Victims of human trafficking come in all races, sizes, shapes and ages. Society has an obligation to protect those most vulnerable from predators. Photo courtesy Freepik.
According to the Post and Courier, 132 victims of sex trafficking were reported in South Carolina last year through the National Hotline.
In an article provided by CareNet, a study on women who were victims of sex trafficking, results showed that “fifty-five percent of these women had undergone at least one abortion while being trafficked and more than thirty percent underwent multiple abortions.” That means more than 5 out of 10 women who were sexually trafficked were forced into losing the life of their child through abortion at least once, and 3 out of 10 were forced into multiple abortions. Just as Shantae Rodriguez notes in an article published by Focus On The Family, we know that not all cases of sex trafficking is reported, due to its dark and disguised business. Therefore, it is safe to assume there are countless more lives that will continue to be thrown away for another’s own advantage and luxury.
This is happening in our own backyard!
In a statement by a representative of savethem.org made in Greenville, it was noted that America is the highest consumer of sex purchased from trafficked individuals of any country. Your coworker or classmate, boss, neighbor or churchgoer who is frequently visiting porn sites and buying images is, knowingly or unknowingly, contributing to the cycle of abuse, coercion and manipulation of countless lives.
In this cycle, abusers will groom their victims for months before they act. The grooming process consists of taking a seemingly genuine interest in an individual. They learn everything they can about this individual—relationships with friends and family, what their dreams are and where they like to frequent, what they struggle with and who they go to for comfort.
Then the abuser (though not yet announced) will try to meet those needs and tell their object everything they want to hear, ie; how proud they are of them, what a great job they are doing in school, they may even reward them with nice clothes or a gift card to their favorite restaurant. This builds trust, sadly.
Invariably, the victim will go to this person for support and feel like they owe them something.
Again, once trust is built the abuser may offer something like an extra special gift or a large gift of money if the victim will allow the abuser to take just one photo. After all, the victim has been treated ‘nicely’ to a large extent. “What’s the harm?” she might think.
If the victim takes the bait, this opens a door and is repeated until the victim automatically makes the decision at the command of the abuser. She is forced to perform on demand. The victim is now found pregnant and has no choice whether she keeps the child or not. Like we heard in the above study, 55% of women who were sexually trafficked, are forced into having at least one abortion during their time of being victimized.
I used to look at abortion as a political issue. When we acknowledge that these are people undergoing an abortion, and that there is another small developing human being stripped of life from the safety of a mother’s womb, we should see abortion on a completely different level.
Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee…”
The crime of the father should never be covered up by forcing mother and baby to undergo an abortion. By keeping abortion legal, we are perpetuating a major problem in our communities, states and country.
It’s no longer up to legislators and law makers. We do not need to wait for legislation to pass before we defend life.
A news report by Live 5 News said that, Human Trafficking is an issue and reported cases are increasing.
So what’s the solution?
Victims need a way out. They have been manipulated, forced, abused, controlled, coerced, stripped of personal liberties and unprotected (in most cases) from an early age. They have a desperate longing for someone to understand them. They need to realize their self worth and you can be a difference maker. They are looking for someone who appreciates them, as we all do. The only difference between them and us?
Freedom.
Just because we live in America, doesn’t mean every American–-born and unborn–-is offered life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Some don’t ever get to breathe their first breath on their own because of someone else deciding that they can’t afford another mouth to feed, or that it’s just not the right time. Or it was the result of rape or incest and someone wants a crime covered. The Alan Guttmacher Institute conducted two surveys of women who had abortions, and confirmed that “1% indicated that they had been victims of rape, and less than half a percent said they became pregnant as a result of incest.”
Enough is enough.
To what extreme will you let them go? If this was a life that affected you personally, how hard would you be willing to fight for it? Imagine it was your sister, mom, daughter, or granddaughter unwilling to end her child’s life, yet has no choice. Maybe you do know someone who was taken advantage of. They may still struggle with hurtful memories from the past or may battle with trusting people again.
In some cases it can take 5-7 years to restore from what traumatized them in 5-7 minutes. Sometimes they will never completely recover.
Learn the signs of trafficking and abuse. Be aware of your surroundings and take an extra minute at the gas station (if it is safe) to observe. If something doesn’t look quite right with a vulnerable child or woman, a call to the local Police Department is always a safe move. Just tell them what you see. There’s nothing wrong with making sure nothing is wrong.
The future of our communities directly depends on how we counter inappropriate behavior and ensure safety guidelines among those we rub elbows with on a daily basis.
Liberty Harris has been politically active since 2016. She is Personal Assistant to a SC State Representative, and State Captain with Students for Life Action.
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