Everyone must do his or her part—no one person or agency can end child trafficking alone.
NOW THAT YOU HAVE read these true stories and heard from the survivors themselves, how are you feeling? Are you shocked it’s happening here in our democratic, first-world country? Are you outraged by the viciousness of the crimes? Likely both. My hope is that you are in some way “marked” by the startling reality of what American children are facing—not just occasionally, but regularly. It is time to step up and take responsibility for what we know to be true. Our children deserve every freedom outlined in our great national document the Declaration of Independence, especially the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The adage, “it takes a village” rings true when fighting a horrific crime such as child sex trafficking. This issue can seem so dark— and frankly, just too overwhelming—to even tackle. Yes, it is dark, and yes, it can be overwhelming, but it’s just like any other problem that needs to be tackled one step at a time. There’s no one person, one agency, or even one point of view that can bring this to an end. It takes everyone doing the one thing he or she can do, and eventually each of those things adds up to some form of actual change. Ultimately, lives are saved.
Probably the most frequent question people ask me is, “What can I do to make a difference?” My response also is a question, “Well, what are you passionate about? Let that lead you into what you can do.” Rest reassured, you don’t have to quit your job and start a nonprofit, move to the projects, or adopt a high-risk youth to make a difference. Of course, do all of these if you are truly compelled, but for most of us, those aren’t viable options. So what are some options?
Many people are using their passion and expertise to combat child trafficking in their own spheres of influence. I’ve included some of their following stories to motivate and encourage you.
“When we started, we were focused mostly on fraud detection and loss prevention in the e-commerce world. But in 2010, when we launched our social media investigation course, we had our first human trafficking case. In that class, we teach people from law enforcement agencies and the fraud and loss prevention units of businesses how to find bad guys on Facebook and Twitter, then use the information to prosecute. We never intended to go after human trafficking, but we started seeing more and more cases coming through. … Since 2011, our company has helped bring back about 1,900 human trafficking victims, 1,000 of them kids. … To be able to do this kind of work in my business is everything to me.”1
“I was just fourteen when four of my fellow Girl Scouts and I formed GS GEMS, Girl Scouts Empowering and Mentoring with Support. The idea came when my mom showed me an invitation to a Girl Scout event about child trafficking. After attending and learning about the horrors girls were going through, I just knew we had to do something about it. We formed our Girl Scout group with a focus on raising awareness and raising funds to end sex trafficking by making black-and-white awareness jewelry, and by giving presentations using a website I created, www.teensontrafficking.org. Through the years, our commitment to fight trafficking is still strong. As a second-year student at Arizona State University, I remain committed to the GS GEMS and serve as co-leader of the troop. What we began back in 2008 is still growing, with the next generation of young leaders taking up the mission to stamp out child sex trafficking. Founding the GS GEMS has had a huge impact on my life. It helps the greater good and helps me know about myself, the kind of leader I am. Even though there are really awful things in the world, you don’t have to sit idly by. You can put your foot down and say, ‘This has to be stopped!’ I want to encourage other youth that you’re never too young to make a difference.”2
“In 2011, I took a training class on domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST), thinking that I wanted to be educated should I possibly have contact with a victim. The very next day, I had a student in my office whose story was riddled with the ‘red flags’ I was taught in the previous day’s training. I immediately contacted the trainer and discussed the red flags. We then contacted law enforcement, and it was confirmed that the child was being trafficked. From that day forward, I was determined to get the word out and educate our staff. I have since partnered with our school leadership in developing and teaching a curriculum to identify, respond to, and report child sex trafficking for our school district.”3
“She’s not rich. Chelsea is just a regular stay-at-home mom (who had two little ones younger than two) who felt the call of God in her life—the desire to help these helpless, victimized children and set them free. She’s got a loving mother’s heart. She decided that she could do something about the situation and started a jewelry business (Justice Juels), which donated a majority of its profits to organizations that rescue children and prosecute criminals for this heinous crime.”4
“Last Friday, I discovered that Chinese companies were selling sex dolls in the image of very young girls to a worldwide customer base. Complete with sexually graphic descriptions and pedophile reviews, the dolls were created to fulfill the lust of those seeking young children for sex. Realizing the power of Facebook and Twitter, I created a social-media blast calling for the immediate removal of these dolls. Dedicated to the cause, hundreds worldwide joined the social media blitz, tagging ‘@dhgate’ on each post. Sunday morning, DH Gate removed the products and committed to its stance against promoting pedophilia. Huffington Post UK covered our cause in the Sunday morning edition, and that set off an unstoppable wave of international attention. Within two days, our concerted efforts achieved our goal and caught the world’s attention. Our campaign page was being sent to thousands! Our Facebook page received four hundred new followers within a couple of days, and my phone buzzed nonstop with activity!
“For the next few days, we kept the pressure on other Chinese companies—Alibaba.com and Ali Express—because the same products and more were being sold through their sites. Once they became aware, they pulled the dolls and issued a strong stance against the selling of pedophilia products on their sites. A rep from Hong Kong called and e-mailed to follow up.”5
“As a child abuse pediatrician, I see so many kids who are unloved, ignored, abused, and highly susceptible to child sex trafficking. For years, I was unaware of the issue, not knowing the signs to look for. Today, I do. After seeing a DMST flier at church then hearing a radio broadcast, my eyes were opened. Now I’m on a mission to educate health-care professionals and the public about the issue. Together with the media relations department at my hospital, we’ve created a bilingual awareness flier. This flier is sent home with parents of children who receive wellness checks through neighborhood clinics located in high-risk communities. We are beginning to make a difference in our community. My commitment in the fight against child trafficking is easy to pursue because I’m passionate about it.”6
Each of these people were determined to make a difference from where they were. They considered their circumstances, decided what they could do practically, and took action. Now, it’s your turn. If you are passionate about ending child sex trafficking in America, then it’s time to blog, tweet, tell a neighbor, start a group, fund an organization—just do something.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”