By: BHS Features Staff
January 8, 2025
Every year since 2010, presidents of The United States have dedicated January to be the month to raise awareness of human trafficking. This month, we celebrate the collected efforts of law enforcement officials, survivors, and many others, but we know the job is not finished.
Human trafficking is defined when an individual is exploited for labor, services, or sex. It is estimated that worldwide, 27.6 million victims are trafficked. Unfortunately, this is considered one of the fastest-growing illegal industries in the world.
In Ohio, 810 anonymous reports have been received, and 222 reports were made by victims and survivors in 2023. Through the help of reporting these cases, 258 cases were identified, and 458 victims were involved, with some cases having multiple victims at once. Unfortunately, most cases of human trafficking are hidden worldwide, so there is no way to know the exact number of people subjected to it.
Although statistics about the human trafficking of people with disabilities are limited, from January 2015 through December 2017, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported a total of 2,116 potential victims who had pre-existing health issues or disabilities.
Race and gender discrimination are prevalent in trafficking. Traffickers try to find the most vulnerable groups for the traffickers’ gain. Traffickers will claim that their working conditions will be better, and they will have better pay, even though their working conditions are usually unsafe, and often, the victims do not get paid or are paid such a low amount. Women and girls are often the target of human trafficking, making them around 54 percent of a higher risk. Race also plays a role in trafficking, putting race groups at higher risk. A study by the U.S. Department of Justice claims that over 40 percent of the victims are black, and 63 percent of labor trafficking victims are Hispanic.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy or order something that was not made in the traffickers’ workplace. These workplaces are called sweatshops, by most. Big brands like Apple unfortunately use sweatshops for their parts. In Foxconn City, there are an estimated 450,000 workers, but the number is dropping due to the many suicides of the workers. In 2010, workers gathered together to form a line to jump off the building, one-by-one. The suicide notes from these workers often read about how much stress was put on them and that their managers would humiliate them for small mistakes. The suicide rate at this factory became so high that the owners had to put up nets and make their workers sign a document stating that they would not attempt suicide. Former workers warned others that the place was unsafe and extremely stressful, usually 12-hour work shifts per day.
Some ways to help potential victims are to do as follows:
- Approach the victim when they are alone and when you are comfortable because the trafficker could be nearby or watching.
- Express and communicate that you are concerned for their well-being and safety. Ask about their working and living conditions, whether they are allowed to move and whether they have access to their travel documents.
- Tell them that the abuse they are going through is not their fault, and reassure them that they don’t deserve what’s happening to them.
- Boost their self-esteem by telling them good attributes because the trafficker(s) could be trying to tear down their self-esteem.
- Take mental notes about specific things in the situation like the model of the vehicle, license plates, and any identifying features of the abuser(s) such as scars, tattoos, clothing, etc.
- Respect the victim’s choices.
- Be patient with the victim.
This is a miserable tragedy that can happen to anyone. Show your support by donating to organizations that help victims.
We are all in this together.
{Information for this article sourced from The U.S. Department of State, Human Trafficking Hotline, The U.S. Department of the Interior, The U.S. Department of State 2023, Center for Prevention of Abuse.}
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 