It is important to know what human trafficking is, why it happens, and how one can reach help if suspected activity is occuring. Human trafficking is a horrible thing but what is it really? Human Trafficking is defined as the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. It is said that, “Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry. It reportedly generates a profit of $32 billion every year. Of that number, $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries“ (11 Facts About Human Trafficking). In the world today there are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves and 600,000 to 800,000 of which are transferred across international borders (11 Facts About Human Trafficking). Think all the border control that is enforced, yet a significant number of people are still able to be smuggled across everyday. Essentially, there are three types of human trafficking, they consist of sex trafficking, forced labor and debt bondage. According to the U.S. Department of state, …show more content…
Its important to seek help, whether you or someone that you know is in danger or has been abducted into the human trafficking trade. There are hundreds of Human Trafficking Hotlines that are mostly available 24-hours a day and 7-days a week. Most of these hotlines are also toll free and provide thorough searches. For example, the National Human trafficking Hotline, known as the NHTH is a reliable source when seeking help. The NHTH was established in 2007 and is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services as well as private donors, and operated by Polaris, a leading anti-trafficking organization (2017 Human Trafficking Statistics). When trying to identify whether or not someone is a victim of human trafficking it is important to look for warning signs and/or red flags. A few common aspects of victims include one being fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, nervous/paranoid, or avoids eye contact. Pairing to these symptoms would be poor physical health such as lacking in proper hygiene, malnourished, and possible signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture. Lastly, its is important to look for lack of control, meaning the person has no personal belongings, they are not in control of their money/personal documents, and they are unable to speak for themselves (Recognize the Signs). All of these signs are possible indicators of a victim of human trafficking