New Georgia Human Trafficking Poster Addresses Child Victims

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has issued a new version of the Georgia Human Trafficking Notice in response to laws passed during the 2017 legislative session. This notice, which is a mandatory posting for establishments such as bars, adult entertainment establishments and acute care centers, informs patrons that all victims of slavery and human trafficking have rights, and are protected by international, federal, and state law. The notice also provides information on resources which are available for individuals who are victims of sex or labor trafficking, or who believe that someone they know is a victim.

Since 2013, this required notice has provided the telephone number for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s 24-hour hotline, which provides help, referral to services, training, and general information to victims of human trafficking and those who wish to help them.  In 2016 alone, the hotline received 692 substantive phone calls from the state of Georgia, reporting a total of 257 unique cases of potential human trafficking.

The major change to the Georgia Human Trafficking Notice is the addition of contact information for the Statewide Georgia Hotline for Domestic Minor Trafficking. This 24-hour hotline is run by Georgia Cares, a non-governmental non-profit dedicated to providing services for child sex trafficking victims. Georgia Cares provides information, emergency response services, and referrals for victim assistance to minors under the age of 18 who are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents, and who have been sold or exploited for the purposes of sex.

Domestic minor trafficking has proven a particularly difficult problem to address, as its victims are often homeless, from troubled homes, or otherwise particularly vulnerable to slipping through the cracks. Additionally, victims of domestic minor trafficking often don’t consider themselves victims, as they may have been groomed or otherwise manipulated, or because they view trading sex for money, food, or shelter to be simply a rational choice for survival. Victims may be boys, girls, or transgender youth. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the average age of entry into the commercial sex industry in the U.S. is 12-14 years old.

During the 2017 legislative session, Georgia lawmakers passed House Bill 194, which amended the state’s existing laws governing punishment for sex offenders who knowingly solicit sexual conduct from a victim of human trafficking. The law also required contact information for the Georgia Hotline for Domestic Minor Trafficking to be added to the preexisting Georgia Human Trafficking Notice, in order to raise public awareness and provide access to specialized help services for victims of child sex trafficking.

The General Assembly also passed Senate Bill 104, which adds government buildings to the list of establishments which are required to post the Georgia Human Trafficking Notice. A reference to Senate Bill 104 and a citation of the code section which requires posting this notice, has been added to the top of the poster under the heading Required Posted Notice. The seals for the State of Georgia and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation have also been added to the top of the poster.

To remain in compliance with current Georgia law, all covered businesses and establishments are required to post the revised Georgia Human Trafficking Notice in each public restroom and in a conspicuous place which is near the public entrance or otherwise in clear view of the public and employees. To see a full list of businesses and establishments which are required to post this notice, or to order the revised version of this notice as a dual-Poly Vinyl poster, visit the product page for the Georgia Human Trafficking Poster.