OUR WORK
We can put a band-aid over the wound. But why not take it a step further and try to treat the wound? Even at its best treatment, the wound will always leave a scar. The intention of helping victims was never to make the scar disappear for them. These victims are resilient and strong. The worst way in handling the treatment of a wound is leaving it open for infection. Infection spreads fast, to other parts, and will end up costing more down the line.
PREYING ON THE WEAK
"If you have a daughter, stay in her life. Because a lot of these girls don't have fathers. They look for guys like us for guidance, to be told what to do. Some are looking for love in the wrong place. They want to be wanted by a man. Their father wasn't there or never gave it to them. So, they're looking for that. And that's where we come in and say, that's why you're paying me, for my guidance. I'm guiding you to this right path and you need to pay me for it." - Pimp
When a child has a history of experiencing multiple forms of abuse over time at the hands of a close caregiver it may result in complex trauma. Complex trauma has long term effects on the brain and child development. Trauma bonding is a strong emotional attachment between an abused person and his or her abuser. When a child has experienced complex trauma and then sexually exploited, trauma bonding can happen very fast.
WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?
Human Trafficking is the deprivation of one’s liberty to obtain forced labor or commercial sex. Deprivation of liberty can be exhibited in a number of ways, and while it can certainly include forced movement or movement across borders, neither of these are required under the law. In fact, the crime of human trafficking does not require movement of the victim of any kind. A trafficker often deprives one’s liberty to obtain forced labor or commercial sex by a number of different tactics, including, but not limited to, force, fear, duress, coercion, menace, or the threat of harm. Furthermore, human trafficking includes any person who attempts to, or does in fact, cause or persuade someone under the age of 18 to engage in a commercial sex act.
WORKING TOWARDS SMART GOALS
Slogans like "ending human trafficking or slavery" can feel inspiring (for a minute), but to actually do the work takes much longer than a minute. Creating unrealistic and unreachable goals can make any motivational person feel overwhelmed or defeated in the process of working towards long-term visions. It often challenges the human spirit, especially in the helping field where short-term needs feel more pressing due to immediate crime and safety matters.
However, with that acknowledgement it doesn't take away the ability to make accomplishments that progresses within the same vision where specific, attainable, timely, realistic and measurable smart goals can be achieved.
SPECIFIC: Who, what, where, when, which and why
MEASURABLE: Create criteria, track your progress
ATTAINABLE: Develop attitudes, abilities, skills, plan your steps
REALISTIC: Willing and able to work towards the goal
TIMELY: Anchor your goal to a specific date
MODERN DAY SLAVERY
Human trafficking is often referred to as modern day slavery. Although the ability to investigate and prosecute human trafficking needs to meet current legal definitions and legislative authority pertaining to human trafficking laws, the philosophical practice of the deprivation of one's liberty and enslavement has many similarities to that of historical practices.
Slavery is a state of being that results from enforced structural violence with the complete disregard for human dignity or human rights, and when occurred over long periods of time may build up tolerance or acceptance of those conditions as a "natural" state for the person being victimized. It is with the intention of subjecting violence, fear, and coercive conditioning against a person's free will in order to carry out the duties of the services meant to derive financial gain. This condition creates a psychological handicap designed to create a disproportionate and purposeful setting of power and control to the advantage of the benefactors of the slavehood.
Ending the slave trade did not end slavery. Consumer awareness to stop buying clothes that supported the plantation business did not end slavery. Asking plantation owners to free the slaves willingly on moral and ethical grounds did not end slavery. However, all of those combined did need to happen, which eventually culminated into a fight to forcibly remove the businesses that profited from slavery.
Not only are the practices of enslaving a person similar, but the post-enslavement reconstruction as well.