Although it may seem unlikely that something as horribly cruel as human trafficking could be present in America, and even more unlikely that something so gruesome could taint our beautiful state of North Carolina, it is not nearly as unlikely as one would hope. In fact, just two years ago, North Carolina had the 9th highest number of human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline out of all 50 states. North Carolina qualified for the top 9th spot with 260 cases of human trafficking, though that number just contains the reported cases, so the true number of cases is likely much higher. Human Trafficking is referred to as a “hidden crime”, so many cases go unreported, and many traffickers go without facing the justice system. Unfortunately, the number of human trafficking cases are only going up.
As stated on the North Carolina Department of Administration website, “Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States with North Carolina among the most affected states. Major interstate highways, a large and transient military population surrounded by sexually oriented businesses, numerous rural agricultural areas with a high demand for cheap labor, and an increasing number of gangs all contribute to making our state a hotbed for human trafficking”. North Carolina consists of small, rural towns to large, bustling cities. While many tend to associate human trafficking with the large cities, it is present in the rural areas as well. Traffickers tend to take advantage of an area’s lack of awareness of human trafficking, so it is important to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
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