REPORT: Americans Think Human Trafficking Is a Major Global Problem — But Overlook Urgent Realities

New research from UC Irvine in collaboration with EverFree reveals gaps in public understanding of trafficking

Most Americans recognize human trafficking as a serious global issue. Nearly all respondents (86.2%) in a new national survey strongly agree that trafficking is a problem worldwide. When asked about trafficking in the United States, agreement remains high at 82.4%. But when the focus turns local, confidence drops by more than half — only 36.3% strongly agree that trafficking is a problem in their state.

The findings come from “Americans’ Perceptions of Human Trafficking in the United States,” based on a University of California, Irvine-led study in collaboration with EverFree. The nationally representative sample of 1,027 U.S. adults, conducted in October 2024, was co-developed with survivors of human trafficking to explore public understanding of what trafficking is, the scale of the issue, how it impacts society and victims, and who should manage it.

The study highlights several other misconceptions about human trafficking. One of the most persistent myths is that kidnapping is a common method traffickers use to recruit victims. Among survey participants, targeted kidnapping ranked among the top five tactics they believed traffickers most often use, despite research showing it’s among the least common. Even in child trafficking situations, kidnapping is involved in only an estimated 0.45% of cases. In reality, false job offers, economic coercion, and manipulation by family members or intimate partners are far more prevalent.

In addition, perceptions of vulnerability to trafficking overlook many victims. When asked what factors make someone vulnerable to trafficking, 76.6% of respondents said being a woman increases vulnerability “a great deal.” By contrast, only 2.2% said the same for men. This perception aligns with media portrayals of trafficking but not with actual data. Human trafficking affects people of all genders, though men and boys are less likely to be identified and supported.

“This data reinforces one of the biggest challenges in addressing human trafficking: People assume it happens elsewhere,” said Kelsey Morgan, Co-Founder and CEO of EverFree. “When communities don’t see trafficking as a local issue, or believe trafficking primarily happens through dramatic kidnappings and only to women, they might miss the far more common scenarios unfolding in plain sight around them. They might not push for better policies that protect survivors and those at risk in their communities. That’s why shifting the narrative — by working with survivors and taking a more data-driven approach to the issue — is so important. The more accurately we understand trafficking, the better we can prevent it.”

Additional key findings from the report include:

• Sex trafficking is seen as a major problem, but competes for limited attention and resources: On a scale from 0 to 100, respondents rated the severity of sex trafficking in the U.S. at an average of 61.23. While many see it as a major problem, nearly half assigned it a low score, suggesting significant differences in perceived urgency. Only 19% of respondents ranked solving human trafficking as the most important issue compared to other social, economic, and political concerns.
• Minors are more likely to be seen as victims than adults. Nearly 83% of respondents believe minors who are trafficked are always victims, but only 61% say the same for adults.
• Minors are less likely to be considered criminals than adults. Half of respondents believe trafficked minors are never criminals, compared to just 19% for adults.

For the full results and analysis, download “Americans’ Perceptions of Human Trafficking in the United States.”

About EverFree

Every year millions of women and children around the world live in modern slavery and exploitation, and less than 1% get the help they need to heal and thrive. By empowering survivors and uniting communities through better care, better data, and stronger collaboration, EverFree works hand-in-hand with local leaders, survivors, and our community of donors to restore lives and support the fight to end exploitation. Learn more at everfree.org.

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