Victims are locked in basements or cages" – The Hidden Reality of Control in Human Trafficking

When people imagine human trafficking, they often picture victims locked away in basements or cages, unable to move. While this happens in some cases, many victims move freely in public every day—yet remain trapped under their trafficker’s control.

Freedom in Appearance, Captivity in Reality

Traffickers often use psychological coercion, threats to loved ones, manipulation, and debt bondage to control victims who live and work among us. They may attend school, go to work, or shop in public, yet every decision is monitored, and every move is under threat.

According to experts, this invisible form of control can be harder to detect than physical captivity. Victims may even defend their traffickers out of fear of retaliation or because of emotional manipulation. Read more in: Labor Trafficking Is Hiding in Plain Sight 

The Role of Awareness

Recognizing human trafficking means understanding it’s not always about locked doors—it’s about power, control, and exploitation. Learn more in:  Understanding Human Trafficking: An Introduction to Five Key Components of Exploitation

How Made for Freedom Helps

At Made for Freedom – https://madeforfreedom.com – we provide dignified employment to survivors and those at risk. Our story began with meeting women who had been trafficked but were working in plain sight. Through partnerships, we’ve provided 35,000+ hours of work, skills training, and a safe path to independence.
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Every purchase—whether it’s a bracelet that tells a story –  or a shirt that makes a statement — directly supports survivor empowerment and trafficking prevention.

How You Can Take Action

• Discover the realities of human trafficking in the 21st century. 

• Support survivor-made products through our ethical collections 

• Share awareness blogs like Labor Trafficking Is Hiding in Plain Sight 

Human trafficking doesn’t always look like a locked door—it can look like the person sitting next to you on the bus, serving your food, or working in a local store. With awareness and action, we can break the chains of invisible captivity.

Join us in changing the narrative:
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