Act, Means, Purpose

In our world today, it seems as if there is exploitation everywhere we look. Exploitation of people, resources, power, the list goes on and on. With so many deceitful or underhanded situations going on, it can be hard to know what is actually a human trafficking situation and what is not.

To fit within the legal definition of human trafficking, a situation must fit what is called the "Act, Means, Purpose" model. The Trafficking Survivors Act of 2000 defines human trafficking as "the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery." To understand the act, means, purpose model, lets break this definition down.

"The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person…" represents the "Act" section.

In other words, "act" means performing a specific act that relates to getting someone under the power of a trafficker. Remember, human trafficking does not always mean transporting a person over state lines. It can be something as simple as recruitment.

"…through the use of force, fraud, or coercion…" shows the "Means" section of the model.

"Means" can also be thought of as a "means of maintaining power" over someone once they're in the control of the trafficker.

"…for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery." This final section of the definition shows the "Purpose" part of the model.

There must be a reason for which the person is being recruited, provided, etc. and that reason must be some example of using their body against their will, whether it be for sexual services or other forms of labor.

For a situation to be legally identified as human trafficking, it must fulfill each of these elements.