We Do Not Just Want Awareness — We Want Abolishment
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month — a time when discussions about trafficking briefly come to the forefront. However, after 14 years of proclamations and campaigns, the message feels increasingly hollow. Perhaps that’s because much of the anti-trafficking movement remains stuck in outdated practices, while traffickers are using cutting-edge tools to exploit vulnerable populations. Perhaps it’s because we are tired of hearing about nonprofits that have stolen money meant for survivors, or politicians caught committing the very crimes they claim to fight against.
As a lived experience expert, my perspective is both deeply personal and rooted in practical application. I have been in the position of responding to human trafficking calls as a first responder, and I’ve also trained law enforcement to recognize signs of trafficking. When I start listing the industries where human trafficking occurs, there’s often a look of shock and appreciation for the knowledge. It happens in the adoption industry, in modeling companies, on platforms like OnlyFans, in agriculture, restaurants, nail salons, massage parlors, and the list goes on. But recognition alone is not enough. I can’t count how many times I’ve had this discussion with officers who know the industries where trafficking occurs and even spot it in plain sight while patrolling the streets, yet take no action because there are no resources to follow through.
A troubling pattern emerges in the public conversations around trafficking: we focus on viral videos about zip ties on cars or conspiracy theories about cabinets instead of teaching children and families the real dynamics of trafficking. The truth is, traffickers aren’t shadowy strangers lurking in parking lots. They are often the people victims trust the most — boyfriends, classmates, family members, or peers. No one told me growing up what human trafficking was or what to look out for. I was wary of strangers, not knowing it would be someone who earned my trust over nine months. No one taught me what behaviors to watch for or how traffickers manipulate trust. It wasn’t until four years after I escaped my exploitation that I was identified as a survivor. By then, my trauma had compounded, and countless opportunities for intervention had been missed. By the time we are aware, someone has already been traumatized or, worse, didn’t live to tell their story. The fact that I was only identified as a survivor years after escaping five and a half years of hell is a failure in the system. You can tell me all day how sorry you are for what happened or how brave I am for speaking up I would much rather it never happened at all.
For every dollar spent on prevention, we can save up to ten dollars on detection and one hundred dollars on correction costs. You can pay now or pay later, but too often, no one wants to pay now. We demand immediate results, but getting to the root cause means we may not see results for years.
Stopping human trafficking starts with understanding the risks, helping communities learn how to spot problems, and using that information to guide actions. Partnerships mean nothing when they’re reduced to sitting around a table sharing victim data and lamenting the state of affairs. Survivor leadership is celebrated in name but rarely supported with tangible resources or compensation for the emotional labor of reliving the trauma over and over again.
Policies must hold higher punishments for those participating in human trafficking to send a clear message that they will be held accountable. Often, sex buyers or those who enable the industry are not held accountable. Women get arrested and jailed for prostitution, yet the buyers receive a citation, or in many cases, no punishment at all. When politicians are caught, the crime is often downplayed as “paying for sex with underage girls” instead of acknowledging it for what it is — rape. What message does this send to survivors?
Programs must address the real tactics traffickers use — such as manipulating trust — and empower children, families, and communities to recognize risk. Survivor-informed education should be at the heart of these programs, ensuring they reflect lived experiences. We need to provide tools for those on the front lines: police officers, teachers, social workers, and community leaders must be trained to recognize when young people are in danger and connect them to help before victimization takes hold.
Addressing poverty as a key risk factor is critical. Survivors and at-risk individuals need access to economic opportunities that can reduce their vulnerabilities and help them break free from potential trafficking situations. Traffickers are constantly evolving, using technology to exploit their victims in new and innovative ways. We need to use technology to stay ahead of them. Tools like AI can help detect patterns of trafficking, apps can enable quick reporting, and partnerships with tech companies can lead to proactive solutions to combat trafficking. A central system collecting data from multiple sources can reveal large-scale trafficking trends. Efforts like Allies Against Slavery’s databases in three states are already paving the way for this type of monitoring.
Survivors are uniquely positioned to offer insights into what works. However, survivor leadership must be supported with resources and fair compensation for their emotional labor, rather than being tokenized for photo ops and statements.
We need a government that values prevention, puts survivor voices at the center, and is willing to invest in long-term solutions. Prevention is the only way to ensure fewer people will ever experience human trafficking. Imagine a society where communities are not only educated about trafficking dynamics, but where economic vulnerabilities are reduced, and people are not being victimized in the first place. With the right tools, training, and support, prevention can save lives and end trauma cycles.
The next step in this fight is not another proclamation but a coordinated, forward-thinking strategy that prioritizes accountability, prevention and resilience.
How can we work together to move beyond awareness and into meaningful action?
