Human Trafficking: what do those words represent to you? Do they stir up angst, aggression, sympathy or heartbreak? Or do you find yourself “so far removed from the issue” that it’s difficult to engage with emotional ties?

I found myself here once. I had begun to hear about this international crisis, if you will, to which I felt the need to do more and more research on. I was torn; I was torn between deep feelings of anger and outrage for those who had the intelligence of these crimes that were happening on their streets but did nothing about it, and crushed for the hearts of the victims whose screams and stories may never be heard.

After being overcome with emotion, that’s when I knew helping those who were, and still are, being targeted was my passion. I did research; I looked up the Who, When, Where and Why of human trafficking, but most importantly, the What.

I find that so often nowadays, people can rally behind a “hot topic,” whether it be the most recent political campaign or the Amendment that is receiving the most heat for the month, but so rarely do they take the time to truly educate themselves on the issue at hand.

So when asked again, “what do the words human trafficking represent to you?” allow me to diffuse any misconceptions held behind those words before an opinion is made.

Human trafficking is a much larger issue than just sex trafficking in itself, which the majority of people believe to be synonymous. Human trafficking encompases both sex and labor trafficking and can affect men, women and children to the same degree.

Another myth about this industry that society has fallen into believing is that human trafficking, in any facet, only happens overseas. As this international and, yes, national, issue begins to pillow and rumble, the media often highlights the stories of victims who reside in places outside of the United States. What this has the power to do is draw the attention away from those who are hurting in our own backyard and make it seem like this is simply an issue for others.

The dangers that these misconceptions hold have immeasurable consequences and lead to the ignorance of those who could be potential helpers of the cause.

Return back to the beginning. Forget everything you thought you knew or what the people in that little electronic box have told you, just start with the basics in order to truly understand this large topic at hand.

Who: People who fall into human trafficking can be of any age, male or female, Chinese, American, African, Portuguese, European, Russian or Turkish. It can be the one or the many. It can be anyone.

What: Human trafficking, when defined, covers the bases of both forced sex and labor trafficking.

When: These men, women and children who are being abused by this industry across the globe could have been taken at any time. They could have been walking to school or work. They could have been picked up off the side of the street and sold into the business or even felt they had to enter in voluntarily in order gain more money for their households. The stories of these victims differ in all sorts of ways, but that in no way means that their stories are not valid.

Where: All over the globe. Human trafficking is not just happening in Cambodia or Thailand, China or Nepal. Lives are being affected in the United States of America. This crime against humanity occurs primarily in places such as Atlanta, Las Vegas, Detroit and San Diego.

Why: Why does human trafficking continue today? Because the perpetrators have created such a strong industry around what they demand that a cycle can almost be seen. Here in the states we have a high demand for porn, chocolate, precious gems and the like. We have been paying these under-cover human trafficking businesses for years and haven't even realized the horrendous cycle it's created.

We need fighters; we need people who have a passion and a heart for those whose stories are locked away behind doors. We need those who are not afraid to speak up on behalf of others and fight for the justice of the ones falling victim to crimes of the night.

So when asked for the final time, “What do the words human trafficking represent to you,” what do you have in your heart to say?