It’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons!
What exactly does that mean? Today is a day where we as everyday consumers can acknowledge and recognize the plaguing issue that is Human Trafficking. For those of you that don’t already know, human trafficking is defined as the force, fraud, or coercion used to exploit a person into slave labor or sexual exploitation. Currently, there are 40 million victims of human trafficking, and most of those victims are women and children. Human trafficking occurs in all 50 states including D.C and Puerto Rico. North Carolina ranks 11th on the list of states with the highest human trafficking rates.
No one is exempt from being trafficked; however, youth are especially vulnerable to trafficking for a multitude of reasons. Unfortunately, there are many youths in the United States who are homeless or runaways. They do not have the support system or guidance from caring adults to provide them with the tools to be safe and be smart. For youth who are not runaways or homeless, there still may be a disconnect between them and their caregivers. Youth may post on social media that they are fighting with their caregivers or that “nobody understands them.” This is the perfect opportunity for a trafficker to swoop in and take advantage of the youth’s vulnerable state.
So, what can you do as a consumer and concerned citizen?
· PREPARE! Prepare yourself and other members of the community with knowledgeable information about human trafficking. You can schedule a human trafficking training for your organization, church, school, library, or any other group you may be a part of for one of our many informative human trafficking trainings. With our trainings you will have all the information you need to know such as the warning signs of a potential trafficking victim, the grooming process a trafficker follows, and how and where you can report a trafficking situation in your area.
· BE AWARE! Be aware of what your children are posting on social media and the content they are viewing. Use parental controls when applicable and limit their phone/computer use during the evening hours when they should be asleep. Keep computers in an open space where you can easily monitor their usage.
· SHARE! Share this information with others, such as family members, students, neighbors, and share our services and trainings so that we can reach more people across our state.
· CARE! Care for our youth, care for our community, and, if you ever meet them, care for our victims and survivors.
Happy #WorldDayAgainstHumanTraffickingInPersons!
- Darilyn Ruotolo, LCSW-A