In current times, awareness about human trafficking continues to spread.

Multiple states are taking action to increase public knowledge about this crime. Some of this action involves mandatory training for workers in certain industries, such as trucking, hospitality, etc.

Additional steps to raise awareness about human trafficking include hosting online events and seminars targeted toward specific demographics or the general public in a given community.

January is currently Human Trafficking Awareness Month or Human Trafficking Prevention Month. However, January 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

This very critical day saw an outpour of social media support.

Human Trafficking Awareness Day 2023

On Wednesday, individuals, organizations, federal government officials, US lawmakers, and leaders at the state level spoke out.

They urged people to wear the color blue to raise awareness about human trafficking and stand in solidarity with survivors of this crime, along with victims who remain in need of rescue.

https://twitter.com/TatTruckers/status/1613174438828064769

Much of the support for this year's Human Trafficking Awareness Day is viewable under the following social media hashtags: #HumanTraffickingAwarenessDay, #WearBlueDay, #EndHumanTrafficking, #EndTrafficking.

Everyone can play a role in the fight against human trafficking. Whether that role involves talking about the issue on social media or supporting reputable anti-human trafficking organizations and efforts, no step forward is too small.

For so long, human traffickers have thrived from a lack of knowledge and awareness about their crimes against humanity. Furthermore, as awareness increases, traffickers are employing various underhanded means of luring in victims.

Some common tactics of human traffickers are as follows:

• Loverboy method/posing as a boyfriend or romantic love interest
• Posting phony job ads
• Offering to fill a need, only to later exploit this need
• Isolating targets from their support systems to make exploitation easier
• Force, fraud, coercion

Beyond January 11

The outpour of social media support for Human Trafficking Awareness Day is positive and much-needed. However, we would all do well not to forget about human trafficking once the clock strikes midnight.

Human trafficking will not cease to exist simply because there are fewer social media posts about it.

Given the current circumstances of human trafficking in the US, work from law enforcement, anti-human trafficking organizations, lawmakers, people in power, and everyday civilians is essential to ending this form of slavery.

Some great anti-human trafficking organizations to support are as follows:

• Operation Underground Railroad
• Thistle Farms
• The Nazarene Fund
• Slavery Free World
• A21
• Polaris Project
• Willow Bend Farms
• End It Movement
• Exodus Cry
• Hope For Justice
• Free A Girl

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.