Editorial: Human trafficking in New Hampshire

Twenty-five million people around the world are suffering from it. It's not a disease. It's not an illness. It's human trafficking.

This is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, so we're going to spend a moment talking about it.

First, we need to be clear about the definition. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery.

It's a crime where someone is exploited, forced or coerced into labor or sex acts.

The victims can be anyone, regardless of race, age, gender or sexual orientation. They are, however, vulnerable and usually from marginalized communities like runaway and homeless youth and those without lawful immigration status.

Just like there is no type of victim, there is not one type of criminal. Some traffickers are members of organized crime. Others work alone. They are both men and women. The crimes can occur behind closed doors or in plain sight, in our biggest cities and our smallest towns.

Last year in New Hampshire, there was a sharp increase in human trafficking investigations with over 100 tips coming from every county in the state.

Human trafficking can be very difficult to identify. There are some signs:

• A person who is disconnected from family and friends
• A child who has stopped attending school
• Dramatic changes in behavior
• Bruising
• Someone who is often in the company of someone they often defer to
• Someone who lacks personal possessions

To report a suspected case of human trafficking, you can call 1-866-347-2423or your local law enforcement agency.

To get help, you can call 1-888-373-7888.

We've got much more information about human trafficking, including the signs and ways to get help, at WMUR.com.