Human Trafficking: Awareness vs. Understanding

There is a big difference between being aware of human trafficking and understanding what it is. There are a lot of myths and stereotypes associated with the activity, to the point that people aren’t aware of what they should be looking out for. In order to dispel those myths, here’s what you should know between understanding human trafficking and being aware of it.

Awareness Of Human Trafficking

Awareness is usually defined as “concern about and well-informed interest in a particular situation.” It is usually the first step to learning about the social issues that are going on around you, especially if you’re considering looking for better child trafficking organizations to donate to. When more people are made aware of the issue of human trafficking, then more steps can be taken by more people to start mobilizing and donating to causes that can prevent it from happening in the first place, as well as helping the survivors overcome their traumatic experiences. However, awareness alone is based on the responses of individual people and works on a much smaller scale.

Understanding Human Trafficking

Understanding is the comprehension or “sympathetically aware of other people’s feelings.” This is more than just being aware, but awareness has to take place before true understanding can be undertaken. With meaningful understanding comes long-lasting change that inspires the construction and funding of mass prevention strategies that seek to end human trafficking for good. Solutions are also created to prevent human trafficking from happening in the first place, and it’s through understanding that these myths and misinformation are done away with.

Myth: Human Trafficking Victims Are Usually Poor And From Another Country

This is absolutely false. Human trafficking victims can come from any walk of life, regardless of age, race, gender, or nationality. The only reason this myth exists is because of popular media, and that leads people to believe that the citizens of their country are not likely to become human trafficking victims.

Myth: Human Trafficking Victims Will Seek Help When They’re In Public

Many people believe that on the off-chance that victims are allowed into a public area that they’re going to do everything that they can to get away and get some help. But that is not the case. There could be any number of people around you who are victims of human trafficking and you would never know it. This is because victims may be afraid to come forward and get help, or that could have been forced or coerced through threats or violence. In some cases, they fear that their traffickers will enact retribution on them or inflict harm on their families.

Human trafficking is a serious problem that everyone should be made aware of, and then be made to understand how complex it can be. It’s a hidden crime that can be impossible to spot, and that’s why it has become so easy for traffickers to get away with. If you’re eager to get involved with preventing human trafficking, feel free to contact your local organization to see how you can help out.