By Gabrielle Chaudry, Staff Writer
The Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Center organized an event informing students of the importance of human trafficking awareness and prevention via Zoom on Sept. 21.
Transitions of PA’s counselor advocate, Colleen Kocen, was the main speaker of the event. Transitions of PA is a crisis center that provides advocacy and education to those struggling with violence and abuse. Kocen also acts as a campus advocate at Susquehanna to provide support for students going through the Title IX case process.
Trafficking is the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some kind of labor or sex act for profit.
“Trafficking is pervasive and happening in every community in America,” Kocen said. According to Kocen, the average age of children trafficked is 12-13 and 18-19 for adults. Those targeted are usually individuals that have aged out of foster care or are homeless.
Runaways and children out of foster care are usually the biggest targets because there is “not much of a community struggle,” Kocen said. Perpetrators may offer protection to youth running from or aging out of foster care, with the motive of using them.
People living in poverty are also more susceptible, as well as immigrants. Human traffickers tend to target individuals that are alone and who have no one looking for them. They also take advantage of those struggling with addiction.
Those recently released from incarceration can be more likely to be trafficked because they have little community support. Kocen said traffickers will wait at prison sites on the days inmates are released, with a goal of taking people.
However, many people’s preconceived notions regarding trafficking are myths. Many think they are a target of human trafficking if they find zip ties on their car antennas or post-it notes on their windshields. In reality, that is not a significantly prevalent issue. Often it is an innocent situation where someone forgets they had something on their car or it is a prank by teenagers. Human traffickers do not want their victims to know they are being trafficked, which is why those methods rarely lead to trafficking, according to Kocen.
When looking at how to recognize possible trafficking situations, there are signs that can be identified. All of the same signs that people would see in a domestic abuse relationship can be associated with human trafficking.
“It is a good idea to be defensive and aware of settings,” Kocen said.
Kocen said it is rare to be randomly targeted. Most times, victims know the individual trafficking them, and they are groomed by that person. Most victims that are trafficked do not believe they are. It is easier to target a person who is willing and will not put up a fight.
Trafficking can be fought through people advocating for better foster families. Kocen believes more fighting needs to be done for the injustices in foster care so that individuals are helped and do not want to leave.
Citizens should also help their friends, especially when they have nowhere to go. The homeless have a high risk of being targeted. Kocen also believes that individuals need to inform their families, friends and peers of how trafficking happens so that more people are aware of the issue and can spot the signs before it happens.
The discussion was recorded and posted on Presence after the event for all students to view. Further questions about human trafficking can be sent to Kocen at colleen_k@transitionsofpa.org. Transitions of PA also has a hotline, 1-800-850-7948, for individuals with questions or concerns about confidential resources for interpersonal violence survivors, according to Transitions of PA’s Susquehanna campus advocate, Jennifer Taylor. Taylor is also available for questions at her work phone, 570-490-2698.
Anyone interested can watch the full 50-minute event on SU-On-Demand on Presence.
