Things to Look For – Human Trafficking Awareness

by Kali Jackson, LMSW-C, CAADC-DP, Therapist for Wedgwood’s Manasseh Project Trauma Recovery Center

• Create a brave / safe space for conversation. This will mostly entail LISTENING on your end. Check out Wedgwood’s Brave Spaces docu-series for inspiration
• Empower voice and choice. Don’t always just decide things for kids. Giving them options and opportunities for them to make their own choices builds confidence and ability to speak up for themselves.
• Encourage healthy behaviors in relationships by modeling. Are your relationships with significant others, peers, family etc. good examples for the kids in your life? Kids are like sponges and pick up on what they see around them.
• Foster safe home and neighborhoods Be a safe space for the kids outside your immediate family, too!
• Be and/or make sure kids have a trusted adult in their life. Be a positive, trusted adult for the kids your life. It’s helpful for kids to have mentors or trusted adults outside their immediate families they can go to as well. The more people paying attention to kids, invested in their lives, the better!
• Assess for vulnerabilities during conservations and healthcare visits. Pay attention to any changes you may see in a child’s health, mental state, and/or behavior.
• Know what to do and who to contact if reporting is needed
• National Human Trafficking Hotline is a good place to start | 888-373-7888 or text BEFREE 233733
• Work to expand awareness in yourself and your community. Wedgwood Christian Services offers trainings and educational opportunities through the Manasseh Project. Email hello@wedgwood.org for more information.

 

Important Notes

• Any case involving a child under 18 who is engaged in a commercial sex act is a crime regardless of force, fraud, or coercion. Family members are involved in nearly half of the child trafficking cases worldwide. Family involvement in exploitation of children is nearly 4x higher than in cases of adult trafficking. Child Trafficking IS Child Abuse. Laws are worked on to better protect children against this crime. Children may not see themselves as victims and those in position to help, may not identify it as exploitation. If they’ve not been taught about human trafficking, they’re unlikely to seek out help from a trusted adult. Children also may have fears about disclosing, including fear of law enforcement, fear about returning to an abusive home, fears of being deported, fears of harm to themselves or their loved ones, guilt, or shame. Language is important. It’s important to use words like trafficker, buyer, and victim. Trafficking is highly relational. It is important to create healthy and safe relationships while using a trauma informed response. Often traumatic events involve loss of control and/or chaos.