How to Stop Human Trafficking: 8 Simple Things You Can Do Starting Today
Human trafficking is a global problem, affecting millions of lives every day. There are about 50 million victims of modern-day slavery, and 1 in 4 of those individuals are children. Inspired by National Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month in January, we’re here not only to shed light on the topic but also to offer hope on how you can help stop human trafficking.
In this article, we share 8 ways to stop and prevent human trafficking in your community and nationwide. Keep reading if you want to be a difference maker, starting today.
Fighting Human Trafficking: 8 Ways You Can Help Stop Exploitation
For some, it feels impossible to see that human trafficking can end. However difficult it may seem, there are so many ways you can join the fight to stop exploitation. Even doing one of the following steps can make a difference:
Know the signs of trafficking.
There are a lot of misconceptions around human trafficking. Movies and culture often portray it as kidnapping or taking place only in certain parts of the world. However, modern-day exploitation is a lot different from how many people think. Once you know the signs, you can help educate others and spot potential trafficking situations.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, anyone can be at risk of trafficking. Some people may face increased vulnerability, including those who:
Have experienced other forms of violence in the past, such as sexual abuse or domestic violence
Have run away from their home or are involved in the juvenile justice or child welfare system
Are you facing poverty or any level of economic need
Have a caregiver or family member who struggles with substance abuse
Have an unstable living situation
Are addicted to alcohol or drugs
While trafficking can happen through kidnapping, it’s actually quite rare. The more common cases of exploitation include:
False job promises that promise money and circumstances that seem too good to be true. Recruiters create opportunities that are hard to turn down, especially for those already in an economically unstable situation.
Familial trafficking, which often occurs between an older and younger family member. The age hierarchy creates a common power imbalance that leads to exploitation.
Online relationships, where the perpetrator presents themselves as a recruiter, modeling scout, or romantic partner who promises lucrative career offers or showers victims with gifts. This is common on social media and dating apps, especially among teenagers and older adults.
“Romeo” or “Loverboy” methods, where traffickers fake romantic relationships in the beginning to gain trust and emotional attachment. Eventually, though, they manipulate and coerce individuals into trafficking.
Many of these cases involve coercion. Traffickers will threaten harm, debt bondage, deportation (for immigrants), isolation from friends and family, and employ other psychological manipulation tactics to make victims feel they have no other choice than exploitation.
Educate yourself about what human trafficking actually looks like, so you can spot the signs or help people who may be at risk.
2. Host an anti-trafficking book club.
One of the biggest ways to prevent human trafficking is to stay informed. Learn the stories of survivors, have conversations with friends and family members about what trafficking looks like, and stay up to date with how the landscape of exploitation continues to change.
A community-oriented way to stay educated is to start an anti-trafficking book club. Not only does this help you stay in the loop, but it also grows awareness for others in your neighborhood.
Here are a few books focused on human trafficking and survivors that you can lead discussions on:
- Scars & Stilettos by Harmony Grillo chronicles Harmony’s story of falling into exploitation through a romantic relationship, discovering a path out, and creating a new life.
- Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd is a powerful survivor story that shares her hard-won escape from the commercial sex industry and the consequent founding of GEMS, New York City’s Girls Education and Mentoring Service.
- Courageous Compassion by Beth Grant founder of Project Rescue, is a faith-based book that combines stories of survivors who’ve found freedom with practical tools for fighting injustice.
- Walking Prey: How America’s Youth are Vulnerable to Sex Slavery by Holly Austin Smith blends personal experience in exploitation with research on how middle-class suburban neighborhoods are quickly becoming a hub for sex trafficking in the US.
- Sold by Patricia McCormick is a harrowing novel about a Nepali girl who is trafficked to India, highlighting how poverty and deception can lead children into exploitation.
Please note that some of these books address sensitive topics, such as rape or abuse, and are best read and discussed with mature adults.
3. Shop consciously.
Human trafficking isn’t just sexual exploitation. There are about 27.6 million victims of forced labor worldwide. One common area where labor trafficking occurs is within the clothing industry. In these situations, individuals may be forced to produce garments in unsafe or illegal working conditions, receive extremely low wages, work excessive hours with forced overtime, and endure physical or sexual abuse. Children are also frequently exploited in these settings, often due to poverty, lack of access to education, or coercion.
Several fast fashion brands have been linked to labor trafficking practices. Because these companies prioritize maximizing profit while minimizing costs, they often rely on supply chains that pay workers extremely low wages and require excessive hours to meet high consumer demand. In some cases, these conditions contribute to labor trafficking.
Many people unknowingly purchase their clothing from fast fashion brands that abuse their workers and contribute to labor trafficking. However, you don’t have to.
Several clothing brands pay their employees a fair wage, maintain favorable and healthy working conditions, and prevent human trafficking. If you’re wondering where to start, Good On You is an app that rates brands based on their ethical practices. Use their app to find brands that treat people with equality, rather than simply as producers of their products.
Besides shopping from ethical brands, here are a couple of other simple tips to stop human trafficking by shopping consciously:
Shop less. Fast fashion brands produce large quantities of clothing to meet high consumer demand. By choosing to buy less, you help reduce that demand and, in turn, lower the risk of labor exploitation and human trafficking within supply chains.
Go thrifting. As shopping less reduces demand, so does thrifting. You’re not directly buying from fast fashion brands, thereby reducing demand for new, cheaply made clothing that’s made by brands that permit modern-day slavery.
4. Help out at an anti-trafficking nonprofit in your community.
If you want to know how to stop human trafficking, join an organization that’s already fighting injustice.
Reach out to an anti-trafficking nonprofit in your community to see how you can help. Oftentimes, they need volunteers, resources, or help educating others about exploitation.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline has a directory of justice-driven organizations and programs throughout America that you can join. Even if it’s one day a month, the small things add up and make a significant impact.
5. Support businesses that fight trafficking.
A simple way to help stop human trafficking is to support a local business that stands against exploitation. These businesses can do many things that help end trafficking, such as employing survivors and helping them rebuild their lives, or donating a portion of their profits to anti-trafficking organizations.
Next time you want to go out for coffee or a bite to eat, try searching for a business that’s supporting anti-trafficking in some capacity.
If you’re in Southern California, Inicio Coffee Company is an excellent justice-driven cafe in the San Fernando Valley you can support. We partner with Justice 180, a holistic nonprofit that provides support, advocacy, and resources for survivors of exploitation. Every time you order a drink from our menu or book our coffee cart in LA, you’re a part of ending human trafficking. Unfortunately, Los Angeles is a very common hub for human trafficking, but that’s why Inicio Coffee Company is here to make a difference. Visit our coffee shop to help stop human trafficking.
6. Educate others about human trafficking.
As previously mentioned, education is an essential solution to human trafficking. Here are a few ideas to educate friends, family, and those around you about exploitation:
Host a movie night centered around a film about trafficking, and lead a discussion afterwards.
Post about what human trafficking is and common signs on social media platforms.
Reach out to schools, businesses, and faith groups to provide practical toolkits for recognizing and reporting exploitation.
Teach people how to shop ethically and stop supporting labor trafficking.
Ask elected representatives what they’re doing to end human trafficking, and inform them of what it looks like in your community.
There are so many ways you can educate others about human trafficking. All it takes is one voice to make a difference.
7. Become a mentor to a young person in need.
Traffickers often target people who are isolated, struggling economically or emotionally, lack access to resources, or are in difficult circumstances. If you notice individuals like this within your sphere of influence, consider reaching out to them. Befriend or mentor them if they’re open to it. Often, this includes young people, immigrants, kids in foster care, or those who are new to the community.
It may take time to build relationships with these individuals, but it’s worth it to build trust over time and be the support they need to get through challenging circumstances. Your companionship can make a world of difference.
8. Raise funds to support anti-trafficking efforts.
Here’s something you can do right now to help stop human trafficking: donate to an organization that works with survivors and helps them create new lives. Many of these nonprofits depend on financial donations to provide holistic care to survivors and help them out of difficult situations.
Find an organization that’s reputable and actually doing the work to fight exploitation. Here are a few we recommend:
Research local nonprofits you can donate to, helping them further their efforts in your community.
Don’t Give Up: Stopping Human Trafficking is a Team Effort
When learning how to stop human trafficking, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the numbers. Yes, there are millions stuck in exploitation, but there are also countless survivors being led out of trafficking every year. Several lives are being restored and changed because of the little steps you take to end exploitation.
In the end, it’s a community effort. It can’t be just one person who stops human trafficking altogether. But if we all do our part, the impact will be felt, and justice will slowly take root.