Writes Althea, LUDCI.eu Editorial team
Somewhere in the world, a little girl is cowering in a corner hoping not to be beaten, starved, or forced into sex by someone they thought cared about them. This is an all too familiar scene for girls sold into child trafficking.
The lucky ones are found early, but many spend years in dirty and seedy hotel rooms, praying for someone to save them. Child trafficking is a worldwide organised crime that impacts thousands of underage girls and boys every year.
The media has done much to bring knowledge about this epidemic and show us the human side of the victims. Newspapers, television stations, and websites in countries throughout the world have shown a light on this horrible crime. But others should follow their lead as it is an underrepresented crime.
“Human trafficking affects us all, whether we live in countries of origin, transit, or destination. Preventing and combating it requires a comprehensive international approach. We must act together to stop a crime in our midst that deprives countless victims of their liberty, dignity, and human rights,” Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations in The Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.
These victims are not just statistics. In fact, we need to bring a Human Face to Statistics. The media is a powerful weapon in child trafficking because it can show the real human beings behind the nameless and faceless numbers. Many news stories profile and interview women saved from child trafficking who tell their stories of abuse, torture, and sexual assault.
With so many issues facing people today, it is easy to see numbers and feel bad, but not associate them with a person. It is easier to dismiss numbers and go about their day, but when they hear the horrors these young girls face – it strikes a chord that motivates people to help and take notice.
According to The Guardian, this is one of the most important aspects the media brings to the table. They find compelling characters and tell their story and get it in front of the people.
The brave women that share their stories do not do it for themselves. They do it to expose this crime and get people to help in any way they can, even if it means just being more observant of their surroundings to notice trafficking signs.
Still, it is not enough that people know the stories of these victims. It is imperative to get the story out and make sure that people understand and know how common it is – a crime that is likely happening in their own town.
It is not just large media outlets that would need to report on these stories. Small regional and local ones can bring a conducive impact. We need to show people that the problem is not a big city one, but one that infiltrates small and average-sized towns throughout the world.
Large media alike would need to paint the big picture: an international, organised, complex business crime that brings in millions of dollars a year. They would need to educate the people about this complex problem that is not easily solved, according to The Guardian.
Smaller regional outlets can focus on the personal aspects and bring it home to the average person sitting in their home.
Conclusion:
Media Response would need to grow further, faster as Child Trafficking grows each day. There is a certain level of shame associated with child trafficking and people do not want to admit that it is happening. They turn a blind eye, but the media’s responsibility is to force their eyes open to see child trafficking for the problem it currently is. A problem that will continue growing exponentially as long as it exists and requires our immediate attention to identity it – rescue the kids, and bring the predators to justice. If this is not our problem, then what is? If we do not act now, then when? If we do not save these children, then who will? If we do not care, then who are we really? How is it possible to turn a blind eye and sleep peacefully at night, when the actual nightmares happen before our eyes?
Featured photo by cottonbro, Pexels
