Dayton, Ohio may be the beautiful Gem City that is on the rise thanks to the help of mayor Nan Whaley and countless others, but one issue that remains rampant in Dayton is human trafficking. Human trafficking is best defined as a “form of modern slavery that occurs when one person exerts control over another person in order to exploit them economically.”

Human trafficking includes labor trafficking, which is forced work and sex trafficking, which comprises of nonconsensual commercial sex acts. The issue of this modern form of slavery is obvious: human rights are being exploited as the lives of millions are being disrespected and put at risk in order to keep an unethical million-dollar criminal industry alive. Despite the fact that human trafficking is a horrendous issue both globally and in the Dayton area, it is often overlooked.

Today, it is estimated that over 40 million people are victims of modern slavery and human trafficking worldwide. Many victims are children and 80% of victims are female. Why then is this issue so rarely discussed in media? Why do schools fail to teach their students not only the statistics surrounding human trafficking but the potential dangers that they face because of its commonality?

People constantly discuss and look down upon the enslavement of African Americans before emancipation and wonder how something so inhumane was ever allowed to occur for so long. But real slavery is occurring in cities and neighborhoods right next to us right now, and little is being done to bring awareness and action to stop the enslavement of people around the world.

Dayton, unbeknownst to many living in the area, is a hot spot for human trafficking. Dayton is often referred to as a hub due to its location near I-70-75, that makes it easy for traffickers to transport their victims.

According to BE FREE Dayton, an antislavery organization focused on human trafficking in Dayton, a child is more likely to be trafficked for sex in the Miami Valley than to die in a car crash. This is an alarming statistic when considering that car accidents are one of the main causes of death for children and teenagers. Yet, so much is done to teach adolescents in America proper automobile precautions to keep them from harm. So where is the information surrounding human trafficking in the United States and Dayton?

Something needs to be done. Human trafficking can no longer be ignored. Modern slavery is one of the most prevalent human rights issues plaguing the world today, and the first step to ending the atrocity is through education.

Dayton, the Miami Valley, and all other cities in the country need to be doing more to spread awareness about the issue of human trafficking. BE FREE Dayton is an amazing organization that is working to stop modern slavery in the Miami Valley, but they cannot win this fight alone. Representatives and the general population need to come together in Dayton to truly bring this problem to the light and lead Dayton in a direction where the solution to human trafficking is at the end of the path.