January Marks Human Trafficking Month

Even though we have come a long way in this world, we still are dealing with the horrible crimes that surround human trafficking. That is why January marks Human Trafficking Month and is a reminder that we are still fighting to get rid of these crimes from occurring and ultimately protecting all citizens from this happening to them.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is considered modern-day slavery and involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. People that become victims of human traffic are all genders, ages, races, countries, socioeconomic statuses and more- basically it can happen to anyone in a vulnerable situation such as people who might be homeless or young.

Human trafficking includes different types such as sex trafficking, forced labor and domestic servitude. With sex trafficking, victims can be forced, threatened, and manipulated by promises of love or affection to engage in sex acts for money. If a person is under the age of 18 and involved in a commercial sex act, then they are also a victim of human trafficking.

What Can You Do to Help?

Human trafficking is sadly everywhere and it’s important that communities come together to stop it. The Department of Homeland Security has a campaign called the Blue Campaign. It provides several opportunities for individuals and organizations to raise awareness about this serious issue.

They have posters, videos, and infographics you can utilize for free and download easily from their website to help raise awareness about human trafficking. They even have training, cards, pamphlets, and toolkits. On January 31^st, you can participate in a Thunderclap, which is a way to raise your virtual voice about this important issue. You can find out more about that by visiting the Blue Campaign website.

Make sure you do your part to help stop these terrible crimes from occurring and spread the awareness message.