February 4, 2021

Join Us This Winter in Fighting For Freedom!

Kate Reilly

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The goal this month is to bring modern-day slavery that occurs quietly in our cities and towns to light. But what is modern-day slavery? Modern-day slavery is any form of forced human exploitation for labor or service. There are two main types: Human Trafficking and Labor Trafficking. 

What is sex trafficking? Human trafficking is commercial sex acts induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person performing the act is under the age of 18. (For victims over 18,force, fraud, or coercion must be proven.) 

What is Labor Trafficking? Labor trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to recruit, harbor, transport, or employ a person for labor services in domestic servitude, debt bondage, or slavery. Within this sort of trafficking, age is not important and adults and children are usually treated similarly.

Did you know that there are 25 different specified kinds of human trafficking? They are: Escort Services; Illicit Massage; Health & Beauty Services; Outdoor Solicitation; Residential Sex Trafficking; Domestic Work; Bars, Strip Clubs, & Cantinas; Pornography; Traveling Sales Crews; Restaurants & Food Service; Peddling & Begging; Agriculture & Animal Husbandry; Personal Sexual Servitude; Construction; Hotels & Hospitality; Landscaping; Illicit Activities; Arts & Entertainment; Commercial Cleaning Services; Factories & Manufacturing; Remote Interactive Sexual Acts; Carnivals; Forestry & Logging; Health Care; Recreational Facilities.

That’s quite a lot of different types, and the varying amounts might surprise you. In short, human trafficking exists across many different categories in our day-to-day lives, and it more than likely exists within your immediate community. 

During 2021, consider becoming involved in our fight against local and national human trafficking! You can make an impact by doing one or all of the following to help us raise awareness and show your support: 

 

    1. Donate to Reset180. Your financial gifts help us Prevent and Disrupt local slavery, and Restore survivors. Learn more about our mission here. 
    2. Become a Reset180 Abolitionist! When you join, you will receive a toolkit, be a part of special events, and join a private Facebook group that serves to help educate and equip our Abolitionists in this fight for freedom. 
    3. Post or repost on your social media. Part of raising awareness is spreading the message. Follow us on social media or sign up to receive our newsletter so you can become a part of the conversation. We share updates, stories, and ways to get involved weekly! 
    4. Write a letter to your congressman asking what steps they are taking to prevent and disrupt human trafficking. 
    5. Organize a night of prayer through your church or local group to raise awareness and pray for victims and justice for those who engage in human trafficking. 
    6. Create a virtual event or start a fundraiser with friends and families to educate them on the Red Flags of Human Trafficking. Don’t know the Red Flags to look out for? We list some big ones below. 
    7. Save the hotline on your phone and ask at least two friends to do the same. Pass it on so that everyone has the number they need if they encounter any Red Flags. You can find local hotlines listed here. Otherwise, use the following numbers to report a tip: National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or text to BeFree (233733). For emergencies call 911.

Victims of modern-day slavery are often easy to miss in everyday life, but there are some things you can look out for that might alert you to a sex or labor trafficking situation. We call these Red Flags, and you can learn some of them below: 

  • The person is isolated (physically and/or emotionally).
  • Withdrawn from friends & family.
  • They have few friends at school or in life. 
  • They have brands, tattoos or unexplained bruises/injuries.
  • They post sexually explicit photos on social media.
  • Use lingo like “daddy” or “papi” to refer to male friends.
  • They are acting fearful, anxious, nervous/paranoid, or depressed.
  • They behave in a way that is not common for their age:
    • lashing out, isolating, angry. 
  • They abuse drugs, alcohol, or other substances.
  • They are gone for hours/days at a time, often skipping school/work. 
  • The person is not allowed to go anywhere other than school or home.
  • Their place of living/working has unusual security measures.
  • Places of living/work where women go in but rarely leave. 
  • Females are escorted by males.
  • Multiple women arrive and leave their destination in the same vehicle. 

 

Raising Awareness WORKS! Consider the following story: 

There was a Human Trafficking Awareness event hosted at a local school. During this event, a speaker shared various Red Flags to look for that might indicate someone was a victim of human trafficking. As a student sat there listening to these Red Flags, she found that her sister matched many of them. It was at that moment that she realized her sister was a victim of human trafficking. 

The student became upset and went into the hall to process what she had just realized. A counselor intercepted her and when asked what was wrong, she found her voice. She shared that she believed, based on the presentation and Red Flags, that her sister was a victim of human trafficking. The right people were informed because of her awareness, and her sister was able to be helped. If her sister hadn’t been made aware of the signs, who knows what might have happened. Knowing the signs is the first step in becoming a Defender of Freedom against local human trafficking hiding in plain sight. 

Here are five questions you can ask yourself to help identify a victim of human trafficking: 

  1. Are they in the company of someone older, or do they only hang out with people older than them?
  2. Do they show signs of physical or mental abuse? Do they have bruises, an unhealthy look, or seem disoriented, confused, and withdrawn?
  3. Do they seem to be lacking personal possessions, wearing the same clothes, or don’t appear to have a home they regularly go to? 
  4. Do they have randomly nice items on their person; expensive watches/jewelry, a nice cell phone, but otherwise appear to lack personal items?
  5. Are there unreasonable security systems where they live like security cameras, locks on all doors, or a locked fence around the property? 

 

Making an impact in your community starts with YOU! Make it your 2021 mission to raise your voice and raise awareness. Hosting an event or have a story to share? We would love to hear from you. You can email us at info@reset180.com, message us on social media, or tag us in your efforts with the hashtag #Reset180. Let’s make it our goal to make a big impact in our fight against local human trafficking this new year! 

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