Human Trafficking. What is it? Trafficking is a very complex term that many people are either misinformed or would prefer not to discuss. By definition it is, “the action or practice of illegally transporting people from one country or area to another, typically for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation.” I originally became interested in this topic after watching my mother teach survivors a curriculum called Ending the Game, which is designed to educate and empower survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking by providing a structure and framework to uncover harmful psychological coercion that victims may have been subjected to during or before their exploitation experience, and I soon learned that the majority of teens are completely unaware of this issue. I decided to do my part to help by collecting art supplies for House of Hope at my high school, discussing human trafficking on my local radio show, and assisting my mom in a variety of different small projects. I also had the opportunity to talk to the developer of the program Ending the Game, Rachel Thomas, and gain more information from Carissa Phelps, author of Runaway Girl, along with receiving the chance to work side by side with a local survivor. As I began to research and attend awareness events, I found that most parents choose not to inform their children about trafficking because they either feel uncomfortable or are under the impression that it cannot happen to their child. Ignoring an issue and pretending it’s not there doesn’t make it go away. Human trafficking can happen to anyone no matter who you are, where you live, or the color of your skin. It is all around us and affects our society every day. Many are also confused to why girls being trafficked don’t inform someone or try to get out. The one thing the definition is missing is the word coercion, the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats. Coercion, as defined in the context of sexual assault, is “the act of using pressure, alcohol or drugs, or force to have sexual contact with someone against his or her will”. Traffickers use several tactics such as threats, lies, blackmail, intimidation, humiliation, and debt bondage to coerce victims into sex trafficking. They instill fear and a sense of obligation for victims to do acts they wouldn’t usually do. The question is, what are we going to do about it? I think for starters, making kid more aware and teaching online safety. By knowing what it is and how it happens, we can protect ourselves as well as help family and friends in our community.