Human trafficking exists in Northwest Arkansas. This year from January to June there were 105 phone calls made the Northwest Arkansas Human Trafficking Hotline. Arkansas’ legislature recently passed laws to help with the issue of trafficking, but the problem remains.
Many immigrants are brought to the U.S. and promised jobs of hospitality, but instead get forced into the sex industry. The CIA estimates that fifty to sixty thousand women and children are trafficked into the U.S. each year.
The intersection of I-40 and I-35 in Oklahoma City is one of the biggest human trafficking hubs in the country. Many young people are trafficked through truck stops, so there is a high initiative on educating truck drivers in the U.S. of the epidemic’s existence.
The Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter provides resources for victims of human trafficking and prosecutes traffickers. Rapha House is another organization that provides assistance to trafficking victims worldwide. The biggest thing you can do to help is raise awareness of the issue. UA staff member Jennifer Quinton says raising awareness is the first step to crushing this epidemic. Superbowl Sunday is the highest trafficking day of the year in the U.S. This year, educate your friends about how they can help stop human trafficking while you watch the big game. You can also help by buying purses and bracelets made by recovering victims (raphahouse.org).