The problem of human trafficking has played out in Hawaiʻi's hotels and out in the agriculture fields. The exploitation of sex workers, farm workers and domestic help is a global problem and violates the most basic of human rights.
The group Imua Alliance was founded in 2010 to help rescue and care for human trafficking survivors statewide.
The Conversation sat down with Executive Director Kris Coffield as we mark National Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Coffield said human trafficking is very prevalent in Hawaiʻi, even if people don't see it often. It's estimated that there are 1,500 to 2,500 victims every year in Hawaiʻi.
He said there are 125 to 150 high-risk sex trafficking establishments, places with three or more documented cases of prostitution within a 30-day period.
"What we see in Hawaiʻi is that there are so many vulnerabilities for traffickers to play upon. We see extreme poverty, there's a high cost of living, that can be something that sex traffickers can use to provide access to victims by offering them gifts or economic possibilities that they could never have dreamed of," he told HPR.
Coffield said Hawaiʻi has improved over the last decade at addressing children, but there is still a long way to go when it comes to adults.
He also shared some legislative bills he hopes lawmakers will consider in the 2024 session.
If you are a victim of or suspect any sex trafficking activity, call 911 immediately.
To report child trafficking, call the Hawaiʻi Department of Human Services Child Trafficking (Child Welfare Services) Hotline at (808) 832-1999 on O‘ahu or 1-888-398-1188 from the neighbor islands.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 888-373-7888
This story aired on The Conversation on Jan. 17, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
