It is not an easy topic to discuss, but it is one that has to be understood.
Those are the thoughts of many who attended a series of presentations organized in cooperation between SOS and the Stop Trafficking project that occurred across the listening area Tuesday and Wednesday. Human Trafficking: More Than Meets the Eye, featured Russ Tuttle of the Stop Trafficking Project who helped to dispel many of the misunderstandings and misconceptions that surround the issue of human sex trafficking.
Tuttle says one of the largest misconceptions, especially locally, is that trafficking can never occur in this part of the country. He says that is far from accurate and adds that trafficking is an issue that has no borders or boundaries.
Furthermore, Tuttle says previous signs of human trafficking, such as windowless vans in child-filled neighborhoods, are outdated notions, especially in the digital age.
In terms of prevention, Tuttle says it is important that we all understand online seduction is becoming more commonplace than physical abductions. From there he says we have to identify the “vulnerabilities” that could make children susceptible to predators.
Tuttle had five separate presentations across the listening area Tuesday through Wednesday in Lyon, Coffey and Morris counties.
For more information visit TheStopTraffickingProject.com.
