| A Word from Katie Rhodes |
My two favorite Christmas carols are "What Child is This?" and "Come, O Come, Emmanuel." Both are wistful tunes transitioning into the triumphant tone of the Christmas miracle-that God would come dwell with humankind. The Message puts it this way: "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes,the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish." (John 1:14) The miracle of Christmas is that God desires relationship with people. Relationships are central to the Christian faith. Indeed, although many people view the Bible as a rule book, it can also be viewed as a relationship manual, filled with guidelines on how to live in right relationship with each other.
As an anti-trafficking advocate, I am often surprised and disappointed by how often people want to separate relationships from their response to trafficking. People ask me: "What can I do?" and less frequently "How can I give?" Doing and giving are absolutely essential in the fight against human trafficking. Yet, we cannot divorce our doing and giving from our being. Traffickers intentionally target victims who do not have adequate support. They look for people who display pain and loneliness. We may picture these victims as being recruited in a developing country, smuggled into the United States, and tricked into a trafficking situation. This does happen. Yet, the majority of trafficking victims in the United States are United States citizens who are being trafficked by other citizens. In many cases these are children. A theme emerges from their stories of exploitation-a theme of broken relationships. Oftentimes, these children are recruited from broken homes. Many-perhaps even most depending on which statistic you believe-were involved in the child welfare system. Many were sexually abused as children. Most do not trust adults or feel safe in their surroundings. Some come from good homes and are simply searching for adventure and romance as they reach their teenage years. The overwhelming majority of domestic trafficking victims are recruited into their trafficking situation. That recruitment takes the form of relationship. The 14-year-old girl who was molested by her uncle at age 12 posts online that she feels ugly and worthless. A man responds that she is more beautiful than she realizes, and they begin to chat. A 15-year-old girl runs away from her group home because she's been on her own in every sense that counted since age 10, and she doesn't want these strangers telling her what to do. Homeless, she meets a man on the street who offers her a place to stay. You see, most victims are looking for love.
When we realize that traffickers are intentionally preying on our least loved, it is up to us to reach those children and adults first. Prevention strategies should absolutely include education in schools, awareness campaigns, and enhanced legislation. However, these will not end the cycle of abuse. Relationship will end the cycle. Mentoring of vulnerable youth is an essential prevention strategy. Big Brothers and Big Sisters, CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), and other mentoring programs are vital anti-trafficking programs. Similarly, restoration and healing efforts should include housing, legal assistance, therapy, etc. However, healthy relationship is perhaps the most important component in healing for trafficking survivors. Most survivors do not have people in their lives who are not paid to be there. Law enforcement, social workers, legal advocates, etc. - as caring and competent as these people are, they usually leave when their assignment with the survivor ends. Thus, friendship and mentoring become paramount to the support circle of the survivor. One survivor told me, "It can be days before my phone rings." No wonder many survivors are tempted to return to their abuser. Even though that person attempts to control them completely, many survivors mistake that intensity for the intimacy they crave.
So this holiday season, please take the time to reach out to the vulnerable people in your life. Let them know they are remembered and valued. Give them your time and attention. This is prevention. This is restoration. This is relationship.
Katie Rhodes is a board member of Hope Rising Ministries and the Local Programs Director for Forever Found, a nonprofit in Ventura County working for the prevention, rescue, and restoration of child trafficking victims. Forever Found has recently launched a mentoring program for local survivors. You can find out more information by emailingkatie@foreverfound.org.
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