January is National Human Trafficking Prevention month and in an effort to help victims nationwide, we’re reminding everyone in the hospitality industry of the key role they can have in saving lives. Human trafficking is a crime involving the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person to perform labor, services, or commercial sex. According to polarisproject.org, since 2007, 1,434 cases of human trafficking in hotels and motels have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) and Polaris’s BeFree texting helpline. One common misconception is that human trafficking is limited to young women, but human traffickers don’t discriminate. Anyone can be a victim. It affects all populations ranging from adults to children, men to women, and all economic classes.
As many hoteliers know, hotels and motels are a prime location for both sex and labor trafficking business operations. As a result, it’s crucial that the hospitality industry steps up with practices and procedures for identifying victims of human trafficking and tips for preventing the use of their hotel being used as a sex trafficking location. Here are just a few ways your hotel can help make a difference in putting an end to human trafficking:
1. Be Well Informed and Learn the Signs of Human Trafficking
As a general manager or hotel owner, it’s your responsibility to be well informed on this subject matter. As trafficking increases, there are new tactics that traffickers may use to stay under the radar. Knowledge is power, and learning traffickers common means and methods can help managers and owners be more aware in equipping their staff for identifying these situations. Setting up web alerts to receive current human trafficking news is always a good recommendation. In addition, checking out CNN’s Freedom Project for updated stories on the different forms of human trafficking around the world can help each hotel be more knowledgeable.
Beyond staying well informed, hotel staff and management will want to pay attention to various factors and indicators. Signs to look for include the victim appearing malnourished, having poor hygiene, sleep depravation or fatigue, showing signs of physical injuries and abuse, seeming to adhere to scripted or rehearsed responses in social interactions, dressing inappropriately for age or weather, seen with many older men, and avoiding eye contact.
In addition to the signs mentioned above, there are also red flags to look for regarding the behaviors of the exploiter. These signs include checking in for one or few hours instead of staying overnight, paying with cash or a preloaded credit card, always leaving the do not disturb sign on their door, requesting rooms that are isolated or close to an exit, never leaving the victim or victims alone or out of their sight, and refusing cleaning service for a several days in a row.
While this is not a comprehensive list, these are the main indicators that seem to be present most often. Being well informed and aware of these signs can help be the difference in reporting suspicious activity that may ultimately save a victim’s life.
2. Implement Regular Training Sessions with Staff
While there are many human trafficking indicators to look for that are standard, it is important for hotel management to implement regular training sessions with hotel staff in order to help them recognize a victim. While staff turnover is inevitable, the more trained your staff is, the better equipped and empowered they will feel to inform their manager of any situations that seem suspicious.
In addition to going over the common indicators listed above, hotel management should train hotel staff on what to do if these situations occur while they are working. Recognizing a potential dangerous situation coupled with inaction will not help the victim in any way. For this reason, it’s vitally important hotel staff is aware of both the indicators of human trafficking and also the steps that should be taken if faced with this crisis. Every hotel personnel should learn that they should never confront the victim or the trafficker directly. Instead, the established response plan should be for your staff to report their suspicions to hotel management and security, report it to the local law, or call or text the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline. If hotel management is unavailable, staff members should feel confident enough to report any suspicions to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline. The best way to make your staff feel comfortable and confident enough to react is to talk openly about these steps through regular training, reinforcing these policies and procedures.
3. Post Signage with the Human Trafficking Hotline Information
Another way your hotel can help fight against human trafficking is by posting human trafficking signage. This small step can make a big difference in encouraging victims to speak up and ask for help. In addition, posting signage around your hotel can help inform and educate the public on indications of trafficking, helping encourage guests to feel confident to report any suspicious activity to hotel staff. Finally, posting human trafficking signage also helps further reinforce that your hotel is committed to putting an end to human trafficking and reminds your staff to remain vigilant on this issue.
Some states and cities have special mandates and requirements regarding the overall size of the human trafficking sign, the font size, and in what locations the sign must be posted within a hotel. Many require that these signs are posted in a conspicuous area near the front entrance of a hotel and also in the restrooms within the lobby area or restaurant/bar. However, each state is different, so be sure to research your local codes to make sure your hotel is adhering to the correct rules. Need help? HOTELSIGNS.com knows each states’ code requirements and can help you easily identify the signage you need.
Help join HOTELSIGNS.com in the fight against Human Trafficking. Together, we hope to help make a difference and put an end to sex trafficking once and for all.