But the cruel truth is, we need to open our eyes and ears to the realities going on around us and do our part to help put a stop to the cruelties that victimize those in our midst. North Carolina is ranked 9th in the nation for the highest number of human trafficking cases in the United States. Approximately 89 percent of those being trafficked are US citizens; 11 percent are immigrants or refugees.
A breakdown of trafficking victims: 41 percent are white; 37 percent African-American; 10 percent Hispanic. Over 36 percent of the victims are years old; 26 percent are under 18 and 30 percent are years old.
Human trafficking breaks down like this: 89 percent is sex trafficking; 6 percent is familial; and 4 percent is labor. By definition, human trafficking is a crime involving the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex, and oftentimes involves a mother, hooked on drugs, selling her son and daughter, exchanging sex for money or drugs.
It can also be a father pimping out his daughter or son, or even a stranger who has weaseled their way into the life of a teenager or young adult, shaming or threatening them into becoming their prostitute. The details are nauseating at best, but the realities are there in black and white and cannot β nor should they β be ignored. While this, prayerfully, may not be happening in your own neighborhood or family, it could be happening to someone you know or come in contact with on a daily basis.
While there is no single sign that is proof of human trafficking, the indicators are a cautionary tale of the potential for trouble if not out right trouble.
