Human trafficking more common than you think, but the signs aren’t
Disinformation on social media, and dramatizations in movies and TV can make actual human trafficking harder to spot.
GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Known signs of human trafficking can be found here.
Human trafficking is becoming an all-too-common term in the news.
But the realities of it are often misunderstood.
Disinformation on social media and dramatizations in movies and TV can muddy the waters.
But experts say there are a few common signs that indicate a person is being trafficked.
While some signs are more obvious, others could be easily overlooked.
Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said some obvious signs of a child being trafficked are: that they can’t give a straight answer, or look someone in the eyes.
“A child that’s malnourished or has bad dental work,” Scott said. “You see where they’re with older males and are checking into hotels. Or you see them at truck stops. So, just little things that kind of make the hair stand up on the back of the neck. If it doesn’t look right, it’s worth taking the time to go to these websites and look, or contact your local law enforcement agency to have us go look.”
Amy Bogue with Allegro Family Clinic said some less obvious signs, like inability to pay attention, or fidgeting, could be signs of trauma mistaken for more mundane conditions like ADHD.
She said this is because healthcare professionals are often trained to see the problem right in front of them, rather than what could be just under the surface.
“Even if you have older teenagers, they’ll revert back to a childlike behavior,” Bogue said. “And so that is a sign that people aren’t as familiar with. And it’s not what people think. They think of the movie Taken where people get abducted. But that’s not the most common form at all. And so we’re, one, we’re trying to learn our self, but two, to educate the public that trafficking takes all kinds of forms.”
A new Mississippi law going into effect July 1st, the Good Samaritan Reporting Act, gives limited legal immunity to people who report sex-based-crimes.
Bogue said this gives people who feel powerless a sense of control.
“We want people to feel empowered to speak up,” Bogue said. “And most often what we’re learning from victims is sometimes they’re just scared. Or they have been in it so long that this is their new normal.”
Sheriff Scott said saving a victim, and putting away a criminal, is what the job is all about.
“The first thing you feel is a sigh of relief for the victim,” Scott said. “That you’re able to get the victim out of this horrendous situation. Your second feeling is just going to be the thrill of getting this criminal and putting him behind bars. And working with our U.S. Attorney’s, DA’s to make sure they never get the opportunity to do this again.”
Among other Mississippi laws going into effect July 1st are House Bills 1189 and 1308.
1189 increases funding for the Victims of Human Trafficking Fund through payments from some convictions.
1308 creates the new felony crime of “grooming” a child for exploitation.
