Unbeknownst to most, human trafficking is a prevalent crime that takes place in plain sight. On any given day, between 25 and 40 million men, women, and children are victimized by human trafficking.
While you may feel there is little that you can do to combat this atrocity, there is a lot you can do, including:
- Learn the signs and keep a watchful eye to help identify victims of human trafficking.
- The U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking have a complete Awareness Campaign and Prayer Service toolkit with educational materials, prayers, events, and action items that anyone can take to help end human trafficking.
- A21 offers educational guides on safe relationships and employment for educators, parents, and students. They also provide a high school curriculum called Bodies are Not Commodities.
- Ethics & Public Policy Center created a very up-to-date Technology Guide for Parents.
- The USCCB offers parishes the SHEPHERD program with prayers, workshop activities, community outreach, service activities, and more. The Amistad program is another resource to help parishes fight trafficking in their immigrant communities.
- The International Justice Mission also has a limited podcast series, ‘Finding Ruby,’ that details one girl’s entrapment into sex trafficking and her rescue, or its shorter companion, What I’ve Been Through is Not Who I Am, is an excellent documentary on the reality of CSEC.
- Finally, the National Human Trafficking Hotline, Health and Human Services Dept, and DHS Blue Campaign offer awareness materials and posters.