Does the movie "Taken: come to mind when you think of human trafficking with a well-organized global syndicate of criminals snatching teens from high-class apartments in broad daylight? The reality is that a trafficker is online at this very moment grooming a teen to enter a life of servitude unwittingly.
Traffickers do not fit a specific mold; they can be organized groups to sole individuals, from family members to massage parlor owners, not one trafficker is exactly like the other. I have been interviewing those in the trafficking field for several months. There is a shared thread among their view of traffickers; the traffickers look at victims as commodities to sell, essentially dehumanizing them.
Can you spot a trafficking victim? The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) provides key warning signs of potential trafficking victims. Some characteristics they talk about are; multiple cellphones, hotel keys, the presence of a controlling male/female, a history of running away, and tattoos or branding. No, a hotel key and tattoos do not mean a person is trafficked. Instead, it means each potential case needs to be looked at individually.
Kara Smith, a targeting analyst with the non-profit counter trafficking organization DeliverFund, recently discussed trafficking victims. Smith said, “They didn’t believe they were the victim. They thought it was their fault because the traffickers make it seem that way.”
The COVID-19 pandemic did not stop human traffickers from exploiting their victims for profit. On the contrary, it likely put more potential victims at risk. Traffickers prey on the vulnerable. Scouring the internet from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram and elsewhere, looking for a way to find a way into the victim’s life. Once they find an opening, they exploit it any way they can; through sympathy, gifting, support, etc.
Yes, human sex trafficking is rape for sale; it is industrialized rape. Does the fact that traffickers sell children and teens for rape make you mad? Does it make you want to take a stand? It should. It is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons Day, and we must do more to recognize trafficking that could be happening next door. We must end human trafficking while also demanding resources for victims to help them become survivors and beyond.
To find out more about human trafficking, go to the NCMEC site at www.missingkids.org. To report information about a missing or exploited child, call our 24-Hour Call Center: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)
Dr. Jason Piccolo (@DRJasonPiccolo) is a former Border Patrol agent, ICE special agent, and DHS supervisor. He is a former U.S. Army Captain (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and host of The Protectors Podcast.