Eastern North Carolina Stop Human Trafficking Now desires to create a community that actively works towards abolishing Human Trafficking locally and globally.

WRAP Week

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

The first week of November is White Ribbon Against Pornography week! It’s really important to learn about the dangers of pornography. Pornography is something that educates our generation about sex, and the outcome of that leads into sex trafficking. Pornography is creating a more sexualized and violent society, which plays into sex trafficking. While some forms of pornography are legal, much pornography is actually a form of sex trafficking.

Why is that?

Many people in porn are constantly abused and forced by directors and other members of the set. Coercing and abusing employees is always unlawful, regardless of the industry

People who are abused in the porn industry often have difficulty with personal relationships later in their life. Many people go on to struggle with their self worth, making it nearly impossible to have healthy relationships with others. Also, pimps tend to use porn as a guide for sex trafficking victims to show the victims what they want to reenact. It’s considered training material for new victims. Finally, there is a supply and demand chain with pornography and sex trafficking. Society is demanding more porn, which means it is demanding more exploited women. The best way to stop the exploitation of women is to educate the public on the dangers of porn, therefore there will be less demand for it.

So how does WRAP help?

White Ribbon Against Pornography is a campaign that aims to educate the public about the harm in pornography. When WRAP educates the public about the dangers of porn, it helps with lessening the demand for it. This week is very special for the people who have been exploited due to pornography, because it helps remind people that porn is an issue and it isn’t just a fun business.

Take a stand!

It is time to stop ignoring the problem and start facing it instead. Talk with your kids about the dangers of pornography, because if you don’t they’ll never really understand the harm it can cause them. I came across this article and it could really help start the conversation. http://www.safekids.com/2011/12/17/so-your-kid-is-looking-at-pornography-now-what/

Fighting for Freedom

Jenny

Rape Culture vs. Porn Culture

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

Rape culture exists when dominant cultural ideologies, media images, social practices, and societal institutions support and condone sexual abuse by normalizing, trivializing and eroticizing male violence against women and blaming victims for their own abuse.

In other words, a rape culture is a society that accepts men sexually exploiting and/or assaulting women and then blaming the women themselves for being exploited or assaulted.

Porn culture is normalizing rape culture and it’s time to connect the dots. In porn culture, violent sexual exploitation of women and children is portrayed in media images, music, and the written word. Today, it is both accessible and acceptable, and is normalized as a form of sexual education for teens. Unfortunately, it starts much earlier than college or even high school.

It begins as young kids in elementary school and middle school start to view it. The average age that a child in the United States first encounters porn is 11. While their bodies and minds are in key developmental stages, kids are viewing images that portray women as objects to be used in whatever way a male desires. Is it any wonder that boys being educated about sex by pornographers become men who associate sex with the rape and bondage pornography that ignores the humanity of women?

One study published in CyberPsychology and Behavior found that 39 percent of college-aged males and 23 percent of college-aged females said they had viewed bondage porn as teens, and 18 percent and 10 percent respectively said they had viewed rape porn

Connecting the Dots Between Porn and Rape Culture

Here’s how I connect the dots between children’s and teenagers’ porn consumption and the increase of rape in our society.

Pornography presents women as inferior —The majority of pornography devalues and degrades women. In pornography, women are only valuable as they bring pleasure to men.

Pornography objectifies women — Similarly, the vast majority of pornography objectifies women; their bodies are important, as is their function as an element in sexual gratification. But their hearts, minds, opinions, experiences, feelings, and everything else that makes them who they are is completely irrelevant. The attitude that the women involved in porn are voluntarily participating only further perpetuates excuse in the minds of men and boys who tell themselves “this is what she really wants.”

Pornography perpetuates the harmful notion that sex is everything- The value of things like consent, the perspective of others, relationship, love, conversation, covenant, interaction, deeper meaning? Unimportant.

Pornography addicts require increasingly more violent images — Not only is pornography continuing to expand, but formerly fringe forms of pornography are becoming more mainstream (i.e., bondage porn, rape porn, BDSM). There is a logical reason for its growth; scientists have found “people who watch a lot of porn are likely to need increasingly graphic material to achieve the same sexual stimulation.”

Pornography encourages male aggression against women. Studies show that men who watch porn are more likely to sexually assault women, and more likely to say that rapists should receive light sentences (if any). Serial rapist and murderer Ted Bundy said exposure to pornography as a child (and his subsequent addiction to porn) contributed to his crimes. He also said that every rapist that he encountered in prison “without exception” was “deeply involved” in pornography. (View the video.)

Now more than ever, we must address the impact pornography has on sexual violence against women. I believe we can begin changing rape culture by changing the way we educate and raise our youth. Many are standing up against our rape culture. But what we need is to connect the dots and be as outraged against the root of the problem, pornography.

Learn more here: http://fightthenewdrug.org/

October is Fair Trade Month!

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

Happy October! While Fall and Halloween are finally arriving, lets talk about something else that is special about the month of October- it’s Fair Trade Month! For those who don’t know, Fair Trade is a certification that companies seek to earn. Fair Trade strives to “empower family farmers and workers around the world, while enriching the lives of those struggling in poverty.” Fair Trade works to get a good price for a farmers product, while still creating healthy and safe working conditions for workers who will get a decent wage for their efforts. Fair Trade is also eco-friendly and they strive to make products that help the environment.

Fair Trade has gone global. They are reaching new heights to the number of products they license. In 2015, the number of home goods products that were certified was 2.7 million. If you want to buy something that is Fair Trade Certified, visit a Whole Foods because they sell some of their products. Or visit a Starbucks for a nice cup of coffee while also contributing to Fair Trade worldwide. Places all over the world carry Fair Trade, and it’s not far away from you. Companies all over strive to earn the Fair Trade certification. Businesses work hard every day to live up to the expectations of being Fair Trade certified, and businesses who aren’t certified by it work to earn to earn the title.

Fair Trade producers strive to be the best they can be, and they have specific values that embody what they reach for as a company. Those values are- empowerment, integrity, sustainability, excellence, innovation, community, personal development, fairness, and impact. They believe that the best way to help the world globally is through empowerment of workers. They strive to do business with honest people and work with good morals. They are eco-friendly to the world. They try to achieve their mission by making the quality of life in the people excellent. They encourage others to work on themselves and that why they can achieve excellence. They work within the community for a better impact on everyone as a whole. They make opportunities for everyone’s benefit. They work towards improving the world. Overall, Fair Trade is a certification that works to benefit lives, create jobs, and produce products around the world. To read more about their mission, visit here: http://fairtradeusa.org/

Fighting for Freedom

Jenny

The “Bright Act” could have an effect on human trafficking cases

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

When I see a human trafficking case in court, sometimes I wonder what kind of laws there are to help the victim. Recently, I came across an article about a new law that is going to be voted on within the next couple of months.

The law is called the The Bettering Resources in Guarding Human Trafficking Act, in short, the Bright Act. This law is something special because it plans to create a minimum sentence for anyone convicted of a federal human trafficking law. The minimum sentence would be 5 years, and it also wouldn’t affect any maximum sentence so any person convicted could get any number of years in prison as long as they get 5 years minimum.

Another law that is effective specifically in the state of North Carolina is the NC Safe Harbor Law, which came into effect in 2013. This law has some very specific points such as, pimping is a felony in NC, and engaging in sexual acts with a prostitute is a felony. This law also protects victims because it makes the consent of a minor not an excuse, and it also makes a mistaken age not an excuse too. This law is so amazing because it focuses more on punishing the offender, and treating the minors involved with prostitution as victims and not criminals.

Both of these laws are on the right track to abolish human trafficking, or at least discourage these acts. With more laws like these, the amount of people who fall victim to human trafficking could become less and less, and the amount of human traffickers out there could end up behind bars.

You can read more about the new federal law here: http://www.thetimesnews.com/news/20160913/walker-introduces-bill-to-increase-human-trafficking-penalties

You can also see more about the NC Safe Harbor Law here: http://www.wect.com/story/21860301/safe-harbor-bill-gets-tough-on-sex-traffickers-better-protects-victims

Fighting for Freedom

Jenny

Human Trafficking on The Internet: It Must Stop.

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

Internet dating sites, MySpace, Facebook, Craigslist. The list could go on forever. All of these sites are places where people can go online and chat with each other, and all of these sites make human trafficking on the internet so easy. People on the internet are targeting others in so many different ways, including expressing love for the victim, promising an acting or modeling career to the victim, and even promising a better job to the victim that would require him/her to move away from home. At this point anyone who uses the internet could fall victim to human trafficking, and it needs to come to an end.

There are so many horrific stories about people getting trapped into the darkness of what is human trafficking. A woman in Mexico who was lured into human trafficking by a man she thought loved her when she was only 12 years old. A 19 year old who responded to an ad about modeling who was tricked into prostitution. The internet trafficking even expands internationally. Denmark law enforcement recognized suspicious ads for nannies and dancers in Lithuania, and they uncovered girls that were victims of human trafficking that were recruited by the internet.

Recently, there have been more efforts made to prevent and stop the internet from getting people into human trafficking. Google has donated $11 million to anti-trafficking groups in an effort to prevent trafficking from the internet. LexisNexis has been working on new technology that will help detect and monitor human trafficking. More private companies today are working to donate money to provide aid to anti-human trafficking groups to combat human trafficking.

The bottom line is, human trafficking IS prevalent on the internet and more people are falling victim to human trafficking on the internet. What is important to know is that companies today are working to help anti-trafficking groups to stop the internet from being a place where trafficking is prevalent. But we can’t stop working to fight the end of internet trafficking.

Fighting for Freedom

Jenny

Introduction to the Interns!

Posted on September 27, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

Say hello to this years interns! We are so excited to welcome them to the team. Each intern came aboard for different reasons, but they all are passionate about ENC Stop Human Trafficking and are excited to make a difference in our community. Here’s what you should know about each intern!

Our State Wide Intern, Lizz!

Name: Lizz

Year: Junior

Hometown: Raeford, NC

Major: Sociology with a minor in Anthropology

Hobbies: I love to read and am incredibly outdoorsy. I’m incredibly crafty and enjoying learning about other people and the cultures they come from. During my time off from school, I enjoy fostering dogs and rehabilitating them into happier, healthier versions of themselves. I guess you could say I have bleeding heart for those who need help.

Why I joined the team: I have always wanted to help those who are unable to help themselves, and over the last few years I’ve come to realize that I would love to pursue a career in humanitarian aid. Interning for ENC Stop Human Trafficking Now has given me the opportunity to start in that direction.

Our Public Relations Intern, Wesley!

Name: Wesley

Year: Senior

Hometown: Greenville, NC

Major: Communications with a concentration in Public Relations

Hobbies: Between school and working, in the little free time that I have my hobbies include trying to cook and going to music festivals.

Why I joined the team: I hope to raise awareness, educate and inspire more people to take action against the crime of Human Trafficking and understand it isn’t just a distant issue. When looking and applying for internships, I didn’t want to settle for just any internship. I wanted the chance to accomplish something greater and give back to my community. I’m excited to take on this internship this Fall with this passionate organization and work together to make a change and make our community a safer place for generations to come.

Our Public Relations Intern, Tiffany!

Name: Tiffany

Year: Senior

Hometown: Youngsville, NC

Major: English and History

Hobbies: I’m a Netflix aficionada, and an avid movie watcher, and listener/lover of music. I love to have fun and make people laugh. I am a person who chooses to live my life to the fullness and I have the mindset that I will achieve anything and everything I want in life. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to have that choice to live my life in any way I choose, whether that means having a career or being a house wife or being a Starbucks barista or not working at all. I am lucky, we all are, to be able to make decisions for ourselves and I will always be appreciative of that.

Why I joined the team: When I thought about human trafficking, I thought of it as an issue that was not close to home. I would think of it only in a one dimensional way. To me, human trafficking was synonymous with sex trafficking. From popular culture that is what I was accustomed to seeing in movies on Lifetime or from the movie series Taken. However, in the time I’ve been working with ENC Stop Human Trafficking Now, I see that human trafficking is a worldwide issue. It encompasses so much more and is closer to home than I could ever even imagine. I have been introduced to articles of human trafficking issues near my university and my home and I didn’t even know it was happening. Now, I understand human trafficking to be a violation of human rights where a person is exploited for things such as labor or sex with force and they are abused and not paid or treated fairly. Human trafficking can affect anyone from immigrants looking for work to young runaways or the homeless. This is something that affects all societies, and all people, it is not divided by race, age or sex. Now, that I know about this injustice, I cannot look the other way. And in closing, no other words ring quite as true as these, “Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril” – William Lloyd Garrison

Our Campus Intern, Jenny!

Name: Jenny

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Charlottesville, VA

Major: Communications with a concentration in Public Relations

Hobbies: Taking long naps, writing, playing with any dog around me, and eating way more than I should

Why I joined the team: I first learned about human trafficking in high school, and I was always really interested in the topic. I think I was really fascinated by it because I didn’t understand it. I don’t understand how people could do such horrible things to another human being. I am so glad to be interning at ENC Stop Human Trafficking because not only is it helping me prepare to be an adult in the real world, but it also helps me rest a tiny bit easier at night knowing the work I am doing here could be making a difference in someone else’s life.

We’re looking forward to accomplishing great things with the organization this semester!

Writing for Freedom,

Jenny

6 Myths about Human Trafficking

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery, a multibillion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. It ranks as one of the largest illegal trades alongside drug trafficking, arms trade and wildlife trafficking. Human Trafficking is often riddled with misconceptions, leaving the majority of us misinformed or under-informed about the ways it affects the world. When talking about human trafficking, it’s essential to be well-informed to accurately represent the problem at hand, and that means we need to tackle these misconceptions head-on.

Here are six common human trafficking myths and what you can do to help the crisis.

MYTH 1: Trafficking is the same as smuggling.

REALITY: Trafficking is the acquisition of people by means such as force, fraud or coercion, with the aim of exploiting them. Smuggling is the illegal movement of people across a country’s borders. Smuggled people may become trafficked, but not all trafficked people are smuggled.

MYTH 2: Human Trafficking is only a problem in developing countries.

REALITY: Poor countries usually get the most attention when talking about human trafficking, but it happens around the globe — and yes, that includes countries like the United States. Though some countries are certainly more at risk, it’s important to know that modern slavery doesn’t only exist in low-income regions. In fact, our lives are deeply intertwined with the realities of human trafficking, even if we don’t notice it. North Carolina is among the top 10 states with the highest number of reported human trafficking cases, according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. Experts say the number of major interstates that cross through the state, the large agriculture industry and the immigrant population that sustains it, the state’s seven military bases and its strategic location along the East Coast contribute to the issue.

MYTH 3: Only females are victims of trafficking.

REALITY: While an estimated 70% of those trafficked are women and girls, this description isn’t entirely accurate. It’s also a problem for men and boys, especially when discussing forced labor. At any given time, an estimated 21 million people around the world are trapped in the cycle of trafficking, all from different places, of different races, religions and sex. Men and boys can also be victims of sexual exploitation.

MYTH 4: Victims will always seek help.

REALITY: Victims of trafficking often do not immediately seek help or self identify as victims of a crime, due to lack of trust, self blame, or blackmail by the traffickers. Traffickers often threaten violence against those they exploit and their family if they seek help from authorities. If you are suspicious that someone is a victim of human trafficking you can make an anonymous report to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

MYTH 5: The problem is too big to solve.

REALITY: Everyone can help in some way. There are so many ways for you to not only spread the word but to volunteer and start fighting child sexual trafficking and exploitation.

So what can you do?

Human trafficking is a serious issue. The first step to stopping it is to inform the public about what it really is. In definition, “human trafficking is the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.” With proper knowledge of common human trafficking misconceptions, you can have a role in breaking the cycle of misinformation. Confront myths and start conversations grounded in fact. To learn more about human trafficking watch this video – Human Trafficking 101.

Fighting for Freedom,

Wesley

Sex Sells? Don’t Buy Into the Hype

Posted on September 7, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

If sex does NOT sell, why do we still believe that the phrase has merit?

This quote was taken from the abstract of a study conducted at Ohio State University,

“Using this framework, we meta-analyzed the effects of sexual media, violent media, sexual ads, and violent ads on the advertising outcomes of brand memory, brand attitudes, and buying intentions. The meta-analysis included 53 experiments involving 8,489 participants. Analyses found that brands advertised in violent media content were remembered less often, evaluated less favorably, and less likely to be purchased than brands advertised in nonviolent, nonsexual media. Brands advertised using sexual ads were evaluated less favorably than brands advertised using nonviolent, nonsexual ads. There were no significant effects of sexual media on memory or buying intentions. There were no significant effects of sexual or violent ads on memory or buying intentions. As intensity of sexual ad content increased, memory, attitudes, and buying intentions decreased. When media content and ad content were congruent (e.g., violent ad in a violent program), memory improved and buying intentions increased. Violence and sex never helped and often hurt ad effectiveness. These results support the evolution and emotional arousal framework. Thus, advertisers should consider the effects of media content, ad content, content intensity, and congruity to design and place more effective ads.”
*Read More Here: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/bul-bul0000018.pdf

We continue to believe the fallacy that “sex sells” because it makes sense in our minds. At a young age we ask why women dress or act certain ways on tv and the answer we are told is, “because it makes money.” Then as adults, we assume that if companies are spending money on advertisements and not making money that they would discontinue the practice. The thinking may be logical; however, it does not align with reality.

So then if studies show that sexualizing and objectifying women and children does not increase profit, why is this practice at the forefront of marketing techniques? It is difficult to unlearn what we have come to accept for ourselves. Even when presented with new evidence sometimes we inadvertently return to what we previously “knew” (especially if the topic is not discussed for a while in our social or work lives). [This is a link to an article by NPR that talks a little more about mental effort and changing ideas: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/01/481422876/the-importance-of-getting-things-wrong ]

What should we do when we learn that something claiming to be an innocent marketing strategy is in fact increasing the demand for human trafficking?

When you hear someone repeat the phrase, “sex sells,” explain to them what it really means. Sex does sell, but not the product. It sells normalization of exploitation and abuse. Sexualization in advertisements fuels demand for sex trafficking by showing men that women are objects that you can obtain with money and power. Having the money to buy women further exemplifies what is means to be successful. Oversexualization in advertisements sells the idea that people are for sale.

The oversexualization of advertising and other media has led to the normalization of pornography. This is an example of the pornification of our culture. When women and children are sexualized, objectified, and “pornified”, it’s easy to see them as commodities. It becomes acceptable to buy them.

So, the research indicates that ads of these nature are unlikely to sell products, such as cheeseburgers or beer, but it’s quite likely to contribute to the idea that selling sex is perfectly acceptable.

Knowing what you know now, are you buying what these companies are actually selling?

Writing for Freedom,

Kari Carr

To Report a Tip or Ask for Help Call: 1-888-373-7888

“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” ―Albert Einstein

*This post was partially inspired by a Collective Shout article written by Jon Westenberg. Click here to check out the post: http://www.collectiveshout.org/its_scientific_sex_doesnt_sell?utm_campaign=july_news&utm_medium=email&utm_source=collectiveshout

Dehumanization and Consent

Posted on August 29, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

Although there may be variation in our senses of humor, we all love to laugh. How far is “too far” when making a joke? Are people being too sensitive? Can making light of a situation in order to cope be over the top?

When a joke, unintentionally or purposefully, dehumanizes a group of people or insinuates that someone is deserving of assault, it is no longer a joke–it is hate speech. Punchlines that suggest child sexual abuse images [previously called child pornography], rape, or assault of a prostitute or sex trafficking victim is acceptable or that perpetrators are funny are not amusing. More importantly, they are dangerous because they stigmatize and degrade a vulnerable portion of the population.

Sexual assault and rape are topics of discussion that are thankfully being moved from the back-burner, although there is the presence of biases and difficulties in our society that results in victims being ignored and not receiving necessary respect and resources.

This problem is further compacted when those involved in sex trafficking [or prostitution, although I do not believe that the two are separate] are involved. Part of the problem with this relates to consent.

Consent and Sex Trafficking

“Consent,” is a word that is often misunderstood.

If a person consents to one act, and a partner does something else and does not stop when told to cease, assault has occurred.

If intercourse with the use of protection is agreed up but then a condom is not used, then consent was ignored.

Agreeing to relations with one person, to then walk into a room with multiple men and control is easily taken by the assailants means consent was also taken.

This is a great video about consent and is explained using tea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQbei5JGiT8

Even if a person is acting as a prostitute, the other person does not have the right to do whatever they want and then throw extra money at the victim. Yes, this happens especially in situations when the person is not respected as a human.

You don’t go to a restaurant and smash a bunch of plates and then throw a fifty on the table before you leave. “Well, if you didn’t want the plates to be broken why would you work in this business?” or “I’m the customer and that means I’m always right so you have to do what I say, including respecting my wishes to damage dishes.”

In the event that a person is raped or assaulted while acting as a prostitute, that does not mean that the assault did not happen. Even if money was taken.

If a person is financially or otherwise vulnerable, it does not give someone else the right to sexually exploit them. This statement goes for traffickers (otherwise known as pimps) and those who “buy” services with adults and children. “Buyers” by legal definition are also participating in trafficking when the crime is occurring.

“the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.”

If a person will be injured or a family member has been threatened if a sum of money is not met, they will likely take money after an assault. If someone is experiencing personal trauma coupled with monetary crises, they might take money that an assailant leaves. That does NOT mean that a rape or assault did not happen.

When Stigmatization is Present, People May Be Less Likely to Reach Out

Trafficking means that people are being abused. If we as a society continues to make those involved in prostitution feel like they made poor choices or that they are unwelcome in the world or unfit for the world, then those people will be less likely to ask for help or to try to get out of the life. If they will be refused, if they will be hated, if they feel like they have no other skills anyway why would they try? It will just lead to disappointment.

That is not true. It may take time, but every person matters and deserves to live freely and to be treated with respect. We all deserve to be as free as books are with words and birds are with wings.

Choose to stay away from the belittlement and dehumanization of others. Be the reason that someone reaches out, not the reason they feel like they have no choice in their own lives. When someone says something inappropriate, speak up.

To Report a Tip or Ask for Help Call: 1-888-373-7888

“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” -Theodore Roosevelt

Writing for Freedom,
Kari Carr

A Phone App is Fighting for Freedom in the Hotel Industry

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Eastern NC Stop Human Trafficking NOW!

How to Use TraffickCam in Your Abolitionist Efforts

In the day and age where selfies are abundant and most of us have smartphones on our person at any given time, what would you say to photographs that fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation of minors?

TraffickCam has created an app that allows users to submit photos of their hotel rooms to a database. This database is accessible to officials investigating crimes such as sexual exploitation of minors and sex trafficking.

Hotels and motels are optimal locations for illegal exchanges due to access and anonymity. When someone decides to pay for sex, particularly when someone decides to pay to abuse a child, they want to keep the transaction under wraps. For example, people can pay with cash and reserve a room with a false, untraceable name. A trafficker or abuser can pose as a child’s father, uncle, or brother–speaking for the victim if questioned. In addition, traffickers often post advertisements online that include the hotel rooms in the background. Child abuse images often are made in hotels.

It’s an uncomfortable topic, but it’s one that needs to be talked about in order for solutions to develop. Next time you are in a hotel, follow these three steps: Observe, Act, Stop Human Trafficking.

Observe (What to Look For):

Red Flags of Human Trafficking include: paying with cash, several men checking into the hotel with one child (or woman), denial of cleaning services for several days, or several men coming and going from one room.

In 2014, Time Magazine published an article How to Spot a Sex Trafficking Victim at a Hotel.

http://time.com/3525640/sex-trafficking-victim-prostitution-hotel/

It is a great resource for both hotel employees and hotel guests.

Act (What to Do):

If you see something suspicious, contact hotel management. Do not try to confront the victim or the traffickers yourself, as this could cause them to flee or result in injury to the person you are trying to help (or injury to yourself).