Prevention Programs

Using geo-targeted advertisements to equip at-risk communities with anti-trafficking information in their language

Our global prevention campaigns target areas of high risk, equipping people with the knowledge they need to avoid potentially exploitative situations and adopt preventative behaviour.

Why prevention?

We believe in stopping Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) and exploitation before it happens.

Through the use of digital geotargeted adverts and social media campaigns, we work alongside local partners and NGOs to reach individuals who are actively targeted by traffickers for recruitment into modern slavery. Providing them with safety information on how to spot the signs of exploitation can prevent individuals from being trafficked in the first place, while also building resilient and risk aware communities.

By flooding social media channels commonly used by traffickers to recruit, we are reducing the numbers of those at-risk and disrupting the platform upon which traffickers heavily rely.

Social Media Campaigns

Trafficking relies upon the recruitment of at-risk communities. No one willingly enters exploitation, and recruitment often involves grooming, deceit and false promises. We arm at-risk groups with the information they need prevent modern slavery and trafficking as it relates to their specific environment.

Our social media campaigns use the power of digital platforms to spread information to the people who need it most, in their language, telling them:

  • how to spot the signs of trafficking
  • where to report it
  • offer signposting to safety
  • offer alternative recruitment pathways where appropriate

At the heart of our campaigning is a strong sense of lived experience. We seek insights from members of the communities we aim to reach, so we can tell the most accurate story about what is happening on a local level. Partner NGOs are also key in this process, as their insights and input ensure we communicate the correct safety information, including how to seek support.

Once we have created this narrative, through our partnership with Meta, we develop bespoke advertisements on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The advertisements land only on the social media timelines of our target audience. The information reaches them, without them having to search for support. Safety, hope and choice is placed directly in their hands through their smartphones.

Between Aug 2021-Aug 2022, we launched 6 prevention campaigns in 19 languages, reaching 5,517,389 people our data showed to be at risk of trafficking.

Campaign aims

Our Prevention Campaigns have three main aims. We want the communities we reach to:

  • Gain knowledge on MSHT
  • Have an increased perception of the risk of MSHT
  • Adopt preventative behaviour

Our Impact

A key element of our prevention campaigns is assessing the impact of our messaging. We look closely at awareness and behaviour change in the communities we reach, relating to prevention of recruitment into trafficking.

This analysis informs our future campaigns and provides valuable intelligence for our Traffik Analysis Hub database. In turn, this data is shared with our clients and partners, creating a cyclical approach that means we constantly stay one step ahead.

Individual reached in our 2022 Aman Safety campaign:

‘’Thank you for being in solidarity with me. I was hopeless and very depressed, and now I hope to get help so that I can continue my life and be able to live again.’’

Individual reached through our 2022 Ukraine campaign:

I am from Ukraine, the city of Kharkiv. I came to England to work because it wasn’t possible to stay in my city. Being alone, in another country, without English language knowledge, I urgently needed to find a new house.

I managed to contact STOP THE TRAFFIK. Employees from this organisation immediately responded, explained my rights and gave me significant support.

Beyond Campaigning

We understand that our prevention campaigns are one piece of the puzzle in the fight against trafficking. This is why we have developed tools such as our STOP APP, which provide the opportunity for individuals on a local level to report concerns and take action.

Together with our Traffik Analysis Hub database, these resources help us to create an accurate representation of trafficking worldwide. The more stories we gather and the greater the number of partners we work with, the clearer the picture becomes and the closer we get to preventing trafficking before it can take place.

How to get involved

Partner with STOP THE TRAFFIK Prevention Campaigns and work with us to help eradicate MSHT in your recruitment processes.

For more information, or to inquire about our services, contact our Prevention Team directly.

[email protected]

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