The Voiceless

7 min readMay 11, 2021

Inner Drive

Most who find this piece won’t make it through the first paragraph and that’s ok. They aren’t the intended audience. Admittedly, it’s far easier to turn a blind eye than it is to discuss things that are uncomfortable.

However, there are those who will discover this and find meaning in what is shared. Human trafficking and specifically human trafficking of children is a significant problem. Not only abroad, but also in your own community.

My intent here is not to guilt people into feeling they need to do anything. Nor is it an attempt to get donations for some initiative to save the children. This isn’t a piece where I pit political parties against one another, pointing fingers to blame anyone. These approaches only work to counteract what’s necessary to fight against human trafficking.

Furthermore, you won’t hear me bring in conspiracies, whether warranted or not, about what could be happening in powerful places behind closed doors. However, all of these aspects play a role in perpetuating this epidemic in our global society. They are all capable of detracting from what’s truly important, the children.

Out of Sight: Out of Mind

For some reason, discussing stigmatic topics in society has garnered a label for being taboo. It is becoming apparent that many would prefer to pretend it isn’t real than to face the truth that’s staring them down.

Maybe this is a primitive survival instinct to prevent one's self from being devoured by the same darkness that is perpetrating the crime. Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact there are currently an estimated 2 million children (1) forced into sex slavery annually. A disproportionate amount of which are young girls.

I understand why most shy away from these sorts of discussions and hold nothing against those that do. I recognize why most would rather spend their time sharing funny TikTok videos or watching their favorite Netflix shows.

This is natural because it feels good, whereas digging into this dark underground of criminal activity leaves you feeling ill and disturbed. These topics leave people feeling helpless and can truly impact your mental health if you don’t manage the emotions that come with the research.

Beacon of Hope

What type of person would actually focus on some of the darkest and gnarliest torment that’s happening behind the curtain? Especially when you start to realize how significant and scary the issue of human trafficking is. Well, if you’re still reading then the type of person I’m referring to is you.

I tend to believe it’s because you feel a moral or ethical obligation to stand up for those without a voice. I also tend to believe there are far more like you than many recognize.

It can be a daunting journey when you feel obligated to do something and seek out ways to right the wrongs being committed. Many of those that do, recognize there are many children out there without a voice, who have lost hope, and are marginalized in society. They understand that although they are only one person, they can make a difference, even if it’s considered small in the grand scheme of things.

Simply raising awareness is leaps and bounds ahead of saying or doing nothing. Consider the potential you could make by helping prevent atrocities from happening to even a single child.

I like to believe the initiative of preventing human trafficking and child sex slavery could have a cascading effect. What I mean by this is, if a little is done by many people, it would become like a snowball rolling down a mountain. Eventually, the movement would be unstoppable and smash anything in its way.

The Trenches

So what is human trafficking? There are a few variations. One is trafficking humans for labor. Another form is for sex slaves and yet another is for organs. All heavy topics that are disturbing to think about. However, as disturbing as this is, it doesn’t change the fact it’s happening regularly all around the world.

In a 2020 report by the UN on human trafficking (2), they identify roughly one third of all detected victims of human trafficking being children. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has identified human trafficking as being the fastest growing industry globally (3).

It’s also estimated there are roughly 20.9 million people in modern day slavery across the world (4). When you think about the sheer size of these numbers it can be daunting to think you can make any impact. Yet, everyone that does something contributes to eradicating this trend.

Some of you may think human trafficking and slavery, whether for work, sex or organs, only happens in extremely impoverished and/or war torn countries. Although statistically there is evidence to suggest higher rates of trafficking in these regions, there is also grim statistics for developed countries as well.

It’s estimated there are roughly 1.5 million in slavery globally within developed countries (4). What’s more disturbing is its believed 2.2 million people in modern day slavery are being exploited by governments (4).

While researching human trafficking it was discovered the increase in trafficking can be due to a few big reasons. The first being that organized crime rings realize humans can be sold multiple times for sex or labor, whereas drugs can only be sold for consumption once. This simple truth increases their criminal enterprises potential bottom line of revenue generation.

Furthermore, the penalties for human trafficking can be lesser than for drug smuggling in many countries. For example, in Singapore you can receive the death penalty for seemingly minuscule amounts of drugs, but they have a maximum of 10 years imprisonment for a conviction of human trafficking (5).

How is it possible trafficking children for use as sex slaves is a lesser crime than that of peddling drugs? Although illicit drugs flooding a countries borders could create a landslide of potential issues, couldn’t the same be said for a group of marginalized children being physically and mentally destroyed before being thrown out into society?

Ambassadors for Change

So what now? Learning about all the wrongs being committed is daunting. Especially, considering the human trafficking industry generates $150 Billion annually and is growing. How could an average person help fight against human trafficking when they have a budget that rivals many nation states?

It’s my opinion that simply facilitating dialogue with friends and families is a big start. Remember the snowball rolling down the mountain.

If enough people decide they are tired of turning away from what’s happening and instead decide to take a stand, there is no limit to what can be accomplished. I truly believe we are at a precipice in society where accountability is becoming paramount. Where the majority will band together and refuse the status quo of turning a blind eye. A place where the fear of what’s lurking in the darkness is no longer as great as the need for change.

Project Ignite Light is a local non-profit in the upper midwest of the US I’ve recently had the honor to work with. Their founder, Pebbles Thompson, said it best when discussing the sheer scale and complexities of trying to help these marginalized children. I’m paraphrasing, but essentially she said if she could help just one child, all the challenges and difficulties would be worth it.

Rather than focusing on the big picture, sometimes it’s necessary to start small with something you can manage.

Beacon of Light

It’s refreshing to see the numerous organizations joining forces to fight against human trafficking and sex slavery. It will take a concerted effort to win this battle, but if everyone just tries to make a little difference, the momentum can carry us farther than any one person could on their own.

Here is a Q&A of someone who is a beacon of light for children in need. Pebbles Thompson of Project Ignite Light has demonstrated how starting small and focusing manageable expectations can lead to a movement larger than any one person could imagine.

Below are a number of resources to help you with your discovery of the truth about human trafficking. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have and we at MillenniaX will do our best to answer them.

Contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline to connect with services and support for human trafficking survivors, or to report a tip: call 1–888–373–7888, text 233733, or chat online.

Sources

(3) https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=23329

(4) https://www.antislavery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Modern-slavery-fact-sheet.pdf

(5) https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-trafficking-in-persons-report/singapore/

Stay tuned for more thoughts from the team at Millennia X.

MT/MX

The Voiceless

Written by Millennia X