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Can You Spot the Indicators?
Have you ever encountered a victim of human trafficking? Identifying human trafficking in our daily lives can be challenging. Blue Campaign worked with subject matter experts and survivor consultants to make sure our new resources and educational content are relevant and actionable. In our recent materials for professionals working with youth, campus law enforcement, and convenience retail staff, fictional human trafficking scenarios are featured to help show how indicators may be present in a potential instance of the crime.
Over the next few months, we will be highlighting fictional scenarios of human trafficking. Can you spot the indicators?
Working During School
Vance is a youth counselor at a local community center where he runs the after-school program. He is familiar with most of the kids in his community because so many of them come by the center to get help with schoolwork or play pickup sports games. Lately he has noticed a group of kids of various ages that he has never seen before. They hang out outside the corner store across the street selling candy bars and sometimes he sees them going door-to-door in the neighborhood trying to make sales. He is used to seeing some of the local kids selling candy for school fundraisers but there is something different about this group. They are very quiet and submissive, and they do not appear to go to school because he sees them out selling at all hours of the day. When one of the kids approaches him to sell candy one day, Vance asks him what neighborhood he lives in, but the child does not seem to know the answer. He notices that the kid is probably not getting enough to eat, and his clothes are in poor condition.
One day, Vance sees two men in a van drive up to the kids at the corner store. They get out to talk to the kids, and Vance overhears the men asking them how much money they have made so far. When the two men do not seem to be happy with the answer, they demand all the kids get in the van and they drive off to another location. Vance decides to write down the make, model, and license plate of the van and submit it to the local authorities with details about what he saw.
Go to the end of this newsletter to see if you caught the indicators present in this scenario.
The scenario above is fictional but informed by subject matter experts and survivor consultants.
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Helicopter Association International Joins the Fight Against Human Trafficking
Helicopter Association International (HAI) has partnered with the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation to join the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI). Through this partnership, HAI will team with the BLI to educate the general aviation community about the pervasiveness of human trafficking, how to recognize it, and the methods for stopping it.
To date, BLI has trained more than 100,000 personnel in the aviation industry who continue to report actionable tips to law enforcement. Learn more about the program and how to join BLI.
Five Myths About Human Trafficking (The Washington Post)
Human trafficking is one of the most misunderstood crimes. The Washington Post dives into some of the most common myths and facts around human trafficking.
Tag Blue Campaign on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using @DHSBlueCampaign. Each month we share content you can distribute on your social channels to raise awareness of human trafficking in your communities.
- @DHSBlueCampaign offers many resources to download for free. Learn more here: bit.ly/39YrOQb
- DYK: @DHSBlueCampaign shares updates every month about what it is working on to combat #humantrafficking. Subscribe to learn more from its newsletter: bit.ly/3fX6Gxv
- Learning the indicators of #humantrafficking is one step toward combating the crime. Follow @DHSBlueCampaign for more information.
- @DHSBlueCampaign’s #humantrafficking indicator card is now available in 19 languages. Download it here: bit.ly/3mATKPm
Did You Catch the Indicators?
In the fictional scenario in “What’s New with Blue,” Vance observed the following indicators of potential human trafficking:
- Individuals, who seem to be minors, are not attending school as they can be seen “working” during usual school hours.
- The suspected minors come across as submissive and quiet.
- One of the suspected minors cannot answer simple questions, like what neighborhood they live in.
- The suspected minors look malnourished.
- The suspected minors’ clothing is in poor condition.
- Two older men appear to be in control of the suspected minors.
Keep in mind, not all indicators listed above are present in every human trafficking situation, and the presence or absence of any of the indicators is not necessarily proof of human trafficking.
Do not at any time attempt to confront a suspected trafficker directly or alert a victim to your suspicions. Your safety, as well as the victim’s safety, is paramount. Instead, please follow your organization’s reporting protocol, contact local law enforcement, or call the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line (1-866-347-2423) or National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888).
For more information visit the Blue Campaign
To report suspected human trafficking: 1-866-347-2423
To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733)
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