Abstract
The majority of human trafficking victims are obtained by someone they know, and frequently that person is an intimate partner. While education on human trafficking spreads, what remains is a very thin line between domestic violence and human trafficking, leaving victims, law enforcement, and legal professionals in the dark about how to identify the difference. With a massive overlap in how traffickers and abusers operate and the tools they use to maintain control over their victims, it is not surprising that many trafficking victims are unaware that they are being trafficked. Attorneys, regardless of what field of law they practice in, have an obligation to identify human trafficking when the signs present so that their clients can access legal remedies and obtain services available for victims. This Essay explains why it can be difficult to identify human trafficking when a victim is presenting as a victim of domestic violence, provides information on how attorneys can differentiate between the two, and explains why attorneys should inquire about human trafficking when their client presents with signs of domestic violence.
Recommended Citation
Jessica Visage,
A Labor of Love: The Intersection of Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking and Why Attorneys Have a Duty to Understand the Difference,
49
S. Ill. U. L.J.
541
(2025).
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/siulj/vol49/iss3/11