Between 14,500 and 17,500 individuals mostly woman and children are trafficked into the U.S. annually, according to The United States Department of State.
Charlotte FBI special agent and Representative of the North Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force, John Price, explained that human trafficking cases are not discovered as frequently as homicide or robbery cases. We may come across three or four a year; but in the same breath, we don't know exactly how much of it is out there. It's a crime that is so under the radar and is so out of the public view that most people may see it every day but not report it. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Hispanics comprise the largest percentage of human trafficking victims, while Asians comprise less than half of the victims.
According to the U.S. Department of State, an increase in human trafficking is partly due to the rise in unemployment. The economy is definitely having an impact on human trafficking because predators are preying on those who are the most vulnerable, said Sandra Johnson, founder and president of Triad Ladder of Hope. She noted that victims are not always from other countries, they also include women and children from the U.S.
Triad Ladder of Hope is a faith based non-profit organization dedicated to ending human trafficking in North Carolina and the Triad. Statistics don't matter, said Johnson, because if one person is a victim, then that is one too many. She said very few victims are identified because people are not aware of what human trafficking is, and it could be happening right in ones own neighborhood.
So, what is human trafficking? It is defined as the recruitment, harboring, obtaining, and transporting of persons by use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjecting them to forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Human trafficking is tied with illegal arms as one of the largest criminal industries in the world; only falling second behind drug trafficking.
The Human Trafficking Reporting System, a program established by The U.S. Department of Justice to record information on human trafficking incidents, tallied more than 1,200 alleged incidents from January 1, 2007 to September 30 2008, the first 21 months of operation. Growing poverty is making more people vulnerable to both labor and sex trafficking, boosting the supply side of human trafficking all over the world, The U.S. Department of State noted in its June 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report. Although the incidents reported in the Triad are small, Price believes there are many cases that go unreported, There are state laws against human trafficking so people can contact any law enforcement agency if they suspect someone of human trafficking, said Price.
Lisa Thompson, National Liaison for the Abolition of Sex Trafficking for the Salvation Army explained that the purpose of training is to show the broad range of needs for victims such as culturally appropriate counseling, job skills training, food and shelter. We need to be more on the lookout and view it as a duty as a citizen, to be aware of whats going on in your neighborhood.
Triad Ladder of Hope is currently looking for volunteers to assist with its Victim Partnership program which allows people to donate money every month to help provide a human trafficking victim with food, shelter, clothes and more.
Triad Ladder of Hope is sponsoring a series of human trafficking training events open to the public. Anyone interested can register at www.triadladderofhope.org.
Wednesday, July 15,
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Daystar Christian Fellowship
908 Westover Terrace Road
Greensboro, N.C. 27403
Thursday, July 16,
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hope Outreach Center
2800 Westchester Drive
High Point, N.C. 27262
Friday, July 17,
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Peace Haven Baptist Church
3384 York Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27106
source:http://www.carolinapeacemaker.com/News/article/article.asp?NewsID=97595&sID=4
For educational purposes only
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