Justice January

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we address the dire consequences of injustice. January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month. While impossible to believe, reportedly there are 50 million modern slaves due to human trafficking today. It is estimated that 20% of trafficking victims are children. A group called Love Justice International is making a difference. With their installation of transit monitors at railway stations, bus stations, and border crossings, Love Justice looks for red flags of trafficking. The group’s efforts have intervened with 50,000 individuals before they were physically and/or psychologically exploited for their bodies or their labor. Human trafficking is a hidden and hideous crime. A language barrier and/or fear for one’s life prevents victims from asking for help.

I found signs (in English and Spanish) for victims to seek help in ladies’ bathroom stalls in airports. In Chicago there were many details about various kinds of trafficking. While many think of sex trafficking (street prostitution, massage parlor prostitution, internet pornography or “escort services”), the bathroom list of other trafficking activities is long: private home housekeepers or nannies, servile marriages, farm work, factory work (meat-packing plants), construction work, begging rings, and hotel or restaurant work. The bathroom sign also detailed having passports or identification taken away and being threatened with deportation if one refuses the work.   

The Federal Motor Carrier Safely Administration (of the Department of Transportation) requests that drivers keep their eyes open at transit sites, highway rest stops or gas stations. There are Indicator Cards to aid one in detecting human trafficking. While not all indicators would be present in every situation, these indicators could help detect a suspected trafficker and calling 9-1-1 could save a person from victimhood:

  • A vehicle dropping off/picking up individual(s) at other vehicles/trucks;
  • Flashing headlights at people in the parking lot;
  • Talk about a “commercial company” or “sale” on citizens band (CB) radio;
  • A suspicious vehicle parked in an unusual location;
  • A person told not to speak or appearing coached on what to say;
  • A person exhibiting signs of physical or emotional distress or abuse.

Human trafficking is prohibited in the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, yet justice often eludes victims. Many criminal situations are underreported, as recent migration, substance use, mental health issues, runaways or homelessness frequently accompany victimhood. And then there is the monetary factor — according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, this is a multi-billion dollar “industry.”

While it seems that U.S. culture might rise above such sordid slavery of individuals, we have to acknowledge where we are at the present moment. I took the time to read the bathroom charts and hope that others will educate themselves about this important issue as well. Let’s follow our Constitution. Yes, Dr. King, we dream “…that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed….”

Pearls of Peace (PoP) Quiz

255. How might you prevent the abuse of children in your community?

256. What steps can you take to recognize labor trafficking?   

Janis Johnston's avatar

By Janis Johnston

Janis Clark Johnston, Ed.D., has a doctorate in counseling psychology from Boston University. She has worked with children, families, and groups (ages 3-83) with presenting issues of anxiety, depression, trauma, loss, and relationship concerns. She initially worked as a school psychologist in public schools and was awarded School Psychology Practitioner of the Year for Region 1 in Illinois for her innovative work. She was a supervising psychologist at a mental health center, an employee-assistance therapist and a trainer for agencies prior to having a family therapy private practice. Recipient of the 2011 Founder’s Award for her dedication to the parenting education of Parenthesis Family Center (now called New Moms), and the 2002 Community Spirit Award from Sarah’s Inn, a domestic violence shelter and education center, Johnston is an active participant in numerous volunteer activities supporting children and families in her community. A frequent presenter at national psychology and educational conferences, Johnston has published journal articles, book chapters, and two books -- It Takes a Child to Raise a Parent: Stories of Evolving Child and Parent Development (2013, hardback; 2019, paperback) and Midlife Maze: A Map to Recovery and Rediscovery after Loss (2017, hardback; 2019, paperback). In addition to augmenting and supporting personal growth in families, Johnston is a Master Gardener and loves nurturing growth in the plants in her yard.

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