We, at Love146, stand against injustices and racial violence that continue to affect the Black community. We honor the lives of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Elijah McClain and too many other Black people we’ve lost to white supremacist ideologies. Human trafficking is also a racial justice issue, as a disproportionate number of children of color are trafficked each year. The notion that anyone can be a victim of trafficking is true. However, the fact that the majority of victims are people of color should not be understated. It is imperative that we address this issue so we can prevent our children from experiencing this form of victimization.

Our US Programs Director, Erin Williamson, was a guest on SmartSocial’s podcast sharing a forthright conversation on what parents should know about the intersection of trafficking and the online world. When Fortnite became popular, we saw a huge influx of predators playing this game. When Facebook was popular, we saw a huge influx of predators on the platform. The same with Kik. Whatever app is popular at that moment is where the predators are going to go. Smart Social's Josh Ochs is a nationally known speaker on online safety, and his website is a treasure trove of easy-to-access parenting tips to help you and your children “learn how to shine online.”

LGBTQ+ identifying youth experience higher rates of violence, discrimination, and homelessness. They are vulnerable to predators who would offer a sense of acceptance, belonging, safety, or security in return for other “favors.” A big part of the equation is the ostracizing of LGBTQ+ children, many of whom are shunned by their families, bullied by peers, denied access to resources because of their identity, and have gotten messages from society that there is something wrong with them. And in this scenario, Pride — yes, with a capital “P” — matters. When we accept, support, and are proud of children for who they are, we will see the numbers of trafficked and exploited youth, including LGBTQ+ youth, drop. Our Not a Number prevention curriculum is written to be inclusive, and address the trafficking of all youth, including LGBTQ+. We stand with all queer youth, not just for June’s Pride Month, but all year long.

Over recent months, our prevention team has been conducting professional human trafficking trainings remotely, and discussing with facilitators across the country how to engage youth while they are being schooled from home, with a focus on keeping them safe as they spend more time online. A few weeks ago, we were able to do an in-person Not a Number facilitator certification training, in Houston, Texas. With everyone in the training spaced apart and wearing masks, we pushed forward in equipping 11 new facilitators to reach youth with our Not a Number prevention curriculum. We continue to remain responsive on a case by case basis with our trainings, as conditions change.

Five years ago, just after the killings of Micheal Brown and Tamir Rice, a former Love146 intern, a current Love146 board member, a Love146 staff member, and a talented dancer came to the Love146 office after hours for a passion project and collaborated to make this video. Five years later, it’s still just as relevant.

Phil Ishola, Executive Director of Love146 UK, spoke at the prestigious Human Trafficking Foundation forum on June 4th. Phil told the gathered ministerial officials, senior policymakers, NGOs, lawyers, and politicians that in the UK children and young people from abroad are seen and treated as “others” and sometimes face jail time or deportation despite their experience of being trafficked or exploited. The UK is supposed to protect trafficking survivors who arrived in the country as refugees or exploited immigrant workers — but these days there are all sorts of “buts”: But they are refugees. But they are foreign. But they are “milking” the system where the only “but” that matters is but they are children first who are in need of our help. Many of the organizations set up to support these “other” populations are supplying basic needs, but are not doing enough to call out the system as it perpetuates the ill-treatment and abuse of children’s rights, which is an abuse of our own rights as a society. We as individuals, organizations, and together as a sector, can and must make a stand.

COVID-related lockdowns and school closures are making children more vulnerable. In The Philippines, where Love146 has Survivor Care programming, schools have been closed until a vaccine is available. With cybersex trafficking already on the rise due to the pandemic, even more children are likely to be at risk. For the children in our safe homes, we are in the process of creating a space for learning, and will continue with children’s education until schools reopen. In Madagascar, where Love146 has Prevention programming, schools remain closed for most students, and food insecurity is increasing, putting pressure on families to find ways to meet basic needs. Still, the tools that we’ve given to thousands of youth give us hope that there are more children protected from the additional vulnerabilities created by the COVID pandemic.