Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking

Many people have heard about human trafficking, but it isn’t a topic we like to discuss. It makes us uncomfortable. Most of us would rather stay in our comfort zones and not think about people in terrorizing situations. However, pushing away these feelings of discomfort doesn’t do any good. The media does not often report on the current state of human trafficking due to a lack of data and studies. Human trafficking is a genuine problem. If we want things to change, the first step is to educate ourselves and raise public awareness.

Our goal with this article is to enlighten readers about the present situation. Bringing to the forefront the seriousness of this issue is one of the ways we can help decrease and eventually eliminate the prevalence of human trafficking.

Despite current efforts, statistics on human trafficking are minimal. Victims are hesitant to report, often because they fear retaliation or not being taken seriously. The Survey of Victim Service Providers was first conducted in 2019; its primary goal was to use the information provided by Victim Service Providers (VSP) to gain more insight into who victims are and how they are trafficked. VSP includes nonprofit organizations dedicated to assisting and advocating for victims of violence. Information continues to gather through other avenues, such as the number of states that report human trafficking to the FBI. Between 2015 and 2020, the number of reporting states increased from 37 to 47.

Even though more information is slowly becoming available as the government conducts more surveillance, human trafficking continues to increase.

There are two main types of human trafficking: forced labor and sex trafficking. There are many kinds of forced labor, but domestic servitude and forced child labor are the most common worldwide.

Victims of human trafficking can be anybody: any age, race, sex, nationality, immigration status, cultural background, religion, or socioeconomic status. However, in the United States, the most vulnerable are children, especially those homeless, in the child welfare system, the justice system, foster care, or immigrant children.

When we think about trafficking or kidnapping, we often focus on strangers abducting children in the night. While this does happen, traffickers can also be acquaintances or family members. Like most criminals, traffickers prey on vulnerable individuals. Trusting your gut and getting out of a possibly dangerous situation is essential.

Share by: