"I live in a safe neighborhood. Nothing bad happens here."

    Have you heard anyone say something similar to the quote above, or have you ever said something similar to this before?

    I am guilty of saying this numerous times. Living in a predominantly white suburban neighborhood for most of my life, I never felt fearful for my life, safety, or well being. I would walk to and from school almost everyday since the third grade, never batting an eyelash to the possible dangers that may be lurking around every corner.

    It wasn't until I started college that I began to feel the uneasiness walking home alone at dark or crossing a busier street filled with unfamiliarity. I figured this feeling was only set aside for places like the city or more 'run-down' neighborhoods.

    I never thought that I could feel unsafe in my safe, quiet, suburban hometown.

    Not until media placed more attention on the ever-increasing problem of human/sex-trafficking. I was hearing of stories left and right (and still am) of predominantly young girls getting abducted in the parking lot of a grocery store or getting tailed on highways by strange vehicles.

    I have always locked my doors, but now, I'm constantly checking my surroundings, shooting seemingly suspicious people looks of caution, and feeling the thing that many other people around the globe feel almost all the time: fear for my safety and well being.

    This is due to the abundance of sex trafficking, now skyrocketing and brought forth in much media attention within the last few months, especially in America (where I am from).

    I have heard of this happening in typically cities and/or many countries around the globe. My heart always ached for those captured and bound to the disgusting life of sex-trafficking, but I had never truly felt I was at complete risk since I had lived in a 'world' that appeared to be safe.

    Cloaked with the ever impression that the world was mainly good and no worries of such things were present.

    It's almost laughable at how blind I made myself.

    One's safety, security and well being have always been brought up within our society(s) for many many years.

    A factor that seems to increase the threat to our safety and well being is that of social media. Social media has its plentiful benefits, but it has its share in downfalls as well.

    Things have been made easier and help to better out well beings, but this, in turn, makes it incredibly easy for those wanting to terrorize us and our safety. They can easily access where you live, where you were at a moment, and where you may be at this very moment.

    It's one of the scariest things to even think of as is a way for sex traffickers to find you and exploit you to their dark world.

    It's things like this that scare me moreso than any ghost story I've read or heard.

    Knowing and being aware of the scarily real threats, like sex trafficking, to our well being and safety, can help ensure that people are taking the necessary precautions and actions to prevent this of happening. Whether you lock your cars, limit the amount of things you post about yourself online, or support organizations that are against threats like sex trafficking, we can all make a difference to help stop and hopefully end this vile thing. We could ensure our safety and well being, and maybe we could all live in that 'bubble' of 'nothing bad happens here' for real.