Human Trafficking: What You Need To Know

Human trafficking is the biggest sin in our world. It takes the most vulnerable among us and forces them to commit actions against their will or through manipulation. This is an issue that people need to face more often. William Wilberforce, who was responsible for taking down slavery in Europe, stated the following: "You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know." Human trafficking affects every aspect of your life, whether or not you realize it. It's up to people like us to shine a light on human trafficking, to keep it from remaining hidden. The more exposed human trafficking is, the less it will be able to function.

What is human trafficking? Human trafficking is defined as "the use of fraud, coercion, or force to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act." (Source: DHS) There is no specific region where human trafficking happens. In the United States, human trafficking happens in each of the 50 states. 

Human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal business, behind the drug trafficking business. Human trafficking, however, is the fastest growing illegal business. The reason behind this is because the time it takes to create drugs, get them to the supplier, and keeping it hidden from police (because drug trafficking is a more exposed crime) makes drug trafficking slower. Humans, on the other hand, are readily available. When you've got a culture looking at what's the newest iPhone out, the newest trend for clothing, the quickest meals or cheapest foods to buy, you've got a market for labor trafficking. Additionally, today's obsession with sexual entertainment fuels the demand for sex trafficking. In the U.S., we are the number one consumer of sex and child pornography.

How does human trafficking occur? Unfortunately, many victims come from difficult situations where they were being mentally or physically abused, never knowing love or compassion. This makes them vulnerable to traffickers. Their abuse is an invisible target only traffickers notice. This is not to say those from a better life don't get trafficked. Some families will sell their children's innocence to be able to afford their lavish lifestyles. 

What can factor into human trafficking? If there was no demand for sexual content or "nice things" sex and labor trafficking wouldn't exist. Pornography has a big impact on sex trafficking. Consumers of these things fuel the demand for sex trafficking. Same goes for labor trafficking. There's a quote from Fight The New Drug that says, "You can’t be both anti-sex trafficking and pro-porn. One industry supports the other." They also use the hashtag #considerbeforeconsuming. It's true for both forced labor and commercial sex.

What can we do to fight human trafficking? The best way you can fight human trafficking is become outspoken. Share with your friends and family what it is. If you tell ten people, then they tell ten people, then those people tell ten people, the truth on human trafficking will spread like wildfire. Like William Wilberforce, you must become an abolitionist to human trafficking. What must be done next is to get informed on human trafficking.

Here are some resources to learn more about human trafficking:

• https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/what-human-trafficking
• https://polarisproject.org/myths-facts-and-statistics/
• https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
• https://www.stopthedemandproject.com/blog
• https://fightthenewdrug.org/stopthedemand/
• https://exoduscry.com/

If you suspect you or someone you know is a human trafficking, call the Human Trafficking Hotline or DHS:

Human Trafficking Hotline

Phone number: 1 (888) 373-7888
SMS: 233733 (Text "HELP" or "INFO")
Available 24 hours, 7 days a week

ICE

Call at 866-347-2423 (U.S. or Canada) 

or 802-872-6199 (other locations worldwide)

Good books, documentaries, or movies to read/watch on Human Trafficking (I will update this list as I continue to read more books):

• Land of the Free: A Prayer Guide to End Human Trafficking in America by Nicolas Canuso
• Stolen: The True Story of a Sex Trafficking Survivor by Kateriina Rosenblatt
• Priceless
• Rambo Last Blood 
• I Am Jane Doe
• Kidnap
• Taken (although this is considered 50/50 when thinking of human trafficking)
• Daughter for Sale
• A Party Gone Wrong
• My Daughter's Been Kidnapped

Please stay informed on human trafficking. It may seem impossible, but we can abolish human trafficking in our lifetime. Let's be the generation that ends human trafficking.