Juvenile Trafficking Survivors Need Services. Here’s Why.
Familial trafficking is happening here in Oklahoma. We need a better plan to help minors on their path to recovery.
The Data is Clear
We at The Spring spend a lot of time working to debunk common misconceptions about human trafficking.
Often, our media consumption teaches us to think about this crime through a narrow, dramatized lens – unmarked white vans, abductions from parking lots and public spaces, and vast underground trafficking networks. But what we find in the majority of trafficking cases – especially here in Oklahoma – is something much simpler: trafficking involving immediate family members or romantic partners.
During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we posted about research that indicates more than half of all trafficking cases fall into this category, and it’s certainly true of the majority of cases that we interact with here in Oklahoma. Traffickers take advantage of the family members they victimize using psychological means, like emotional manipulation, isolation, and financial control. In many ways, a familial trafficker’s “playbook” mirrors a domestic abuser’s. It’s all about exerting power and control.
Familial trafficking is especially common in cases where the victim is a minor. A U.S. Department of State study estimated that 31% of child trafficking cases involve instances where a family member is the trafficker, and it’s important to remember the unique complications that these types of situations can present. Because of the family relationship, victims are naturally more trusting; due to the constant grooming and emotional manipulation, they may not even realize they’re being victimized. These family dynamics often make it difficult for law enforcement officials and other front line workers to recognize and prosecute the trafficker.
Unfortunately, even when these minors do find a way out of their situation, we’re seeing them fall into structures that are unprepared to effectively give help.
Writing Stories of Restoration
Services for minor victims of human trafficking are lacking all over the country, and Oklahoma is no exception. Most often, these minors are funneled into a foster care system that’s not prepared to deal with them and hasn’t been trained to interact with their unique trauma. Those agencies that specialize in working with trafficking survivors – like The Spring and our friends at The Dragonfly Home – haven’t always been equipped to step into this gap.
For years, we’ve dreamed of changing this. As we move out of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we’re excited to announce the first step towards making those vague dreams a concrete reality.
Our Roots of Renewal Campaign is a massive step forward for The Spring. It’s an $8 million effort that provides for increased capacity at our crisis shelter, a brand-new transitional living program for survivors to build long-lasting recovery, and a dedicated solution for juvenile trafficking survivors. Whether this looks like a specialized shelter or closer partnerships with other agencies throughout the state, we believe that we can play a part in writing stories of restoration for the minors in our state who have fallen prey to trafficking, whether in their own families or otherwise.
No one deserves to be abused, taken advantage of, and devalued. No one should be unsafe in their own family. If you’re interested in contributing to our Roots of Renewal Campaign and helping us create these services, we encourage you to click the button below.
Together, we can help write new chapters of restoration and hope for those in our communities who need them most.
About The Spring:
The Spring is a shelter, service provider, and advocacy organization for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking. We offer a safe home and supportive services that assist victims and their children on their journey out of abuse. The Spring has helped thousands of victims from many different situations move into more stable situations and restore their identity through Christ’s love and grace. For more information, visit www.thespringok.org.
If you or someone you know needs help escaping domestic and sexual violence, human trafficking or stalking, please dial 911 or call our 24/7 hotline at 918-245-4075. You can also consider joining the fight against abuse in Oklahoma by donating or exploring volunteer opportunities.