Getting victims to report Human trafficking series By Bethany J.

Royer Originally published in the Piqua Daily Call January 31, 201

PIQUA As the month of January comes to a close so too does National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month ut not the im!ortance of its message of a"areness# $It%s a"areness& that%s all "e%re trying to do&' e(!lained )eesa *aker& e(ecutive director for the Pi+ua ,-.A& the latter having !artnered "ith the Pi+ua !olice de!artment to ring information to the !u lic on the travesty that is human trafficking# The recruitment& har oring& trans!ortation& !rovision or o taining of !ersons for the !ur!ose of a commercial se( act& la or or services& either y force& fraud or coercion# Ho"ever& a"areness is only !art of the !lan& the ne(t ste! is ringing aid to the victims# In the !ast& victims "ere often vie"ed as !art of the cause ehind the crime& vie"ed as !rostitutes and falling into the !enalties of the la"# Today resources are not only eing utili/ed to ring a"areness of the !ro lem and educate those "ho may fall victim to human trafficking& ut getting hel! after the fact for the victims# $If "e can have some resources and e a le to turn it over to save a life& that%s !retty ideal&' said *ruce Jamison& chief of !olice& of the ho!e for a s!ecifically designated task force to aid victims through a recovery and restore !rocess# -hile some larger cities have the means and financial acking to offer this& Pi+ua has yet to e a le to !rovide this service# The local grou! still in the infant stages of ringing a"areness "hile "orking to"ards a !artnershi! for recovery# Though there are victim services according to Jamison& those of human trafficking have an es!ecially lengthy recovery and restore !rocess& eginning "ith the dou le0edge s"ord of re!orting their victimi/ation# $It took her years to finally come out and say "hat ha!!ened&' said *aker of Theresa 1lores "ho& as a middle0class teenager& fell victim to human trafficking via coercion and force over the course of t"o years# 1lores is not only a survivor ut shares her story of eing a victim of human trafficking and slavery through ooks& !u lic s!eaking and as a founder of S2AP Save 2ur Adolescents from Prostitution# S#2#A#P# distri utes ars of soa! "ith the National Human Trafficking hotline num er 344456760 74448 to high0risk motels or during "hat the grou!%s "e site states is $high demand' events such as the $Su!er *o"l& N.AA 1inal 1our& and the Indy 9::' among others# This includes ;umford < Sons having visited Troy over the summer "ith the United ;ethodist of Troy $soa!ing' the area in coalition "ith the ,-.A& according to *aker# The com ination of a ar of soa! and a !hone num er eing the !otential key to getting hel! for victims during "hat 1lores herself e(!erienced& the only comfort eing a ar of soa! after her ordeals#

$They are afraid to say anything&' continued *aker as Jamison shared a chilling e(am!le of the dou le0edge s"ord many victims face# $There%s al"ays a guilt factor "hether there should e or shouldn%t e&' e(!lained Jamison of a ra!e victim "ho "as doing nothing more than "alking from her !lace of "ork to her car# Ho" she felt guilty after eing attacked for not having her keys in her hand and thus feeling she "as at lame for having failed to !rotect herself# The dou le0edge s"ord eing that "hile !reached to take !recaution and even "hen they do are still attacked& $They are !ro a ly less likely 3to re!ort8 due to the guilt#' 1or Jamison& "ho has dealt "ith se(0related domestic issues over the years& says& $That%s the kind of stuff "e%re struggling "ith&' getting victims to re!ort# 1or more information on S#2#A#P# visit """#traffickfree#com Bethany J. Royer may be reached at 773-2721 or on Twitter @TheDailyCall Warning signs: Traits of trafficking (Shared Hope International)

* Significantly older boyfriend * Signs of trauma (physical or other) * Travel ith older male (!ot guardian) * "hronic runa ay * #ultiple delin$uent charges * Homelessness * Special marked tattoos * Substance abuse