National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
Did you know??
There are three main types of human trafficking reported in the United States:
- Sex trafficking means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.
- Labor trafficking includes involuntary servitude; peonage; debt bondage; and slavery.
- Child soldiers are forced to fight but also used as: cooks, porters, messengers, medics, guards, spies, and sex slaves.
Traffickers will often use force, fraud, and coercion to compel victims to perform labor or services or commercial sex acts. So… what does this look like??
- Force may be drugging a person to incapacitate him/her, confinement (locked room, vehicle, bondage), or physical assault such as being hit, kicked, or punched.
- Fraud may include false advertising and/or promises of a better job, good pay, new life in the US, and/or better circumstances for one’s family.
- Coercion may be physical or psychological and may include blackmail, threats, intimidation, and threatening to hit/hurt/harm someone.
Traffickers prey on victims with little or no social safety net. They look to exploit victims for cheap labor by preying on individuals in vulnerable situations due to economic hardship, illegal immigration status, political instability, natural disasters, and other causes. Traffickers also exploit people who are vulnerable because of their age. It is important to note that legal migrants can also be vulnerable to trafficking.
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day on January 11th raises awareness of the persistent issue of human trafficking. Though the entire month of January has already been recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, this day is specifically dedicated to awareness and prevention of the illegal practice. This holiday is also separate from the World Day Against Trafficking Persons, as established by the United Nations. Since the Senate established this day of observance in 2007, it has drawn massive public support from individual donations to government-organized events. The horrific injustice of human trafficking can affect people of any race and background, and on this day, we are all called to fight human trafficking wherever it exists.
What can YOU do?
- Learn the signs and indicators of trafficking.
- Do not engage in prohibited activities.
- Report anything suspicious that you see to your chain of command or to your local DoD IG office, through the DoD IG Hotline at 1-800-424-9098, or visit their website at http://www.dodig.mil/
- Never act ALONE, you may want to help, but trafficking situations are dangerous.