National Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention Month is celebrating 25 years!
For over 2 decades, National Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention Month has stood to educate the national community about human trafficking, as well as acknowledge and honor the several millions of victims and survivors of what has been described as one of the largest transnational crime enterprises in the world. In 2010, by presidential proclamation, President Obama declared January “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month” and every year since, each president has followed this tradition, having been most recently acknowledged on December 30th, 2024.
What is Human Trafficking?
According to US law, human trafficking is characterized as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts, labor, or services against their will. The one exception involves minors and commercial sex, as inducing a minor into commercial sex is considered human trafficking regardless of the presence of force, fraud or coercion. Around the globe, an estimated 27.6 million people—adults and children—are exploited for economic gain, at an approximated $245 billion annually.
Human Trafficking in Colorado
In June of 2024, Judge Kandace Gerdes issued a historic 448 year prison sentence for a human sex trafficking case that occurred in Denver, Colorado. This sentence is believed to be the longest sentence handed down for a human trafficking conviction not only in the state of Colorado, but also the United States. This case, which involved 4 adult and 2 child victims, is a significant example of the terrible impact human trafficking can have.
Per the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 165 cases of human trafficking identified in Colorado in 2023, with 298 victims involved in these cases (there were multiple victims involved in some cases). Of these cases, 90 involved sex trafficking, 19 involved labor trafficking, and 30 involved both; in the remaining cases, the type of trafficking was unknown or not specified. The Hotline also shared that of the victims identified that year, 119 were adults and 47 were minors.
Through the Lab to Combat Human Trafficking’s 2023 edition of the Colorado Project, research focused on Southeastern Colorado (covering the 15th, 16th, 10th, and 3rd Judicial Districts) determined that the root causes of human trafficking within the area included poverty, housing instability, and substance abuse. At the state level, other root causes included “trauma in the home setting,[…] lack of education, lack of citizenship status, marginalization due to a range of diverse identities (e.g. LGBTQ+, having a disability, etc.)”.
The Keys to Prevention
As with many issues, prevention can be facilitated by community education and spreading awareness surrounding the issues regarding sex and labor trafficking. Identifying and addressing root causes, as well as potential roadblocks to addressing those causes is also an important step for any community working to combat human trafficking. Make sure that you familiarize yourself with good local, state, and national resources, such as AVRC, The National Human Trafficking Hotline, and the Lab to Combat Human Trafficking, to further educate yourself and your community, and also help protect and support victims and survivors.
No one should be treated like a commodity or product for the economic gain of another. Everyone deserves to live their life free from violence, coercion, or force. If you or someone you know may be a victim of human labor and/or sex trafficking, or if you would like to learn more about ways to combat human trafficking, AVRC staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
415 Colorado Avenue, La Junta, CO 81050
(719) 384-7764
TTY: (719) 384-1938
After Hours Colorado Relay dial 711 or 1-800-659-2656
AVRC is non-discriminatory agency regarding age, race, religion, color, gender, country of national origin, sexual orientation, mental health status, substance use or economic condition.