Human Trafficking is in Your Community

It’s hard to imagine the global crime of human trafficking is happening across the state of Maryland and throughout the Eastern Shore. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or threats to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act against his/her will. Three major airports, inexpensive bus transportation, train service along the East Coast, large sporting events, a seaport, truck stops, seasonal work, poverty, wealth, drug use, casinos, conventions, disposable income, and an overall lack of community awareness makes Maryland an attractive destination for traffickers. For All Seasons Behavioral Health and Rape Crisis Center is raising public awareness about this issue’s impact locally.

For All Seasons campaign, Open Your Eyes. Get Informed. provides information and resources to help victims of human trafficking know how to get support, as well as help community members to recognize the signs of human trafficking, report possible cases, and know where to send someone for help. The agency wants people to know that human trafficking occurs regardless of class, gender, or education and also occurs in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Human traffickers can be relatives, friends, individuals operating alone, or those affiliated with gangs or transnational criminal organizations. In 2021, the National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 279 contacts regarding human trafficking with 173 victims involved. Each year, as many as 100,000–300,000 American children are at risk of being trafficked for commercial sex in the United States.

Red flags of a human trafficking situation can be:

• Withdrawal from family, friends, and community organizations

• Dramatic change in behavior or signs of mental or physical abuse

• Unable to go in public alone or speak for oneself

• Appearing fearful, submissive, nervous, paranoid

• Sudden and unexplained access to expensive objects or money

• A juvenile with a new or unusual relationship with an adult Today, the Maryland State Police remind parents to be aware of online scams involving the sexual extortion of minors. Investigators find online predators often give the impression they are younger and romantically interested in the minor being targeted to gain their trust to gain illicit photographs of the minor. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to talk to their children regularly about the risks of sexual exploitation and to monitor their children’s use of all digital devices including laptops, tablets, desktop computers, gaming consoles, and smartphones. Traffickers tend to target marginalized and vulnerable individuals who may have experienced trauma or abuse, but any child can be at risk of being groomed by a predator.

Any victim who calls For All Seasons’ hotline gets help with understanding their options and resources. For crisis support, contact For All Seasons’ 24-Hour Hotlines: 410.820.5600 for English or 410.829.6143 for Spanish or text in English and Spanish. The National Human Trafficking Hotline is 1-888-373-7888.