Executive Summary
- January marks Human Trafficking Prevention Month, focusing on the estimated 27 million global victims.
- Advocates identify sudden behavioral changes and unexplained possessions as key warning signs.
- Vulnerabilities such as housing insecurity and unhealed trauma are frequently exploited by traffickers.
- Sacramento’s CASH organization provides low-barrier medical and support services to survivors.
As recognized during Human Trafficking Prevention Month, advocates in Sacramento are intensifying efforts to raise awareness about the estimated 27 million victims of the illicit industry worldwide, emphasizing the critical need for identifying warning signs and accessing local resources.
Raphaella Fontenot, a representative from the Sacramento-based organization Community Against Sexual Harm (CASH), detailed the indicators of exploitation in an interview with KCRA 3. According to Fontenot, significant red flags include rapid behavioral changes, isolation to answer phone calls, and the sudden acquisition of expensive items such as electronics, video game systems, or professional beauty treatments that a minor could not typically afford.
The organization notes that traffickers often target individuals with unmet basic needs, such as housing or food insecurity, as well as those suffering from unhealed complex trauma. Fontenot explained that perpetrators exploit these vulnerabilities by offering false support or compliments to build trust before victimization occurs. “If you look around, we’re all a little vulnerable,” Fontenot stated, emphasizing that the crime does not discriminate based on age or background.
To address these issues, CASH operates a drop-in center in Oak Park, open Monday through Friday. The facility offers low-barrier access to food, a clothing closet, and a medical clinic for female-identifying individuals who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation. Fontenot highlighted that the medical services are available regardless of an individual’s possession of identification or medical insurance coverage.
Community Support Infrastructure
The designation of January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month serves as a focal point for assessing the efficacy of local support networks against a global criminal enterprise. The focus by organizations like CASH on “low barrier” entry—specifically regarding medical care and basic needs—highlights a strategic shift in victim services. By addressing the immediate socioeconomic vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit, such as homelessness and lack of healthcare, community-based interventions aim to disrupt the cycle of exploitation by stabilizing potential targets before law enforcement interdiction becomes necessary.
