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Prevention Through Empowerment – Human Trafficking Awareness

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

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.
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

Wedgwood Christian Services offers trainings and educational opportunities through the Manasseh Project. Email hello@wedgwood.org for more information!

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.