More than 16,000 victims of human trafficking were identified in the U.S. last year, according to the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines trafficking as the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor against his or her will.

January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month and Jan. 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

In Louisiana, there were 100 trafficking cases reported in 2020, according to the NHTH.

Meghan Olinger, ULM’s Director of Advocacy and Accountability, pointed out that trafficking and abduction are not the same things.

She said human trafficking is more about grooming victims and is less likely to be a random abduction.

Olinger teaches a self-defense program on campus called “The Equalizer,” and she said being aware of your surroundings is important, especially for college students.

“Students are often living in residence halls or apartment complexes and are away from home and family,” Olinger said. “This means they are not as familiar with their surroundings as they may be in their hometowns. It is always important to know your surroundings and be able to identify when something is off and just doesn’t feel right.”

According to Polaris, an organization dedicated to spreading awareness about human trafficking and helping victims, there are many myths about trafficking.

Trafficking is not always a violent crime or always involves sex, according to Polaris. Traffickers also do not usually target people they don’t know. In fact, 42% of victims in 2020 were brought into trafficking by a family member.