National Human Trafficking Prevention Month occurs during the month of January and its purpose is to raise awareness about the ever-growing problem of human trafficking and to help the public identify this crime so that it can be prevented. According to recent statistics, there were over 16,600+ people trafficked in the U.S every year.

Of that number of people, approximately 10,800 people were trafficked for sex, 3,500 for labor and 1,600 were trafficked for not specified reasons. That’s why it’s important for everyone to observe this month and to learn what they can do to identify and stop human trafficking in their communities.

The History Of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was made into law in a commitment to not only combat human trafficking domestically but also internationally. Then in 2010, National Slavery and Human Prevention Month was declared by then-President Obama. This month has been observed every year since then.

Facts About Human Trafficking

We did a little bit of research ourselves and came up with some facts that we feel our readers should be conscious about. We’ve listed these facts below, so let’s take a look at them.

• Human trafficking involves not only forced prostitution but also can involve forced labor, marriage, and even organ removal.
• It’s estimated that up to 40 million people are in modern slavery today.
• It’s estimated that less than 0.05% of human trafficking survivors are identified.
• Over 50,000 people are trafficked into the U.S every year. Most of them are from Mexico and the Philippines.
• Over half of human trafficking cases in the U.S were sex trafficking cases that involved only children.
• It’s estimated that in the U.S between 14,000 and 50,000 women and children are forced into sexual slavery in the U.S.
• The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act has made it easier to not only prosecute traffickers but also to sentence them.
• It’s been estimated that human trafficking is a $150 billion a year business.

Observing National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

People can observe this month by making sure that they educate themselves on the subject of human trafficking. If everyone works together, we can end human trafficking during our lifetime, and that’s the point that this month wants to emphasize.

It’s not just on law enforcement to solve this problem, but it’s one every one to help. To spread the word about this month, we encourage everyone to use the hashtag #HumanTraffickingPreventionMonth on social media.