Here are some ways YOU can fight the evil of human trafficking

Pope Francis offers prayers for victims of human trafficking.

Pope Francis led prayers for victims of human trafficking on Sunday, calling the evil a "perverse plague." The prayers were timed to coincide with the U.N.'s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) -- Pope Francis recited the Angelus with thousands of people in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, the U.N.'s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Following the Angelus, he asked people to join him for an extra Hail Mary, to ask that she would "support the victims of trafficking and convert the hearts of traffickers."

Pope Francis referred to human trafficking as "Brutal, savage and criminal," and lamented that people agree it is sad, yet see it as a normal fact of life.

There is nothing normal about human trafficking.

According to the U.N., Anyone can be the victim of human trafficking, both male and female, and at any age. Usually the poor are the most vulnerable and exploited. Twenty percent of victims are children. The vast majority of victims, about 79 percent, are used as sex slaves. Another 18 percent are used for forced labor, although forced labor is difficult to detect and report, so the actual figure may be much higher. Death from disease, drugs, abuse, medical mutilation, or even ritualistic killing is a common fate.

There are 30 million slaves in the world today, more than at any time in human history. Although there are global campaigns to fight slavery, no end is in sight because slavery is one of the most profitable enterprises in the world. It flourishes especially among the poor who can be manipulated into selling their children. Poor teenagers can also be lured by promises made by traffickers.

When we think of human trafficking, we often think of people being kidnapped and taken to faraway places, but this is not typical. Most victims of human trafficking are exploited close to home, forced into prostitution or labor, sometimes within their own house and sometimes by their own family members.

Victims are not always supervised, and instead are held on the basis of fear and intimidation. Most do not seek rescue because they fear retaliation against loved ones. Such retaliations almost never happen, but the fear of them is genuine and the tactic works to keep people from running away.

In addition to prayers, there are actions people can take to reduce the impact of human trafficking. The first is to avoid making use of persons who are being exploited. Cheap, undocumented labor is a common form of exploitation. Next, report suspected cases of human trafficking to authorities. If local authorities do not appear to take the situation seriously, consider notifying higher-level officials or even international aid organizations. Human trafficking thrives on silence, so even just making a report is helpful.

Teach your children not to communicate with strangers and to think critically before meeting people, particularly if an offer, such as a job offer, seems too good to be true. 

Finally, avoid products that may have been produced by trafficked labor. Certain items, such as cloth, spices, cocoa, and shrimp are often produced by workers who are either enslaved or are unethically employed. Do homework and ensure the products you buy come from an ethical source.  Avoiding all illicit things, from drugs to pornography and sex, since these industries heavily rely on trafficking, not to mention their inherently evil and sinful nature.