Tennessee Human Trafficking BE AWARE
Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery, plain and simple. It happens here. And it has to stop.
Williamson Counties. There are a few primary reasons for this:
Consider the facts:
The first reason is related to transportation and location. Nashville is one of only six U.S. cities where 3 major interstates converge. Additionally, you can reach 75% of the U.S. market within a 2-hour flight time from Nashville, making it a strategic point for movement around the country. Nashville is also in close proximity to Atlanta – a large metropolitan area known for high amounts of human trafficking – and this adds to the transportation of victims throughout the state.
In the United States, on average, every two minutes a child is bought or sold for sex. The average age of a child sold for sex is 13 years old. Human Trafficking is the second-fastest growing criminal industry, just behind Drug Trafficking.
TNFT
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has reported that human trafficking is the second-highest rising crime in the state. This type of exploitation can begin in childhood or adolescence. Despite common The second reason that Nashville is a popular spot for misconceptions, the Polaris Project’s statistics show that human trafficking is its large tourism and sporting the majority of trafficked individuals in the country are industries. Studies have shown that popular events U.S. citizens, not foreign nationals. It is a harsh reality that are characterized by large influxes of people that the young people in our lives may be the same (like the Super Bowl, for example) typically increase ones vulnerable to traffickers. Additionally, human the demand for sexual exploitation. The presence of trafficking often does not align with over-dramatized both the Nashville Predators and Tennessee Titans, as media portrayals. Manipulation is more common well as events such as CMA Fest, the NFL Draft, and than abduction, and most often, a trafficker is a family Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival can drive a demand member, friend or individual a victim already knows. for trafficked services and make it harder for traffickers to be identified and caught. According to the TBI, human trafficking cases have been reported in every county in Tennessee. A source: freeforlifeintl.org & tn.gov/tbi large amount of them are reported in Davidson and Domestic Violence: National Domestic Violence Hotline, 24 hour Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) Sexual Abuse: Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 24 hour Hotline: 1-800-656-4673 Suicide: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 24 hour Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255) Dating Violence: National Dating Abuse Helpline, 24 hour Hotline: 1-866-331-9474 Runaway and Homeless Youth: National Runaway Safeline, 24 hour Hotline: 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) Missing Children and Child Pornography: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 24 hour Hotline: 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678) BeFree Textline: Text “help” to 233733 Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-855-55-TNHTH According to TBI data, the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline received 456 calls in 2018, 728 calls in 2019, and 898 calls in 2020. Middle Tennessee in particular saw 169 calls in 2018, 322 calls in 2019, and 317 calls in 2020.
Tennessee Full Throttle Magazine
17
