Every year it feels as if Christmas somehow snuck up on us. There’s a mad dash to find the perfect gift for your loved ones with just days until the holiday. As you head out to the malls and purchase gifts, there are some things Rachael White with Her Song wants you to keep in mind: Human traffickers are recruiting kids anywhere they’re hanging out while being off from school during the holidays, including malls, parks and online.
“The internet is a target-rich environment for traffickers and they’re heavily recruiting kids online through social media, chat apps, video chat, multiplayer video games,” White said. “So this is something as parents we need to really be aware of and if you think about all of the technology presents that are probably under the tree and kids being out of school, they’re going to have more screen time during the holidays.”
Her Song helps survivors of human trafficking recover. They also work to make kids and the public aware of the dangers lurking.
“These traffickers are posing online as friends, as empathetic teens when really, they’re luring these kids through their vulnerabilities,” White said.
Florida is among the three worst states for human trafficking behind California and Texas. The holiday season is one of the busiest travel times of the year and it's also a time traffickers are trying to blend in with the crowds.
As you travel this holiday season at the hotel, airports and rest stops, The Shero Foundation, a non-profit that aims to empower young girls who have been exploited, is asking that we all stay alert by keeping an eye out for trafficking victims and report suspicious activity.
Here are some ways they say you can spot human trafficking:
- Victims tend to be closely guarded. Traffickers want to make sure they don't escape. They’re typically not allowed to roam freely in the airport or anywhere.
- Children who are trafficked may look malnourished or have bruises, burns, and scars.
- A victim will rarely look you in the eye and they tend to avoid conversation.
- Many traffickers believe they actually own their victims and they'll brand them with tattoos. According to The Shero Foundation, if you see a tattoo of a name, barcode, symbol, or even the word "Daddy,” that may be a sign that the person is a human trafficking victim.
If you suspect human trafficking, immediately call police or the National Human Trafficking Line at 1-888-373-7888.