True Awareness About Human Trafficking

Authors:

Kersten Bergstrom, Assistant Director of Community Health and Sexual Violence Prevention Specialist, Whitman College
Nuur Khurana, Human Trafficking Advocate, Support Advocacy & Resource Center (SARC)
Heather Tuininga, Chief Servant Officer, Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation in WA (SAFE)

a white handprint silhouette against a black background

In 2010, President Barack Obama proclaimed January as “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.” The month is dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking—domestically and abroad—and to educating the public about prevention and helpful responses. Human trafficking is a crime that involves the use of force, fraud or coercion of another person in order to benefit from their work or service, typically in the form of forced labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation.

As advocates and sexual violence prevention specialists, we are often asked questions about human trafficking. When most people think of human trafficking, they think of “stranger danger,” kidnappings in dark alleyways, and far away, dangerous places—not Walla Walla. For many, human trafficking is something that exists more as the dramatic plot line to a big-budget movie rather than the hellish reality it is for millions of victims worldwide. Running from the truth of what human trafficking is and its overwhelming prevalence unintentionally hurts survivors and victims. If we confront, educate and truthfully accept the reality, we aid in prevention while bringing help and hope to those who are being exploited.

While individual cases of trafficking are unique, there are some shared similarities. As individuals are more marginalized, the chance of abuse and trafficking goes up. For a majority of cases, the person being trafficked is not usually kidnapped, the trafficker is most likely to be a trusted friend, family member or partner, and those being trafficked are often intentionally isolated from others. Familial bonds, intense attachment (sometimes romantic), extortion, forced drug-use, sexual violence, and loyalty obtained through mental and physical abuse are tactics used to demoralize, confuse and further detach the individual being trafficked from the outside world. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates between 14,500–17,500 people are trafficked into or around the United States each year. The numbers are likely far higher, because so much of this crime happens in the dark—where victims cannot be counted, seen or heard.

In 2008, Washington State Attorney General Robert McKenna formed the first taskforce in the state aimed at understanding and creating networks to aid survivors. Washington’s current Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, has maintained this taskforce and aided in creating several more stretching across the state. In 2018, Ferguson’s office launched www.watraffickinghelp.org aimed at providing resources, education and news on human trafficking in Washington. An annual report from the Support Advocacy and Resource Center (SARC) located in Richland, WA, reports that they served 100 survivors of human trafficking in our region last year. It is critical to remember that these survivors represent only some of those trafficked within the region. Of these 100, the youngest survivors were between 6 to 11 years of age, and the oldest were over 60 years of age. For these survivors, the SARC team provided 309 services at intake and 5,775 follow-up services including but not limited to housing, legal, medical, nutrition and mental health counseling services, for an equivalent of 986.75 hours of direct advocate-to-survivors contact service hours. In addition to these direct services to survivors, SARC made 1,428 contacts with community and agency partners for these 100 survivors. This data not only demonstrates how common trafficking is near and around Walla Walla but it also shows the desperate need for a community response, time, and resources in response to this devastating problem.

The road to survivorship is difficult, a feat of strength. Before a survivor can even ask for help, they must first envision a life outside the realm of trafficking, which, for many, is nearly impossible. Asking for help itself is often a struggle—so is trusting they will receive it. Because of the complicated nature of trafficking, coupled with its myths and the pervasive mental and physical abuse that those being trafficked must survive, the way that we—advocates, allies, and community members—show up and support survivors is crucial. Thinking about how we want to build our allyship is an important part of intentional community building that survivors require on their healing journey.

That said, it may be tempting for advocates, allies, and community members to think that they need to “fix” the survivor, and to make promises to them—no matter how well-intentioned—of protection, stability and a better life. In the interest of centralizing the survivor’s experiences and needs, however, it’s imperative to put our own feelings to the side. We can’t make decisions for the survivor nor invoke our own opinions on their healing journey. Instead, we can give the survivor something much more meaningful, something that was ripped away from them when they were abused: a sense of autonomy and community.

As we commemorate this January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, it’s important to remember that as we show up for survivors, we are truthful, educate ourselves about the realities of human trafficking, honor the choices each survivor makes, and generously support those who are already in this fight. By taking these intentional steps together, we cultivate the community that we all want and need.

To learn more about Human Trafficking and what you can do to help:

Join us to hear from some experts at the Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Panel in Maxey on January 31, 2024 from 6:30-8 p.m. Tabling from various local organizations will start at 6 p.m.
Support the work being done to respond to and stop trafficking across Washington by joining the Do What You Love To Fight What You Hate 2024 campaign.
Get more information on local resources and support the work being done to respond to and stop trafficking locally, by learning about the work of SARC and Mirror Ministries.