Types of Modern Slavery / Indicators
Modern slavery manifests in various forms, each presenting unique challenges and vulnerabilities for victims. Below, we outline some of the frequently reported forms of human trafficking and modern slavery.
The following list is general indicators of modern slavery:
General indicators
- Signs of being controlled and dependent
- Fearful of police/authorities
- Fearful of the traffickers and fearful for the lives of family members
- Signs of trauma including psychological or physical
- Limited access to medical and dental care
- Fearful of telling others about their situation
- High occupancy/sparsely furnished living accommodation
- Limited freedom of movement
- Lack of local/geographical knowledge
- May not be aware they are a victim of modern slavery
- Not paid or paid very little
- Perception of being in debt to someone
- No passport or someone else is holding their passport/ID documents
- Limited English knowledge
- Malnourishment
Labour exploitation
Labour exploitation is when a person is forced to work or provide a service against their will, often because they are threatened or fear punishment. They may be working as:
- They feel scared and hurt from threats or violence imposed on them
- They owe so much money they can’t ever pay it back
- Their important papers such as their passport might be kept from them
- They might be threatened with getting in trouble with immigration authorities
This can happen in any kind of job, but some jobs are more likely to have this problem.
These include jobs like construction, car washes, nail salons, manufacturing, factory work, hospitality, farming and fishing.
Indicators of labour exploitation
Workers may have noticeably poor personal hygiene.
Do the workers have adequate uniform? Are they without a hair net or steel toe shoes adequate for their role? Lack of proper training?
Do owners seem evasive? As if they are buying time so workers can leave?
Does the worker know the address of where they live? Do they live in private rented and often cramped accommodation?
Does someone seem to be overseeing low-skilled workers? An enforcer may often be overseeing work.
Is there evidence to suggest workers must pay for tools, food or accommodation via deductions from their pay?
Sings of emotional and physical abuse present in workers e.g. being frightened, withdrawn or confused.
Lack of freedom of movement or constant accompaniment.
Individual gives false personal information or cannot produce any personal information.
Someone other than the worker has the worker’s legal and immigration documents.
Groups of workers of similar backgrounds with a leader who seems to have coached them.
No contracts, not adhering to the National Minimum Wage or not being paid at all.
Do individuals get transported to and from work possibly with other people in the same vehicle?
Individual is unable or afraid of accepting payment.
Individuals work longer than usual hours.
Is access to the backrooms of the property restricted or the doors locked? This may be used as accommodation for workers.
Is there a noticeable difference in cleanliness from the front of the property where the public go, and the back for staff areas?
Is there a lack of suitable equipment? e.g. lack of waterproofs at a car wash
Are workers picked up in vans/minibuses at unusual hours of day or night?
Criminal Exploitation
Criminal Exploitation is when a person is made to commit crimes against their will or by being tricked. Forced criminality can happen in different ways, like:
- Involvement in the drug trade, such as growing cannabis, selling or moving drugs
- Begging
- Stealing from people, like pick-pocketing or snatching bags
- Theft from ATMs
- Selling fake goods
There has been an increase in children being trafficked into forced criminal activity. The most common type is ‘County Lines’ where gangs force children to sell drugs and move them around. Children might be tricked with gifts, money, or promises of status, or they might be threatened with violence or blackmail.
indicators of criminal exploitation
Withdrawal to bedroom all day / secrecy / obsession about door being closed.
Withdrawal from normal activities and interests.
Sudden interest in rap or drill music.
Sudden interest in weights.
Increasingly lying / manipulative / argumentative / aggressive / angry.
Leaving home suddenly without explanation.
Obsession with designer labels.
Physically aggressive especially if met with obstacles or plans disrupted.
Rapid / extreme change in appearance – from smart to ‘street’.
Rapid / extreme change in language – from well-spoken and respectful to coarse and offensive language.
Using coached responses such as ‘right to remain silent’ or ‘no comment’.
Total denial of situation as it appears – despite evidence to contrary.
Significant decline in school results / performance / behaviour.
Obsession with postcodes & ‘boundaries’.
Knowledge of areas with no legitimate links.
Presence of unexplained items
Packets of (secreted) white substance.
Traces of white substance (kitchen surface / rolling pin).
Scrunched up cling film & foil.
Paracetamol sheets missing / running out quickly without explanation.
Lighters / cigarettes / debit cards in unknown identities, explained as ‘just found on road’.
Knife / mobile chargers / dongles / cash / mobile data cards (Lycamobile).
Notes with crime-orientated rap lyrics & street slang (‘8 ways in, only 1 way out’).
Notes with sexualised female identities (social media?).
After-shaves / perfumes / trainers / stationery items (gifted / stolen).
Condoms & Vaseline (plugging).
Train tickets.
Balaclava (personal use or holding for others).
Items missing from home.
Old family mobiles and chargers.
Handbag shoulder chains.
Kitchen knives.
Escalation indicators
Absence from school or disappearing during school.
Isolation from peers at school.
Total withdrawal and detachment from family.
Suddenly disinterest in seeing family/cousins – ‘nothing in common’.
Sudden interest in parents’ salary and mortgage payments.
Obsessively and repeatedly demanding (re: mobile, ‘need’ to go out etc.).
Maintains ‘story’ despite lacking total credibility.
Not divulging where going, who with or how travelling.
Excessive receipt of unexplained texts / phone calls at all hours.
Unexplained use of Tor app on mobile.
Unexplained use of Uber app on mobile.
Suspected use of taxis.
Complete change / negative attitude towards Police / school / authority. From lack of eye-contact to bravado / squaring up / rudeness & aggression.
Total lack of empathy towards those lied to or stolen from.
Persistently going missing or being found out-of-area.
Being hugely anti-Police (‘Feds’).
Very defensive/argumentative about Muslims.
Viewing family as enemy & associates as family.
Obliterating identifying information from train (season) ticket.
Deliberately avoiding having train ID card on person.
Using trains without paying fares / not using own Oyster.
Oyster card used by others.
Debit card missing – used by associates for money laundering.
Cutting off name labels from uniform items.
Cutting off age labels.
Suspected misuse of drugs/alcohol, and smoking.
Involvement in crime.
Direct involvement with gang members.
Use of false identities, dates of birth, and addresses,
Inappropriate sexualised behaviour.
Involvement with older individuals / dropping friends from school.
Unexplained injuries & suspicion of physical assaults.
In cars in unexplained areas with unknown people (‘hitch-hiking after party’).
Obsession with winter hats and gloves, even in warmer months (identification and fingerprint evasion).
Wearing two layers of clothing from home – top layer shed to avoid police detection.
Indicators of forced cannabis production
Metal grills on the windows or the windows have been permanently covered from the inside.
Late night and early morning irregular visits to the property.
The property smells like cannabis.
The electricity has been tacked on from nearby properties or straight from the power lines.
The individual is locked in a room.
The individual has little to no English language ability.
The individual has been forced out of their home and the property is used as a base to deal drugs.
Sexual Exploitation
Sexual exploitation is when a person is deceived, coerced or forced to engage in sexual activity. Adults can experience sexual exploitation through various means, such as:
- Rape
- Sexual assault
- Deception or manipulation leading to engaging in sexual acts
- Trafficking into, out of, or within the UK for sexual exploitation purposes, like prostitution
- Coercion into participating in or observing pornography
Children can also be sexually exploited. This occurs when a young individual is prompted or coerced into engaging in sexual activities in return for something.
The incentive could be gifts, cash, alcohol, or just emotional support. It can affect any child or adolescent and may initially appear as a typical friendship or relationship.
This exploitation can occur both online and offline, often without the young person realising it.
Examples of settings where sexual exploitation might occur include:
- Prostitution
- Brothels, including massage or sauna establishments
- Escort agencies
- Pole or lap dancing venues
- Forced marriages
- Webcam stripping
- Phone sex services
- Online chat rooms
- Pornography
- Arranged marriages through mail-order services
- Sex tourism
Indicators of sexual exploitation
Unhealthy or inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Being frightened of some people, places or situations.
Being secretive.
Sharp changes in mood or character.
A sudden change in their family relationships/dynamics.
Having money or things they can’t or won’t explain, such as hotel key cards or unexplained gifts.
Physical signs of abuse, like bruises or bleeding in their genital or anal area.
Sudden change in physical appearance including clothes and hygiene levels.
Alcohol or drug misuse.
Sexually transmitted infections.
A sudden and urgent request to go onto contraception or to obtain the ‘morning after pill’.
Pregnancy.
Domestic servitude
A domestic worker or helper is someone employed to perform various tasks within their employer’s household. This situation turns exploitative when the domestic worker’s mobility is restricted, and they are compelled to work extended hours for inadequate compensation. Additionally, they may endure physical and sexual abuse.
Identifying domestic servitude can be challenging as it occurs in private residences, but it is estimated that 16 million individuals are exploited in the private sector, which encompasses domestic work.
Indicators of domestic servitude
The individual appears to be forced into household tasks such as childcare, cooking and cleaning.
Does the person appear to be working more than normal hours/are they on-call 24hours a day?
Has the person been subject to abuse/threats/violence?
Is the person in possession of their legal documents? Does their employer hold them?
Are the communications the person can have restricted by the employer?
Does the person eat alone? Are they given leftovers?
Is the person allowed out the house? Is it just to take the children to school? Are they always accompanied when they leave the house?
Does the person interact with the family?
If the person is a child, are there concerns around school attendance or time to play?
The individual has no personal possessions.
The individual’s presentation is different to the rest of the family e.g. poorer clothing.
Does the person have makeshift or inappropriate sleeping arrangements?
The individual has no personal living space. No access to food, water or medical care.
Organ harvesting
Organ trafficking entails the extraction of body parts, typically kidneys or liver lobes, for illegal sale. Organs can be acquired through various means:
Trade: Victims agree, formally or informally, to sell an organ but are deceived by not receiving payment or receiving less than promised.
Deception: A vulnerable individual is treated for a condition, real or fabricated, and organs are extracted without their awareness.
Coercion: Victims may be abducted from their families, and organs are removed without consent.
Forced marriage
Forced marriage occurs when individuals experience physical coercion to marry, such as threats, violence, or sexual coercion, or when they face emotional and psychological pressure, such as feeling like they’re dishonouring their family.
If you’re below 18 years old, any marriage is deemed forced, even if there’s no physical or emotional coercion involved.
Indicators of forced marriage
Has the individual consented to the marriage? Consider the individuals capacity to consent.
Is the individual more and more withdrawn and isolated? Do they still see friends and family?
Indicators of physical and or emotional abuse.
The individual is frightened of their partner or family member.
The individual or their family come from a country or culture where forced marriage and the importance of honour are common.
The individual announces an engagement to someone unknown.
The individual is removed from schooling or prevented by family from pursuing higher education or extracurricular activities.
The individual may be absent from or late to school.
The individual appears controlled or monitored by family or community members. Including no access to mobile phone or internet.
The individual’s personality may drastically change e.g. depression, withdrawal, anxiety, suicidal, low self-esteem or appearance.
The individual goes missing, runs away from home or is reluctant to return home.
The individual is anxious about a family holiday.
The individual does not return to the country after a trip to their family’s country of origin.
Childhood/unwanted pregnancy.
The individual may begin self-harming or suicide attempts, particularly common early on in the marriage.
Signs of domestic abuse or criminality in the home.
The individual is controlled financially.
Sources