By Tiffany Ramzy
Did you know that in 2019 Texas was number two on the list of top 10 states for human trafficking? Texas, second only to California, was followed by Florida, Virginia, Maryland, New York, Washington DC, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Washington. What do all of these states have in common? Ports, major traffic byways, large conferences, and large sporting events. Traffickers follow the money. Human trafficking is a booming industry, and it thrives because there is serious demand. However, the victims need help, not judgement, or punishment.
Human trafficking is defined as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to compel a person into commercial sex acts or labor or services, against his or her will. Dr Kim Robinson, a licensed professional counselor, psychologist, Robson resident and member of Voices United, shared these and other alarming human trafficking facts during a presentation at the August Voices United monthly meeting. She also shared a number of resources such as “20 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking in 2021”.
Texas is hard at work in the fight against human trafficking, and Governor Greg Abbot has created the Child Sex Trafficking Team to help protect children from sex exploitation. However, there is still more work to do.
For more information, visit this Voices United page or contact dr.kim.robinson@gmail.com.
If you suspect trafficking, report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: 1-800-THE-LOST.