COVID's Impact On Trafficking

In March 2020, as the virus was spreading throughout the country, the FBI issued a warning to parents regarding the presence of sexual predators on the internet. The exact warning stated:  

“Due to school closings as a result of COVID-19, children will potentially have an increased online presence and/or be in a position that puts them at an inadvertent risk.  Due to this newly developing environment, the FBI is seeking to warn parents, educators, caregivers, and children about the dangers of online sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse.”

This warning was not in vain for from January through June 2020 the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported a 90% increase in calls of “online enticement” to its Cyber TipLine compared to the year before.  When youth return to the classroom, the traffickers will not retreat.  Their online tactics are firmly entrenched and they have no intent to ease up.  

Thankfully the fight against this horrible crime is not hopeless.  Much progress is being made on many fronts.  Ultimately, however, those fighting on the front lines tell us that its eradication depends on each of us educating ourselves on the signs, reporting the signs when we see them, and learning about trafficking itself to understand that traffickers can be family members, clergy, teachers and seemingly respectable people.  The more eyes trained the more of an offense we have.  And the more each of us acts as a  catalyst for the education of others in whatever sphere of influence we have, the quicker the eradication will happen.      

You can join in the fight to prevent one youth from being branded to show that she or he is owned by another.  Email Jan at jemf2f@gmail to learn more.  

-Jan, Friend to Friend’s Manager of Human Trafficking Community Education