I’m not proud of this, but I am a suspicious person by nature. Many years ago, my husband and I were at a state park, and a very friendly man who was there with his family stopped to chat with us. Too friendly, I thought. Bet he’s trying to recruit us for Amway. (I had been in Amway briefly myself.) I was actually right, more or less. He had my husband’s full name and later called to ask him if he wanted to go to a meeting about a business opportunity. Whether or not it was Amway is a mystery, because we didn’t go.
So when a teen shows up at my door selling magazines for an organization I’ve never heard of, I think, Scam.
What never occurred to me until recently was that the kid might be a victim of human trafficking.
The best resource to learn more about the problem of slavery on door-to-door sales crews, particularly those selling magazines, can be found in the 2015 report “Knocking at Your Door,” created by a major anti-trafficking organization, Polaris. It’s a 36-page document, but that includes the cover, end notes, and blank pages. It really is a quick read.
Here’s the summary for those who aren’t ready to read the report right now: Many door-to-door magazine sales crews (as well as some other sales crews) recruit disadvantaged youth with false promises of the opportunity to make a lot of money through sales. In reality, the kids earn little money, work long days, and live under difficult conditions. They’re often cut off from contacting their families. They may receive little food and will sleep crowded together in hotel rooms. They are coerced into staying through threats of abandonment (without money or even identification), acts of violence, and debt bondage.
The organization Traffick911 lists some signs that a door-to-door sales person may be a victim of modern-day slavery, including emotional appeals, bruising, malnourishment, inappropriate clothing for the weather, and information indicating they are not being paid or are not free to leave the crew. This organization suggests asking nonthreatening questions such as “How much money have you been able to raise for college so far?” or “Have you been working a lot lately?” If the young person answers evasively, they may be a victim of human trafficking.
At least one news organization suggests a more direct line of questions, such as “Are you being paid?” and “Can you leave if you want to?” You can also ask the youth to show you a city sales permit. Most cities require such a permit, but few of these traveling crews obtain them.
If you suspect human trafficking, you can call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline: (888) 373-7888. You could also provide this number to the crew member at your door. Let them know that they can get help. (Of course, they will have to have privacy and access to a phone to make the call.)
Polaris also suggests changes to federal and state legislation in order to protect door-to-door salespeople, as well as promoting awareness of this form of labor trafficking among law enforcement agencies, hotel employees, and employees of bus companies. You can read the full list of suggestions on pages 23-26 of the Polaris report. Consider taking the time to advocate for these kids by encouraging legislators and businesses to do their part to stop trafficking in door-to-door sales crews.