January is National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

Human trafficking is a pervasive, worldwide problem, and it’s the second-largest and fastest-growing criminal industry in the world. This is a crime that is largely hidden from society, and yet is one of the most nefarious of all criminal activities. It is aided by the ignorance of the public to its existence, its growth and the damage it causes. People are being trafficked for labor and sex every day, and it should be the goal of every state, including Pennsylvania, to help eliminate this problem.

Great strides are being made internationally, nationally and within the Commonwealth. Pennsylvania’s comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation, known as Act 105 of 2014, improves Pennsylvania’s human trafficking laws so that they can be better utilized by law enforcement. It strengthens protections for victims and permits victims to sue their traffickers. We appreciate the leadership of the Pennsylvania Legislature, specifically Senators Stewart Greenleaf, Andrew Dinniman and Daylin Leach, in creating a comprehensive law addressing human trafficking, but we still have work to do.

Children in Pennsylvania under the age of 18 who are victims of sex trafficking can be charged with the crime of prostitution as well as related crimes associated with prostitution. Many states throughout the U.S. have enacted Safe Harbor laws already, but Pennsylvania has not. In 2015, Senator Stewart Greenleaf and Senator Daylin Leach introduced a Safe Harbor bill, SB 851, but it failed to pass the General Assembly.

Senator Greenleaf and Senator Leach expect to re-introduce this legislation in the Pennsylvania Senate in 2017. It is time for our Commonwealth to join the growing movement to decriminalize children who are sex trafficking victims and to provide them with the support and resources they need and deserve. Ask your state legislators to support the Safe Harbor bill when it is introduced in 2017.

For more information on Bucks Coalition Against Trafficking, a project of Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA): Deirdre Blackburn, Human Trafficking Coordinator, NOVA, 215.343.6543 or Deirdre@NOVABucks.org.