We are getting real today here on the blog. sorry.
I feel like it is necessary.
I was going to hop on and blog today anyways- but something a little more "fluffy" about my Etsy shop. Not anyway related to what we're talking about today.
Today Im going to talk about human trafficking.
You see, this morning I looked on my facebook and saw a picture of a writer (Ashlie Writes: community) with a big red "X" on her hand. I didnt' know until I saw that picture that today was a day to shine a light on human trafficking.
I jumped on the bandwagon. followed a link to the website :
http://enditmovement.com/
i snapped a picture and uploaded it to facebook, twitter and instagram... as many others have done today.
WIll we forget about it after today though, and get on with the rest of our lives, after this red x that I have on my hand washes off?
honestly. probably. ... it is a part of life. we don't have to see human trafficking everyday where I live. you dont see it.
but it's there.
a few years ago, i was reading the local magazine, and read an article about human trafficking, here. in North Texas . I was in shock. i thought we lived in a 'good' area. sure there is crime, but not sex trafficking. ... for that matter I didnt even know we had that stuff in America. I thought that was for other countries. other countries that don't have the law enforcement that we have in America. Other countries that are not as technology advanced. Other countries that REALLY discriminate against women (for sex trafficking) Other countries who don't have the laws that we have have here in America. In my mind it was a problem that we don't have to think about here in america.
Boy, was I wrong.
This morning I've been trying to find recent statistics and such... but to be honest, I am having a difficult time coming up with numbers for statistics.
I did find a report from The National Human Trafficking Resource Center..
A link to the report if you'd like to view.
Summary though.
This is based on the number of calls that the National human trafficking resource center received (not hang ups, wrong numbers or missed calls)
Just a few topics that I picked out of the whole list of statistics that they Gave, this is from last year (2013)
Top 5 states with the highest number of calls (all states are available on the report.)
1. California ---3,083 Calls
2. Texas --- 2,236 Calls
3. Florida --- 1,722 Calls
4. New York -- 1,158 Calls
5. Ohio --- 744 Calls
Reason for calling: (more reasons are available on the report.)
High risk or related --- 5,527 Calls
Crisis --- 293 calls
2,044 Calls were "high risk cases references potential trafficking)
3,609 was for sex trafficking
929 was for labor trafficking
Victim Statistics:
Adults --- 3,180
Minors ---1,638
Females - 3,997
Males --- 812
Transgender 30
US Citizen - 1,914
Foreign National -1663
Ok. so there are the numbers. remember those are JUST from that one resource from last year with THEIR calls. There are other resources. and these are from people that actually called in. it's out there. we have to be aware.
There are ways to help, like donating money to various resources and reporting activity. the first step is to recognize that this is a problem.
The US. Department of State has some good resources to check out if you are interested in assisting. http://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/index.htm
If you are interested in human trafficking and want more info there are many resources available.
one thing that I did learn when I first learned about sex trafficiking...
I often wondered, why women were not smart enough to realize that they were being 'kidnapped / trafficked..' then why they couldnt get out.
these women (and men) are preyed upon, and the trafficker lures them into human traffiking.
I still wonder about these women and why families dont report them missing... surely these girls have a family that cares about them... right??? i guess some don't...
the girls /women / men are told things that are not true, and then they believe them... they tell the victims that they owe them (trafficker) money, and they have to pay a debt by trafficking, when they reach the end of the debt they can be 'free'... but of course fees are added on and they will never be free.
they are also told that if they run away, then thier friends/ family will be hurt / murdered so that it will prevent them from running away.
anyways... there is only so much to be done. I can say that if you see something suspicious. report it to authorities.
I'm done ... for now. :)
I feel like it is necessary.
I was going to hop on and blog today anyways- but something a little more "fluffy" about my Etsy shop. Not anyway related to what we're talking about today.
Today Im going to talk about human trafficking.
You see, this morning I looked on my facebook and saw a picture of a writer (Ashlie Writes: community) with a big red "X" on her hand. I didnt' know until I saw that picture that today was a day to shine a light on human trafficking.
I jumped on the bandwagon. followed a link to the website :
http://enditmovement.com/
i snapped a picture and uploaded it to facebook, twitter and instagram... as many others have done today.
WIll we forget about it after today though, and get on with the rest of our lives, after this red x that I have on my hand washes off?
honestly. probably. ... it is a part of life. we don't have to see human trafficking everyday where I live. you dont see it.
but it's there.
a few years ago, i was reading the local magazine, and read an article about human trafficking, here. in North Texas . I was in shock. i thought we lived in a 'good' area. sure there is crime, but not sex trafficking. ... for that matter I didnt even know we had that stuff in America. I thought that was for other countries. other countries that don't have the law enforcement that we have in America. Other countries that are not as technology advanced. Other countries that REALLY discriminate against women (for sex trafficking) Other countries who don't have the laws that we have have here in America. In my mind it was a problem that we don't have to think about here in america.
Boy, was I wrong.
This morning I've been trying to find recent statistics and such... but to be honest, I am having a difficult time coming up with numbers for statistics.
I did find a report from The National Human Trafficking Resource Center..
A link to the report if you'd like to view.
Summary though.
This is based on the number of calls that the National human trafficking resource center received (not hang ups, wrong numbers or missed calls)
Just a few topics that I picked out of the whole list of statistics that they Gave, this is from last year (2013)
Top 5 states with the highest number of calls (all states are available on the report.)
1. California ---3,083 Calls
2. Texas --- 2,236 Calls
3. Florida --- 1,722 Calls
4. New York -- 1,158 Calls
5. Ohio --- 744 Calls
Reason for calling: (more reasons are available on the report.)
High risk or related --- 5,527 Calls
Crisis --- 293 calls
2,044 Calls were "high risk cases references potential trafficking)
3,609 was for sex trafficking
929 was for labor trafficking
Victim Statistics:
Adults --- 3,180
Minors ---1,638
Females - 3,997
Males --- 812
Transgender 30
US Citizen - 1,914
Foreign National -1663
Ok. so there are the numbers. remember those are JUST from that one resource from last year with THEIR calls. There are other resources. and these are from people that actually called in. it's out there. we have to be aware.
There are ways to help, like donating money to various resources and reporting activity. the first step is to recognize that this is a problem.
The US. Department of State has some good resources to check out if you are interested in assisting. http://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/index.htm
If you are interested in human trafficking and want more info there are many resources available.
one thing that I did learn when I first learned about sex trafficiking...
I often wondered, why women were not smart enough to realize that they were being 'kidnapped / trafficked..' then why they couldnt get out.
these women (and men) are preyed upon, and the trafficker lures them into human traffiking.
I still wonder about these women and why families dont report them missing... surely these girls have a family that cares about them... right??? i guess some don't...
the girls /women / men are told things that are not true, and then they believe them... they tell the victims that they owe them (trafficker) money, and they have to pay a debt by trafficking, when they reach the end of the debt they can be 'free'... but of course fees are added on and they will never be free.
they are also told that if they run away, then thier friends/ family will be hurt / murdered so that it will prevent them from running away.
anyways... there is only so much to be done. I can say that if you see something suspicious. report it to authorities.
I'm done ... for now. :)