What I didn't know almost cost me my life

Although I grew up in a community where I was exposed to societal ills, I still had a sense of normalcy. Daily witnessing violence against women and violence against people of color, all while walking past people high and/or drunk on my way to school taught me a lesson that was difficult to unlearn.

The lesson that I had to unlearn was that women and girls are commodities: 

• that they can be bought and sold and it's okay;
• that resistance will only get you hurt; 
• that the hurt you receive from resistance is deserved; you don't belong to you.

This lesson was taught to me through socialization. It was the water that I was swimming in. This lesson, this lie, almost cost me my life.

I was ten years old when I was first exposed to pornography. It would also be the 1^st time that I saw up close and personal violence against women and girls. The world I knew was quickly transforming to a place that was unsafe for me in ways that were unimaginable to me before. Being a female, a girl of color, and impoverished were working against me.

At the age of fourteen, I was living with a man and three women. The women would go out nightly to the truck stops, and also be taken out of state to have sex with men. Two of the three women in my young mind, were addicts who were doing so willingly. The third woman had a baby. The man offered food, clothing, a place to live and protection.  I was taken to truck stops with them. I was bought short skirts and lingerie and told how pretty I was. I was exposed to pictures of his genitalia, pictures of explicit sexual activities, and shown off to his friends.

No one had ever told me that human trafficking was real. No one had ever told me that I was a walking statistic, a living embodiment of risk factors for victimization. No one told me that I had value outside of my body.

One night, the woman with the baby came to me. She said, “You don’t want this. I don’t want this.” She asked me for directions; she wasn’t from the state. I gave her directions. She said, “Take care of my baby. I don’t know when I will return.” Days went by, she never returned. CPS removed the baby.

Weeks later he was arrested for setting one of the women on fire. My ignorance to the danger, to trafficking was almost my undoing.

I still live with the wounds of that time in my life. It is imperative that we assure that all people who are at risk for victimization are given accurate information, early and often. This means everyone must receive accurate and timely information. Perpetrators of trafficking and violence against women and children are predators who are seeking individuals who are vulnerable, accessible and lacking in credibility.  We must create an environment where those who are most vulnerable are seen as valued members of society and not as complicit in their own victimization.

TAKE ACTION: Take 2 minutes to learn the risk factors and behavioral indicators of human trafficking. Armed with this knowledge, you might also save a life.

Chéree Thomas is a Program Manager with the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. She has almost 20 years of experience in service provision and is the author of See Me for WhoI am.

Staying Informed

We are bombarded by news 24/7.  In our fast-pace, sensationalized news environment, it is easy for important stories to become overshadowed by frivolous headlines. So here is some news/information you may have missed.

Closing the Loophole

For 86 years the U.S. has banned the import of goods that have been produced by forced labor.  Sounds good, but there is a loophole! The exception being if we really thought we needed the product we could still import it even if it had been produced by forced labor. The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 has done away with the loophole, which will help curb international forced labor. 

Source:   Shutting Offthe Flow of Slave Labor Goods to the U.S. 

Is Your Hospital Checking for Signs of Human Trafficking?

Your local hospital can be on the frontline of stopping human trafficking.  Is it? One report found while being held 88% of sex trafficking victims enter clinics and ERs. Doctors and nurses need to be trained on how to spot and help a victim.  You can help by asking if your hospital is participating in this important training.

Source: Health Care Takes on the Fight AgainstTrafficking?

Project Your Children – Monitor Their Apps

Because of potential safety risks, it is important for parents and guardians to monitor the Apps children are using on their phones.  Jean Turner and Aaron Sheedy pose 5 questions you should be asking.

1.      What is the purpose of the App and why does your child want to use it?

·         Risk: Game friends on Apps are often total strangers. The content also can be mean-spirited or sexually explicit.

2.      Does the App take and share pictures, video or audio?

·         Children can be fooled into posting or being exposed to inappropriate pictures, video, or audio.  

3.      Is the App tracking location information? If yes, why?

·         Apps can broadcast where your children are, which makes it easier for anyone, including strangers, to follow them.

4.      Does the App attempt to be anonymous or secretive?

·         When an App is anonymous children are often more willing to take risk in what they post. They believe no one else will see, even though there is nothing online truly private.  Child offenders often stalk anonymous sites.

5.      Follow the money: Is the App free? Will the App require money or pay money to the user?

·         Risks: Free Apps may contain advertisement that you feel is inappropriate. If you think the App is okay you may want to purchase the App for a small fee (usually around $5) to turn off the advertisements.  Make sure the App doesn’t allow the child to run up a bill on your credit card in order to be able to play games.

You can find more information on what you can do as a parent or guardian by clicking on the link below.

Source: Mobile Applications: Five Questions ParentsCan Ask to Keep Kids Safe 

Revised: Human Slavery is Not Dead but Neither are We!

New date and time!

Human slavery is not dead but neither are we!  At the Crossroads (ATC) Chapter of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force is dedicated to ending human slavery for 80 miles of interstate at the crossroads of I-94 and I-69. We are a multi-discipline group of advisers offering prevention, intervention and restoration. ATC is offering a FREE daytime conference and evening community gathering on March 17, 2016.

This conference is packed with expert trainers from law enforcement, victim's agencies, health care, trafficking survivors and more coming together to educate and activate anti-trafficking efforts in Michigan.

Who should come: Law enforcement, community members, helping professionals, field professionals, NGOs, and students.

Register here. The cost of registration is free and donations are accepted. For more information call 269-781-9094 extension 13.

Like us on facebook and share the invitation!

POWER-PACKED Speakers and Trainers Include:

• Joyce Dixson-Haskett, LMSW, ACSW, is a human trafficking survivor who served a 17 year prison sentence for saving her own life by killing the person who sold her as property. She is an advocate for children of incarcerated parents and author of L.O.R.T.E. (Levels of Response to Traumatic Events) A Vital Aid in Serving Children of Incarcerated Parents.
• Jane White is the Director of the Michigan Human Trafficking Task Force and former Associate Director of the National Center for Community Policing at Michigan State University.
• Dr. James Henry is a co-founder of the Community Training and Assistance Center with a professional history that includes over 17 years as a child welfare and protective services worker.  Professor at Western Michigan University' School of Social Work, he is an expert on child traumatic stress.
• Shawn Loughrige recently retired from the Michigan State Police Forensic Science Division and Biometrics and Identification Division. While employed he held the position of D/F/Lt. and statewide Commander of the polygraph section for 15 years, Criminal Investigative Analysis and Behavioral Analysis statewide Commander of the Investigative Services Section.
• Bridgette Carr is Professor and Director of the world-wide renowned Human Trafficking Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School.  She has dedicated her career to advocating for the rights of human trafficking victims and advancing comprehensive domestic and international anti-trafficking policies.
• Dr. Rev. LaClaire Bouknight, MD is the founder and director of Eaglevision Ministries Inc, a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping ex-offender females find employment, health and hope.  She is Chairperson of Capital Area Anti-trafficking Alliance and former Medical Director of Juvenile Justice, Michigan Department of Social Service.

Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and the Super Bowl?

Well, it’s Super Bowl weekend.  Who are you cheering for – Carolina or Denver?  Or are you just watching for the commercials?  The Wall Street Journal said that last year the cost was right around $4.5 million for a 30-second spot.  Wow!  Don’t get me wrong; those beer commercials with the puppy and the Clydesdale horses are adorable.  Most of the commercials are cute, but $4.5 million for 30 second cute?  That is a real stretch for me. 

And along with the Super Bowl we hear the stories about how human trafficking and domestic violence spike.  Some reports claim that domestic violence increases by 40% and that it is the single largest day for human trafficking.  While large events like the Super Bowl tend to shine a light on the issues of human trafficking and domestic and sexual violence, the publicity doesn’t do the movement any favors if it begins and ends there. 

The Super Bowl doesn’t cause domestic violence and it doesn’t increase domestic violence.  While I appreciate the increased publicity to the cause, it can also perpetuate dangerous myths.  Domestic violence isn’t an episode of explosive anger because someone had too much to drink or was angry that they lost money on the big game. Domestic violence is a pattern of power and control.  Victims are at the greatest risk when they attempt to leave their partner – when they threaten the control of the abuser.  And that can happen on any day of the year.   The reality is that domestic violence happens every single Sunday – not just this one.

In fact, last Sunday a woman in Battle Creek was assaulted with a hammer.  Last Saturday a pregnant woman was attacked with a baseball bat.  In December, Joy Carpenter was literally beaten to death.  And if you read the “Police and Fire” report in the paper you will always see domestic violence assaults.  I was asked when I did a presentation the other day why it appears that there was more outrage expressed over the cat shot with an arrow than the level of interpersonal violence in our community.  Hmmm.   Interesting question.

As you hear the claim that the Super Bowl is the largest human trafficking event in the country, it is also important to know that human trafficking is not just young girls being trafficked for sex. Not only are boys and men sold for sex, but labor trafficking is an equally egregious issue.  Human trafficking includes both.  Part of the reason that this is so widely believed is that many well-intentioned yet misinformed people try to help by spreading the word in social and print media.  Unfortunately, this often leads to perpetuating bad data, unproven claims and harmful stereotypes about trafficking and sex workers, without even knowing they’re doing so. Bad information is repeated instead of questioned.   The bottom line here is that there is no hard data to prove that human trafficking increases around large sporting events.  Like domestic and sexual violence, it occurs every day of the year.  And it occurs in our community.

I wonder about our collective priorities when a company will spend $4.5 million on a 30 second giggle not-for-profits are constantly worrying about the increase in need and the decrease in dollars. I think about all of the good that S.A.F.E. Place could do for our community if the agency had the dollars that are spent on just one second of that Super Bowl commercial.  That is a sobering thought.  One that I will try to remember as I tune in to the game this Sunday night.  

Take Action: 

• To learn more about domestic violence and human trafficking or make a contribution visit S.A.F.E. Place, a multi-county domestic violence service organization.
• Attend a human trafficking conference.  If you are in Michigan, check out Break The Silence: Slavery is Not Dead.

Jennifer Fopma, LMSW, is the Executive Director of S.A.F.E. Place.  Read this and other columns by her in the Battle Creek Enquirer.