Combating Trafficking in Persons

Human trafficking is defined as the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for labor services or commercial sex acts through force, fraud, or coercion (including any commercial sex act involving a minor), for the purpose of exploitation, involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery.

Relationship to USC Research Projects

Under federal regulations, USC is required to notify its employees and agents of the United States government’s policy prohibiting trafficking in persons, as described above.  In the context of a federally sponsored research project, examples of trafficking include:

  • Engaging in severe forms of trafficking in persons during the period of performance of the award.
  • Procuring a commercial sex act during the period of performance of the award.
  • Using forced labor in the performance of the award or sub-awards.
  • Destroying, concealing, confiscating, or otherwise denying access by an employee to his or her identity or immigration documents in the performance of the award or sub-award.
  • Using misleading or fraudulent practices during the recruitment of employees, such as failing to disclose key terms and conditions of employment (e.g., wages and fringe benefits, location of work, living conditions, housing and associated costs)

Reporting Violations

USC employees are expected to report any credible information regarding human trafficking incidents through the Report & Response website or by phone at (213) 740-2500.

USC employees can also call the Global Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or visit their webpage to submit a report online.

Resources

Please visit the National Trafficking Resource Center for additional information.