Human trafficking is one of the most prominent issues in the world of today. Everyday, it becomes easier for criminals to target and control their victims with the use of new technology. This is a problem that can affect anyone in our communities, from adults to teens and young children.

The National Honors Society (NHS) at Oakdale High School organized different activities for members to participate in during the month of December. The main project was for students to dress up formally from December 1, 2023, through December  22, 2023, which is why members call the month Dressember. Dr Ed Schoder, the advisor of the NHS, shared that the purpose of Dressember was “primarily to promote awareness of human trafficking.”

Senior Favian Santana Roman, a member that participated in Dressember, clarified why he and other students support this cause: “It’s important to raise awareness about human trafficking, because it’s one of our most prominent and pressing issues in the world of today.”

To raise awareness about the issue, members of the NHS have been doing more than dressing up. The participating members presented to their SET classes, informing students of the meaning and dangers of human trafficking.

On December 6, 2023, a panel of professionals who work against the crime of human trafficking shared ideas and their experiences with the issue at a forum organized by the NHS. The speakers were retired FBI agent Matt Vilcek, Digital Forensics Examiner Jayson Snyder, and Assistant State’s Attorney Tammy Leache. The members of the panel had experiences with prosecuting trafficking cases, and they shared insight on how it is dealt with and what the public should be aware of to stay safe.

The first distinction made was that human trafficking is a problem that goes way beyond sex. There are many different types of human trafficking, and traffickers use different tactics to exploit their victims. They change these tactics often as technology develops, which makes it easier for them to extract victims and harder for them to get caught. Dr. Schoder agreed with this by explaining “human trafficking cases have rapidly increased with the rise of Iphones and other things.”

It was also emphasized in the meeting that students should be aware of possible red flags from victims and dangers of being trafficked, such as changes of behavior in others. The members of the panel made it clear that law enforcement works hard to protect their communities, but they cannot prevent every single case, and every member of the community should help this cause.

Schoder pointed out that “this [issue] is scary, and it’s not some distant place, it happens in Frederick county.” 

The main way high school students are able to help with this issue is by raising awareness and sharing information with others. Everyone can make a difference to help with the very dangerous and rising issue of human trafficking, and even just dressing up to raise awareness can make a difference.