Anyone can be a victim of human trafficking. Help bring awareness to this crime by participating in #WearBlueDay on January 11, Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Learn how: https://t.co/bUEdIvLvFH #EndHumanTrafficking pic.twitter.com/xi3ubo36A9
— U.S. State Dept. Trafficking in Persons Office (@JTIP_State) January 10, 2024
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.
