Residents are invited to attend a presentation by a North Royalton resident on the topic of human trafficking. Although, many may believe that this crime only happens to certain types of people and in certain places, the truth is that any type of person at any age and in any location may be trafficked.
The subject has been in the spotlight with the recent success of the movie, “Sound of Freedom,” which tells a story about the rescue of children. Although human trafficking is often confused with human smuggling, which involves the illegal crossing of a border without the consent of the person, human trafficking does not require movement at all. An adult or child can be trafficked in their own city or even in their own home. By definition, human trafficking is the crime where traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of children and adults, usually for labor or sex, according to the U.S. State Department.
According to the State Department, there are some flags that could indicate that a person is being trafficked:
•Living with employer
•Poor living conditions
•Multiple people in cramped space
•Inability to speak to individual alone
•Answers appear to be scripted and rehearsed
•Employer is holding identity documents
•Signs of physical abuse
•Submissive or fearful
•Unpaid or paid very little
•Under 18 and in prostitution
Children are vulnerable, especially with access to the internet and social media apps. Families are unaware that their children, both boys and girls, are being groomed for sex trafficking. Boys may be sent nude pictures of a girl and then ask for nude pictures of them in return. Then a third party shows them they have their pictures and starts to make demands. It is not uncommon for boys and girls to send each other nude pictures of themselves. The pictures can then be affected when the pictures are used as bargaining chips for drugs, money, dates and other things. One victim talks of a time when she went on a date, was drugged and date-raped, then was blackmailed using the pictures of the event.
According to the Federal Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESA), “an unknown number of U.S. citizens and legal residents are trafficked within the country for sexual servitude and forced labor. Contrary to a common assumption, human trafficking is not just a problem in other countries. Cases of human trafficking have been reported in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and the U.S. territories. Victims of human trafficking can be children or adults, U.S. citizens or foreign nationals, male or female.” Indicators of a potential victim may include:
•Irregular school attendance or many unexplained absences.
•Frequently runs away from home
•Talks about frequent travel to other cities
•Bruises or other signs of physical trauma, withdrawn behavior, depression, anxiety, or fear
•Hungry, malnourished, deprived of sleep, or inappropriately dressed (based on weather conditions or surroundings)
•Signs of drug addiction
•Has coached/rehearsed responses to questions
•Sudden change in attire, personal hygiene, relationships, or material possessions
•Acts uncharacteristically promiscuous and/or makes references to sexual situations or terminology that are beyond age-specific norms
•Has a “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” who is noticeably older
•Attempts to conceal recent scars
If a person has been identified as a possible victim, local law enforcement should be contacted immediately by calling 911. There is also the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1-888-373-7888. For issues regarding children, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at NCMEC by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).
To learn more about human trafficking, the North Royalton Police Department will be hosting the presentation by North Royalton resident Kathy Goellnitz on Human Trafficking: “What It Is and What It Is Not,” in North Royalton Mayor’s Court at the station, 14000 Bennett Road on Monday, August 28, 2023 from 7 to 8 p.m. Goellnitz is the Co-Founder and Director of Education, along with Carolyn Kinkoph and Jenna Bing of The Alliance Against Human Trafficking (AAHT). The AAHT is a non-profit organization “for charitable and educational purposes, including but not limited to, combating human trafficking through education, advocacy and collaboration by educating the public in order to raise awareness of the types and signs of human trafficking, and by coordinating efforts in the community to prevent human trafficking from occurring.”

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer