Sex trafficking is real and it’s here. Sex trafficking is a problem that many people think only happens in foreign countries but sex trafficking happens right here in the United States. Sex trafficking is also not something that only young girls need to worry about; all different types of people including older people and men can fall victim to sex trafficking.

At least 20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. This makes sex trafficking one of the largest international crimes in the world. Nobody is safe from trafficking. It can happen on vacation, at school and at home. The only thing we can do to stay safe is be aware of situations that may put you in danger.

Do not trust strangers. This one goes way back to when we were children, but putting your trust in strangers can be one of the major contributors to human trafficking. Not ever talking to strangers on a college campus could be detrimental to your social life, so we have to take a chance on trusting people, but while choosing your friends keep in mind that not everyone on campus is looking to be your friend. College students are drinking, doing drugs, gambling and some have been raped. College students are facing the threat of sex trafficking, but are forced to make friends with complete strangers every day.

Another way to help prevent being sex trafficked is to avoid other illegal things. People who are doing or selling illegal drugs many times also take part in the illegal act of sex trafficking. Traveling can increase the chance of being entered into a sex trafficking ring.

Wandering off with a group of people you don’t know, in a country you don’t know, with a language you don’t speak is dangerous as is, but especially with sex trafficking on the rise. It is helpful to learn the current events in places out of the country to know if it is currently a safe place to visit. If the country has a sex trafficking background it is better to be more cautious in that place.

People who are forced into the sex industry have to face the idea of being forced to sleep with multiple partners a day without receiving any money in return for the services. Women who are forced to sleep with these men may see up to as many as 50 a day and also are sometimes forced to skip meals. Many people who are forced into sex trafficking are injected and sedated with drugs. These people live the rest of their lives under the influence of heavy drugs, and a person’s dependence on the drug makes it harder to escape. Many people die from overdose and starvation and never see another life outside of sex trafficking.

While sex trafficking is a serious issue, one that goes hand and hand with it is selling people into forced labor. Women who have to work in sweatshops are sometimes held there against their own will and are forced to make products for up to 20 hours a day. Children are forced into manual labor jobs and can even be sold to other counties in order to make money for their families. Although these things are less common in the United States, they are still problems that should be taken seriously. We as students should stand up against sex trafficking by starting at Iowa State.

Spreading the word about sex trafficking and forced labor is a significant way to start putting a stop to these problems. Many people in the United States don’t even know that sex trafficking is a problem because it is not one that is talked about very often as being a problem in the United States. Movies set the stage for foreign sex trafficking and forced labor and ignore the fact that it also happens right here in our home towns. If students became more aware of sex trafficking and forced labor, we could spread the word enough that other people notice that this is a growing issue that is becoming more prevalent right here at home.