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Kate De La O

Instructor McCann

English 1301.127

17 September 2021

The Problem Hidden in The Shadows – Draft 2

“Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness,” are natural rights that every man, woman,

and child are entitled to and guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. Yet in the

United States, the deprivation of these rights often goes unnoticed. Human trafficking is a form

of slavery, as it strips people from their rights. No matter the class, race, or gender of a person,

everyone is at risk of falling victim to human trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security

(DHS) Blue Campaign is an organization that uses its Facebook account to educate, supply

resources, and raise awareness to citizens because it combats against human trafficking.

The Department of Homeland Security has combated human trafficking by creating the

Blue Campaign in 2010. Raising awareness about this continued crime lowers the risk of

potential victims, as they are now aware of possible dangers. Working with various

organizations, the Blue Campaign is a large association dedicated to educating the public

pointing out key indicators of possible victims, and provide guidance on how to approach a

situation. Many elements were taken into consideration when designing the group's logo. For

instance, the color blue is the color internationally associated with human trafficking awareness,

signifying “unity, strength, and innovation” (DHS). Keeping the name simple and related to

human trafficking increases the possibility of being remembered by the association's targeted

audience. Symbolic illustrations of the heart, a blindfold, and the thin blue line all hold
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significant meaning, representing global anti-human trafficking services (DHS). Allowing the

group to serve its purpose more effectively.

Facebook and other social media are utilized to expand the DHS Blue Campaign’s message of

raising awareness and putting an end to human trafficking. Living in the United States, many

Americans tend to assume that nothing detrimental will happen to them or their loved ones,

becoming oblivious to the crisis of human trafficking. Numerous amounts of people assume that

because they live in a higher class or well-developed communities, they are not at risk of

encountering human trafficking. Social media posts that contain valuable information are now

able to reach thousands of people and millions more, because of its accessibility. To the

untrained eye, human trafficking can be nearly invisible, but with the help of survivors, families,

and law enforcement this is beginning to change. As a counteractant DHS Blue Campaign uses

all available federal resources, along with presentations provided in communities and schools. In

2013 the state of Texas mandated that all school personal, teachers, admin, and staff, take part in

trainings designed to recognize and report child abuse, including trafficking (Texas Gateway),

and are now working with organizations such as the Blue Campaign. Videos posted by DHS

Blue Campaign on Facebook go into detail explaining what human trafficking is and the

difference between human trafficking and human smuggling. Human trafficking is the

exploitation of a person and human smuggling being the illegal transportation of a person (DHS).

In addition, they describe the different types of human trafficking: sex trafficking, forced labor,

and domestic servitude, all of which can occur anywhere from private communities to public

areas (DHS).

Using all of Facebook’s platform features to their advantage, the DHS Blue Campaign

takes into consideration what will be presented and how it will be shown. Since the Blue
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Campaign covers a sensitive topic, rather than a personal Facebook account, they stay away from

using bright colors and funny context in their posts. For example, in the Facebook post “Child

Domestic Servitude Signs” (U.S DHS Blue Campaign) the use of monotone colors when

showing a child victim to domestic servitude, gives off the impression of despair and induces the

feeling of empathy. The Blue Campaign adapts to current society by creating a domesticated

home, making it relatable to the audience, and emphasizing how human trafficking can occur

anywhere at any time. There are interceptions throughout the video stating facts, guidance, and

recourses. To draw attention to this text, there is a change in sound to melancholy music,

engaging the audience’s attention. There is also an ombre, the fading of one color to another, of

light blue and dark blue in the background, with the light blue in the center of the slide and the

darker blue encompassing, thus drawing attention to the center where the text is located.

The DHS Blue Campaign community on Facebook has grown to 140,000 members and is

liked by 136,689 people (U.S DHS Blue Campaign). People from different states, cultures, and

races are coming together to take part in learning and informing others about human trafficking

and effective measures to take when encountering suspected trafficking, possibly saving a life.

Resources such as Indicator Cards, First Responder Cards, and Key Tag Cards are available to

the public. These tools contain valuable information such as contact information for a variety of

first responders and step-by-step guidance when encountering human trafficking. In addition,

pamphlets and posters are freely provided by the Blue Campaign allowing its members to print

and spread awareness in areas prone to human trafficking. All of these provided resources are

used by citizens in combating this violation against humanity. Those who have suffered the

indescribable crimes of trafficking do not have to face the healing scars inflicted upon their

humanity alone. With multiple survivors speaking out about their experiences and healing
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process, this community too helps those who were sadly wounded by creating a community of

understanding. There is nothing like the feeling when someone understands your pain, thoughts,

experience, and emotions. The weighted bricks are no longer being a burden for one but rather

shared in understanding.

Social media has become a crucial component in technological society. It is used for

social interaction, promotion of goods, news outlets, and so on with endless possibilities. With

billions of users, Facebook was cleverly used by the Blue Campaign to accomplish its goal. The

Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign uses its Facebook account to educate, supply

resources, and create a community for the public as a way to limit the number of victims falling

into the hands of human trafficking. The more vigilant citizens are the possibility of saving

someone’s sister/brother, mother/father, or daughter/son increases.

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Works Cited

Department of Homeland Security. “Blue Campaign.” U.S Department of Homeland Security,

www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign/about-blue-campaign.

Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign. Tools That Teach: What Is Human

Trafficking? 16 May 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=35uM5VMrZas.

Farris, Lauren. “Invisible, until Now: Blue Campaign.” Dressember Foundation,

www.dressember.org/blog/invisible-until-now-the-blue-campaign.

Texas Education Agency. “Prevention and Awareness: Human Trafficking of School-Aged

Children | Texas Gateway.” Www.texasgateway.org,

www.texasgateway.org/resource/prevention-and-awareness-human-trafficking-school-

aged-children.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign. “Child Domestic Servitude Signs.”

Facebook, 7 April 2021, 9:59 a.m., https://fb.watch/80ZCxkH-gB/. Accessed 10

September 2021.