According to the WomensStats Program, created in 2001, the movie 'Taken' was a catalyst for bringing global awareness to the brutal reality of human trafficking. In 2009, a blog writer, ASF, notes that 'the content of the movie confirmed much of what I had researched with realistic accuracy, opening the eyes of the public to a variety of horrific brutalities associated with the sex slave trade.' Unfortunately, trafficking was part of the fabric of Texas before 2009 (CCPS, Jan 2013).
Given Texas' large size, its proximity to the Mexican border, and the fact that it houses Houston, a large urban city with all the characteristics of a trafficking hub, human trafficking has emerged as a local and state-wide epidemic in Texas. Despite increased efforts by government and nonprofit organizations, human trafficking, in all forms, continues to be a blight on society. Through education, training, and continued awareness of this issue, our communities can begin to decrease the effects of this modern-day slavery.
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Most people don't think human trafficking will impact them or their families. However, the reality is it can happen to anyone regardless of age, race, or gender and can occur at any given place or time. In addition, the perpetrator can be anyone, known or not, and can involve one single tragic event that forever changes a life.
Human trafficking has become a prominent problem in the United States, specifically in Texas. The website for Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, notes there are about 25 million people enslaved worldwide, 234,000 who are victims of labor trafficking in Texas, and 79,000 minors who are victims of sex trafficking.
According to Paxton, 'almost 20% of all traffickers' victims in the US travel through Texas (CCPS).' The Center for C Policy S Texas Human Trafficking Fact Sheet notes that in 2008, '38% of all calls to the National Trafficking Resource Center originated in Texas (CCPS).' In addition, a report from the Schapiro Group, a scientific research study conducted in 2009 in Georgia, found that 180 girls under the age of 18 are exploited through internet classified sex ads on any given weekend night in Texas (CCPS).
Michelle Lillie, a blogger, and contributor to the Human Trafficking Search wrote about the problems facing Texas. She stated that for the most part, in the media human trafficking in Texas is portrayed as Mexican forced laborers trafficked through the borders. However, there is more to this claim. Some of the most vulnerable populations for human trafficking include runaways, an estimated 6,000 of which are runaway minors in Houston, with an estimated 1 in 3 being lured into sex trafficking within 48 hours of leaving home (Lillie).
In addition, Texas' proximity to the border with a complex highway system also adds to its high human trafficking numbers. During the 2006 Department of Justice National Conference, El Paso and Houston were identified as major human trafficking centers (CCPS). In addition, with Interstate 10 being connected to one of the largest state highways in the country, Texas is considered a huge transit site for domestic trafficking (Collective Liberty).' Furthermore, as the US-Mexican border is one of the most crossed international borders in the world, and many of the victims of human trafficking come from foreign countries, it should be no surprise that of the more than 50% annually trafficked into the US from foreign countries, 25% enter through Texas (Department of Health and Human Services). Specifically, Houston is a major hub for human trafficking. As the 3rd largest city in the country, with a diverse population, a complex highway system grounded by Interstate 10, and a busy port, Houston exhibits the perfect environment to create vast opportunities for illicit human trafficking (Children At Risk). Children At Risk, a Houston nonprofit, hosts human trafficking bus tours to point out the signs of human trafficking in the Texas city.
Despite common perceptions, human trafficking is not isolated to sex alone but includes labor issues as well. Sex trafficking is when someone is forced to perform sexual acts due to intimidation or fear. Sex trafficking is most common in young girls, many of whom are immigrants or runaways (CCPS). Labor trafficking is where employers intimidate lower-income workers using physical and emotional abuse to make them believe that their legal right to work in the country is connected to maintaining their job with a specific employer (Collective Liberty). Labor traffickers target lower-income workers, many of them immigrants who are in the country illegally, and are fearful of deportation of themselves or their families. It is most prominent in service industries, such as hospitality and restaurants, industrial industries like manufacturing and factories, and informal economies including day laborers and the homeless population. (Collective Liberty).
According to the Center for Public Policy Studies, the collective effort to fight human trafficking began to be formally documented and gain steam in Texas in 2007. Since that time, the state has established multiple task forces devoted to human trafficking, including the Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Division through the Texas Department of Family Services, the human trafficking, and transnational organized crime section of the Attorney General's Office, and many local law enforcement efforts. In addition, several local nonprofit organizations have joined the fight against modern-day slavery. These include Children At Risk, Refugee Services of Texas, Voice of Hope Lubbock, Allies Against Slavery in Austin, and the North Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking. Together, these agencies have created a complex system of fighting human trafficking across Texas through shared education, community awareness, and partnerships with local law enforcement.
Although Texas has brought attention to the problem of human trafficking, there has not been a concrete solution to put a stop to it. One of the best solutions that could help drastically decrease human trafficking is to educate children and adults about the issue, its signs and symptoms, and resources for help. This diverse spread of information increases awareness across communities, allowing residents to know the signs of trafficking and understand where to find help (Children at Risk). The issue with Texas is that the problem is not only spread out across its 268,000 square miles, but it runs from north to south and east to west with no pattern, rhyme, or reason. Anyone in Texas could be a victim of human trafficking if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. This idea shows that Texas is facing human trafficking on a broad scale, creating a visible need for a solution.
The main solution is education for the community at large. Having millions of eyes on the problem is better than just law enforcement and non-profit organizations. This support for citizen policing of the issue would support residents in speaking up and being confident they will receive adequate support and help if they suspect someone could potentially be a victim of human trafficking. Educating individuals would also help the population look out for itself and teach residents how to identify signals and prevent dangerous situations that lead to trafficking.
Specifically, I believe we need to educate our children. Education is the one constant in every person's life. The iSeeMe Society in Atlanta Georgia was created to reduce the supply of vulnerable youth introduced to the sex trafficking market (Taylor 960). The program engages adults and youth in the community, empowering children to make better life decisions based on the man or woman they want to be (Taylor 960). It also teaches youth proper decision-making skills including concepts like not meeting up with someone they meet online or taking rides with strangers, etc.
In addition to educating our youth, training adults is a good avenue to stop future trafficking. In November 2019, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) amended its child abuse reporting structure to include human trafficking (TEA webpage). This necessitated the training of all teachers on the new requirements and now teachers receive special training to realize the signs of a child who is being abused at home and what might be considered trafficking.
Likewise, several laws took effect on September 1, 2019, in Texas, requiring training on sex trafficking for school board trustees, superintendents, health practitioners, and peace officers.
But I don't think this is enough. I think we need to educate students at school about the dangers of human trafficking and how it can happen to anyone, anywhere by anyone including people they know. Yvonne Williams, a writer for Human Trafficking Research, notes that about 90% of sex abuse occurs to a minor by someone they know and trust (Williams).
Williams further states that involving schools is critical to prevention efforts. Embedding information and awareness into the school curriculum would emphasize the material throughout the year and increase the likelihood that students will understand and retain the information. But this information should not be limited to students. Parents should also be educated about the dangers of human trafficking so they can protect their children, reinforce the lessons kids learn in class, and understand how to report suspected trafficking to the proper authorities. Parents should also recognize that no family is immune to this brutal reality and trafficking does not discriminate. Traffickers take advantage of anyone who they deem weaker than them regardless of class, race, age, or gender.
If we spread awareness in schools about human trafficking, then students could know that they can trust their school, teacher, or any other employee to help them. In addition, if we start educating children at a young age in elementary school then awareness would be increased early and students' depth of knowledge and understanding of the issue would be complex by the time they are in middle school and high school when most children are targeted. This could prevent situations from happening as kids would know the warning signs and could enact behavior to prevent dangerous situations from happening in the first place.
Dr. Kimberly McGrath, a founder of Citrus Helping Adolescents Negatively Affected by Commercial Exploitation (CHANCE) agrees with getting kids involved in the process early. She points out that traffickers spend a substantial amount of time grooming young victims, given that it is easier for those victims to believe they are in relationships. Dr. McGrath says that teaching kids about human trafficking in elementary school is important because the average age of entry for the sex trade is from 12 to 13 years old. She points out that it would be too late if we start to implement human trafficking awareness in middle and high school (Cordner).
Another reason education rises as the best solution for human trafficking is underscored by various statistics that show the most vulnerable populations include runaways, children in foster care, immigrants, victims of physical and sexual abuse, and drug addicts. These are populations that typically do not have access to resources or education about the topic as they typically do not trust healthcare, government, or law enforcement officials. Schools, however, are often a trusted source of information and can serve as a resource for the community, hosting events about the issue in a non-threatening environment.
Jenee Littrell, an administrator of safe and supportive schools for the San Mateo County Office of Education in California, says the integration of human trafficking education in schools needs to be an ongoing approach involving the whole school and community (Pannoni).
Littrell infers that schools are a powerful tool in the fight against human trafficking as they not only influence children and parents but can get the whole community involved. (citation)
However, with complex solutions come complicated questions. Should schools enforce a program versus education on human trafficking? Will parents agree to sex trafficking education when many object to traditional sex-ed courses? Both of these questions have positive and negative aspects and it is probably best to leave these decisions to local school boards. But whatever is decided for how to implement a comprehensive human trafficking program, needs to be done and done early in a child's academic career.
In addition, we can use large public events to increase community awareness through mass media exposure. For example, the Super Bowl is one of the biggest events in February, which happens to be Human Trafficking Awareness Month. This is a prime opportunity to use this national stage to increase understanding and awareness of this issue as millions of people tune in to the football game at home, in restaurants, and at parties. TV ratings for the super bowl are typically the highest of the year, usually for the commercials, and this presents a great way to get the message across to millions of people when they are paying attention.
Lastly, social media is a solid way to influence behavior and understanding. Most teenagers today are on Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. This is both good and bad. It is good because this is a great platform to get a message across to the target audience. However, social media can also be dangerous and is often a key way youngsters get caught in human trafficking situations. For example, many teens do not lock down their profiles on social media so the average user knows their birthday, where they live, and their likes and dislikes. This allows random people to follow them and send direct messages, providing an avenue for a teen to become a victim. This is particularly prevalent with girls who lack self-confidence and thrive on compliments from boys and men who follow them on social media. This is especially dangerous as it is easy for someone to act younger or older than they are when engaging with young girls and boys. This behavior, called Catfishing, lures someone into a relationship through a fictional online persona and is a common way for traffickers to find their victims.
The research shows that Texas is ground zero for human trafficking of all types and the crime is prevalent across the state due in large part to its size, location near the Mexican border, and complex system of interstate highways and busy ports. Despite efforts by law enforcement, state task forces, and non-profits fighting to make a difference, thousands of people fall victim to human traffickers in Texas each year. Education and training are two of the best solutions to this major problem, spreading awareness and teaching people to recognize signs and red flags in situations. By infusing this education into local schools and the community through outreach events, information about how to spot, stop and report human trafficking can be sent to the masses. And if we start with our youngest Texans, this brutal activity could one day be just a point in history.
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