Each January marks National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

During this time, communities turn their attention to raising awareness about this crime, informing about their ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking, and letting people know about available resources for seeking help or reporting suspected cases to the authorities.

Across the United States, there's been a rise in local and state governments requiring training for specific industry workers with a greater likelihood of contact with traffickers or trafficking victims. This includes workers in the entertainment, transportation, and hospitality sectors.

January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. During this time, people are encouraged to wear blue to bring awareness to this issue.

Wear Blue Day

Across social media, agencies, officials, and civilians acknowledge January 11 as Wear Blue Day. With blue internationally recognized as the color of human trafficking awareness, donning this color is about not just raising awareness, but also showing solidarity with those who've personally suffered from human trafficking.

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In increasing awareness and showing support for affected persons, it's also important to understand what human trafficking is. Anytime force, fraud, or coercion is employed to acquire sex or labor from an individual, this constitutes human trafficking.

Many individuals personally know their traffickers

Contrary to popular belief, a person can face human trafficking without being kidnapped or even forced to leave their home. In many cases, victims of this crime are targeted by people who are known to them.

While strangers or persons not known to an individual can also traffick them, this crime is more common amongst people who are already acquainted or familiar with one another. Many children who suffer human trafficking, for instance, endure this at the hands of their parents or other relatives.

Individuals posing as romantic interests, employers, or friends can likewise be traffickers. While sex trafficking often draws more mainstream coverage, labor trafficking also remains a very real problem. Immigrants or people in countries where they don't know the language can also be vulnerable to labor or sex trafficking.

Anyone who wishes to report what they believe to be human trafficking can contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline via phone at 1 (888) 373-7888 or by text at 233733.