On November 27th I attended the Ted Talk titled “Breaking the Cycle of Trafficking.” During this event, there were four speakers and a video that was also played. This event was very impacting.
Before attending this event, I knew that Human Trafficking was of problem. However, I did not realize how much of an issue it was. I always thought that human trafficking was a problem of people being kidnapped and then sold into a sex trade. Human trafficking encompasses a much larger meaning than just this. It can also include individuals who are coerced or forced into being prostitutes.
Judge Paul M. Herbert was one of the speakers. He is the creator of program called CATCH Court that focuses on human trafficking victims who have been charged with misdemeanor offenses of solicitation. In Columbus, of all the women who are arrested for this, 92% were human trafficking victims, which he began to recognize so he created this program because he realized arresting these women was not preventing them from getting arrested again. This is a program that assists in breaking the cycle of abuse for victims of human trafficking, prostitution, and sexual exploitation. The facts he provided for this blew my mind as I thought that most of those who were prostitutes chose that life for themselves.
Two other speakers at this event were Vanessa Perkins and Beth Morrison. These women are both human trafficking survivors and graduates of the CATCH Court. Hearing their stories was extremely impactful. It focused on how those who are doing the trafficking are not always people you would expect. It can be anyone from family men to church men; it is not always those who seem like they could do it. It addition, they are smart. They prey on the vulnerability of women who are often drug addicts or too young to make their own decisions.
Mikhail Moore is another individual who spoke at this event. He is the son of Beth Morrison, and he spoke on how it was to grow up around a human trafficking victim. He spoke on many instances that occurred when he was a child, and how he is learning to trust his mother and build a relationship with her again. He has attended CATCH Court meetings with her which helps to break the cycle of violence, so he does not end up becoming a man who would partake in these actions.
The video shown was another Ted Talk that information businesses on how to stop men from buying sex on the internet in the workplace. They did this because they found that 2 in the afternoon is when buying sex on the internet spikes. In addition, it is a belief that if they can get the buyer to stop buying, no one will have to be trafficked.
This event was very eye opening because it showed how large the scope of human trafficking is. Not only that, but it shows how it can even happen in small towns as some of the speakers were from smaller towns. It also shows that it can be happening by someone who would never seem like they would do it. This is important topic for International Affairs because of all of these reasons. This affects our country, as well as others and it is important to be aware of what is going on and see if there is anything helpful we can do.