National Human Trafficking Prevention Month
Highlighted in January, National Human Trafficking Prevention Month strives to raise awareness surrounding human trafficking and advocate for victims and survivors of such actions. In January, we, as a community, are reminded of the emotional, physical, and sexual exploitation and trauma that victims and survivors of human trafficking experience. National Human Trafficking Prevention Month allows individuals and the government to acknowledge the effects that human trafficking can have on an individual, and also the country, create awareness and advocacy efforts, and propose legislation efforts to minimize the amount of human trafficking; hopefully ending it in the end.
The identity of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month was recognized as an advocacy month in 2010. Prior to its name change by President Biden, in 2023, former President Obama recognized it as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. However, the essence of advocating and educating the public on this critical topic has remained at the center. When discussing human trafficking, it is essential to acknowledge that it takes various forms such as slavery, sex, labor, and more. Educating and advocating for this vulnerable population aids to showcase the dignity and worth of every individual, and how no one should be subjugated to such actions. Although there is no concrete number of how many individuals are trafficked, in the United States solely, 432,902 signals of human trafficking have been recorded by the Human Trafficking Hotline since it inception in 2007.
The Global Slavery Index reports that there is an estimated 1 million people trapped in a situation of modern-day slavery at any given moment in time in the United States.
The identified theme for the 2025 year is Connecting the Dots. Strengthening Communities, Preventing Trafficking. This theme showcases the importance of advocacy for human trafficking in the United States, while also, sharing the criticality of identifying other systems that can impact someone’s life in falling victim to human trafficking. This theme strives to understand the issues and systems that impact these individuals and acquire mechanisms to limit their exposure to human trafficking whether it be due to economic, social, or societal factors. One system that can be related to human trafficking is the criminal justice system. |