IN K [ [ ] L I N G S
Crown Point High School Crown Point, IN @InklingsCPHS March 22, 2019 Vol. 83 Issue 7
Read about amateur photographers page 6
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“Social media use affects students’ mental heath” page 8-9
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Read about senior Ryan Fender’s last season page 11
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IT HAPPENS EVERYWHERE
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Signs, misconceptions of human trafficking raises awareness to ongoing issue BY LINDSEY BAEZA MORGAN TAYLOR ASHLEY REKITZKE MADELYN WHITAKER co-editors-in-chief editor-at-large co-online editor
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uman trafficking is a major issue whether individuals choose to believe it or not. Although some may not want to accept it, it happens in our state. In Indiana alone, there were 59 cases of human trafficking reported in 2018 according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. This form of modernday slavery is not a problem secluded to Third World countries, but rather can take place in one’s community. Recent events in mainstream media have highlighted the severity of these crimes, English teacher Jacob Adam says, putting them more in the eye of the public. Adams also believes that human trafficking infringes on one’s individual rights and should be pursued by law enforcement more vigorously. “I believe that human trafficking is one of the most egregious human rights violations facing our world today. It is a form of modern-day slavery, and its eradication should be a priority for all responsible citizens, lawmakers, and law enforcement officials,” Adams said. “The fact that someone as prominent as New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with exploiting a victim of sex trafficking shows us how serious and widespread the problem really is.” With Northwest Indiana (NWI) being a major transportation hub with its numerous highways and waterways, NWI human trafficking coalition coordinator Darrell Hervey notes that trafficking is more likely to be prevalent here as opposed to more remote areas of the state. “(Human trafficking) definitely is more saturated (in NWI) just because of the access. Human trafficking, unlike drug trafficking, is a very organic criminal industry because you’re selling your product. Once you sell drugs or guns they’re gone, but humans can be resold over and over again,” Hervey said. “It’s
easier to jump on the freeway and go down to the next location. They use very similar drug trafficking and human trafficking route nationally and internationally. (Lake County is) definitely going to be much more saturated than Jasper County. Either way, there are obstacles. Even though we know that we have a problem where we are, people will still have a tendency to ignore it and not believe it.” Some local members of the community also worry that because Crown Point is connected to major roadways. Credit recovery teacher Donna Velgos comments on this concern. “I think it’s a problem everywhere, but with Crown Point being so close, even the Square being so close, to I-65 it’s pretty easy access to grab someone and go anywhere. (Crown Point is) too close to a lot of different states,” Velgos said. These types of crimes aren’t always what people perceive them to be according to Hervey. There are a variety of reasons a person may be trafficked. “(Human trafficking) is not twenty girls in a house chained up. A lot situations that I’ve run into recently have been family or family have been (soliciting) their own children. There are categories: there’s sex trafficking which we hear about the most, there’s labor trafficking which actually occurs the most, and then you have domestic servitude,” Hervey said. “There are some situations of domestic servitude when someone comes over here as a student and the host family pays them for service. They either not compensate them right or don’t give them payment in exchange for that.” Misconceptions of human trafficking are common, and are especially seen in prostitution. Hervey believes these false impressions can cause investigators to overlook potential trafficking cases. “One of the biggest issues with prostitution is that it almost always seen as a victimless crime. Now, that’s why people are looking at prostitution and human trafficking because people are admitting that is wasn’t voluntary,” Hervey said. Acknowledging that there are survivors of human trafficking, Hervey said that some still choose to turn a blind eye to the
issue. He speculates that this is due to the “We just hear all these stories about new and disturbing nature of these crimes. people disappearing all the time. You just (*Read about a survivor’s story on page hear about it for the first couple days, and three.) then it usually dies off because the case “Whether it’s pride or ignorance, I goes cold and they don’t have any leads on think people have different reasons. We it,” Huitsing said. “I mean I’m not really don’t want people to be living in fear frightened, but I know there’s a lot of either. It’s kind of like terrorism where people that are kind of scared or creeped we know it exists but we can’t have people out by those things because they never living in fear either,” Hervey said. “We have know what’s going to happen or if it could to take some sort of action against it so I happen to them.” think that human trafficking is such a new Working for the Indiana Trafficking concept that they don’t have the education Victims Assistance Program (ITVAP), to identify what it entails. People gloss over Hervey explains his role in the prosecution the issue because we know what it is but of traffickers as well as his efforts to make don’t get deep into how it happens.” the investigative process more cohesive. Accounts of suspicious activity have Centering more around taking down the been reported locally. Officer Sean Steffel recounts a time where members of his family were in an uncomfortable situation. Human trafficking is the fastest growing “Actually, my wife and second largest criminal industry in the and niece have been in a world, generating roughly $150.2 billion suspicious incident at a local retail store. They immediately worldwide. found an officer and reported it,” Steffel said. “The police were familiar with the person and although he wasn’t a human trafficker, it was an According to the Trafficking in Persons Report produced by uncomfortable situation.” the State Department, approximately 27 million Finding an officer and men, women and children are victims of some reporting the situation is form of human trafficking. key according to Steffel. He believes that is always the right move. “If you ever feel threatened or something doesn’t feel right, call the police. It can always be 59 cases reported in Indiana in 2018 investigated,” Steffel said. While Steffel’s family avoided danger, senior Tyler Huitsing acknowledges that some may not be 46 out of 59 cases as fortunate. News reported in Indiana were broadcasts of sex trafficking related missing citizens, Huitsing says, seems to https://www.in.gov/attorneygeneral/2963.htm indicate https://www.purchased.org/indiana see human trafficking on page 3 https://humantraffickinghotline.org/state/indiana this.
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HUMAN TRAFFICKING