PITTSBURG, Kan. — Organizations gathered, today (Saturday) to teach about the dangers of human trafficking, a growing issue that can begin at home and not just overseas.
Three guest speakers were invited to Pittsburg State University, to identify what to look out for when it comes to human exploitation.
In addition, participants of the conference learned about the connection between online presence, human trafficking, and pornography.
Among the speakers today was “The Demand Project” Program Director Dr. Holly Frankfurt. Dr. Frankfurt tells us that there are many misconceptions when it comes to the definition of human trafficking.
“It’s not limited to just overseas or just big city areas or just high traffic areas. It’s something that we’re seeing start in the home, start online. And so it can really affect anyone. And so it’s really important that people know how to prevent it. But also, if something does happen, what resources are out there to address the trauma that’s been created,” said Dr. Holly Frankfurt, “The Demand Project” Program Director.
“It’s happening here. Children as young as ten years old are groomed by older men or sometimes their boyfriends taking naked pictures or asking them to send a naked picture. It starts from there, and then it boils down to much harder situations,” said Dr. Ananda Jayawardhana, PSU mathematics professor.
To report any human trafficking cases in the Four State area, you can call the hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
