Stop Human Trafficking

Some problems are so big and bad, they overwhelm us. We feel inadequate to help.

In the past few years, I have noticed an increase in the number of signs in rest area and airport restrooms offering aid to victims of human trafficking.

And recently I saw the movie Sound of Freedom. This film, based on a true story, portrays a U.S. federal agent who rescues a young brother and sister taken from Honduras and sold into the sex trade. The movie does a good job of giving individual names and faces to the victims of trafficking. It moved me in a way that statistics alone do not. It prompted me to write this blog.

But Sound of Freedom has sparked controversy. Critics say that it does not present a full picture of how most child trafficking takes place. Specifically, most juveniles who are trafficked are not young children; 67% are between the ages of 15 and 17. And most victims are not lured or snatched by strangers; they are groomed and victimized by people they know. That’s horrible! I became curious to learn more and now share my findings with you.

What is human trafficking?

U.S. law defines human trafficking as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor against their will.

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It is estimated that there are 27.6 million victims worldwide at any given time. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world after drug trafficking. It’s a $150 billion-a-year business globally.

Of the 600,000-800,000 people trafficked across international borders each year, 70% are female and 50% are children. The majority of these victims are forced into the commercial sex trade. Each year, an estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States.

How common is human trafficking in the U.S.A.?

Trafficking does not require movement across borders. It happens in our own backyard. My husband and I live two months each summer in Jamestown, North Carolina, which is located between nearby Greensboro and High Point. Just recently, I saw on the news that two individuals had been arrested on human trafficking charges in Greensboro. In 2022, the National Human Trafficking Hotline ranked North Carolina ninth in the nation for human trafficking. It’s especially bad along the Interstate-95 corridor.

Consider the following domestic statistics:

• The United States is #1 in the world for sex trafficking.
• 25% of child pornography is created by a neighbor or family member.
• Over 500,000 online sexual predators are active each day.
• Over 80% of child sex crimes begin on social media.
• As of 2021, there are 252,000 websites containing images of videos of children being sexually abused.

Who is at risk for becoming a victim of human trafficking?

The United States Department of State website states that in the United States, individuals vulnerable to human trafficking include:

• Children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, including foster care
• Runaway and homeless youth
• Unaccompanied foreign national children without lawful immigration status
• Individuals seeking asylum
• American Indians and Alaska Natives, particularly women and girls
• Individuals with substance use issues
• Racial or ethnic minorities
• Migrant laborers, including undocumented workers and participants in visa programs for temporary workers
• Foreign national domestic workers in diplomatic households
• Persons with limited English proficiency
• Persons with disabilities
• LGBTQI+ individuals
• Victims of intimate partner violence or other forms of domestic violence

How can I tell if someone is a victim of human trafficking?

Human trafficking is a crime that is often hidden in plain sight—even in your own neighborhood. Here are some warning signs that a person, especially a woman or a child, may be a victim:

• Appearing malnourished
• Showing signs of physical injuries and abuse
• Avoiding eye contact, social interaction, and authority figures/law enforcement
• Seeming to adhere to scripted or rehearsed responses in social interaction
• Lacking official identification documents
• Appearing destitute/lacking personal possessions
• Working excessively long hours
• Living at place of employment
• Checking into hotels/motels with older males, and referring to those males as boyfriend or “daddy,” which is often street slang for pimp
• Poor physical or dental health
• Tattoos/ branding on the neck and/or lower back
• Untreated sexually transmitted diseases
• Small children serving in a family restaurant
• Security measures that appear to keep people inside an establishment – barbed wire inside a fence, bars covering the insides of windows
• Not allowing people to go into public alone, or speak for themselves

These warning signs are adapted from information provided by the Polaris Project and its National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

How can I report a suspected victim of human trafficking?

Call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text “HELP” or “INFO” to 233-733.

Becoming aware is the first step away from helplessness.

 

 

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