Human Trafficking 101

Human Trafficking 101 with Naomi’s House

Last night I tuned in to listen to Simone Halpin, Executive Director of Naomi’s House, for her training on Commercial Sexual Exploitation. Naomi’s House is a residential program that serves women who have been victims of sex trafficking.  They work to provide hope and healing to these women through trauma-informed, faith-based care and support.

So, what’s the problem?

Human trafficking uses force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some sort of labor or commercial sex act.

The International Labor Organization estimates that there are 40.3 MILLION victims of human trafficking globally, with hundreds of thousands in the United States.

Sex trafficking makes up 54% of trafficking worldwide. Human trafficking is motivated by two factors- labor and sex.

Out of all of those trafficked, 70% are women and girls.

About 24,000 women and children will be trafficked just this year in the Chicagoland area.

How does this even happen?

Human trafficking does not usually look like a Liam Neeson movie.  Women and children are not usually just “taken” like the movie. Human trafficking looks different depending on where you are geographically. In the United States, victims are not usually kidnapped, as traffickers do not want that added attention on them. Instead, they are groomed.

The greatest age group that is forced into prostitution is between 9 and 17 years old. If you know kids or have kids in that age range, it’s hard to even imagine!

But how are they recruited? Oftentimes, traffickers will meet women and girls online then they arrange to meet in person. They spend time together. They hang out. The trafficker makes the victim feel safe and taken care of, special and beautiful. They start a relationship. She has a false sense of security. At some point, drugs are usually introduced. These drugs disorient the user, making it difficult for her to resist or even remember any involvement in exploitation.

Although that is not always how they find victims, the traffickers tailor their approach to each individual. No demographic is exempt from being victimized. Trafficking occurs to people of all diverse backgrounds, education, and socio-economic standing.

What keeps her there? Why doesn’t she leave?

Traffickers are excellent manipulators. They will use whatever means necessary to keep their victims around. They incite fear into the victim, constantly using threats against the victim or their families. They are groomed to believe that their trafficker will care and provide for them. They will use extreme violence, threats, substance abuse addictions, and other tactics to keep their victims from leaving their situation. Many victims feel stuck like there is no way out.

When a survivor can pull away from this lifestyle, they are immediately confronted with dozens of obstacles that will most likely lead them back to their traffickers. These can include:

• Substance Addiction
• Trauma Bonds
• Interruption of Education
• Physical and Emotional Abuse
• PTSD
• Health Care Neglect

This sounds like an impossible problem to fix…

Yes. I’m thinking the same thing. How can we make a difference with a problem so huge? So global?

Naomi’s House Programs equip women to heal and grow! They have a minimum of 15 month process of healing that includes:

• Trauma-Informed Care
• Comprehensive Programming
• Individualized Focus
• A Strength-Based Approach
• Faith-Based Initiatives

One person at a time, the staff at Naomi’s House believes every woman is created in God’s image and is worthy.

Now you know about the problem… 

Stay tuned for ways that YOU can make a difference…

Photo credits to Naomi’s House Facebook page HERE.