January 2022 is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, also known as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. January 11th is also Human Trafficking Prevention Day. The goal is to raise awareness in order to prevent people from becoming victims and to help free those that are already captive. Increased awareness equals increased freedom. Every raised voice and every utilized platform makes a difference.
If you’ve purchased a pair of earrings, take a selfie in them and copy and paste one of these captions for your post. Tag us in the photo! If you haven’t purchased a pair of earrings, you can still raise awareness as a modern day abolitionist by sharing one of these captions on your social media page.
Thank you, Tirza Tribe, for your help in the fight against human exploitation!
List of vital information you can easily share with your community. Copy & paste from this list to help bring awareness. (*Please do not alter this information or edit out our @tirzadesign handle.)
Female perpetrators are often the result of former victims who have been promoted as a way to survive and escape their own victimization. In order to trap their victims, traffickers seek to be relatable as a means to easily exploit the potential victim’s trust.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
While it is true that there are victims being held captive, there are many more who are freely choosing the lifestyle they are in. Some stay out of fear from threats made about what would happen if they ever tried to escape, some stay out of lack of resources to survive on their own, and others have been so deeply manipulated that they are unable to recognize the depravity of the situation they are in.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Many Americans believe human trafficking is happening somewhere far off in a third world country, and while it most likely is happening there, human trafficking is a very real problem here in our own backyard. It is impossible to get an exact number on this largely underground industry, however reports estimate that roughly 18,000-20,000 victims are trafficked into America every year. The National Human Trafficking Hotline receives on average, 150 calls per day. California, Texas, and Florida have the highest record of human trafficking cases but every state in the U.S. have had reports. Are you wondering what to do if you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking? Call the national hotline at 1-888-373-7888 for help on what to do next.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Many sudden or unusual changes in the appearance or behavior of a youth can be an indicator of grooming or trafficking taking place.
Abrupt changes to look out for:
-Suddenly isolated or detached from family and friends.
-Hanging around new friends or the sudden presence of an older boyfriend or girlfriend.
-The appearance of new bruises and cuts.
-Significant change in appearance without an explainable source of income (ie: new phone, clothes, shoes, jewelry, hair and nails).
-A new tattoo with a name or some other type of branding with little or no explanation.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Family members are involved in nearly half of all child trafficking cases. Of the 1.2 million children trafficked annually, more than half are trafficked as sex slaves. World wide, nearly 70 percent of child sex slaves are between the ages of 15-17 years old, in the U.S. the ages drop to 12-14 years old due to the significant percentages of children runaways.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Really knowing the person you are dating could be the difference between bondage and freedom. Over 90 percent of forced sexual exploitation involves an intimate partner in the initial stages of organizing the trafficking.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
A majority of sex trafficking victims were first survivors of domestic violence. One study found that nearly 70 percent of adult female trafficking victims had experienced domestic violence before being trafficked. Unfortunately, one of the greatest risk factors for any type of abuse is experience with prior abuse. One way that domestic violence primes victims to be trafficked is by normalizing abusive behaviors in relationships. Abuse begets abuse.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
The average age that people enter sex trafficking is between 11-14 years old, with a life expectancy of 7 years from the time of entering. Most women who escape, have still missed crucial educational, relational and emotional developmental years; in a way, they are exiting trafficking and entering back into society at the same age they were when they left. The result is sharp survival skills but weak basic living skills.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Native American women are trafficked more frequently than any other racial group in America. They are two and a half times more likely to experience sexual violence and more specifically, they experience domestic violence and assault at an estimated 50 percent higher rate than the next most victimized demographic.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Half of all human trafficking victims are minors and of those, 70-80 percent are part of the foster care system. Many of the children within the system report feelings of not belonging or being loved less than permanent children in their foster family. Traffickers exploit these feelings by pretending to be what the victim desires most.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
The majority of the people who purchase sex are those with a disposable income. They tend to be affluent white men, married with good jobs and a good education. In overwhelming numbers, the predators that kidnap and traffic the majority of America’s sex trafficking victims are African-American men. In this way, Black and White men in America are largely fueling the country’s sex trafficking industry. If nefarious men of all backgrounds can work together in the name of oppression, surely we can all come together with the goal of justice and liberation.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
Youth are targeted more than adults as victims for sex trafficking. And among youth, it is black children that are most vulnerable. Key factors that make someone high risk for being trafficked are also many of the same issues plaguing the black community. Issues such as broken or dysfunctional family unit. Due to high incarceration rates, every 1 in 9 African American children you come into contact with on any given day, may have had or currently have a parent in prison. This often results in an unstable home life and a lack of family support; two of the leading determining factors in who does or doesn’t end up as a victim of sex trafficking. One of greatest weapons against human trafficking is a healthy, tightknit family.
For more information on the fight against human exploitation and how fashion can be a part of that fight, visit @tirzadesign !
