Debt bondage is defined as which of the following?

• A. The status of a person who owes money but is free to leave at any time.
• B. A loan with interest that is always paid.
• C. The status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of personal services or of those of a person under his control as a security for debt, with the value of those services not applied toward liquidation or the length and nature of those services not limited or defined.
• D. A casual loan agreement.

Answer: (C)

Debt bondage is a coercive labor situation where a person who owes a debt is forced to surrender personal services (or the services of someone under their control) as security for that debt, with the value of those services not credited toward repayment and the length or nature of the services not clearly limited. This means the debtor can be kept in servitude for an indefinite period as a condition of repaying the loan, effectively tying freedom to labor in a way that benefits the creditor and traps the worker. It goes beyond a normal loan or casual borrowing, where the debtor has a clearly defined repayment obligation and can usually leave, making it a clear indicator of exploitative control in trafficking contexts.