How do you bring the issue of human trafficking to your community?
When the Church of Our Saviour in Secaucus wanted to address the issue, it went to the top, and asked Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli to hold a public forum on the topic. The result was a meeting held at the Public Library in mid-October, with presentations by the town's police department, the Hudson County Prosecutors Office's Special Victims Unit, and the FBI's Office of Victims Assistance.
Community members heard that the word "victim" was key to the subject of trafficking. The audience was given first-hand accounts by the presenters, and they learned that young girls were particularly vulnerable, as they become valuable assets in sex trafficking.
Within the sex trade these girls are subject to gross abuse, but develop close loyalties to their traffickers. This makes it frustratingly difficult for law enforcement to help them, as the victims often do not recognize themselves as victims.
For youngsters, trafficking may begin with an encounter with an "understanding" person or an offer of an opportunity in modeling, dancing or other activity. Adults become enslaved when they unwittingly put themselves in a vulnerable position.
Awareness of this issue is vital. The public should learn to identify possible trafficking and to report it for investigation. Youth should be made aware of how they might be led into trafficking.
