As Human Trafficking Awareness Month draws to a close, this is a reminder that traffickers don’t rest, and the plight continues.
Every year, millions of men, women, and children are trafficked around the world. This isn’t a problem isolated to a far-off country or the other side of the globe. In the United States, trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry. Human trafficking is happening right on our doorstep.
These staggering statistics shed light on the severity of modern-day slavery in the US…
The 3 most common types of human trafficking are sex trafficking, forced labor, and debt bondage.
The US Department of State describes trafficking as a crime of exploitation. Traffickers profit at the expense of their victims by compelling them to perform labor or to engage in commercial sex. When a person is forced to engage in a commercial sex act by force, threats of force, fraud, intimidation, or a combination of these, it is trafficking.
71% of enslaved people are women and girls, while men and boys account for 29%.
An overwhelming majority of trafficking victims are women and girls. Women who are being trafficked are more vulnerable to physical and sexual violence, physical and psychological abuse, assault and homicide, and are often subjected to terrible living and working conditions.
There are an estimated 20 – 40 million people in modern slavery today.
Although we don’t know the exact figures, and many cases go unreported and unnoticed, it is estimated that at any given moment there are over 25 million people enslaved, the equivalent of the entire population of Australia. We may never know the true extent of human trafficking, but what we do know is that there are more people enslaved today than ever before.
If you or someone you know needs support or information, contact The National Human Trafficking Hotline. The National Human Trafficking Hotline connects victims and survivors of sex and labor trafficking with services and support to get help and stay safe. The toll-free phone, SMS text lines, and live online chat function are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/
Call 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733
