30 Jan Do you know someone who has been trafficked? Because you just met me.
Content Notice: This article and pages it links to, contains information about sexual assault, human trafficking, and/or violence which may be upsetting to survivors.
Blog by Kathleen, a survivor of childhood familial sex trafficking
January is Human Trafficking Prevention and Awareness Month. Human trafficking is the exploitation of any human for profit. There are two forms of human trafficking recognized in the United States, labor trafficking and sex trafficking.
Just when it seems like everything there is to know about trafficking is known, someone comes forward with a story you never would have imagined would be about human trafficking. Children are extremely vulnerable and are mostly the victims of familial child trafficking.
There are risk factors, and signs of human trafficking that we need to be aware of, but would you really know if a child is being trafficked for sex? I mean, that would be obvious, right? Typically, you are not going to be able to look at a child, and know for sure. Their perpetrator is relying on their silence and the silence of anyone else who knows what is going on. For that reason, they will do whatever it takes for the child to keep silent.
For instance, did you know that a child can be trafficked and still appear to live a normal life? Did you know that family members often traffic other family members and usually the ones being trafficked have been abused for years? Familial trafficking is very complex and often the child being trafficked feels responsible for protecting their parents, siblings, or other family members. Sometimes these children have witnessed and or experienced horrible violence to buy their silence, and the fear they cling to is what keeps them and their family safe.
From the ages 4-8 I was sexually abused by my grandfather and from ages 9-12 I was also trafficked by my grandfather. He was a farmer and a deacon/elder in his church. I was in a private school, had two parents living at home, no substance abuse, or violence in my immediate family. Those who knew the abuse was taking place turned a blind eye, I was swept under the rug living a double life and I was only in middle school. I was trafficked for 3 years and slept every night in my own bed, in my own home. I went to school, church, and played sports, and I also spent 7 out of my first 12 years on this earth living in sheer terror that my family or I would be killed. I was raped, beaten, and tortured.
One question I get asked frequently is, “did other people know this was happening?” The answer is yes. The questions that follow are “Why didn’t anyone say or do anything?” “Didn’t your doctor know, or your parents, teachers, or church people?” and “how could anyone do this to a child?” are met with me shrugging my shoulders and ruminating on all the possibilities of who knew what and why. I do not think we will understand all the whys or the hows to these horrific acts.
So, what is the point of me telling you all this? To show you that human trafficking is happening everyday, in our state, city, neighborhoods and yes, even homes. It happened to me in the 70’s, it happened before then, and it still continues today. There is nothing new about the buying and selling of people, but if we keep the problem in a far away place then it has no reach into our own lives and in our minds, those around us will also stay safe. As the awareness of this insidious crime is more known, and knowledge of the ways and means traffickers pursue, groom and exploit their victims, is when real change can happen. If someone views trafficking as something that only happens in other countries, states, counties, or neighborhoods to people they will never meet, they may miss it when it is right in front of their face.
Don’t ever think that you will never know someone who has been trafficked, because you just met me.
One key way to spot, stop, and prevent trafficking is through genuine relationships. Get to know your neighbors, take them a meal, or send them a card. Volunteering with a local non-profit is also a great way to start. Finally, learning to recognize the signs to identify trafficking can help keep kids safe.
Check out these Kentucky-based organizations: