Human trafficking impacts all of our lives, though most of us have the privilege of never knowing it. Human trafficking is not just something that happens to a few people overseas, it is happening everywhere, even here in America.
Trafficking in Persons is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, or the abuse of power for the purpose of exploitation.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. Millions of men, women, and children are trafficked worldwide every year.
Because human trafficking happens in a shadowy and hidden world, victims are rarely rescued and the perpetrators are rarely punished. Victims are often afraid to come forward because they fear being arrested, do not speak the language or fear for their lives and the lives of their families.
They are held captive by threats of violence, manipulation, and other forms of coercion, such as deportation or the confiscation of passports, visas, and other forms of identification. Sometimes the trauma that has been caused by traffickers is so extreme that victims may not even realize they are victims so they don’t ask for help even when they have an opportunity.
This is why it is important that as many people as possible be educated on the definition of human trafficking so they can help these victims that do not, themselves, know that they need help.
There are very few crimes that exist today that are more heinous than human trafficking. For most people, the mind shrinks from the idea that something so terrible could be happening in their communities.
Victims go unnoticed, unheard, and unrescued.
Victims can be any race, gender or socioeconomic status. It can happen in busy urban centers, rural farming communities, or anywhere in-between. Victims may be locked away in dark rooms or sitting in well-lit classrooms. They may be stocking shelves in local grocery stores or serving food at a popular restaurant.
Awareness is an important first step to ending this abhorrent crime.
KNOW THE SIGNS of human trafficking so you can spot it in your area. Click here for indicators.
SPREAD AWARENESS by sharing this information with your friends, family, and community.
TAKE ACTION by using your voice to speak out against human trafficking.
PRAY, GIVE, and SUPPORT anti-slavery organizations like Life Impact. Click here to be a part.
