Human rights are so important to us as people, so why do we allow them to be violated? Human trafficking is a huge problem that is overlooked in today’s society, and we need to change this. Most likely, you haven’t had any connection to human trafficking, but daily thousands of people do, all around us. Throughout the United States, victims are used and abused through trafficking. Awareness should be brought to this major problem. 

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. The two types of trafficking are sex and labor trafficking. During these instances, people are forced against their will, to participate in acts that they most likely do not want to do. This goes against some of our most important rights as people. Recognizing this issue is an important first step. 

If a form of trafficking was happening around you, would you be able to tell? What could you do to get help? Many people aren’t confident in themselves with these situations. First and foremost, you must be able to recognize it. Human trafficking can happen to anyone. Most often, the traffickers know the victims they choose. Recognizing the trafficker may be the most important step.  

There are many things to look for that may raise suspicions enough for you to take action. When someone is being trafficked, you may notice they are scared or pressured into certain situations. Labor trafficking may be happening when a person feels pressured to stay at a bad job, or they may be owed money from an employer and not get it. Also, victims could appear to be monitored by someone when in normal conversations, they may not have a passport or form of identity because of their employer, they may be isolated from everyone in their workplace, or  live/work in inhumane and unsanitary conditions. These red flags are some of the most common warning signs. But once you recognize these things, what can you do? 

Everyone should know about these situations in case you ever find yourself caught up in one. You must know what to do as there may not be much time to react. Some of the options you should consider include getting the victim to safety, calling an emergency line (911), getting nearby people to help control the situation, or calling a human trafficking helpline number which you can find online.

 Human trafficking is an important thing to be educated about seeing as it affects so many people and can be so dangerous. Awareness should be spread as much as possible, not only throughout the school of Galway, but also our state, country, and even our entire world. New York is high on the list of states with the highest amount of human trafficking, being only fourth when it comes to the most cases per year. Therefore it should be a top concern to educate others about this issue. 

Works Cited 

“Home.” Polaris, 30 Dec. 2022, https://polarisproject.org/.

“Recognizing Human Trafficking.” Polaris, 13 Sept. 2022, https://polarisproject.org/recognizing-human-trafficking/.

“Understanding Trafficking Happens.” Polaris, 5 May 2022, https://polarisproject.org/understanding-human-trafficking/.