Florida has the third-highest occurrences of human trafficking, and Orange County accounts for the second-highest number of child exploitation cases in the state.  Advocates share their humanistic efforts and promote education to recognize Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

A misconception about trafficking is that abductions occur in public by strangers. While it is not unheard of, the terrifying truth is that predators are often acquainted with a victim, hiding in plain sight. The perception of predators is no longer Ted Bundy prowling the streets or offerings of puppies and candy—individuals with unsettling intentions have not ceased to exist, but migrated to behind a screen.

Predators don’t have to be local to connect to an outlet for their deviance. They can assume any identity, and say whatever will appeal most to a potential victim, like using children’s desire to be seen as grown-ups to an advantage. Since the pandemic and its aftermath, this urgency for social interaction has become more prevalent. Paving the Way Foundation’s founder and president Jan Edwards is a leading expert in human trafficking education who promotes awareness of this “silent crime.”

“The past three years have really screwed our kids up. … Then some guy pops into their DM and starts talking to them; the next thing you know, you’re sharing all of your details with this person you don’t even know. They’re going to use it and they’re going to lure you in, and that’s all they do, all day long,” says Edwards.

Any child with unsupervised internet access has been met with information or intentions beyond their naive comprehension; the internet is an entirely different terrain for which adequate safety tools are still in the works. Yet, an internet presence, to many children and young adults today, is equally important to real-life interactions, if not more.

“The average age that kids are estimated to go into trafficking is between 13 and 14. I’ve talked to parents that are absolutely floored that they find that [their daughters] are approached multiple times a week by strangers asking them to send pictures,” says Greg Snyder, cofounder of SAFE (Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation) Central Florida, which provides services to survivors while seeking solutions to eradicate human trafficking.

Abduction from online interactions can result from blackmailing/tricking an individual to meet up, tracking locations through geotagging or weaponizing publicly available information. Childhood development causes so many awkward and susceptible stages, often revolving around social acceptance. If children aren’t receiving attention from peers, regardless of parental affection, they will be drawn to the rush of talking to a stranger—as well as to the aspect of keeping it a secret. A person can easily construct a character with similar interests and experiences guaranteed to coerce a child into a conversation.

Children will likely not disclose what’s happening out of embarrassment or fear that the online relationship will be put to an end, ultimately suffering alone. Grooming can lead victims of all ages to believe it was their choice—especially by twisting perceptions of healthy relationships.

“Where a lot of the problems are, is these cell phones—one thing they all seem to have is a phone,” explains Jill Cohen, founder and CEO of The Lifeboat Project. “Can it be a good thing? Yes, it can save their life … but it’s also like Stockholm [Syndrome], where they’re like, ‘I see I can get the help at Lifeboat,’ but I’ve seen them reach out [to their traffickers] through the phones.”

Teaching children to respect their boundaries prevents victimization in the future. While teenagers may be anxious all the time, a gut feeling will always be valid and shouldn’t be ignored. This mentality can begin early, as parents can refuse to force their children into hugs with family or friends if they don’t want to be touched.

Receiving intrusive content on the internet against one’s will has become so normalized that children are desensitized to explicit content at younger ages, opening doors to worse content or an absence of typical trauma responses. If access is restricted, children can still access their friends’ devices or internet at school, provoking intrigue and compelling a child to hide activity, especially with “disappearing” messages, private accounts and browsing modes, and deleted history.

Learning about the constantly changing online trends of a child’s age group is one way to stay vigilant. Edwards recommends implementing family time to replace the addictive fixture while providing a distracting outlet, in addition to leveling with a child and speaking their language to open up conversations and allow for better surveillance of risks or behavioral changes.

“Because it was in a non-threatening environment, [your child]  might actually come to you about something … and the best thing you can tell your kiddos is, ‘It’s not your fault, I got your back and I love you,’” she advises. “We tell people you’ve got to stop the action, don’t delete anything because police need that as evidence, block the person.”

While a victim is never at fault, teaching prevention techniques for children and adults alike to protect themselves is vital in saving lives. It is always better to be safe than to be another casualty of the all-too-common bystander effect. Practiced sensitivity is a great initiative, understanding that trauma victims have triggers. As awareness spreads, so does the hope for prevention and recovery.

“A lot in the movement has changed. When I go to national conferences, there’s a lot more of really empowering survivors to be able to speak up about what they want and what they need. We’re trying to learn from their lived experience,” Cohen says.

While the efficiency of technology may benefit predators, it can also be used to combat their attempts; look a person up online before going on a blind date, search publicly accessible criminal records before leaving someone alone with your child, as a common tactic is for predators to pose as a boyfriend or confidant to bring out vulnerability.

“In most cases, young women are U.S. citizens, and they are trafficked by people they know or people that pose as boyfriends. A tiny fraction of people are literally grabbed off the street and smuggled across the border,” explains Snyder. “It’s on our high school and college campuses, it’s where vulnerable people are groomed by somebody posing as a boyfriend or a father figure, and creates this relationship.”

Trafficking should not be a taboo topic; it is imperative for survivors to know that there are resources. Silence from witnesses only causes increased confidence for perpetrators and the National Human Trafficking Hotline is there for anyone who sees something suspicious.

A Support System
Local organizations helping to serve victims and survivors of human trafficking