Human trafficking is a heinous and pervasive crime that entraps an estimated 27.6 million people worldwide. Yet, it remains cloaked in misconceptions and dangerous stereotypes. Many perceive it as a problem confined to faraway countries or vulnerable individuals in major metropolitan areas. This is a dangerous fallacy. To combat trafficking, we must confront the realities of this dehumanizing crime–its methods, its victims, and its presence in communities both large and small.

In Pennsylvania, human trafficking is neither rare nor limited to urban areas. It infiltrates our small towns, rural communities, and, often, operates in plain sight. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH), Pennsylvania consistently ranks among the top states in reported trafficking cases. In 2023 alone, over 600 calls, texts, and tips were made to the hotline, resulting in the identification of 469 victims. Distressingly, 85% of the identified cases involved sex trafficking, the most common form of exploitation in our state. While labor trafficking accounted for only 14% of reported cases, it represents a pernicious problem that ensnares individuals in domestic work, agriculture, and other labor-intensive sectors.

Since the NHTH’s inception in 2007, Pennsylvania has identified over 4,800 victims of human trafficking–a sobering statistic that underscores the depth of this crisis.

One of the most persistent myths about human trafficking is the assumption that it exclusively involves abduction or kidnapping. In reality, fewer than 10% of trafficking cases nationwide involve kidnapping. Instead, traffickers often groom their victims over time, exploiting vulnerabilities like age, poverty, substance abuse, or unstable housing. Many victims know their trafficker–whether it’s a family member, romantic partner, or someone embedded in the local community. These relationships of trust make trafficking more difficult to detect, especially in close-knit rural areas where the prevailing belief is, “It could never happen here.”

Further complicating the landscape is the rise of online exploitation. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for traffickers, enabling them to groom and manipulate young people from the apparent safety of their bedrooms. Traffickers use platforms like Instagram and Snapchat to lure minors into sharing explicit photos or performing sexual acts. These images and videos are then weaponized as leverage for continued exploitation.

While sex trafficking often garners more attention, labor trafficking is equally insidious and frequently overlooked. In rural Pennsylvania, industries such as agriculture, domestic work, and food services are prime targets for labor traffickers who coerce victims into working for little to no pay under brutal conditions. Many of these victims are immigrants or otherwise vulnerable individuals, trapped by threats of deportation, violence, or financial ruin.

Another common misconception is that all trafficking victims are waiting for the chance to seek assistance from law enforcement. The reality is far more complex. Fear, isolation, guilt, shame, misplaced loyalty, and psychological manipulation often prevent victims from coming forward or even recognizing themselves as victims. Addressing these misconceptions is not merely a matter of education–it is a matter of survival.

Expanding community awareness and law enforcement training is a critical step in addressing the issue. Law enforcement officers need specialized training to properly identify trafficking victims and distinguish them from offenders. Too often, victims are mistaken for willing participants in illegal activities, such as prostitution or undocumented labor. Trafficking victims frequently remain silent for fear of their traffickers’ retribution or because they mistrust the legal system. This means law enforcement must be equipped not only with the tools to identify victims but also with the sensitivity required to build trust and encourage cooperation.

Organizations like Lantern Rescue and the Northern Tier Law Enforcement Instructors Group are leading the way in Pennsylvania, providing police officers, hotel workers, grocery clerks, and other frontline employees with the training and resources they need to recognize the signs of trafficking. Training workers in high-risk areas like hotels and rest stops is vital, as these are often the places where traffickers move their victims while avoiding detection. Expanding these training programs across Pennsylvania will ensure that every officer–from small-town police to state troopers–can recognize and address the nuances of trafficking cases.

However, law enforcement alone cannot eradicate the problem. Pennsylvania must also update its legal framework to ensure that traffickers and those who fuel the demand for trafficking face serious consequences. Shockingly, purchasing sex–even from trafficking victims–remains a low-level misdemeanor offense in Pennsylvania. This lenient penalty trivializes the lifelong trauma inflicted on victims and fails to deter buyers from fueling the market. If buyers are not dissuaded by the threat of serious penalties, traffickers will continue to exploit individuals with impunity.

Public education is also paramount. Raising awareness among everyday citizens–particularly in areas that rarely consider themselves at risk–and equipping them with the knowledge to recognize trafficking and report suspicious activity are crucial steps in breaking the cycle of exploitation. Victims of human trafficking are often hidden in plain sight, and without a communal effort to dispel this crime, we risk leaving them invisible and unheard.

Human trafficking is not just someone else’s problem–it is our problem. Pennsylvania has made strides in the fight against human trafficking, but much more remains to be done. By dispelling the myths that blind us, educating ourselves and our communities, and providing law enforcement with the training and resources they need, we can begin to reclaim the lives stolen by this vile trade.

State Rep. Clint Owlett, R-Liberty, represents Tioga County and part of Bradford County.