Spring Break 2017. While most students went to Florida to hang on the beach, get drunk, and party with all their closest college friends, I went to Miami, Florida for another reason. This year, I went on an Alternative Breaks trip through my school to learn about the issue of human trafficking.
This issue is so prevalent in our world today. Most people do not know it even happens in the United States. When people hear the words human trafficking, they think of the movie "Taken." This movie does not do this horrible justice. Yes, those types of situations can happen, but it is not that simple, and the victims do not go back to their normal lives once they are rescued (and no one has a Liam Neeson type dad that can save the day).
Recommended for you
Human trafficking can happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time. It does not discriminate by gender, socioeconomic class, or race. Most victims of human trafficking are girls, however, and the average age of a victim is 12-14 years old. Just think about that for a moment. Chances are you know someone who is 12-14 years old. Would you want to do anything you could to make sure that person did not fall prey to human trafficking?
Educating people about human trafficking is the most important thing someone like you and me can do to save people from getting caught in this life. The more that people know about human trafficking and how to spot red flags, the less times a pimp could pick up a little girl on the street. So, educate yourself. Watch documentaries like "Sex and Money," browse The Polaris Project's website, read as much as you can about this issue and go out and teach others about it.
The whole "not in my backyard" mentality does not work for this. 8 girls were just rescued from a man in Atlanta, Georgia. A flight attendant saved a girl from that life when she spotted red flags. It happens in the United States too. Ignorance is not bliss, so do yourself a favor and work to fight this horrible injustice that is right under your nose.
