Tag: modern slavery

human trafficking heat map as of 2016 (via Polaris Project)
Human Trafficking – Real Hope. Real Help.

Human Trafficking – Real Hope. Real Help.

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Show Summary: Human trafficking is real and it’s happening right here in the U.S. Tune in to learn about it, recognize the signs, and what you can do to help someone who is trapped in it. Or get help for yourself. (Jump to links and information below, or head to our Take Action on Human Trafficking page.)

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Air Dates: May 4 & 5, 2019 | Andi Buerger & Karen Kataline

This Week: We’ve all heard a baby’s laugh that makes the world light up.  At that moment, it feels as if we’re shielded from the darkness, a little bubble where the innocent are protected.

But where there is light there is also darkness and one of the darkest parts of that same world is human trafficking. Where innocence is destroyed. Smothered by men and women who turn innocence into a commodity.  Something to be sold, traded, and exploited. However, there is hope. 

Human Trafficking: It’s real and it’s in the U.S.

Infographic on human trafficking from Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign
An Infographic on human trafficking from Dept of Homeland Security

It seems impossible but even right here in the U.S., the land of the free, human trafficking—in all 50 states—not only exists but in some cases thrives.

Sadly, the numbers of those exploited are rising. According to the FBI, human trafficking is thought to be the 3rd largest criminal activity world-wide.  A world-wide epidemic of condemning children and adults to a lifetime of anger and hopelessness.  And it happens everywhere, rural and urban, to all ages, and to men, women, boys, and girls.

But this show is about help. And hope. Plus, it not only exposes what’s happening, but it will give you tools to help others get out from this nightmare.

Hope and Help: Beulah’s Place

So to understand more about human trafficking, we talk with Andi Buerger, the CEO and Founder of Beulah’s Place located in Redmond, Oregon.  Andi, a survivor of human trafficking herself, has created a support system for homeless children, including those who have been trapped in the human trafficking world.

Beulah’s Place focuses on getting these children food, clothing, and a place to sleep. They also find them supports that will start the healing process and lead to another life.  Listen to find out what her work has meant to so many youth who without her organization’s help felt trapped and unloved.

Get Help and Healing

Then we bring in Karen Kataline, a fellow talk-show host. Karen holds an MSW (masters of social work) and talks to us about the healing process that takes place as these young people start to learn a new norm.  She discusses what behaviors to look for, the types of counseling that have proven to help, and this very real problem of human trafficking in today’s society. 

To help a child or for more information:
The National Childrens Alliance operates Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) around the country with an interactive map to find a center near you.
The National Center of Missing and Exploited Children

Help Stop Human Trafficking

We’re bringing some light to this because it is our hope that those in our listening audience will become more aware of the issues. So we hope you will join us to learn some tools and find resources that you might be able to be in a position to help someone who truly needs it.

Recognize the signs of Human Trafficking
Recognizing key indicators of human trafficking is the first step in identifying victims and can help save a life. See the list of signs and indicators of human trafficking via the Department of Homeland Security

So why is this so important? Aside from the cruelty, stopping human trafficking can have long-term impact. Because human trafficking and abuse causes generational problems to fester in our society.  Left alone the rage, self-hate, confusion, and feelings of betrayal these children and adults experience will impact our future for generations to come.  Child abuse is no longer something we can turn our backs on. Perpetrators have only become more bold and more aggressive. We cannot ignore this problem any longer.

You can help break the cycle. You can be someone’s answer to prayer. Please tune in and help spread the word.

Podcast Version

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Links & Information

NOTE: If you need help or want to help someone else, including emergency contact texts and hotlines, go to our Take Action against human trafficking page.

However, if you’re just looking for more information about human trafficking or where else to look, the resources on this page can point you in the right direction.

Links Mentioned During the Show

Human Trafficking: Get Help!

Additional hotlines and emergency contacts are on our Take Action against human trafficking webpage.

Additional Information & Resources on Human Trafficking

Resources on Human Trafficking via U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

The Dept. of Homeland Security is actively fighting human trafficking and trying to raise awareness under the banner of The Blue Campaign. They have a tremendous amount of resources and places to get help.

Facts and Figures

  • According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation (Dosomething.org)
  • 40 percent of U.S. human trafficking happens in the Southeast
  • Human Trafficking Is an Epidemic in the U.S. It’s Also Big Business (via Fortune, April 14, 2019)
    • “Human trafficking is estimated to bring in global profits of about $150 billion a year—$99 billion from sexual exploitation, according to the International Labor Organization. Nearly 9,000 cases in the U.S. were reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and BeFree Textline in 2017—a 13% increase from the prior year, according to the Polaris Project. But this data is incomplete, as cases are severely underreported.”
    • “Some of the biggest factors that lead vulnerable children to become vulnerable adults are poverty, homelessness, abuse at home, the foster system, and glamorization of the sex industry, what is essentially a “pipeline of vulnerability,” said Dr. Sharon Cooper, founder and CEO of Developmental and Forensic Pediatrics.”
    • “While prostitution is defined as the exchange of sex for money, drugs, or influence between two consenting adults—where consent can be given—human trafficking means there is third-party control.”

Human Trafficking: Further Reading