UNDERSTANDING VULNERABILITY
Families facing displacement, financial hardship, natural disasters, and other crises can experience sudden disruptions to their safety and stability. When housing, income, and support systems are lost, the consequences can extend far beyond the immediate emergency.
These circumstances can also increase vulnerability to exploitation, including human trafficking. Understanding how crises affect individuals and families is essential to prevention, effective humanitarian response, and lasting family recovery.
Estimates vary across sources. The figures below reflect widely cited global and national data from recognized humanitarian and law enforcement organizations.
ABUSE
In the United States, a child is sexually abused every 9 minutes, based on substantiated reports to Child Protective Services.
TRAFFICKING
According to cumulative data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, since its inception in 2007 the hotline has identified over 112,000 cases involving more than 218,000 victims in the United States.
Source: Polaris Project / National Human Trafficking Hotline
SLAVERY
On any given day, an estimated 49.6 million people are living in modern slavery globally.
Source: International Labour Organization and Walk Free, Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, 2022
POVERTY
Based on findings from the ILO’s 2024 report Profits and Poverty, forced labor alone generates an estimated $236 billion in illegal profits annually.
DISPLACEMENT
Natural disasters triggered approximately 29.9 million internal displacements worldwide in 2025, disrupting homes, livelihoods, and community stability.
Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2026 Global Report on Internal Displacement.
VIOLENCE
An average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States, totaling more than 12 million women and men over the course of a single year.
DEPENDENCY
In 2024, approximately 1 in 4 Americans aged 12 or older reported illicit drug use in the past year, totaling 73.6 million people.
WHO IS MOST VULNERABLE?
Vulnerability often increases when individuals and families lose access to safety, stability, and essential support. Children without stable homes, people living in poverty, survivors of domestic violence, and those experiencing displacement or family instability may face heightened risks of exploitation, including human trafficking.
Natural disasters can intensify these vulnerabilities, leaving families without secure housing, reliable income, or access to basic necessities. In the aftermath, displacement and disrupted support networks can expose individuals to additional risks while making recovery more difficult.
People experiencing substance dependency, immigrants and refugees navigating unfamiliar systems, and survivors rebuilding their lives may also face barriers to safety and independence. Recognizing these overlapping challenges is essential to protecting vulnerable populations and supporting meaningful family recovery.
By addressing both immediate hardships and the conditions that increase vulnerability, Freedom Promise Foundation seeks to help individuals and families regain stability and build a more secure future.
AWARENESS IS THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE
Awareness is essential to protecting vulnerable individuals and strengthening families. Recognizing the warning signs of trafficking and exploitation, understanding the risks that arise during disasters, and knowing where to find support can help communities respond before hardship becomes a greater crisis. Through education, preparedness, and community engagement, we can help prevent exploitation, support family recovery, and create safer environments for those facing adversity.