Sensationalism
In the midst of this global pandemic and national crisis, it can be shocking and jarring to learn that human trafficking is so prevalent in our country. You might have just tuned into this anti-human-trafficking movement because of some of the images that are being passed around on social media. And rightfully so! We don’t want to see women and children in shipping crates. We don’t want to see anyone shackled and presumably sold into slavery. If you have a heart for trafficking survivors, you have come to the right place, because our team at Alabaster Jar Project always has many opportunities for our community to get involved in helping survivors reach independence.
However, it is important for us all to understand that some of the information being passed around is sensationalized, or depicting shocking stories or language at the expense of accuracy in order to provoke public interest or excitement. Sensationalism can be harmful to actual survivors of human trafficking. Here’s why:
We won’t recognize human trafficking if we see it: If we are looking for women and children in shipping crates, or shackled together, we may not see the trafficked individuals who are there in plain sight. Read our previous blog to get an idea of what trafficking really looks like, but keep in mind that trafficking affects every demographic and is likely to happen to someone you know and love.
It dehumanizes the trafficked individual: In the anti-human trafficking movement, we refer to trafficked individuals as survivors of human trafficking, not as victims, for we believe that the fact that they survived exploitation is a greater indicator of their inner power than the experience of the trauma itself. We strongly strive to empower those affected by human trafficking, so depicting trafficked individuals with sensationalism takes our whole movement many steps backwards.
It simply isn’t always true: One of the most sensationalized images regarding human trafficking is the imagery of children getting kidnapped. Although this does happen occasionally, 97% of trafficked children are trafficked by someone they know, not kidnapped by a stranger. If we spread false information through sensationalism, it is likely that survivors themselves will not be able to recognize when they are being exploited, and that you may not recognize it when your loved one is in danger and needs help.
So, before you post a potentially sensationalized image or article, ask yourself:
Is this information true?
How do I know that this is true?
Is this information helping or hurting survivors of trafficking?
But as always, we appreciate your concern for survivors of trafficking, and even if you have posted a potentially sensationalized image in the past, we can tell that your heart was in the right place. We know that deep down, we all want to put an end to human trafficking, and the more people we have who are educated on survivor issues, fighting our cause with us, the more likely we can make that dream into a reality.
To support survivors in your hometown of San Diego, please visit our website.
By Amanda Moon Ellevis
