Public awareness is the first step in addressing an issue that is a serious violation of human rights and human dignity. This is especially the case with human trafficking, a modern form of slavery in which men and women — and even minors — are coerced into forced labor and the sex industry.

Many people probably associate human trafficking with distant lands where poverty is rampant or in cities that are ports of entry into the United States. But the reality is that no place is immune from what Pope Benedict XVI has called “the scourge of trafficking in human beings.”

“Human trafficking is not always ‘someplace else,’ ” said Janel D’Agata Lynch, program manager for community services at Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Mo. “Human trafficking is more prevalent in this region than most people know.”

What’s happening in the nation’s heartland is also the case here in Kentucky. A recent study conducted by Dr. T. K. Logan, a professor at the University of Kentucky, said that human trafficking is occurring in Kentucky and that women and girls are especially vulnerable to this crime.

Logan’s survey found 69 cases of human trafficking in Kentucky. This included cases of forced sexual activity, personal service, general labor, domestic and food service labor exploitation. Logan’s report mentioned examples of this coercion:

• “A prostitution case through a massage parlor was discovered, but it turned out to be a human trafficking issue. The girls were brought in from Asia and were held as indentured servants.”

• “A victim and her husband came here to work on a farm, but that wasn’t what they were doing; (they) ended up working and were not paid for their labor.”

• “Several women were mail-order brides but ended up being sold as domestic workers.”

No one knows for sure just how many men, women and children are victims of human trafficking. The U.S. government estimates that as many 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders each year, but other sources say the numbers reach into millions of people. A U.S. State Department report said as many as 17,500 are brought into this country each year, and many are minors.

“Human trafficking cases have been opened in nearly every state,” said a 2006 U.S. Justice Department report. “Clearly, the problem is of sufficient magnitude that a continued dedication of substantial resources to this enforcement area is very much in order.”

Some steps have been taken to address human trafficking. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000, and a growing number of states have enacted laws making trafficking a crime.

In Kentucky, the 2007 General Assembly approved a human trafficking ban. This law — which was supported by the Catholic Conference of Kentucky (CCK) — makes human trafficking a felony punishable by a prison term of from five to 20 years. If the victim is under 18, the offense carries a steeper penalty.

Ed Monahan, CCK executive director, said more awareness of this law is needed.
Also needed, he said, are training about the law and services for victims, such as housing, support and protection. He said the CCK will work in the 2008 General Assembly for legislation to define these services and fund them.

These needs also were mentioned in the Logan study, “Human Trafficking in Kentucky.” The report called for training and education to identify victims and to detect human trafficking activities. Also suggested was legislation to address such issues as victims’ rights and the availability of housing, mental and physical health services, and job training.

More public awareness, training, and education of law enforcement and services for victims are needed because of the very nature of the problem. Human trafficking operates in the shadows of society and is often unrecognizable.

Plus, as the Kentucky report noted, victims are fearful of escaping their entrapment.
There is fear of retaliation, of law enforcement, of legal problems and of deportation if they are in the country illegally. And, the study added, many don’t know how to get help.

This help needs to be provided. And public awareness of the gravity of the problem is a starting point for getting help to victims.