SAFECHR was born when a group of survivors attended a conference and shared their stories creating an impetus that their experiences and lack of wrap around services needed to fuel debate and discussion on how we can create a bridge from victim to survivor, from insensitivity to creative awareness, and from successful trafficker to incarcerated criminal.
Since January 2014, the volunteer committee has worked together to gather a diverse group of professionals to come together to find solutions and develop a working global task force that meets regularly to increase awareness as well as assist victims.
What is Human Trafficking?
Human Trafficking (THB or trafficking in Human Beings) happens everywhere in plain sight. It is a multi-billion-dollar global criminal industry. Unlike smuggling, which involves knowledge of the person being smuggled and often costing the person a lot of money to be smuggled, human trafficking is the exploitation of a person by another for profit by force, fraud, or coercion. The formal definition is:
“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by improper means (such as force, abduction, fraud, or coercion) for an improper purpose including forced labor or sexual exploitation.” (From: United Nations Trafficking in Persons Act).
Women are bought and sold as commodities and controlled in strip clubs, sports venues, massage parlors, entertainment industries, technological venues such as the internet, and in plain sight in neighborhoods. Public safety depends on how well we protect our children, especially our girls from being lured into many of these very lucrative fields. They are often tempting and exciting for young people looking to fit in, or just make extra money and starts in a simple way.
Listen to Dr Gopal speak about human trafficking:
FACTS
- Trafficking is the practice of exploiting adults and children for use as commodities in conditions of sexual and labor servitude
- Tactics used by recruiters, traffickers, and their associates are often the same tactics used by batterers and can mirror dynamics of domestic violence
- Trafficking is not limited to formal work sectors. It can occur wherever there is any form of labor.
- Indiana is along the I 80/94 corridor for human trafficking known as the Midwest Corridor with truck stops, adult clubs, hotels being hubs for high possibilities for human trafficking.
Examples of Sex Trafficking
- Strip clubs: The Strip Club industry is $7.2 billion dollar entertainment industry as of 2021,according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, hostess/strip club-based information. Women, men, and minors may be recruited to work in strip clubs as hostesses, servers, or dancers, but then are required to provide commercial sex to customers.
- Young girls being picked up for peer parties and then introduced to strangers with whom they leave. “Friends” will introduce them to males and then disappear – Setups leading to sexual assaults.
- Parent allowing one child to be knowingly raped by an adult who financially supports the entire family.
Signs of Risk of Sex/Labor Trafficking
- Much older boyfriend or male/female who arranges and watches and controls who she is with.
- Being forced to take drugs/alcohol against their wishes
- Will not speak for herself. Someone else speaks on her behalf
- Has been groomed and fearful of injury or very fearful of someone
- Appears not to have seen her family or friends in a long time
- Does not attend school anymore
- Needs to respond to their cell phone very quickly
- Does not have an address or know where they will be sleeping
- Cannot freely come and go as she pleases. Has to take permission.
Facts about Domestic Sex Trafficking
National Statistics: Why is this important?
United States National Statistics
| physical abuse while growing up | 88% |
| childhood sexual assault | 76% |
| Average age of onset of childhood sexual assault | 9.5% |
| domestic violence in home | 88% |
| Drugs and alcohol abuse in home | 84% |
| family members involved in prostitution | 60% |
| neighborhood members involved in prostitution | 64% |
| regular self-use of alcohol as child | 84% |
| average age of onset of alcohol use | 12.5% |
| committed to foster care | 24% |
| run away from home due to physical and sexual abuse | 48% |
- 16,000 – 25,000 women and children trafficked per year through the Midwest belt
- Approximately 100,000 US children are trafficked each year within the United States
- Foster children in the United States are at the highest risk
- Average age of child: Dr Gopal’s youngest trafficking child was 18 months old. There is no average age.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Most report at least 6-7 ACE Scores. Dr Gopal’s
clinic in Northwest Indiana identifies 3-4 persons each month. Also, with multiple ACEs. - Health = Revolving healthcare issues with Autoimmune Disorders
- Causes of deaths: Suicides for Boys and homicides for Girls
Who is at Risk?
- Trafficked victims are from the United States, Mexico, and the Philippines.
- Children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems
- Attention-seeking, high risk-taking children
- Children with histories of sexual abuse
- Runaway and homeless youth
- Unaccompanied children
- American Indians and Alaska Natives
- Migrant laborers, including undocumented workers and
- Participants in visa programs for temporary workers
- Foreign national domestic workers in houses
- Limited English proficiency
- Refugees and those fleeing from other nations
- Low literacy; disabilities; and LGBTI individuals.
IF YOU SUSPECT YOU ARE TALKING OR KNOW A PERSON WHO IS BEING TRAFFICKING IN NORTHWEST INDIANA CALL NORTHWEST INDIANA HOTLINE 1-855-854-SAFE (7233) OR THE NATIONAL HOTLINE AT 1 (888) 373-7888 National Human Trafficking Hotline SMS: 233733 (Text “HELP” or “INFO”)
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