2 days ago
Human Trafficking Conference inspires community action, education, and awareness
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — The South-Central U.S. Human trafficking Conference brought a sense of awareness. It was a free event with sessions on recognizing the signs of human trafficking, reporting suspicious activity, supporting survivors, and understanding the complex trauma.
Human trafficking has no demographic, as many traffickers look for vulnerable citizens.
'It's not age, race, or even gender specific. My daughter is 17, and so that does hit home for me as well, because that's something I always look at. Because there are so many social media platforms now, and you don't know who they are talking to,' said Brandy Foshee, a judge's assistant at the Caddo Parish Juvenile Court.
With social media, people can be groomed over the course of years before they are trafficked. Lindsey Rayl, a human trafficking advocate, shared her personal story of being trafficked at 15 years old. Additionally, the conference moderators were individuals who work directly with agencies combating human trafficking.
Watch: Human Trafficking in Our Community
'We see that there are the social workers, there are the attorneys, there are multiple people doing multiple things, including the survivors, and so when we all come together, it's a big piece of the puzzle that creates a community for not only addressing the issue, but moving forward to make strides,' said Helen Marrs, assistant district attorney at the Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office.
The mission of the Free Coalition to End Human Trafficking is to rescue victims and empower them to live full, meaningful lives beyond their trauma.
The coalition says having knowledge of the risks, as well as open and honest communication with loved ones and children, can prevent the inhumanity that is human trafficking.
Heather Courtney, president of the Free Coalition to End Human Trafficking Board of Directors, said, 'Being aware of who your loved ones are with, who they are around, what they are doing, you know, video games. Everybody's kids play video games, but I think like the chat features on these video games, it's terrifying. The access people have to your children, so I think being vigilant about who has access to your children. Being aware of what they're looking at, what they're playing.'
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