Breaking Trafficking Myths: Human Trafficking Does Not Affect Me
When I began to hear about the realities of human trafficking several years ago, I tried to push the issue aside, falsely reassuring myself “that couldn't happen here,” or “that couldn't affect me.” If you've had many conversations about human trafficking, you've likely heard some comments along the same lines. It’s difficult to accept that slavery could be happening around us or that we could be doing anything to inadvertently contribute to it.
However, from overlooked suspicious activity to the very food and clothing we purchase, human trafficking happens around us and affects us in a variety of ways. The good news is that we can take steps to stop modern-day slavery in those same areas and fight for freedom for all.
At Home
The first thing I had to face when I started taking human trafficking seriously was the fact that there were likely items in my home that were produced through slave or child labor. It’s hard to stomach, but some of the people producing our clothes, home goods, coffee beans, and sugar are forced or deceived into work and don’t receive a fair wage.
How you can fight it:
If you’re committed to ethical shopping, you can find lots of helpful posts here on the Dressember blog! You can also find the biggest culprits of unethical sourcing with tools from Fashion Revolution and the Department of Labor, find brands that are committed to ethical sourcing through apps like Done Good and Good on You, and take the demand out of the market for unethically-produced goods by shopping secondhand.
Out and About
Human trafficking can happen in restaurants, shops, salons, and other places of business in our own communities. Owners of these establishments may prey on vulnerable populations — especially foreigners who don’t speak English — and deceive them into a life of forced labor or prostitution.
How you can fight it:
You can play a role in fighting human trafficking just by being on the lookout for red flags as you’re out and about in your daily life. As you interact with employees in places you frequent, look for warning signs like an employee:
living at their place of work or with their employer
acting fearful and overly submissive
not speaking for themselves, or giving answers that seem scripted.
If you see these signs and suspect foul play, report it. In the U.S., you can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Outside the U.S., you can find your country’s human trafficking hotline here.
While Traveling
You may have heard the news story earlier this year about a flight attendant who suspected human trafficking on her flight, reported it, and was able to have police at the airport as soon as they landed to arrest the perpetrator. This was only possible because the attendant was alert and recognized warning signs when she saw them. Victims of human trafficking are often transported from place to place, so planes, busses, trains, hotels, and major interstates are places to be on the lookout for red flags.
How you can fight it:
As you travel, look for things that seem out of place, like a traveler:
not dressed appropriately for the season
traveling with very few possessions
unaware of where they are or where they are going
traveling with someone who seems to follow them, control them, or speak for them.
If you notice these signs, report your suspicions to the numbers listed above.
Online
The internet contributes to human trafficking in two main ways. Online pornography fuels sex trafficking by creating a demand for porn that is often met using unwilling participants. A report from Thorn indicates that nearly half of sex trafficking survivors report that pornography was made of them while they were victims. The internet is also instrumental in how sex trafficking victims are bought and sold; many are listed on social media or on popular sites like Craigslist.
How you can fight it:
Be on the lookout for suspicious content online; if you find something questionable, report it to the website you are on and to the numbers listed above. Also, stop the demand for porn by refusing to partake in it yourself. Many videos on mainstream porn sites are actually made using unwilling participants, and consumers have no way of knowing if what they are viewing includes victims of human trafficking.
Human trafficking does affect us in more ways than we often realize, but we can have a role in stopping it. By being more conscientious about our purchases and reporting suspicious activity, we can take part in fighting injustice around us.
About the Author
Erin Flippin King is a freelance writer and editor, loving life in Jonesboro, AR with her husband, Aaron (same name, cute right?) and son, Sam. Erin enjoys dancing like a fool, joking at wildly inappropriate times, spending time in the sunshine, and Dr. Pepper. She recently earned her master's degree in Biblical Studies and Hebrew and shares her writing at erinflippinking.com.