Human Trafficking involves exploiting victims through force, coercion, or deception for forced labor or commercial sex. It is a global crime that affects every country. An estimated 27 million people are currently enslaved worldwide, with many victims experiencing severe physical and psychological abuse. While human trafficking disproportionately impacts women and children, preventing and addressing it requires educating communities, supporting anti-trafficking task forces, teaching youth how to avoid exploitation, and spreading awareness through online networks and blogs.

1. Human Trafficking
By: Sydney, Chris, Thane, Travis, and
Karley

2. What is Human Trafficking?
• Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity.
It involves an act of recruiting, transporting,
transferring, harboring or receiving a person
through a use of force, coercion or other means,
for the purpose of exploiting them. Every year,
thousands of men, women and children fall into
the hands of traffickers, in their own countries
and abroad. Every country in the world is
affected by trafficking, whether as a country of
origin, transit or destination for victims.

3. Some Facts about Human Trafficking
• The average cost of a slave around the world is $90.
• Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes
in many forms, including:
• Forcing victims into prostitution
• Subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude
• Compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of
creating pornography
• Misleading victims into debt bondage
• According to some estimates, approximately 80% of
trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves
labor exploitation.

4. Facts Continued..
• It is estimated that there are approximately 27 million slaves around the
world. 68% of female sex trafficking victims meet the clinical criteria for
post-traumatic stress disorder. Around half of trafficking victims in the
world are under the age of 18.
• More than 2/3 of sex trafficked children suffer additional abuse at the
hands of their traffickers.
• Trafficked children are significantly more likely to develop mental health
problems, abuse substances, engage in prostitution as adults, and either
commit or be victimized by violent crimes later in life.
• Women who have been trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation
experience a significantly higher rate of HIV and other STDs, tuberculosis,
and permanent damage to their reproductive systems.
• There is only one shelter in the U.S. designed specifically to meet the needs
of trafficking victims, and it currently only houses a total of seven to nine
victims.
• Trafficking victims normally don't get help because they think that they or
their families will be hurt by their traffickers, or that they will be deported

5. Ways to Prevent Human Trafficking
• Educate Yourself
• Human trafficking is not something that only happens on the
other side of the world. It has infected every level of society.
Chances are that victims of this crime, or people being
targeted to become victims, are right in your backyard.
Educate yourself on the extent of this problem. Doing so
brings it out of the shadows of society, and places the issue
front and center for us all to begin to deal with.
• Spread the Word
• As you learn about the problem of human trafficking, tell
others. Blog about it, email your friends about it, talk about it
in your social circles and, basically, bring it to the attention of
others every chance you get. Silence literally allows this crime
to continue. Your voice counts, so use it!

6. Ways to Prevent continued…
• Take a Look at Your Own Community
• Contact your local police department and ask if a special task force exists for fighting
human trafficking. If it does, find out how you can help them with their efforts. If one
does not exist, support your local law enforcement in establishing one. Volunteer to
speak at schools, to hold community meetings and to communicate with local
lawmakers to establish ways of identifying and stopping human trafficking.
• Talk to Children and Teens
• Exploited teens and young children come from every demographic imaginable. Pimps
and other criminals prey upon these most vulnerable populations who have no idea
of the nightmare exploiters have planned for them. Study the ways in which these
criminals identify and court their victims, and then teach teens and children how to
avoid their illicit intentions.
• Subscribe to Human Rights Blogs and Websites
• Committed volunteers all across the web volunteer their time to reporting the latest
information on human trafficking as it is discovered throughout the world. Subscribe
to these blogs, share informative posts with others and even consider donating to
fundraisers they host. Become a part of this network and help spread the word about
their existence while you're at it!