Combating Human Sex Trafficking: Awareness and Prevention

Human Sex Trafficking

Majority of today’s television shows and movies consist of a story about a child or teen getting abducted or taken away from their parents. The rest of the story line may be about the ongoing struggles of how the victim found his or her way back, if they found their way back. However, the things that we watch on television are more realistic than it seems to be. What actually happens when a child is abducted? Children and adults of all different ages and ethnicities are being abducted and forced into human trafficking. We can help prevent the spread of human trafficking by monitoring children, creating awareness groups, and participating and donating to foundations that fight against human trafficking.

Parental

monitoring is key when it comes to the prevention of human trafficking. According to research, “An estimated 293,000 American youths currently are at risk, majority run-aways or thrown away”(Walker-Rodriguez para 5.). The lack of guidance or concern can cause a child to feel abandoned and desperate for attention, often resulting in running away from home. A parent should know their child’s whereabouts at all times. They should also know who their child is or may be associated with so police can know where to search if your child is abducted.
Parental monitoring is also monitoring your child’s social media accounts. Research states “ Some trafficking cases start with the offender contacting the potential victims on social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace” (Dixon Herbert Jr. para 4). Social networking is the easiest way to become a victim of trafficking because victims are unaware of who is actually behind the site. Children should never post their numbers, addresses, or other personal information on social media, even when asked to do so. Being cautious and monitoring your child can prevent him or her from becoming the next victim.
Creating and organizing support groups is also a great way to prevent human trafficking. The department of Homeland Security states “The victim may not realize that he or she is imprisoned because coercion is psychological.”Someone who is unaware of sex trafficking and how it works is more subjected to becoming a victim. Creating an awareness group that teaches about sex trafficking can help people recognize common signs of a potential trafficker. Awareness groups can also teach a person what to do if a trafficker is trying to abduct them.
Organizing a neighborhood watch group is an effective way to raise awareness in neighborhoods and communities. Neighborhood watch groups “Enlists the active participation of residents, in cooperation with law enforcement to reduce crime in communities throughout the city” (National Crime Prevention Council para. 1). Neighborhood watch groups can protect citizens in local neighborhoods. Having people that are local residence be able to watch and detect suspicious activity adds a sense of security and safety to a community. Awareness groups is one of the best ways to protect yourself as well as others from the gruesome and horrifying lifestyle of human trafficking.
Lastly,working together to participate and donate to foundations that fight against human trafficking will help support victims of trafficking and prevent further trafficking from taking place.

The United States Department of Labor says that “ Acting together, companies can make a significant dent in the complex root causes that underline child and forced labor”. Working together to raise money for charities can help prevent the spread of trafficking because without donations, Foundations will not exist. Charities such as Safe Horizon provide psychological help, hot-lines, web addresses, and a numerous amount of of other resources that are available for victims of sex trafficking. However, those resources would not be available if it were not for people donating to the charity. The more people that donate, the more money will be raised and more resources will be available to help prevent human trafficking around the world. Charities also provide psychological assistance to help families cope with the lost of loved ones due to human trafficking as well as consultation for victims who were fortunate enough to escape. Charities play an intricate role when it comes to the prevention of human trafficking because most victims can not afford to seek professional help, charities provide victims with professional help for little to no cost. Having the best resources available can reduce the amount of people being trafficked throughout the

world.
Parental monitoring, creating awareness groups, and participating and donating to foundations that fight against human sex trafficking are three great and effective ways to help prevent human trafficking. When it comes to trafficking, think about the families and children around the world that are being saved when being active with the fight against human trafficking. Human sex trafficking is a serious issue across the globe and people should do everything in their power to help prevent the spread of trafficking.