Each year the US Department of State releases a   Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. The TIP is a resource for governmental anti-human trafficking efforts worldwide as well as a way to engage foreign governments on this issue. The TIP looks at the global nature and scope of human trafficking along with actions to combat it. Each country included in the TIP is placed into one of three tiers. Countries’ placements are based on the extent of their governments’ compliance with Section 108 of the Trafficking Victims Prevention Act (TVPA), which puts forth “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.” Countries with a Tier 1 ranking are not free from the problem of human trafficking, but have acknowledged its existence, attempted to confront it, and comply with the standards set by the TVPA.

2011 TIP: Introductory material, countries A-C, D-I, J-M, N-S, T-Z/Special Cases, Relevant International Conventions and Closing Material.
2010 TIP
2009 TIP

View older reports here.

The Protected Innocence Initiative is a study done by Shared Hope International in partnership with the American Center for Law & Justice. It is based on the Protected Innocence Legislative framework, which states the basic policy principles that are necessary in order to create a safer environment for children. In the study, Shared Hope analyzed each state’s existing legislation and awarded each a grade based on these laws. Grades are derived from analyses of the following: criminalization of domestic minor sex trafficking, criminal provisions addressing demand, criminal provisions for traffickers, criminal provisions for facilitators, protective provisions for child victims, and criminal justice tools for investigation and prosecution. The grades do not reflect the implementation of these laws; the results are based solely on the existence of particular legislation.  Texas received a B, one of the highest grades in the country.

Read the full report.
View the Texas report card, Analysis and Recommendations, or state facts.

Read the report: The Texas Response to Human Trafficking

Shared Hope International began addressing the issue of sex trafficking through The DEMAND Project. Through this, they investigated buyers, facilitators, and traffickers in Jamaica, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States. What they discovered was that sex trafficking is an industry driven by demand and the product most commonly for sale is local (domestic) children. Shared Hope International received a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, allowing them to do field research on the sexual exploitation of children in the United States. Their findings are provided in The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, defining and describing the issue and the effects on and challenges faced by victims.

Read the report: The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking

Read the report: The Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force Report

Fox 26 recently had the opportunity to interview a young woman who was trafficked from Mexico to Houston as a child. Maria was promised love and the fulfillment of dreams by her “boyfriend” who smuggled her into Houston and put her to work as a sex slave at apartment complexes and cantinas. Eventually Maria was able to reach family who contacted law enforcement and the young girl was rescued. Maria is now 19, has a job, and dreams of success and being reunited with her family. Read the full story here.

In light of the reality of Houston’s rampant sex trade, one local paper has a problem with the content of another. In January of 2012 Omar Afra, the publisher of Free Press Houston, highlighted the issue of human trafficking in Houston. One writer published an article suggesting that the Houston Press plays a perpetuating role in the problem. The reason for the accusation is the ads that can be found in the back of the Houston Press featuring massage parlors and other sexually-oriented businesses – businesses that are notorious for exploitation. Afra says that the article is about responsibility, not competition. Read the full story here.

Although the facts about human trafficking are disturbing, there is some hope. There are many organizations in the greater Houston area that are working to raise awareness about and combat this crime. Watch this video to see how some students in Houston are taking on the issue.

Students Help Expose Human Trafficking: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Human Trafficking is not a problem that can be stopped by one individual or organization. For this reason, a number of law enforcement groups, service providers and NGOs formed a task force in 2004 called the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance to take on the issue of human trafficking. Investigations often begin when the task force, located at the Houston office of the FBI, receives a phone call. The task force needs the help of the public, understanding and watching out for red flags, to identify victims.  Read the full story here.