Human Trafficking in Hawaiʻi

Human trafficking, specifically sex trafficking, is a widespread issue across all Hawaiian islands. Between 2019 and 2021, surveys of social service clients across five islands identified that 26.7% of respondents had experienced sex trafficking, with 23.7% of victims trafficked before the age of 18 (Roe-Sepowitz & Jabola-Carolus, 2022).

Further, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 39 unique trafficking incidents in Hawaiʻi in 2020, with sex trafficking accounting for 69% of cases (Hawaiʻi State Report, 2020).

Native Hawaiian Disproportionate Impact

Native Hawaiians are disproportionately represented among trafficking victims. In various studies, 64% to 77.3% of sex trafficking victims identified as Native Hawaiian, signaling systemic vulnerabilities among this population (Roe-Sepowitz & Jabola-Carolus, 2020; MMNHWG Task Force, 2022).

Studies have noted that victims often encounter trafficking in common locations like hotels, private residences, and online, with recruitment facilitated by traffickers through social media and dating websites (Hawaiʻi State Report, 2020).

A. Nature of Human Trafficking in Hawaiʻi

The trafficking dynamics in Hawaiʻi involve a complex blend of factors:

• Online Sex Market
  The demand for online sex services in Hawaiʻi is notably high, with one study finding that one in eleven men over age 18 in the state is an online sex buyer (Roe-Sepowitz & Jabola-Carolus, 2018). This demand fuels sex trafficking, with traffickers exploiting both local residents and transient populations, including tourists and military personnel.

• Youth Vulnerability
  Child sex trafficking is a significant concern, often beginning as early as age 4, with an average age of 11 for initial victimization (Roe-Sepowitz & Jabola-Carolus, 2020). Many traffickers are family members or intimate partners who use drugs, shelter, or emotional manipulation to coerce victims into trafficking.

• Labor and Sex Trafficking Overlap
  Victims often experience both sex and labor trafficking, with many trafficked for drugs, money, or shelter (Hawaiʻi State Report, 2020). Traffickers frequently target economically vulnerable individuals, exploiting systemic inequities tied to land dispossession, poverty, and intergenerational trauma (MMNHWG Task Force, 2022).

B. Challenges Facing Hawaiʻi in Addressing Human Trafficking

Hawaiʻi's efforts to combat human trafficking face several systemic challenges:

• Geographic Isolation
  The state's isolation complicates efforts to escape trafficking and access mainland resources. This challenge is compounded on outer islands, where victims often face limited mobility and isolation, making it harder to seek help (Gleason, 2013).

• Limited Law Enforcement and Prosecution
  While Hawaiʻi has laws addressing trafficking, there have been no successful prosecutions of traffickers under these laws, partly due to a lack of specialized law enforcement units and effective training for officers (Roe-Sepowitz & Jabola-Carolus, 2022).

• Cultural Barriers
  Cultural stigma around victimization and the acceptance of runaway youth hinder disclosure and help-seeking among victims. Many victims also face reluctance to engage with support systems due to a lack of culturally sensitive services and fear of retribution from traffickers (Roe-Sepowitz & Jabola-Carolus, 2020).

• Inadequate Data and Services
  Comprehensive data collection on trafficking in Hawaiʻi is still evolving, resulting in gaps in knowledge and response (Hawaiʻi State Report, 2020). Existing services are limited and concentrated on Oʻahu, leaving outer islands with fewer resources for detection, intervention, and treatment (Gleason, 2013).

References

• Cristobal, N. (2022). Holoi ā Nalo Wāhine ‘Ōiwi: Missing and Murdered Native Hawaiian Women and Girls Task Force Report (Part 1). Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Hawai‘i State Commission on the Status of Women.

• Gleason, K. D. (2013). Understanding Human Trafficking in the Hawaiian Islands. Scholars Strategy Network.

• Roe-Sepowitz, D., & Jabola-Carolus, K. (2018). Sex Trafficking in Hawaiʻi: Part 1: Exploring Online Sex Buyers.Arizona State University, Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research.

• Roe-Sepowitz, D., & Jabola-Carolus, K. (2020). Hawaiʻi Island Sex Trafficking Experiences. Arizona State University, Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research.

• Roe-Sepowitz, D., & Jabola-Carolus, K. (2022). Sex Trafficking Experiences of Help-Seeking Individuals in Hawaiʻi. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment.

• Hawaiʻi State Report (2020). Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.