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Looking Back and Leaning Forward

By Ahsha Morin, The Red Cord President

 

Before we begin another new year, let’s take a moment to celebrate The Red Cord highlights from 2023. Thank you for helping us offer 36 opportunities to share messages of prevention, awareness and hope.

 

The Red Cord offered these 2023 trainings at:

  • Parker Point Girls Home
  • Temple Public Schools
  • SCORE Program Great Plains Votec
  • Comanche Sheriff office
  • Foster Adopt Support Group
  • Bray/Doyle School educators
  • Great Plains Republican Woman Luncheon
  • Cameron Baptist Legion-Students
  • Sill SHARP
  • Great Plains Technology Center/Paramedic Program
  • Latta School Educators
  • Southwestern Oklahoma State University
  • Meridian Fire Dept- Stephens County
  • SW OK Search and Rescue
  • Friendship Pentecostal Holiness Church
  • US Army Integrated Prevention Advisory Group
  • MMIW
  • Unlock Freedom Youth- Holy Cross Church
  • Hotel Managers OKC
  • Spread the Word Ministries Women
  • Altus Teacher Training/Jackson County Community Action Team
  • Ft Cobb students
  • Cameron Human Sexuality Class
  • SW AHEC & FM Residency Program

The Red Cord hosted these 2023 Events:

  • Candle Light vigil national human trafficking month
  • Women’s Self Defense Class
  • CU Military/Veterans Resource Fair.
  • Oklahoma Commission on the Status of Women
  • Annual Gala
  • Piercing the Darkness walk
  • Night of Worship
  • The ROC Bus (Rolling Education Classroom on Human Trafficking event)
  • Annual Student Essay Contest
  • Back pack stuffing party
  • Brain Heart World movie showing
  • First Baptist of Duncan Global Impact event

Now it’s time to learn forward into 2024. We invite you to join us for all the upcoming trainings and events. We need you to help us to continue spreading the anti-trafficking messages by your giving, praying and participation. Thank you!

 

Happy New Year to you!

November Blog

Ahsha Morin, The Red Cord President

Stop Feeding the Beast

Society implies that it is acceptable to engage in pornography. Yet, pornography doesn’t represent “real sex.” Research has found that pornography often depicts a power imbalance – control, degradation, and violence are usually directed at women by men. Mainstream pornography doesn’t depict emotional intimacy. People have a disconnect from human dignity during porn watching. When someone watches porn it tells the producer (Pornhub, etc) to keep making more. Keep violating, raping, exploiting people for the viewer’s pleasure.

In reality, porn viewers do not know what is happening behind the screen. The majority of those in porn are human trafficking victims, not actors. Here is the connection — By watching and increasing the demand for more porn to be made, it is not much different than purchasing a real human. The viewer could still be considered a “John.” *

What do we do about it? TALK and get some help.

In the church: Pastors — do not fear talking about it. The average age of a child being exposed to pornography right now is age 8 years old.  It is not a matter of “if” but “when” they see it. Discuss the topic in a biblical way. The reality is, 1 in 4 youth pastors are addicted to porn and 1 in 5 pastors are addicted as well. Get some help immediately. It’s your job to set a godly example. 

In the home: Parents —  Discuss sex education at home, including pornography. Here are some resources for you: http://theredcord.org/get-help-hotlines/ Some parents watch porn regularly or are even addicted (1 in 5 women, and 1 in 4 men). Please seek help to stop watching now. http://theredcord.org/get-help-hotlines/

 Not everyone who watches porn will purchase a human for sexual pleasure. Yet, every person arrested or interviewed for purchasing sex or arrested for child porn, admits that they are addicted to a level they never thought possible. No one just wakes up one day and decides to purchase an adult or child for sex….. it’s a slow fade. We have to stop feeding the beast.

October 2023

Thank you for attending and supporting our Red Cord Freedom Gala. We enjoyed our time gathering with our good friends, eating a delicious dinner and participating in the silent auction. Together we raised awareness and funding to Rise Up against the evil of human trafficking.

What do we do now? What can we do to make a real difference?

We begin simply to talk about it. Pray about it. Fight it.

Start in your own home.

  • Pray about the areas of your life that could be allowing the darkness to come into your home. Please download and print the October prayer calendar and use it daily with your family. https://theredcord.org/prayer/

 

We also offer you a “text to prayer” option available for you to receive via text on your phone. Whenever The Red Cord has a prayer request, we text our “prayer warriors” with the prayer need. Sign up for text to prayer on our website.  https://verified-broadcast-9201-5jcrmm.twil.io/subscribe.html

 

  • Think about what and who has access to your kids in their bedroom through their phones. What is being watched on TV? Is pornography an issue in the home? What are the vulnerabilities within the family that could make family members more susceptible to being groomed by a trafficker? What protective measures and education are put in place, so family members are safe and know how to respond to a potential trafficker and the tactics of grooming?

 

What about in your church?

  • Is your church educated about trafficking, pornography use, and online enticement/grooming?

Do you know what is happening in your community schools?

  • Are your child’s school teachers educated? If not, then that is the first line of defense to fight the

darkness of this crime. Kill it with knowledge!

Let’s take the Next Step together. You’re invited to join us for the Piercing the Darkness Walk, Saturday, October 14th, 8:00 – 9:00 pm at the Elmer Thomas Park in Lawton. Invite your friends to join you and Rise Up together.

September 2023 Blog

Rise Up and Make a Difference Today

At the Gala this month and throughout the year, we seek to inspire you to rise up and make a difference in your sphere of influence. We recognize it is time that we all take a stand against those who seek to harm our most vulnerable and exploit them at the expense of their human rights. You have the power to be a light in the darkness.

We always have opportunities for you to rise up. Click here to see the ongoing list of needs: https://theredcord.org/get-involved-2/ The list includes: sending donations; attending a training, reading this blog every month, following us on social media, and praying often and specifically.

We have an immediate need for Volunteer Trainers. This is your opportunity to bring awareness directly to our community. Responsibilities include:

  • Public speaking experience preferred: to a range of ages and backgrounds.
  • Learning as much as possible about all areas of human trafficking.
  • Being comfortable discussing hard to hear information and the response from listeners.
  • Having day time availability (preferred) for trainings. Approximately 2-8 hours a month.

Steps of Training Procedures

  1. Complete background check ($20) 
  2. Set up face to face meeting time and location.
  3. Training practice with PowerPoint presentation
  4. Order training t-shirt ($20)
  5. Perform training with a seasoned trainer.
  6. Learn other presentations if desired. 

 

 Please contact me if you are interested or if you have questions. By Email:  redcord@theredcord.org or by phone: 405-294-2727

Thank you for taking seriously the opportunities available be involved. Thank you for taking seriously the scripture: “Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” Ezra 10:4

August 2023 Blog

Ahsha Morin, The Red Cord President

  1. What is the most common mask traffickers’ wear?

The mask of developing TRUST! To gain someone’s trust will give an opportunity for a trafficker to gain control over a victim. The victim will then feel more like sharing information and secrets that the trafficker can use against them. What does it mean for a trafficker to groom someone? They will use tactics of trust, coercion, fraud, and force to groom a potential victim. Child grooming is befriending and building an emotional connection with a minor, and sometimes the child’s family, to lower the child’s inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse.

  1. How does The Red Cord help people see beyond the surface to see who poses a threat and hides behind “masks” to traffic vulnerable victims?

We offer educational training to the public and parents about the topic of trafficking and what traffickers look like and their grooming tactics. In our training, we discuss different kinds of traffickers and the different ways they groom people and children.

  1. What should people do if they expect they are being groomed?

Report it! Keep all photos, text messages, direct messages and any other information that can be useful to law enforcement. They can then use this material to build a case against the trafficker. Report to your local law enforcement or local human trafficking task force.

The Heart of The Red Cord

Responding to “The Sound of Freedom”

The Red Cord encourages people to see the movie. It’s essential, however, to view the film, for what it is—a depiction based on one person’s experiences. It cannot serve as a comprehensive representation of human trafficking and exploitation, nor should it be considered the ultimate solution to this grave issue. The fight against human trafficking and exploitation encompasses numerous perspectives and stories that together create a full picture. We have to remember that this a local fight. We can prevent children before they need rescue through education and awareness. This is the heart of The Red Cord. The Sound of Freedom brings a level of awareness to the overall trafficking issue, but does not depict the trafficking situation of grooming, online contact and where parents can be the first level of protection for their children. Contact The Red Cord today to see how you can help the fight and keep your kids safe.

July 2023 Blog

Ashley Chapman, The Red Cord, Vice President

Be a Beacon of Support to the Most Vulnerable

Often, people fall into viewing themselves through the lens of their flaws or failures. Negative thoughts tend to be more potent than positive ones. When a victim comes from a rough background (homelessness, foster care, etc.) or has experienced trauma (sexual abuse, loss of a close relative or friend, etc.), it is easy for them to reduce themselves to their struggles or circumstances. When they do this, they are devaluing themselves in their own eyes. In moments like these, people become extra vulnerable, especially if they do not have others around them to guide them through the tough times. Once caught in trafficking, victims do not feel “worthy” of reaching out for help. They think that the abuse they are suffering is their fault. They think they are worthless and that no one truly cares about them. Traffickers will do their best to encourage these negative messages at any opportunity they get. They will remind a victim of their past failures or struggles and use that as psychological leverage. Isolation is a key component of victim silence.

 

Our goal should be, as a community, to beat traffickers to our vulnerable populations. Traffickers, in essence, are simply seeking out victims that society has thrown away or forgotten. Each one of us needs to be a beacon of support for those around us. The stronger we become as individuals, families, and communities, the greater the impact we will have on fighting human trafficking.

Learn more about who are the most vulnerable and how you can help them. Get Informed.

Read:  

  • Vulnerable: Rethinking Human Trafficking, by Raleigh Sadler. Available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3XE6SFI
  • Sex Trafficking Prevention: A Trauma-Informed Approach for Parents and Professionals, by Savannah Sanders. Avilable on Amazon https://amzn.to/448O5Vs

Attend a monthly free community training. See current listing in Events.

How a Parent can be Protective and not Paranoid

The problem of protecting your child from online predators is scary and seems so big that you don’t know where to start. Maybe you try everything all at once and act out of paranoia instead of implementing, intentional practical steps.

The most important step a parent can take is being educated about human trafficking in all areas of life, and then sharing the education with their kids. If parents are not ready to discuss online exploitation, grooming techniques, and being exposed to pornography, then it may not be in the child’s best interest to allow them to play online with people. When it comes down to it, there is only so much you can do to keep your child away from internet predators. Eventually, most kids will get on social media and gaming sites, even if it’s not until they leave home. That’s why the single most important step to keeping your kids safe is to educate your child about sexting, pornography, sexual predators, and other dangers online. By educating them about the reality of what is out there, you equip your children to make wise decisions and protect themselves.

Take these actions:

  1. Check settings on your child’s devices: When you first purchase a video game console, ensure you set up the online interaction settings in its Parental Controls or Family Settings.
  2. Keep devices in shared family spaces: Keep consoles and computers in shared family spaces so you can see the interactions for yourself.
  3. Play sound on speakers not a headset. If your child uses a headset to play, ensure they play over the speakers occasionally so you can hear what is being said.
  4. Turn on notifications on your account. Install the community applications for consoles like PlayStation and Xbox so you are notified of direct messages to your account.
  5. Set up children’s accounts. Set up separate accounts for children of different ages in your home to be able to tailor interactions.
  6. Play together. Play the games together, using your child’s account to see who they are talking to.
  7. Use settings to create groups of real friends to play with: On consoles, you can create a lobby of your child’s known friends before starting a game, and then mute other players to keep a safe but connection experience.
  1. Invite your child to help create the rules about what they can do online, how often, and with whom. Approaching the conversation collaboratively will give kids a sense of ownership, and thus a stake in the outcome.
  2. Check out these helpful resources for parents:

   https://www.culturereframed.org/a-parents-guide-to-supporting-family-online-safety/

  https://www.culturereframed.org/a-parents-guide-to-supporting-family-online-safety/

  1. Attend a free Red Cord Community Training. The next one is: June 20, 6:30 – 7:30pm, Fort Sill Federal Credit Union, 1614 NW 67th St, Lawton.

May 2023 Blog

Improving Our Grade

How do you as a parent respond to an “F” on your child’s report card? Shock? Anger? Disappointment?

Shared Hope International provides a comprehensive analysis and assessment of all state statutes related to and impacting child and youth sex trafficking in all 50 states and D.C. They focus on the area where the largest gaps remain—victim protections. Sadly, Oklahoma received an overall grade “F” in this area in 2022. https://reportcards.sharedhope.org/year2021/oklahoma/

 The Red Cord is never happy to see the State of Oklahoma have an “F” rating. However, it indicates that we still have a lot of work to do as a state regarding both sex and labor trafficking. The grade for “prevention, education, and awareness” was given an “F” as well. The Red Cord does not take this rating personally.

We need state policy and laws to reach the goal to accomplish training related to child welfare. Gaps still remain in areas related to training for juvenile justice agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors, and school personnel as well as prevention education in schools. The Red Cord is the only non-profit with the single goal of education and awareness of human trafficking to Oklahoma. There are other nonprofits in the state that also provide education and awareness, but they generally provide recovery and restoration. So, it would make sense that Oklahoma would rate “F” because The Red Cord is the ONLY nonprofit that offers education and awareness to the state for free.

We need more organizations to offer education about human trafficking and the key demographic to reach is our school age children. Currently, Oklahoma does not have a law or policy requiring school age children to receive this education. It is up to the individual school to make this happen. Unfortunately, many schools do not see Human Trafficking education as important, until there is an issue with a student. Then it is too late. The Red Cord is CLEET certified to offer free training for Law Enforcement.

To improve this grade in the coming year, there are some specific actions we can take as individuals, families, communities and churches.

  1. Assemble Care Packages

Children are often removed from their homes and placed in foster care with little to none of their own personal clothes or possessions. Find out from your local agencies what items kids being placed in Foster Homes need most and organize a volunteer team to assemble them.

  1. Serve at a Local Child Welfare Office

Child welfare agency offices often double as waiting rooms at all hours of the night for kids waiting to be placed. These offices also serve as parent/child visitation spaces. Ask if there are rooms that need makeovers and provide the materials and labor to create more welcoming and comfortable environments for the kids.

  1. Organize Serve Teams

Ask local agencies if there are any specific needs they know of that families have. These needs may include general home maintenance, lawn care, car repair, etc. Mobilize teams to serve and take care of those needs around your community.

  1. Pray

Pray for kids in foster care, the families they come from and the families that are caring for them now. There is a spiritual battle stirring over the lives of vulnerable children and families and everyone involved is in the path of the enemy’s attacks.

April 2023 Blog

You are Invited to be confident, safe and strong in unstable situations

Please accept our invitation to join the self-defense training on Saturday, April 1. This is a training we offer only once a year as a primary prevention. It is a risk reduction strategy for women in our community. We see the annual self-defense class as an opportunity for women to be invited into a safe environment to learn and build self-confidence about a sensitive topic – sexual assault. We know that some women may have already experienced this, or have a difficult time discussing it. Women have the opportunity to talk and learn skills together that can prevent a sexual assault. This class is a supplement or added tool to have in their tool box for safety.

I encourage mothers, daughters, aunts, grandmas etc. to attend and practice self-defense tactics. It’s a tool, much like learning CPR that you hope you never have to use. But in the case you do have to, you are practiced and prepared. You have been educated and trained. Education is always going to be “key” to prevention of anything. Giving young girls the education and safe place to learn and build self-efficacy to fight off an offender (male or female) is necessary. It gives them a “fighting chance” to stop any kind of attack.

Why would we NOT want to equip our future generation of women to learn how to protect themselves?

Why would you NOT want to be confident, safe and strong in unstable situations?

Silent No More Together

Male human trafficking is an issue everywhere, including southwest Oklahoma. Conceptions about sex trafficking have been formed, promoted, and viewed through news reports, movies, public awareness programs, academic literature, and criminal statutes as a crime only against women and girls. The truth is, it affects men and boys too.

But there is something we can do about this issue. We can do something as a community, as a church and as individuals.

First, the church can start talking about it! Empower fathers, brothers, and sons to find their voices by pushing out the stigma surrounding male trafficking. While each victim has his own reason to remain silent about his situation, the root of many of these reasons comes down to this: our societies reinforce such ideas that males are “too strong” to become victims, and if they become one, then they’re weak or foolish for not escaping. Having men talk about their experience with each other can help break the stigma and allow others to share and heal together.

Second, the church can help by offering classes about pornography addiction. One in three men and one in four pastors are addicted to watching porn. This is a “silent sin” that no one in the church likes to discuss because so many are involved. But we know that pornography fuels and encourages human trafficking on many levels. Educating about this topic and offering support and resources, which The Red Cord has, can help break the stigma and bring more men to healing; whether it is from pornography addition, or other sexual abuse. It happens way more than people think.

Third, get informed. Attend a Red Cord training. We can provide you with resources on how to personally make a difference. See the training schedule listed in upcoming events. Also, discover more information:  https://traffickinginstitute.org/the-silenced-minority/ and https://preventht.org/about/

In the interview cited on the home page this month, “Male Survivors Talk About Being A Sex Trade Victim”, it states that some anti-trafficking advocates say the public understanding of sexual exploitation of boys is about 15 years behind that of girls. It’s time that we start talking about the issue, as a church, as a community and as individuals, and hope that by speaking out, another male teen won’t have to go through this abuse alone.

Please contact us with your questions about this topic and others related to human trafficking. Let’s be silent no more together.

February Blog: An Interview with Ahsha Morin, The Red Cord President

Q: How long have you been involved in the fight against modern day slavery?

  1. I have been with The Red Cord since 2018. But involved with Human Trafficking prevention and awareness since 2011 with O.A.T.H (which is no longer around) and then Operation Underground Railroad in Montana for a year.

Q: Do you ever grow weary or frustrated at this ongoing battle?

A: Yes! It is a big fight and it can be hard to see any immediate progress.

Q: What keeps you going forward?

A: My personal fight against human trafficking is a calling, so to keep following this calling is what keeps me moving. Some days are harder than others. Hearing back from parents, students, and community members that The Red Cord training they attended brought clarity, or open communication or possibly intervening in a potential trafficking situation, are big motivating factors for me! Knowing that The Red Cord is providing education and awareness to communities to help keep them safer continues to motivate me to go forward every day.

Q: Do you see any change happening?

Yes, there is now much more discussion about human trafficking in main stream media. The boarder crisis has brought attention as well as other news of large human trafficking situations being brought to justice. However, there needs to be more change in seeing prevention being discussed and accepted instead of the arrests, and trauma that are found at the end of human trafficking pipeline.

  1. Who are some modern abolitionists that are fighting the battle well?

A: Here are a few. Check out their websites.

 

Q: What encouragement would you offer to modern abolitionists?

A: We need more fighters to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves! It is a hard yet rewarding feeling to know you are in the fight to help free a person. But be aware that you are also engaging into a spiritual battle that can be very dark and heart breaking. This battle is not for everyone!

Q: What does the Red Cord do to help with the ongoing war against slavery?

A: The Red Cord offers free educational trainings to everyone! Help can also come in the form of reducing vulnerabilities in our communities. Working on homelessness, poverty, low job opportunities, etc.,  in communities can help reduce the likelihood of traffickers targeting people. Education and awareness are key to the prevention of people being trafficked. Dollar for dollar, it is less costly and more cost effective to have prevention programs in place for schools, churches, and communities to be educated, than it is to recover, rescue, and rehabilitate someone who has been trafficked.

Here is how you can prevent modern day slavery today:

  1. Attend a free training event. https://theredcord.org/upcoming/
  2. Be informed. Read information on our website. https://theredcord.org/get-the-facts/
  3. Share what you’ve learned with someone in your church, school, community organizations to join you in the fight. Request a training in your location. https://theredcord.org/training/
  4. Pray. Use the monthly prayer calendar. https://theredcord.org/prayer/ Sign up to receive urgent prayer texts. https://verified-broadcast-9201-5jcrmm.twil.io/subscribe.html
  5. Support The Red Cord to continue to fund training events and offer resources to our community. https://secure.processdonation.org/theredcord/Donation.aspx?donationrefid=F98CJ6689698E
  6. Contact The Red Cord: https://theredcord.org/sample-page/

January 2023 Blog

Ahsha Morin, The Red Cord President

 

Human Trafficking Awareness month is so critical, because it is very difficult for trafficking victims to come forward. As we become more aware, we can help them be seen and heard. They often find themselves physically and socially isolated in an unfamiliar culture, unable to speak or understand the language, without valid immigration papers and intimidated by their traffickers. For these reasons, they fear reaching out to law enforcement officers, health providers or others who would be able to help them.

It is important to understand that human traffickers target vulnerable people of all ages and genders. Human Trafficking is not biased to any one type of person. Traffickers target these people in these ways:

  • They take the wages of large numbers of victims in fields and factories and enslave workers in the hotels we stay in.
  • Traffickers mislead skilled or educated adults facing chronic unemployment with the false lure of higher paying jobs.
  • Traffickers buy or coerce children from families facing poverty and economic desperation.

Having a month where we can spotlight this horrific crime and help people understand the true nature of this crime is the basis of The Red Cord.

This year, our hope is to reach more communities and schools with the resources and education we offer. We specifically want to help parents and educators, those who work with children and teens every day, to help identify a potential problem and stop it. We will offer more parenting seminars and community events. As always, all our training and education resources are free! Anyone can request a training by going on our website and completing the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIHs8EqitMqotxh4kS9AuFelq72s_dYAC5Ll3Nf66QAFysnA/viewform

You can be a person who decides to make a difference locally and globally in the world of human trafficking. Here’s how:

  1. 1. Do the three specific actions listed under the heading, “Now What Do We Do?” in the main story on the home page this month. https://theredcord.org/
  2. Plan to be involved in one of the training opportunities this month. They are listed on the website under the Events tab. https://theredcord.org/upcoming/ Attend the Annual Candlelight Vigil on Jan. 20th.
  3. Commit to pray. Use the prayer guide to pray specifically. https://theredcord.org/prayer/

Ashley Chapman, Vice President

The Red Cord Christmas Wish List

Your giving this year had huge results! Your support provided for:

  • The Human Trafficking Awareness poster campaign. It has now spread all the way into OKC.
  • Bringing in the Human Trafficking Training Center for a three-day, state-wide law enforcement seminar. This his training has resulted in five known rescues! That’s an immeasurable gift. Thank you.

These gifts are at the top of our list this year:

  1. Monthly Donors. These regular donations help us tremendously when it comes to The Red Cord’s growth and outreach initiatives. Not only do they support the work we do on the day-to-day, but they also help us plan for the future.
  2. 2. A gift of $2,500.00. If we had this funding available, we could place a human trafficking manual in every school office in LPS and surrounding districts in 2023.

                Donation Info:

https://secure.processdonation.org/theredcord/Donation.aspx?donationrefid=F98CJ6689698E

  1. Provide gifts for survivors. What we have heard from survivors is they are grateful for anything that has no strings attached. It’s the action that carries the biggest message. Handwritten notes are also something a lot survivors said meant the world to them.
  1. See you engaged in helping others. It is a gift to us when we see you in action. Here are some ways you can provide immediate help:

Volunteer your time and resources at these locations:

  • Lovesick Ministries – Lawton, OK
  • M28 Ministries – Lawton, OK
  • Pregnancy Resource Center of Lawton
  • Charis Pregnancy Crisis Center – Duncan, OK

 

Your monetary gifting or presents are needed here:

  • The Demand Project – Tulsa, OK
  • RISE, Youth Human Trafficking Shelter
  • Parker Point Youth Shelter – Lawton, OK
  1. Join us in prayer regularly. Read the information on our website and use the prayer calendar with your family and church groups each month. https://theredcord.org/prayer/

 

Of course, we give to others because we have already received the greatest gift of all – Jesus Christ. When he came into the world, he had a specific mission. May it be ours as well this season and into the coming year:

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.” Isaiah 61:1-3

Merry Christmas

Ahsha, The Red Cord President

Prepare for the Battle: People, Partnership and Prayer

People

There are some people we can spotlight that are shining their light brightly to combat human trafficking that can help us prepare for the spiritual battle of human trafficking:

  • Jaco Booyens https://jacobooyensministries.org/ This ministry is about restoring lives and transforming culture to the character of God through exposing evil, protecting the innocence of children, rebuilding families, and combating sex trafficking. “We believe we were created to expose darkness and impact culture by serving the least, the vulnerable, and the broken.”
  • Rebecca Bender is a survivor that has a program for other survivors to go through online and in person. This ministry has a location in Dallas. https://www.rebeccabender.org/ “I educate leaders and organizations about human trafficking so they can protect their communities and change the culture.”

Partnership

To effectively shine bright in a dark world, we can’t do it alone. The Red Cord partners with organizations to join forces and be stronger in the dark battle. Please visit their websites and learn more about how our partners are involved in helping people at the point of their need. Some organizations specifically work with human trafficking victims and others help vulnerable people with specific needs so they will not be targeted by human traffickers.

In Oklahoma we partner with:

Locally we partner with:

Prayer

Prayer is our most strategic spiritual weapon in the dark fight. Use these tools to help you pray specifically. 

Ahsha, The Red Cord President

Unmasking More Beasts

 

In addition to the traffickers revealed in this month’s feature story, What other masks do traffickers use to lure victims?

 

“The Friend” — Using Victims to Recruit Others: When a current victim is told to recruit others to replace her current work requirement. This has happened in schools when a student will befriend a vulnerable student and create a trust with this person. Then she will invite them over to a party or sleep over. The purpose is to expose the victim to the trafficker which can give opportunity for a grooming process to start.

 

“The Planner” – Using Disguised Meetings: This could be through a “random” text or direct message from someone looking to “meet up” to buy or sell merchandise. Watch for red flags when selling or buying from Facebook Marketplace and other online shopping. This can also look like being invited to a party at someone’s house you do not know.

“The False Advertiser”-Using Enticing Opportunities: This could be modeling opportunities, or jobs offering high pay with little to no previous work experience required. Or it could be an advertisement for someone with knowledge of a foreign language offering free accommodations, free visa or travel procurement The opportunities can be advertised in legitimate newspapers using a registered business as a front.

 

“The ‘Loverboy” – Using False Relationships:  This is done through blind dating and online relationships, sugar daddy/sugar baby website. They would pretend to be the best thing since sliced bread and will probably end up becoming her boyfriend. They invest their time and resources to buy their victim’s trust, flatter her, and shower her with love, romance and promises of a better life until they are comfortable enough to make their move. They would even prevent anyone that might help the victims to see otherwise.

 

 

“The Family Member”- Sale by Family:  Parents may sell a child out of greed and receive a monthly income. These families often build relationships with traffickers and will intentionally misrepresent the nature of the work to entice other families to sell their children. Traffickers will target families that are poverty-stricken or dependent on drugs.

 

“The Needy Person” – Seeking help in disguise: This could look like a homeless person asking for money or a ride; Someone asking for directions’ or someone needing to use your cellphone in an “emergency” situation.

 

“The Religious Abuser” – Using Religious Beliefs: This is when religion is used to control a victim and/or abuse of power. This could be having a victim take an “oath”. Victims make all kinds of promises such as they won’t run away; they will obey their trafficker; they will keep silent and never speak to officials; They will pay back all the money they owe their trafficker. Indeed, the girls believe that breaking the oath would cause grave, if not fatal consequences, for the victims’ families and would be in danger of going to hell.

 

What is the most common mask traffickers wear?

 

The mask of developing TRUST! To gain someone’s trust will give an opportunity for a trafficker to gain control over a victim. The victim will then feel more like sharing information and secrets that the trafficker can use against them.

 

What does it mean for a trafficker to groom someone?

They will use tactics of trust, coercion, fraud, and force to groom a potential victim. Child grooming is befriending and building an emotional connection with a minor, and sometimes the child’s family, to lower the child’s inhibitions with the objective of sexual abuse.  

 

How does The Red Cord help people see beyond the surface to see who poses a threat and hides behind “masks” to traffic vulnerable victims?

 

We offer educational training to the public and parents about the topic of trafficking and what traffickers look like and their grooming tactics. In our training, we discuss different kinds of traffickers and the different ways they groom people and children.

 

What should people do if they expect they are being groomed?

 

Report it! Keep all photos, text messages, direct messages and any other information that can be useful to law enforcement. They can then use this material to build a case against the trafficker. Report to your local law enforcement or local human trafficking task force.

August

We all agree that schools can and should be safe places for students. This is especially true for students whose lives are otherwise characterized by instability and lack of safety and security.

All children need someone they can trust to look out for them. Everyone who is part of the school community—administrators, school counselors, nurses, other mental health professionals, teachers, bus drivers, maintenance personnel, food service staff, resource officers, and other school community members—has the potential to be an advocate for children who have been exploited.

  1. Advice to school community members:
  • Learn the factors that make students vulnerable to trafficking and how to identify the warning signs. This is exactly why The Red Cord makes it a priority to educate teachers and staff about human trafficking.
  1. Advice to parents:
  • Listen and understand what your kids are going through and exposed to in school.
  • Get educated about human trafficking, and then have an age-appropriate discussion with your kids about it. Do not be afraid to talk with your kids about this topic!

If you do not feel comfortable discussing the ins and outs with your kids, please contact us and we will gladly speak with your child.

  • Take matters into your own hands and talk with your school principal. Request the administrators require training hosted by The Red Cord to educate the staff and the students. We happily come to your school free of charge. We also have a yearly parenting seminar that covers all the areas of human trafficking and how to prevent your child from falling into the hands of a predator or trafficker.
  • Inspect your child’s phone daily and only allow age-appropriate apps.
  • Trust your child…..don’t trust the world that is coming through the phone or computer.
  • Believe your child when they report issues to you.
  • Help your child report to authorities when needed for a friend or suspicious activity in school.

Read reliable resources. We provide many on our website. Here is another one especially to prepare for back-to-school:

https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/human-trafficking-americas-schools

This is what True Freedom Looks Like

Freedom is the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.

Human trafficking victims live a life that is the opposite of this definition. They may “look free”. Many people will say “I saw her walking around by herself, she could have run away from the situation”. But in reality, they are not free. This is why human trafficking is considered “modern day slavery”. They do not have the freedom, power to act, speak, think, or make choices. The trafficker will use mind control and manipulation to make the victim “think they have a choice”. They may indicate that the victim is free to leave the situation, while in reality they will have to fight for their life to leave. Much of the time it is the lack of mental freedom that really keeps a victim trapped. It is the chains of the brain, not the hands that has the victim in a continual cycle of slavery and control.

Let the Healing Begin

There are several steps that a survivor will go through to heal from a trafficking situation. And though not everyone is the same, or done in a linear fashion, there are some basic steps.

  • Get to a safe place.
  • Assess immediate needs.
  • Assess health issues.

The healing process: Essential to building a strong healing foundation is overriding trauma-related neural pathways that years and years of victimization create. This can look like:

  • Weekly trauma counseling serves to help break Stockholm Syndrome-like trauma bonding symptoms, where survivors may unconsciously feel sympathy and support for their trafficker.
  • Art and equine therapies help survivors develop needed skills and attributes, such as accountability, responsibility, self-confidence, problem-solving skills, and self-control. In this way, the therapies distance survivors from their traffickers by showing how they are their own person and have inherent value.
  • Boundary and self-defense classes permit further confidence growth and increased self-worth.
  • Learning and Implementing Life skills:
  • establish healthy life rhythms, such as waking up and going to sleep at the same time, beginning to exercise, and doing their own grocery shopping.
  • accessing identification (as most survivors’ identifications have been taken by their trafficker in order to keep them from escaping);
  • learning how to be responsible with money (budgeting and getting a bank account);
  • furthering education (getting a GED or even beginning college);
  • getting healthcare (dental and medical).
  • search for other housing and gainful employment, both of which are significantly more difficult to access than they may seem.

(Source – https://fightthenewdrug.org/what-happens-to-sex-trafficking-survivors-after-theyre-rescued/

Let the Healing Continue

In some cases, it may take 6-7 attempts to exit “the Life” before a permanent exit occurs. This happens for the same reason it takes multiple exits for domestic violence victims — the emotional bond to the trafficker. Sometimes they become frozen in their thought process.  They understand the dysfunctional place they were in, and they know how to navigate that, but when they come out of “the Life”, they don’t understand how to maneuver the outside world. It’s supposed to be safe. It’s supposed to be predictable. But when it becomes unpredictable, they get scared and retreat into a world that they know how to maneuver. Mental health must be the foundation to help build survivors towards their healing process and keep them from returning to their trafficker.

Unfortunately, in the USA, we are still struggling with having enough housing and resources in each community to help sustain the exit process for survivors. Lack of resources is a big issue to keep someone from returning to “the life.”

Free Forever

For me, being free in Christ means that Jesus is the Lord of my life and that, thanks to his work in me, sin does not control my actions any longer. This is the reality of those of us who are children of God! From the moment we allow Jesus to reign in our lives, to fill us with his presence and transform us, he gives us the strength to obey him. With His help we say no to sin and yes to God’s will. We stop being slaves to sin and move on to live the full life that God wants for us.

Parents Ask: How Do We Keep Our Kids Safe? 

  1. First, how do I know that my child is in danger? What are the signs I look for?

Some indicators that a child is in contact with are trafficker are:

  • Change in behavior
  • Change in friends
  • Withdrawn from family and friends
  • Has new friends that you have not met
  • Change in appearance
  • Has expensive gifts from unknown sources
  • Allows older adults to show interest in them in person or online
  • Refuses to allow you to monitor their phone
  • Hides apps from you
  • Uses multiple cells phones
  • Uses drugs and/or alcohol

 

  1. Who are the people who want to harm my children? How do I keep my kids safe?

The best form of online protection from predators is YOU – the parent. You have the right and duty to check your kids’ devices. Explain to them that you are there to protect them from the dangers of those who are looking to exploit them. Make a plan with your child for when, not if, someone approaches them online or in-person with questionable behavior, sexual photos, or sexual content. Read David’s story on the home page to see how to develop a code word. https://theredcord.org/

Be aware that sometimes the predators are family members. If a child feels uncomfortable around a certain family member, take note of it and do not force your child to spend time with them.

Traffickers always look for a vulnerability to exploit. All kids are vulnerable because they are kids. The internet is used to groom children into thinking that the trafficker/predator is their saving grace to life’s problems. It can be a slow grooming process, or it can take only days. The trafficker will build trust with the child and ask them to keep the relationship a secret so they will not get in trouble. Nude pictures will almost always be asked for and the child will receive nude pictures as well. Traffickers/predators feel safe behind a screen. They feel that they can hide better vs. grooming in public. However, at some point, they will ask to meet with your child.

  1. I have a hard time talking with my kids about these sensitive issues. What do I do?

Download the Safety Tips Sheets:

Use those to connect with your child. But if you are still not comfortable discussing trafficking, pornography, etc. with your child, then contact us. We will be happy to talk with your child and family!

*WARNING SIGNS CHECKLIST – Is this child a victim of trafficking?

National Human Trafficking Hotline 1 (888) 373-7888 Or use the textline: Text “BeFree” (233733)

__ 1. Does the child appear disconnected from family, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship? This is a big vulnerability for foster care children who are being moved frequently from home to home.

__ 2. Has a child stopped attending school? Foster care children change schools frequently.

__ 3. Has the person had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior?

__ 4. Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?

__ 5. Is the child disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse?

__ 6. Does the child have bruises in various stages of healing?

__ 7. Is the child fearful, timid, or submissive especially around specific people? Traffickers can be family members.

__ 8. Does the child show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep, or medical care?

__ 9. Is the child often in the company of someone to whom he or she defers? Or someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to? This goes beyond “adult supervision, or parenting care.”

__ 10. Does the child appear to be coached on what to say? Ask questions in different ways to see if you get the same answer.

__ 11. Is the child living in unsuitable conditions?

__ 12. Does the child lack personal possessions and appear not to have a stable living situation? This is a consistent issue with foster care children who are re-familied often.

GET HELP

Safety Survival Kit 

 

Children Resources

Teen Resources

  • Top 10 safety list for teens and parents

http://theredcord.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/10Safetytips-parents.pdf

Free the Slaves/Students https://www.freetheslaves.net/take-action/students-ending-slavery/

Parent Resources

U.S. Government Resources

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