Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry that affects over an estimated 40 million people globally. It’s important that everyone recognize the issue and do what they can to help contribute to the fight against it. No matter who you are or what you do, here’s what you can do to help.

Although it is important to stay informed about human trafficking, there are many challenges that make it a much more complicated issue than many think. Here’s what you should be aware of with respect to the accuracy of statistics around human trafficking and the often-overlooked complexities it entails.

Every human trafficking situation is unique. Self-identification as a trafficking victim or survivor can happen along a continuum and in a variety of different ways. More often than not, the tip or report to law enforcement comes from an outside source, rather than the victim self-identifying to law enforcement.

When you think of the people involved in a sex trafficking case, you likely picture the victim as a young girl or woman from a difficult background and the trafficker as an adult male. While this is possible, it’s only one of thousands of possibilities. Here’s why it’s important to rid ourselves of these stereotypes and understand the diversity of victims and traffickers alike.

Law enforcement officers utilize a variety of investigative approaches for different cases. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. For human trafficking and other cases involving exploitation, the best approach an officer can take is the victim-centered approach. So, what is victim-centered policing and why is it important to human trafficking investigations?