On the Front Lines
One More Child is on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking, partnering with law enforcement, government agencies, and other nonprofits to help survivors escape exploitation. Last month, we partnered with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office once again in a nine-day human trafficking sting operation that led to 244 arrests and the identification of many potential victims of trafficking.
For nine days, members of One More Child’s Anti-Trafficking Mobile Teams were boots on the ground, assisting the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in their sting operation. Our team spoke and connected with potential victims during the operation, offering services and support. Most critically, One More Child’s lived-experience experts—our survivor mentors—were present and able to share their stories, provide insight, and offer hope to those recovered in the operation.
One of One More Child’s survivor mentors brought understanding to the impossible situations endured by trafficking victims. She shared,
“We often ask, why don’t they leave? Why are they choosing to stay? But I can tell you as someone who was pulled back into the life of trafficking, it impacted my housing, impacted my job, my transportation, so where was I to go? It took several people coming into my life, trying to make a difference and trying to show me that there was positives, there was an outcome, and there was a way out of this. They say it takes an average of 10 points of contact for someone to feel comfortable and safe to finally speak up to be seen.” —One More Child Survivor Mentor
During the operation, our team spoke and offered help to more than 90 individuals, 19 of whom agreed to services such as connection to safe shelter, advocacy, mental health counseling, and more. Some of these individuals have already identified as survivors, but many are not ready to be identified yet, even if they agree to accepting help. Victims of exploitation are often conditioned to believe their situation is their fault or their choice, even though, in many cases, coercion, threats, and manipulation are involved. For this reason, individuals recovered during operations are often not ready to identify as survivors.
During the Polk County Sheriff’s Office press conference on this operation, One More Child’s Acting Chief Operating Officer Jodi Domangue explained the nuance involved in identifying trafficking survivors.
“I say this every time: the individuals who walk through that door may not be ready to be identified that night but what we know is that statistically there is a history of abuse and sexual exploitation in their past. No one grows up wanting to sell their bodies for profit. And we are committed to providing opportunities for a life outside sexual exploitation and human trafficking.”—Jodi Domangue, Acting Chief Operating Officer, One More Child
Our teams seek to walk alongside these individuals in their healing journey and to be there if and when they choose to identify as survivors and leave the life of exploitation behind. One More Child partners in these operations to serve as a voice of love, help, and hope and to begin the journey for justice.
“The operation we’re discussing today, it’s more than just a news headline—it represents lives being saved, generational cycles being broken, hope being rekindled and restored to survivors. But this is just the beginning. True justice doesn’t end with the arrest—it continues with our survivors receiving long term support, rehabilitation, and the unwavering belief that every person deserves freedom, dignity, and a future.”
—One More Child Anti-Trafficking Team Member
Preventing One More
We are on the front lines of the fight against human trafficking—but we also want to prevent vulnerable children and individuals from ever being lured into exploitation in the first place. In addition to our direct-care, ground-zero services, we also strive to provide valuable anti-trafficking education. Recently, we launched a new Anti-Trafficking educational resource, a four-part Online Safety Training course.
Every two minutes, a child is exploited for sex in America, with online predators increasingly using social media and gaming platforms to target victims. Yet many parents don’t know the warning signs of online predators who use the internet to groom children for sexual exploitation. This free Online Safety course equips parents and children with essential knowledge to recognize digital dangers and protect against human trafficking.
In this training series you will learn:
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- Digital citizenship fundamentals
- How to recognize signs of online exploitation
- Proven strategies for staying safe online
- How to identify predatory behavior
- How to create lasting safety habits for your children
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Together, we can prevent one more from being lured into trafficking.