oday, January 11, marks the start of National Slavery & Human Trafficking Prevention Month. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children established a Child Sex Trafficking Team in 2011 that specializes in providing technical assistance, analysis and recovery services for cases involving child sex trafficking. NCMEC provides “Hope Bags” which contain basic necessities such as toiletries, shoes, snacks and a change of clothes that can be given to recovered victims.
This year, NCMEC has partnered with A21, a global non-profit working to combat human trafficking on a new PSA, Can You See Me?.
The PSA, featuring actress Ashley Greene from the Twilight saga, depicts a what it may look like when a child is being sex trafficked. The child in the video is still going to school but her behavior, clothing, and demeanor all change once she becomes a victim of sex trafficking. Traffickers often prey upon a child’s vulnerability and use psychological pressure and intimidation to control the child for financial benefit relating to their sexual exploitation. This happens in every state and every community across the country. Sex traffickers do not discriminate.
Indicators you will see play out in the PSA include, but are not limited to:
· Tattoos or other marking indicating “ownership” by the perpetrator
· Child starts isolating themselves from friends and family
· Change in clothing style or appearance – starts dressing provocative
· The “boyfriend” or older female starts exerting control over child
For a full list of potential risk factors and identifiers and other information can be found on NCMEC's website .
The public can report suspect child sex trafficking to NCMEC through the CyberTipline or by calling NCMEC’s 24 hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
The National Center will be highlighting the issue of child sex trafficking on its blog and social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@missingkids), for the rest of January.
CONTACT NCMEC MEDIA – Media@ncmec.org
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Credit – National Center for Missing & Exploited Children or NCMEC
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o Infographic
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· NCMEC/A21 Sex Trafficking PSA 30/60 sec versions
· Sound bites from Staca Shehan, NCMEC Executive Director:
“Child sex trafficking is a crime that’s committed in real life in plain sight, that provides everyone with an opportunity to recognize that somethings not right, something suspicious is occurring and to make a report.”
“I’m hoping that members of the public who see this PSA will understand that they have a role to play in ending child sex trafficking, that they may be interacting with children in their everyday lives. Maybe they’re a teacher, bus driver, maybe they work at a hotel or just at the grocery store... they may see something that comes to mind to them ... something is not right, something is suspicious here and they make a report at 1-800-THE-LOST.”
“I think A21 came to the NCMEC for this PSA because they recognize that we have a comprehensive response. When it comes to child sex trafficking were not just a pass thru. We don’t just take the info and pass it along, we add value to it. We have resources that can be applied to it and that way, the most valuable information being provided to law enforcement with the goal of recovering these kids.”
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