Empowering Survivors and Combating Human Trafficking in Washington State
A coalition dedicated to providing direct services and case management to victims and survivors of human trafficking since 2004.
WARN is celebrating 20 years of providing support and services for survivors of human trafficking!
Please help us fund essential client services including rental assistance, mental health counseling, medical and dental treatment, and much more. Your contribution will directly support human trafficking survivors as they work towards self-sufficiency.
Who We Are
The Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network (WARN) is a dynamic coalition led by the International Rescue Committee in Washington, uniting non-governmental organizations to offer direct support to victims of human trafficking across Washington State. Since our inception in 2004, we’ve been committed to assisting survivors of sex and labor trafficking in achieving their desired lives, free from re-victimization.
Our coalition, including key partners API Chaya and Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), excels in delivering community-based and culturally informed services. Our collaborative efforts ensure the provision of comprehensive, linguistically appropriate, and low-barrier access to support for those most vulnerable to trafficking.
What is Human Trafficking?
Human trafficking is defined as the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into any form of work against their will.
Human trafficking is a multifaceted crime—it also includes recruiting, providing, obtaining, transporting, or harboring a person for the purpose of forced work. Human trafficking can present in many different ways, but there are two types of human trafficking: labor trafficking and sex trafficking. In an exploitative environment, it is possible for a person to experience either or both types of human trafficking.
Labor trafficking is compelling a person into any form of work against their will through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Forced labor can happen anywhere: in a place of business in any industry, in a domestic workplace, or someone can be forced to work in their own home. Labor trafficking can present as any kind of work: construction, accounting, cooking, field work, cleaning, elder care, team management, or more. For example, if a child is unable to go to school or finish their homework because they are cooking, cleaning, and caring for their siblings every day, it may be a case of child labor trafficking.
Sex trafficking is compelling a person into commercial sex work against their will through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. Commercial sex work is defined as performing sexual acts in exchange for something of value, such as money, food, shelter, drugs, or something else of worth. By federal law, any person under the age of 18 engaged in the sex trade is experiencing sex trafficking. No person under the age of 18 can consent to commercial sexual acts, and there is no such thing as a child prostitute.