the “how” of the suspected crime, according to Dr. Sandie Morgan , director of Vanguard University’s Global Center for Women and Justice. When someone trades in children for labor or sex services, even if it’s not fraudulent or forceful, it’s automatically considered human trafficking.

Good definition. But isn’t that kind of obvious?

“Human trafficking” might seem self-explanatory. But the definition is important because it means that many nefarious activities are not technically trafficking and may not even be against the law. In countries where prostitution is legal, for example, an immigrant working on the streets may not necessarily have been trafficked. For Christians or any nonprofit seeking grants or donor funding, it’s essential to be accurate about what trafficking is and isn’t.

What is labor trafficking?

Sex trafficking is a great evil and understandably gets a lot of press. But globally, victims of labor trafficking — exploiting people for less sensational work like picking cotton — may actually outnumber victims of sex trafficking, by some estimates as much as three-to-one.

In the United States, however, 80 percent of prosecuted trafficking cases are for sex trafficking, according to Morgan, who recently spoke to a group of journalists and TEAM staff at a trafficking seminar in Los Angeles. That doesn’t necessarily reflect a larger presence of sex traffickers in the States but could reflect a lack of attention to other types of labor trafficking. “We find what we are looking for,” she said.

What can we do?

Human trafficking is combated in three main ways: prosecution, protection, and prevention. While the image of rogue missionaries kicking in doors or going undercover in the slums of Bangkok may be inspiring, the reality is that this “3P” strategy is increasingly being pursued through partnerships with governments and other nonprofits. Solving big-time problems involves big-time cooperation.

1. Prosecution

Prosecuting the bad guys that perpetuate human trafficking is probably the most satisfying strategy because it feels good to lock up the criminals. It is also by far the most expensive approach in terms of “cost per victory.” Prosecution is most effectively done by trained legal and criminal justice professionals, within the local judicial systems of wherever bad guys are caught.

2. Protection

Protection is probably what most North Americans imagine when they think of combating trafficking. It encompasses rescuing victims, rehabilitating them, and reintegrating them into society. This is where TEAM’s ministries are involved, whether in Italy or Austria. It is also an area where many Christian missions organizations are uniquely suited to serve, particularly the “rehabilitation” and “reintegration” parts, because of their highly relational nature — though make no mistake, journeying with someone through the healing process is long, hard, and skillful work. The role of “rescue” gets tricky and more technical and, as with prosecution, should really be left to trained criminal justice professionals.

3. Prevention

At its core, however, human trafficking is an economic problem. Global consumers, including you and me, demand the cheap goods that trafficked labor produces. Experts agree that the best way to fight trafficking is to reduce the demand for illicit labor. This is all part of the prevention strategy. Prevention includes public awareness campaigns and efforts to reform laws to make trafficking more difficult , one of many areas where groups like International Justice Mission have recently upped their focus.

But prevention also includes being aware of goods we buy and who had a hand in making them. Most people know about the seedy side of the textile industry and the diamond trade. But did you know about the forced labor involved in the electronics, sugar and peanut industries ? Perhaps the biggest impact any of us can have on stopping labor trafficking is educating ourselves about who makes the goods we buy and how they’re made. When labor crimes are involved, we can refuse to purchase those products and let companies know that customers care about integrity in their supply chains.

We live in an exciting era of unprecedented awareness of the horrors of modern-day slavery and a God-honoring desire to end it. The church has a vital role to play in that fight. When we invest in really understanding the problem, we get closer to finding our part in the solution.

Learn the facts about human trafficking. Want to help? Find opportunities to serve with TEAM in social justice ministries.


By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
Through God-ordained partnerships and creative connections, TEAM worker Keith Moore sees the global Church advancing in amazing ways. In the global missions landscape, a phrase that comes up often is “from everywhere, to everywhere.” God is calling His global Church in literal new directions, as He raises up cross-cultural workers to be sent from places that were once on the receiving end of missions work. We call this movement “polycentric sending.” TEAM workers Dawn and Keith Moore have seen first-hand this transition taking place. Their story involves the unlikely but beautiful intersection of Charlotte, North Carolina; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Memphis, Tennessee...and beyond. The Path to Honduras Keith and Dawn joined TEAM in 1991 and served as church planters for nine years in Bogota, Colombia. After safety concerns precipitated their return to the States in 1999, they knew they wanted to continue serving in Latin America. The Moores felt called to Honduras but wanted to connect with a strong missional church to help send them. The Lord orchestrated a collaboration with Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. “Some people asked, ‘Why Honduras? Missionaries have been there for 100 years. It’s already reached,’” Keith says. “But there’s a whole section of Latin America that had not been reached - the upper crust.” Keith goes on to explain that he and Dawn felt called to reach college-educated professionals in Honduras – a ministry vision that resonated with the missional goals of Bellevue Baptist. Impact and Growth With the support of this new church partnership as well as another sending church in Birmingham, Alabama, the Moores embarked on their next adventure. Keith and Dawn started Impacto Honduras Church from scratch, and in less than 20 years, the church grew into four locations with 1600 total members. The Moores and other TEAM workers also created a “Bible school” type training program to help professionals who feel a call to ministry to make that transition. Throughout this period of explosive growth, church partnerships played an integral role. “It’s such a different vision when you have a church that says, ‘OK, this is our deal, we want to make this happen,’” Keith explains. “They helped us with everything. They took away every single obstacle to growth. Every time we needed something, they were there.” In 2017, the Moores once again found themselves on the verge of another decision. Was it time to leave Honduras? “I had no desire to leave,” Keith recalls. “People were coming to Christ every week! It was just so amazing.” However, back in the U.S., Keith and Dawn’s parents were in their 80s and would soon be in need of more care. “We realized that either we would leave in a crisis, or we would leave strategically,” says Keith. The couple began to implement a careful succession plan. By the time they left, the four churches were established with strong, Honduran leadership ready to carry on the work of the Gospel.
By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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