Recognizing and reporting human trafficking have steadily improved since the adoption of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). However, male victims remain among the most underserved and under-reported populations within human trafficking service provision. A 2016 study found that “more than a third of young people involved in the U.S. sex trade were boys and young men.” Given the lack of gender-responsive services dedicated to male victims, it is often difficult for those who may be at risk of human trafficking to seek and accept available services. Additionally, the societal expectations put on males to serve as the “provider” for their families often create a misleading presumption that males must endure any trauma they experience to fulfill their duties “as a man.” Based on how culture dictates gender roles for males, males may instead be viewed as perpetrators more frequently than as potential victims. This increased stigma may often lead to feelings of shame or fear of not being believed, leading to a vicious cycle of victimization.

What does this mean for law enforcement? Law enforcement plays a critical role in identifying, investigating, and assisting male survivors of human trafficking, directly contributing to helping a male survivor exit his victimization. Understanding how to better identify and assist male victims can drastically influence how community members respond to signs that a male may be at risk of human trafficking. Identification may further improve the identification of other vulnerable, underreported populations who remain at risk of victimization. The two most common forms of human trafficking that male victims encounter are sex trafficking and labor trafficking. For sex trafficking, males may be groomed on social media (inclusive of various video game platforms), at school, or within their homes by people whom they identify as family (not necessarily a blood relative), among other avenues. For labor trafficking, male victims may be groomed at restaurants, gas stations, hotels, traveling sales crews (door-to-door salesman), or while working at public events such as sporting events, carnivals, concerts, zoos, or conventions. The American Psychological Association points out that “poverty, sexual abuse, violence or living in a home where substance abuse takes place” can serve as indicators that a male may be at risk of enduring complex trauma. Many of the signs that indicate victimization are present, yet males continue to be overlooked as victims.