Five years ago, I had virtually no awareness of human trafficking. That changed during my senior year of undergraduate studies, when I completed a capstone project. I wanted to focus on issues affecting children but was struggling to select a topic. So, I met with a founder of the local children’s advocacy center and from there my passion for the pursuit of mitigating human trafficking was born.
During my research for this capstone project, I quickly learned that the factors that signal human trafficking fly in the face of public perception. The misconception of the “iconic victim”—a term I later learned in law school—is a major obstacle to the prevention, mitigation and prosecution of human trafficking. Most victims do not match the stereotype of foreign women and children seen in movies and media. In fact, most are U.S. citizens and children right here in our communities and we have all likely encountered a victim of human trafficking without recognizing it. Human trafficking victims are “non-iconic” in the sense that they typically react to help in unexpected ways and are often trauma bonded to or in love with their traffickers. In fact, many have no idea they are being trafficked.
Not only is there a misconception about the typical victim, but media has also created a misconception of the iconic trafficker. As much as I enjoy watching Liam Neeson save the day in the movie Taken, the movie fails to address the reality of human trafficking: victims are mainly trafficked by individuals by trusted adults, such family members and romantic partners.
Let’s be real: human trafficking is difficult and uncomfortable; it’s not a pretty subject. However, mitigation demands widespread knowledge, which means we have to engage in uncomfortable conversations. When people are unaware and lack training, victims are overlooked. “It is not a child’s responsibility to ask for help. It is up to professionals and trusted adults in the child’s life to recognize the signs associated with child sex trafficking (The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)).” You can’t assume this isn’t happening where you live; it is.
Before I end, I want to take a minute to encourage every reader to diver deeper into the STAC cause and take a listen to their podcast: https://surviveandthriveadvocacy.org/ifpodcast/ I would also encourage everyone to listen to the Trial Advocacy Podcast: Supporting Survivors of Human Trafficking, produced by FSU’s Children’s Advocacy Clinic and can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6tLdVjqd7zsSFXAOym010Q?si=-9l0umcrTf2pyfac8Bs6iw
Emma Smith
About Me
My name is Emma Smith, and I am a second-year law student at Florida State University College of Law and a legal advocate with the FSU Children’s Advocacy Clinic. My work is driven by a calling to secure justice and safety for children navigating the legal system.
