Trafficking Panic! What is the Reality?
By Marissa Brownell, Care Coordinator - Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Minors Specialist
Wayfair, Pizzagate, QAnon… any of these sound familiar? You may have heard about these scandals associated with child trafficking recently because they are all over social media feeds. Currently, there is no clear evidence proving that these claims are true or false, but they have brought a lot of attention to the topic of child trafficking. End Slavery Tennessee is glad when attention is brought to the issue, however, we also feel the responsibility to share the reality of what most child trafficking situations look like. In addition, we believe it’s important to educate the public on how to protect our children from becoming victims.
Over the years, many unfounded child trafficking narratives have circulated online trafficking that generates hype and awareness. Countless false claims have circulated for several years which inaccurately portrays the type of trafficking happening in our country.
Do any of these claims sound familiar?
The post claimed that sex traffickers had "these vans rigged where they lock from the outside, and, once inside, you can't get out."
The post claimed that sex traffickers had "these vans rigged where they lock from the outside, and, once inside, you can't get out."
"When you come out into the mall parking lot, and you see a van like this parked next to your car, DO NOT GO TO YOUR CAR."
This Facebook post was shared 151,000 times. https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/04/tech/facebook-white-vans/index.html
"If u see any vans like this call 911 this is utilized for sex trafficking."
The post went viral with more than 105,000 shares — mostly from concerned parents.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moms-warning-about-human-trafficking-at-ikea-goes-viral/
“Diandra Toyos was casually browsing for a new couch with her mother and three children at IKEA last week when she felt a suspicious set of eyes staring at her. ‘This was someone who was clearly watching and following me and my children,’ Toyos told CBS News. ‘I know to some a ‘gut feeling’ doesn’t mean anything, but that coupled with what we actually saw occurring was very unsettling. Something wasn’t right. I am almost sure that we were the targets of human trafficking.’”
For the past 10 years, I have been working with young women and minors who have been victims of human trafficking. In that time, I have met many vulnerable people who have endured a lot of trauma, tragedy, and pain at the hands of traffickers. Each one has a unique story about what happened to them.
Myths
However,
Not one was targeted and kidnapped from a Walmart, Hobby Lobby, Target or IKEA.
Not one was run off the road by other cars and ambushed by traffickers.
Not one was approached on the street and pulled into a creepy white van.
Not one was duped by a zip tie or scarf tied to the side mirror on their car.
Not one was part of a secret political trafficking ring.
If any of these tactics sound familiar to you, it is likely due to the widespread misinformation on social media. I’m sure many share and repost this information with good intentions and because it all sounds pretty convincing. Though this may instill caution in us for the safety of ourselves and our families, it may also cause unnecessary anxiety and paranoia. Snopes.com has been working on debunking these false stories that spread fear and misinformation.
The Snopes website states:
“The belief that Walmarts, Targets, Krogers, and IKEAs are teeming with accented men swarming with the intent to whisk women and children away is as pervasive as it is old. Dozens of nearly identical Facebook posts recount similarly vague (but shared as harrowing) accounts of purported attempted abductions in Target, Walmart, mall parking lots, or other family-friendly retail outlets. Rumors of this sort became fashionable on Facebook in or around May 2015, when a woman shared a story, later debunked, about an Oklahoma Hobby Lobby store encounter.”[1]
I believe the people who have experienced this type of suspicious activity were genuinely fearful something could happen to them. I see people that repost these stories, and other similar claims, as trying to be helpful in order to warn and protect the general public. But, is this what human trafficking looks like? Absolutely not.
The Truth
Claims like those previously mentioned are overwhelmingly fake and lend themselves to falsifying what trafficking actually looks like. Over the years, family members and friends ask me about these stories and misconceptions. Let me help put your fears to rest and fill you in on what trafficking typically looks like.
A victim is usually in a very vulnerable situation (e.g., homeless, in an unsafe home, a runaway, or has already had multiple victimizations).
A victim is most often very familiar with their trafficker. Overwhelmingly the most common perpetrators are family members or someone the child has a close relationship with ( e.g., a parent, boyfriend, a relationship they form online or new friend that lures them with promises of “helping them”).
A victim is typically verbally/emotionally/mentally coerced and manipulated into the situation. Force may be used as well, but generally not in the way the media portrays (e.g., grabbed and tossed into a van or kidnapped off the street).
Traffickers habitually choose “low risk” victims and situations. This includes people that don’t have a support system, a home, or friends and family that will likely report them missing. They also generally don’t take risks like abducting people in public places.
Traffickers are usually patient and take time to groom a victim, build trust, find their vulnerabilities, and then exploit them.
More than ever before, social media, online gaming and chat rooms are used to lure and exploit minor victims.
I am not saying that victims are never kidnapped, however, this is extremely rare. The average person is not at a high-risk for being trafficked and/or having their children trafficked. The average victim usually knows their trafficker and has been controlled and manipulated rather than abducted.
Our Advice to Parents and Caregivers
In working with our minor victims, I am often asked by parents and caregivers how to reduce their child’s risk of being trafficked. Here are a few helpful tips:
Maintain open and honest conversations with your teens about trafficking, internet safety, and the red flags to look for in a predator. While teens are usually the most susceptible to being trafficked, runaways and foster youth are the most vulnerable to trafficking within that category. [2]
Know where your kids are, who their friends are, and with whom they are spending their time. This may seem like a given, but a lot of the teens I work with say their caregivers typically do not know their friends and whereabouts. “Boy-friending” is commonly used to gain a girl’s trust, so monitor who your child is dating. Traffickers can use someone’s peers to target them as well, so also meet and monitor your kid’s friends. Make sure they know the red flags and warning signs.
Discuss internet safety with your kids, as this is currently the #1 way predators target young victims. [3]
Monitor your children’s online habits often. Take a look at several of the free or low cost monitoring apps, and use them. [4]
Yes, this world can be a scary place, but let’s not make it more frightening by buying into the hype of false trafficking claims and misinformation. Awareness of your surroundings is always recommended, but protecting your family starts at home. Surround yourself and your children with a positive support system, have open conversations with your kids, learn the warning signs and red flags of trafficking and go on out to Walmart or Target or scroll through Instagram with a little less fear today.