Yonkers Insider: Westchester County Legislator Christopher Johnson 16th District: January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Human trafficking is happening throughout New York State. Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to make someone provide a service. Men, women, and children of all ages, races, genders, and sexualities are at risk of human trafficking. In 2020, 62% of confirmed trafficking cases occurred outside of New York City, with the largest percentages in Westchester and Western NY.

Traffickers take advantage of people who are vulnerable. Some groups that are at higher risk include:

• people in unstable living situations;
• people who have experienced interpersonal violence and/or sexual abuse;
• people with mental health and/or substance use conditions; and
• people who are undocumented immigrants or have limited access to safe social supports in their community.

FOR THE COMMUNITY

Learn the signs of human trafficking through trustworthy websites.

Here are a few recommended by the New York State Office of Mental Health:

• The NYS Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking: https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/human-trafficking/initiatives.php
• Polaris operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline: https://polarisproject.org/

If you suspect trafficking, report it.

The National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) is a toll-free and confidential hotline, available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24/7 Call 1(888)373-7888 or text BeFree to 233733. If you believe a person’s life is in immediate danger, call 911.

AWARENESS

Help increase awareness about trafficking.

Share #TruthAboutTrafficking awareness campaign on social media: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/bria/truthabouttrafficking.asp