January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
Human trafficking is an unlawful act typically in the form of forced labor or sexual exploitation. The Human Trafficking Hotline website states in 2021, 10,360 cases were identified and 16,710 victims were involved in cases.
Dr. Tamara Hurst at the University of Southern Mississippi tells News 25 anyone can experience trafficking in any community. “We’re talking about race or ethnicity, any sexual orientation. It just takes those few minutes for someone who wants to exploit somebody else to approach them and talk them…