Red Oak serves those affected by sexual exploitation who are 18 and older. This includes both human trafficking victims and those who have been pushed/pulled into the sex industry by a variety of factors. We want to help individuals find freedom, hope, and restoration from exploitation and abuse. Regardless of how exploitation began, we want to help them get out if/when they’re ready. Human trafficking is the exploitation of men, women, and children for forced labor or sex for a third party’s profit or gain. Commercial sexual exploitation refers to any sexual activity that is traded, forced, or exchanged for something of value, such as money, housing, food, drugs, or protection.

To identify if someone is a victim of trafficking, Red Oak follows the UN definition in the Palermo Protocol which states that Human trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.” This is a complicated definition, but essentially involves three aspects: the act, the means, and the purpose. The act includes “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbor, or receipt of persons” if any of these acts occurred, it is a potential trafficking case regardless of distance. The means include threats, force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power, exploiting vulnerability, or giving or receiving payments. While many people assume physical violence as a requirement of trafficking, it’s important to note that physical violence is not necessary and that the use of fraud and coercion are equally valid means of trafficking. The last element of trafficking is the purpose of exploitation, including prostitution, sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery, servitude, and organ removal. We also understand that all trafficking is the exploitation of vulnerability, and many of our services exist to address the underlying vulnerabilities that led to trafficking.

The truth is that people enter the sex industry for a variety of reasons; some are clear trafficking victims, and some are not. According to several studies, the most common reasons women enter the sex industry voluntarily are not being able to find another job, supporting family financially, paying debts, buying drugs, financing a personal education, helping a partner, and liking the job.

We do provide services for men through our community-based services and Restore.

We primarily work in Austin, TX but provide services throughout Travis and surrounding counties.

Red Oak firmly believes in protecting the confidentiality and security of every client. As a result, we often do not publish real names or identifiable photos of those we serve. This is also why we sometimes use stock photos. For more information on our media ethics policy, click here.

Trafficking is a crime often hidden from view and is both underreported and underidentified, all of which makes data collection difficult. A benchmark prevalence study in 2016 estimated that there were approximately 79,000 minor and youth victims of sex trafficking in Texas, approximately 234,000 workers who are victims of labor trafficking in Texas, and an estimated 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas. This study also identified the cost of this crime: minor and youth sex trafficking costs the state of Texas approximately $6.6 billion, and traffickers exploit approximately $600 million from victims of labor trafficking in Texas. We have worked with survivors from a wide variety of places, expereinces, and backgrounds and know that trafficking and exploitation impacts every community.

There have been times when Red Oak has worked with government authorities to directly meet victims of human trafficking, and our goal is to offer relationship, support, and information. We will never attempt to force someone to engage in services or make decisions that they are not ready for.

Red Oak Hope is a registered non-governmental, non-political, and non-profit organization. We are not registered as a religious organization but as a humanitarian organization. We are motivated by Christian faith and belief in God’s heart for justice and restoration, and we are inclusive and honoring of people of all beliefs in all aspects of our work.

Red Oak may be able to help but for emergencies please call 911. For non-emergencies, you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 . If you believe Red Oak may be of specific assistance, feel free to contact us at info@redoakhope.org.

Red Oak may be able! However we first recommend that you call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888 and call 911 for any emergency assistance. If you believe Red Oak may be of specific assistance, feel free to contact us at info@redoakhope.org.