H.A.V.E.N. Update
By Cathleen Osborne-Gowey (Program Admin – Crime Victim Advocate) 918.554.2836 or COsbornegowey@estoo.net
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Hello all –
This month’s article focuses on Human Trafficking Awareness and how susceptible teens can be through social media. “Teenagers are a highly vulnerable group for human trafficking, with most victims entering the trade before the age of 18, often between 12 and 15 years old”
Online Safety for Children and Teens: Sex Trafficking Recruitment
Article Featured on the SAFE (stop abuse for everyone) Website – https://www.safeaustin.org/online-safety-for-children-and-teens-sex-trafficking-recruitment/
“In the digital age, the internet has become a hotspot for exploitation, particularly when it comes to sex trafficking. Recent statistics from the National Human Trafficking Hotline have revealed a startling 22% surge in online recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic, shedding light on the pervasive nature of these crimes.
A study conducted by Thorn found that a staggering 55% of domestic minor sex trafficking survivors who were victims of trafficking in 2015 or later reported meeting their trafficker for the first time through online channels such as text, websites, or mobile apps. Disturbingly, 63% of these traffickers utilized online methods to build trust and intimacy with their victims, exploiting the vulnerabilities inherent in digital interactions.
Who are traffickers targeting?
Women and girls make up a significant majority of individuals subjected to sex trafficking, accounting for 77% and 72% respectively, according to UNODC.
The majority of those trafficked enter the trade before turning 18, typically between the ages of 12 and 15. Research also indicates that members of the LGBTQ+ community face double the risk of trafficking compared to heterosexual individuals, often due to discrimination and lack of support services that expose them to additional risk factors such as homelessness.
What are the tactics traffickers use?
The Hollywood portrayal of sex trafficking often shows dramatic abductions, but in reality, it usually involves exploitation by those closest to the victim—family, partners, or trusted acquaintances. These traffickers manipulate relationships to control and exploit, making the abuse harder to detect and the victim less likely to seek help. Understanding this shifts the focus from stranger danger to the real risks within personal relationships.
Traffickers often look for people who feel misunderstood or dissatisfied, those with an extreme need, or for those who are easier to exploit. Many times, children are targets due to struggles with isolation, immigration status, poverty, foster care, addiction, trauma, abuse, or unstable housing. Runaways are also particularly vulnerable. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by predators to groom their victims.
Here are a few specific tactics that predators use to trap victims:
- False Identities: Traffickers often masquerade as someone the child knows or trusts, creating fake profiles to establish a sense of familiarity and credibility.
- Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in children’s lives, such as low self-esteem or emotional distress, traffickers manipulate and control their victims by providing false emotional support and affection.
- Sharing Explicit Content: Predators coerce children into sharing explicit images or videos, subsequently using this material as leverage for further exploitation.
- Online Coercion and Threats: Employing coercion, threats, and intimidation tactics, traffickers compel children to comply with their demands under the threat of harm to themselves or their loved ones.
- Absence of Parental Involvement: Traffickers capitalize on the lack of parental supervision and awareness of online dangers to groom children without detection.
- Online Social Peer Pressure: Leveraging peer pressure, traffickers normalize exploitation within online communities, enticing children to engage in sexual activities.
- “Romeo” Tactics: By creating the illusion of a romantic relationship, traffickers manipulate victims through extreme flattery, promises of affection, and emotional manipulation.
These tactics are disseminated through active targeting (hunting), passive recruitment (fishing), and exploiting vulnerabilities associated with addiction (ice fishing). By preying on individuals’ desires for affection, financial stability, or a sense of belonging, traffickers create a cycle of dependency and manipulation that is difficult to break.
When posting online, as a parent, be mindful of the information you share. Specific details like:
- The high school where your student made the honor roll
- Linking your profile to local neighborhood watch groups
- Relatives wishing someone a happy 16th birthday
- Where you work
These details can provide exploitable information to those with harmful intentions.
Think of your online presence as a story. Many websites ask for bits of personal information, and tech-savvy individuals can easily piece together details like age, school, friends, and family connections. This information can be used to threaten or exploit you”.
Remember, you are NOT ALONE! For more information on human trafficking and services we can provide, please reach out to Haven to speak with an advocate.
Haven Office Hours: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Monday – Friday
HAVEN Does NOT provide 24- hour service. After hours please call:
StrongHearts Native Helpline https://strongheartshelpline 1-844-762-8483 (call or text) or Community Crisis Center, Miami, OK 1-800-400-0883
StrongHearts and Community Crisis Center have 24 hour service
Please call the HAVEN office during business hours for more information.
918-554-2836 or Text Line: 918.533.3070
Program Website: https://havenprogram.com/
Program Email: havenprogram@estoo.net Facebook: HAVEN Tribal Program, Twitter: @ProgramHaven, Instagram: HAVENTRIBALProgram.
