Disrupt Sex Trafficking poster campaign

The Disrupt Sex Trafficking poster campaign depicts 6 very real situations in which teens and pre-teens can become victims of trafficking for sex. It is created by the anti-trafficking organization Abolitionist Mom to educate and raise awareness in the community of the risks that technology, scams and “friends” can present to both boys and girls. We want this to be a wake-up call to parents, educators, coaches, medical professionals—anyone who has responsibility or cares for a teen or pre-teen. Be aware. Know the warning signs. When in doubt, call that National Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or text “help” to 233-733 (BeFree)

Posters are available for purchase. Organizations can add their own logo or contact information to the posters. Each set of 6 posters is $30 plus postage. To place an order, contact Judy Traub, jftraub@aol.com. For more information about the campaign and to learn more about human trafficking, please visit DisruptSexTrafficking.org.

The Human Trafficking Committee of the Palm Beach Section of the National Council of Jewish Women is focused on raising awareness of online safety, especially for children and adolescents. We are distributing flyers and information on the subject and are sending it to you, hoping you will share this with your children and grandchildren.

All children are at risk of making a mistake when online, and we hope this provides them and their parents with some critical information to raise their awareness of the risks of online predators.

DON’T BECOME A VICTIM OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING:
INTERNET SAFETY AND SEXTING

POSTING PHOTOS:
Friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, first crush. A request for a picture isn’t unusual. But as relationships develop, the request can be made for more explicit photos or videos. And once those photos or videos have been shared with one person, who promises never to share it with anyone, that promise is broken and they send it to a friend, who sends it to two more friends, who send it to ten more friends. It may be your photo, but it now belongs to the world, and you can’t get it back. Anyone with the photo can now shame the subject and force him or her to become a victim of human trafficking for more explicit photos or for sex or labor services.

PLAYING GAMES ONLINE:
Youngsters love to play games online. They may start out playing with friends but eventually, they may be invited to play with strangers. Some games require the purchase of game dollars, which the stranger may be only too happy to “lend”. But there can come a day for a payback. And the payback might be a demand for a nude photo or video. And that can be used against an innocent child anytime in the future. The shame of having the photos sent to family or friends may result in being trafficked for sex or labor services.

BEFRIENDED:
Youngsters may be befriended when at a mall, park, bowling alley or online by someone who listens to their issues, buys them food, gifts, and becomes a “friend”. They make be asked to send photos of themselves and the requests may come for more explicit photos. Once the “friend” has the photo it can be used to threaten exposure to family, classmates. The shame can cause depression or thoughts of suicide. Or the victims may be able to stave off exposure by becoming a victim of human trafficking for sex or labor services.
High-risk targets: kids from group homes, foster homes, community kids who are homeless, lonely, depressed, not in the popular crowd.
The “friend” may be a victim of trafficking herself or himself and be a recruiter for the actual trafficker. The “friend” will eventually turn the victim over to the trafficker and he/she will sell or exploit the victim for sex or labor trafficking

ANSWERING ADS OR SOLICITATIONS FOR MODELING, MOVIES, WORK:
Young people need to be very careful when they are told they are so pretty they should be a model or in the movies, or such a perfect fit for a job. Answering an ad or following up on a solicitation should be verified, and no young person should ever go alone. Headshots for modeling can turn into requests for much more explicit photos, which can be used as blackmail by a trafficker.

PUTTING INFORMATION ONLINE:
People, especially youngsters and young adults, need to know not to put personal information online: name, age, address, phone number, school attended, family information. Information online is used by traffickers to meet, groom, and victimize innocent people.

WHO IS AT RISK:
Boys and girls are equally at risk. Traffickers will provide whatever the customer wants, and if it is young boys or teenage girls, that is who the trafficker will target, groom and victimize.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Go to netsmartz.org, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). That website has excellent information about online safety and ways to talk to children and adolescents about the issue.