Category

Prevention & Awareness

Large-scale events, like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, bring together communities, fans, businesses, and visitors from around the world. With matches taking place across 16 host markets, the World Cup requires extensive planning and coordination among public safety agencies, community organizations, and multidisciplinary partners long before the first match begins…

January is recognized as Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to strengthen awareness, expand education, and encourage collective action to address human trafficking before it occurs. This month, Our Rescue is joining the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign as an official partner, aligning efforts to support prevention-focused,…

Human trafficking prevention month takes place every January and focuses on raising awareness, educating the public, and calling communities to action in preventing human trafficking in all its forms. In 2010, the President of the United States formally dedicated January as a national awareness month, calling on individuals, communities, businesses,…

This holiday season, children should be safe.   Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 U.S. states.   In 2024, the CyberTipline received 20.5 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation.  To combat these crimes and fuel the mission during this crucial season of giving, Our Rescue is launching Operation Giving Tree, offering you a chance to directly strengthen the fight…

This Giving Tuesday, every dollar you give to Our Rescue will be doubled, helping to rescue and empower more survivors, and bring both awareness and change to stop the crisis of sex trafficking and child exploitation of our most vulnerable populations around the world.  Giving Tuesday is a global day…

This Give to the Max Day every dollar you give to Our Rescue will be doubled, helping to rescue and empower more survivors, and bring both awareness and change to stop the crisis of sex trafficking and child exploitation of our most vulnerable populations around…

Did you know giving can be a tax benefit?   As the year comes to a close, many supporters choose to make contributions that not only strengthen the fight against sex trafficking and child exploitation but may also offer tax advantages. Because Our Rescue is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations made before December 31 may…

The Digital Evolution of Exploitation Human Sex Trafficking and online exploitation has evolved dramatically for consumers and criminals alike. And for those working in the fight against exploitation, understanding how technology can both enable predators as well as stopping predators is crucial for developing effective countermeasures. According to the…

Our Rescue Shines a Light on Sex Trafficking to Mark International Women’s Day    Minneapolis Comedy for a Cause event on March 7 to raise local awareness and resources   to support survivors    Trafficking survivor and stand-up comedian Marti MacGibbon to headline event  MINNEAPOLIS (March 5, 2025) –…

In February, Our Rescue’s Training & Prevention, Survivor Care, and Rescue Operations teams traveled to Malta—a beautiful island country on the Mediterranean Sea–with a shared mission: empower those on the front lines of justice.   Malta is on the Tier 2 Watchlist of the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons…

Learn how survivor-centered approaches are transforming justice systems, with groundbreaking results in Tarrant County, Texas. As the conversation around human trafficking gains urgency in the public eye, a transformative shift puts survivor care at the center of the process, from the first intervention on the streets all the way to…

Several factors make children and adolescents more susceptible to sex trafficking. Most traffickers know their victims, either through family, friends, or online connections. Traffickers often present themselves as a love interest or trusted mentor/parental figure—gaining the victim’s adoration, affection, and trust, before eventually exposing them to sex trafficking.   Having…

There are many signs of sex trafficking. While not every warning sign means someone is being trafficked, each additional warning sign leads to a greater possibility that human trafficking is taking place. Remember, traffickers can be of any age or gender; they can be a relative, romantic partner, neighbor, acquaintance,…

Child trafficking devastates millions of vulnerable children worldwide, stripping them of their fundamental rights to safety, education, and childhood itself. This form of modern slavery flourishes in shadows across every nation, demanding urgent attention and coordinated action from communities, law enforcement, and advocacy organizations. The Staggering Scale of Child Trafficking…

Most people can’t imagine trafficking their family members.   Familial trafficking happens when a family member forces another family member to do involuntary labor—such as sex exploitation or servitude—and someone else in the family controls the proceeds. There’s a heightened risk of familial trafficking for children, teens, people with disabilities, and…

Up to 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+ which can lead to increased vulnerability to traffickers. The Polaris Project found that LGBTQ+ people are at higher risk of trafficking and exploitation.1      LGBTQ+ youth have distinct challenges that lead to increased vulnerability to traffickers.   An estimated…

Slavery is often talked about in the past tense, as if it no longer exists and hasn’t for quite some time. Unfortunately, that is not the reality.

Human traffickers sometimes mark their victims with physical markings. These are often tattoos but can appear in various ways on the bodies of victims.