Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery -- a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. And no matter where you live, chances are it's happening nearby. From the girl forced into prostitution at a truck stop, to the man discovered in a restaurant kitchen, stripped of his passport and held against his will. All trafficking victims share one essential experience: the loss of freedom.
www.polarisproject.org
www.polarisproject.org
Happy Tuesday beautiful hearts! Today I want to talk about Human Trafficking. According to an online researcher, Human Trafficking has become the second most profitable industry after drug trafficking. A few years ago my mom's church put together a presentation about Human Trafficking and this was the first time I had ever heard of of this epidemic. I can still feel the gasp in my heart as I listened to the atrocities of this form of modern day slavery.
They often say that the only way a change can come about is to educate yourself and the environment around you. I can't even imagine that this criminal industry exists, but as a citizen of this world, I feel it imperative to share some info with you in the hopes that this knowledge will transform and inspire you in your corner of the world. In my corner of the world, I looked up the statistics for the state of Ohio over the last calendar year. There were 292 reported cases of trafficking, of which 217 were sex trafficking. Out of these 292 cases, 259 were females. What can one do to help?
According to www.humantraffickinghotline.org there are some tell tale signs to look for when you might suspect trafficking:
Common Work and Living Conditions:
They often say that the only way a change can come about is to educate yourself and the environment around you. I can't even imagine that this criminal industry exists, but as a citizen of this world, I feel it imperative to share some info with you in the hopes that this knowledge will transform and inspire you in your corner of the world. In my corner of the world, I looked up the statistics for the state of Ohio over the last calendar year. There were 292 reported cases of trafficking, of which 217 were sex trafficking. Out of these 292 cases, 259 were females. What can one do to help?
According to www.humantraffickinghotline.org there are some tell tale signs to look for when you might suspect trafficking:
Common Work and Living Conditions:
- Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
- Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
- Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
- Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
- Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
- Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
- Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
- High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)
- Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid
- Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement
- Avoids eye contact
- Lacks medical care and/or is denied medical services by employer
- Appears malnourished or shows signs of repeated exposure to harmful chemicals
- Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture
- Has few or no personal possessions
- Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
- Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
- Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)
- Claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address
- Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or of what city he/she is in
- Loss of sense of time
- Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story
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