World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, observed on July 30th, was first established in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly. This initiative’s primary goal is to raise awareness of human trafficking, victims, and to protect victims’ rights. This year, the initiative is focusing on raising awareness about child trafficking in their “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking” campaign. In addition to raising awareness to child trafficking, this campaign is also calling for states to prioritize child protection through improved legislation and law enforcement response, calling for an increase in available resources to combat and prevent child trafficking, and focusing on prevention efforts that target poverty and inequality.

Human trafficking is when someone uses force, coercion or fraud to exploit an adult person into slave labor or sexual exploitation. If minors under the age of 18 are engaging in commercial sex, then they are victims of human trafficking regardless of whether the use of force, coercion, or fraud are present. Anyone purchasing commercial sex from a minor can also be charged with human trafficking.

It has been estimated that 50 million people are currently being trafficked worldwide. Human trafficking occurs in every country, including throughout the United States, both in larger cities and rural communities. The majority of victims are women and children with the targeted age group of victims being approximately 9 to 24 years of age. Children make up a significant proportion of human trafficking victims with it being estimated that 1 in 3 victims of global human trafficking are children. Although this crime often targets females, young boys and men are victimized as well.

Globally, common forms of child trafficking include sexual exploitation, forced labor, begging and petty crimes, child soldiers, child marriage, and illegal adoption. Low-income countries tend to see more forced labor of children compared to high-income countries that tend to see more child sex trafficking and exploitation.

Traffickers oftentimes look to vulnerable populations to recruit victims. Meaning that our most vulnerable children face a higher risk of human trafficking victimization. Some of the risk factors that make children more vulnerable to trafficking include the following:

· History of homelessness / running away

· Foster care, juvenile justice, or gang involvement

· Distressed, abusive, neglectful home life

· Poverty / Unmet basic needs

· Experiencing discrimination (racism, sexism, gender inequality, LGBQT+, etc..)

· Cognitive or physical disabilities

· Lack of support networks (family, friends, healthy adult relationships)

· Substance use or Family history of substance use

· Low level of school involvement

· Unaccompanied migrant children

Traffickers will often pose as romantic interests or caregivers to their targeted victim to gain the victim’s trust and to make the victim think that they care about them. Although oftentimes overlooked due to lack of research and awareness, family members or caregivers have often been found to traffic children as well. Polaris, in their 2023 National Survivor Study found that 37% of survivors reported being involved in familial trafficking and in 2017 the International Organization of Migration estimated that 41% of child trafficking involves family members or caregivers.

Traffickers tend to groom their victims, which is a process of exerting control over a victim to manipulate and brainwash the victim into doing whatever the trafficker asks of them. Some studies suggest that within familial trafficking children are groomed at much younger ages. Unfortunately, due to the grooming process and manipulation tactics that victims endure, victims oftentimes don’t identify as someone who is being victimized. This can make it very difficult to identify human trafficking situations and victims who need help.

There are a few ways you can show support for the “Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking” campaign. You can post a Blue Heart campaign logo on social media or wear blue on January 30th to help raise awareness of this campaign. Their website also has posts that can easily be shared to social media that share facts and information about human trafficking. Additionally, this campaign encourages people to continue educating themselves about the realities of human trafficking, to raise awareness, and to find out what their communities are doing to combat human trafficking. They also ask people to be alert and to report any suspected instances of human trafficking. Suspicions of human trafficking can be reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888.

If you are located in Moore County NC, and are interested in joining the fight against human trafficking in our community or learning more about this topic, please contact Friend to Friend or visit the Moore County Human Trafficking Task Force’s webpage at https://www.friendtofriend.me/httaskforce

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/endht/get-involved.html https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-human-trafficking-day/background

https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/endht/photo-challenge.html