The federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 identifies two primary forms of trafficking:
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Sex Trafficking: This involves the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. It can apply to both adults and minors, with minors being considered victims of sex trafficking regardless of the presence of force, fraud, or coercion.
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Labor Trafficking: This encompasses the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Like sex trafficking, labor trafficking can involve various exploitative practices including debt bondage, involuntary servitude, and slavery-like conditions.
The TVPA aims to address both forms of trafficking by providing protection for victims, increasing penalties for traffickers, and enhancing law enforcement efforts to combat human trafficking.