(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to "Journal."

I'm Steve Kendall.

With all the other issues that we hear about in the news, human trafficking, unfortunately, falls below the radar in a lot of ways.

It's a serious issue.

It's an incredibly tragic situation.

And here to join us to talk about awareness of human trafficking, what it is and what we can do to assist in eliminating it is assistant clinical professor at Bowling Green State University, Lara Wilken.

So Lara, Lara, excuse me.

Lara Wilken, thank you for being here.

For those of us who think we know what human trafficking is, and it's obviously something you don't like to think about, define what it is legally and what it means actually, the greater the scope of what human trafficking really means when we say those two words.

- Absolutely, so human trafficking has been legally defined as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision or obtaining of a person for a commercial sex act or labor services.

It's really important to note that human trafficking isn't just sex trafficking.

We see a lot of this in the media and the news, but we also need to be mindful of the fact that labor trafficking occurs and is just as prevalent as well.

And one of the things that, you know, really inspired me to want to learn all that I could about human trafficking was that we live in the United States, the land of the free.

So how is this occurring?

And the reason being is because of three things, which are force, fraud, and coercion.

- Ah, and one of the things that I think you make a good point that we think of it because that's what makes the news is the sex trafficking part, but the reality is a large percentage, and I don't know what the number is, is basically people being brought to this country, and other countries around the world, to basically be put into slavery, in essence.

When you talk about being inspired about that, what was it that you decided, hey, someone needs to talk about this and here are the things we need to talk about so that people become more aware of what this terrible situation is?

- Well, you know, actually being a two-time alumni of Bowling Green, I actually first learned about the issue well over a decade ago in a woman's studies class that I took with Kate Daley.

And during that time, a lot of the information was what was primarily occurring overseas.

But then once I became a registered nurse, and part of my background is working as a sexual assault nurse examiner, I started thinking about what role do we as healthcare providers have in the assessment and identification of victims in the clinical setting?

And that's what really truly inspired me to want to learn everything that I could.

- Now, one of the questions that I was thinking about while you were talking about that is we tend to think of this true as only women being involved, but is there actually a gender thing or are men also human trafficked as well or not?

- I'm so glad that you brought this up.

Because in the reality of things, anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, and we are seeing that men and boys are trafficked as well.

It's just more commonly under-reported.

Actually, the US Institute Against Human Trafficking just released statistics that up to 36% of individuals who are gender identity born as male have identified as sex trafficked.

But I'm very careful to share statistics because of the fact that in the reality, we don't fully know the entire scope of how many people are victims.

- Yeah, and that's a good point because again, usually the person that we deal with, the average citizen only sees it when it makes the news, and you're gonna get a small sliver of what it is.

And you talk about, obviously, initially, we, and again, we probably think of it too as a global issue versus a national issue.

But besides being global and national, it's a state issue for Ohio as well.

And for whatever reason, Ohio tends to be, unfortunately, near the top of the list in places where human, at least there's some movement through the state or whatever, regarding human trafficking.

Do we know why that is?

Why Ohio tends to, unfortunately, attract this kind of activity?

- Well, you know, the thing about Ohio is, is that we have ranked previously in the top five in the United States for calls placed to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

- Okay.

- What's important to know about this, though, is that when you think of the demographics of our state, we have a lot of major events.

We have a lot of easy access in and out of the state.

We also have a lot of places for tourism.

Now, those things can all impact human trafficking, but what I like to tell individuals is that part of the reason why we're ranking what we are is because if you think about it, it's calls place to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

So we're recognizing it, identifying it, and we're calling it in.

If more places and more people were human trafficking trained, we would actually start to see those numbers begin to change.

- Yeah, so the good news is our awareness factor and our ability to report is, that's why we rank so highly.

We're better at it maybe than other places.

I guess there's a good news, bad news thing there, I guess.

- It's very good and bad.

Yeah.

- And it's interesting you talk about the fact that we, because of all of the activity in the state, do these things, and, of course, I'm assuming that probably when we talk about events and tourism and special activities, those kind of things, that's where we get into probably the sex trafficking part of it versus the servitude part of it?

- You know, when you think about major events, anytime you have something like that, it's likely that you're gonna have entertainment brought in.

- Yeah.

- So yes, that's where sex trafficking can occur.

But one of the other things that people should be mindful of when we think of human trafficking is that it can happen in people's homes.

There's a such thing as familial trafficking.

It can happen in restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations.

A lot of times the media hypes up human trafficking occurring primarily in hotels and massage parlors.

But we as collaboratively, community members and service providers need to know that human trafficking can happen not only to anyone, but it can happen anywhere, and it does happen everywhere.

- Yeah, and that's an interesting point 'cause again, we only see the highlighted things that click the news numbers.

But the reality is it goes on probably as we're sitting here somewhere within this particular city, there might be something like that going on, and we would just think, well, no, that wouldn't happen in our town or our neighborhood or in the neighbor's house next door or across the street.

But the reality is, is you've described that it happens everywhere, anywhere.

And that's something that most people probably don't want to think about.

But the reality is that's what it is.

When we come back, let's talk a little about, a little more about making, how we can become more aware of this, and how as citizens, we can kind of recognize and help, you know, report this and make sure that the authorities then can act the way they need to from a legal point of view, so.

- Absolutely.

- Okay.

Back in just a moment here on the "Journal" with Dr. Lara Wilkens from the BGSU College of Health and Human Services, and also the School of Nursing, I assume too, right?

Yeah, okay.

Back in just a moment.

Thank you for staying with us here on the "Journal."

Our guest is Dr. Lara Wilken from Bowling Green State University.

And our topic today is one that we don't like to think about a lot.

It makes the news only when it's sensationalized, but it's human trafficking.

And Dr. Wilken, this is an area you're basically specifically working in.

When we talk about this, and we've covered a lot of territory already, what would be someone who typically could become a victim of this?

I know you talked about the fact it can happen the house next door to you, it can happen at a major event.

But is there a, I know there's not a typical victim, but what are some of the things that would, unfortunately, put you in a position where you might end up being human trafficked?

- Absolutely, so, you know, what's really interesting about trafficking is that, as we talked before about gender, anyone can be a victim.

- Right.

- It's very important that we keep that in mind.

But some of our most vulnerable populations are the ones who are at highest risk.

So when we think about who is a vulnerable population, this would be children.

Many a times people think about human trafficking in the sense that it's something like the movie "Taken," and all reality, really, many a times, it's the facilitation of a relationship and the grooming process that makes children very high-risk.

When we think about our foster youth, those kids are very high-risk because of the fact that maybe potentially to the homes that they're placed in or the vulnerabilities they have previously from their past.

We think about individuals who are suffering from substance abuse.

They're very high-risk, as well as the disabled, the LGBTQ+ community.

And in addition to that, you know, vulnerable women who are trying to figure out a way to make ends meet, to put a roof over their head or to feed their children.

So it's really important for us to know that anybody can be a victim of human trafficking, but those who are highest risk are some of our most vulnerable populations that would put them in a position of being susceptible to that grooming process.

- And you mentioned grooming, and we hear that word a lot now in the media all the time.

What would be an example of how someone, unfortunately, would be groomed for this unfortunate situation?

- Well, you know, one of the things that I find very scary about this issue is the fact that with the invention of the Internet, we've offered the opportunity to come in, anyone can come into our homes at any given time through social media and online gaming.

And so when you think about our youth, if you have a child that maybe isn't fitting in at school, that maybe is being bullied or that isn't receiving the love and affection or attention that they need, you know, and they start to interact with an individual online, you can very easily see where that grooming process can start to begin.

- Yeah, it gives them what they're not, unfortunately, getting somewhere else in their lives where they should be getting it under a much better set of circumstances.

And so someone pays attention, someone, yeah, treats them better than maybe someone who should be treating them better does.

When you, when we look at that, are there any kind of signs or things that we should be able to recognize.

And obviously, in the professional levels like medical, education, those sort of things, there probably is, there's training about that.

But are there things that as an average person, we could look and say, "Oh, maybe there's something not right there.

Maybe there is something like this going on"?

I mean, I know it's not that clear-cut, but are there any kind of signs that might say, "Wait a minute, that's just, doesn't feel right"?

- You know, that's a great question to ask.

Because each one of us as a community member has the potential to be an identifier for human trafficking.

And the reason I say this is because we're out in the public all the time.

- Sure.

- We're going into places that we know are very high-risk for trafficking, such as hotels.

And, you know, any single one of us has a potential to look for red flag indicators.

If you, for instance, go to stay at a hotel and you happen to see a room where people are coming and going, or you see an individual whose luggage happens to be plastic bags instead of suitcases, that could be a red flag indicator.

You know, for our teachers that are working in the school system, if you have a kid that's starting to become withdrawn, you know, and their grades are starting to drop, you know, that could be a red flag indicator.

There are red flag indicators all around us.

- Okay.

- But that's why it's so incredibly important for us to all be aware of human trafficking and to have been part of some kind of human trafficking training.

- Ah, now, and you mentioned too that if we see something like that, you mentioned the national call line.

Are there other areas, I mean, what should be your first response that if you say, "Wait a minute, there's something not right here," who should be my first point of contact?

Who should I pick up my phone and tap a number in and say, "Okay, I think I'm seeing something here at this hotel"?

What would be the first call I should make?

Who should I make that to?

- If you ever think that anyone is in danger, you should always call the police first.

- Okay.

- Obviously call 911.

But the National Human Trafficking Hotline serves as a great connection for resources.

- Ah, okay.

- So you can call that hotline and find out, you know, if there's any type of resources to assist an individual who's in need.

But you do wanna make sure that if you suspect that anyone could be in any kind of trouble or danger, that you always call law enforcement first.

- Okay, law enforcement first.

Okay, yeah.

And obviously too, when we start to talk about the Attorney General's initiative in the state of Ohio, that involves law enforcement people in that whole package.

'Cause obviously, like a lot of these issues we deal with, it isn't just one area, one department, one unit.

It requires a whole team of people to deal with this and be able to react appropriately to it, and, hopefully, you know, save somebody from this situation.

When we come back, let's talk about the Attorney General's Human Trafficking Initiative and what that means, and your role in that.

'Cause obviously you hold a pretty important role in that on one of the committees.

So, back in just a moment here on the "Journal," our topic tonight is human trafficking.

Back in a moment.

Thank you for staying with us here on the "Journal."

Our guest is Dr. Lara Wilken, and our topic tonight is human trafficking.

Dr. Wilken, when we were in the past segment, you mentioned the word vulnerability comes up a lot.

So just kind of talk about that.

When you mentioned vulnerabilities, what would be examples of vulnerabilities?

And again, what should we look for to see that?

So yeah, that word, unfortunately, it's unfortunate we have to talk about people being vulnerable, especially in this particular topic.

But what does that mean?

- So when you think about vulnerabilities, you know, one of the first things that comes to mind is homeless and runaway youth.

- Ah.

- You know, understanding the fact that these individuals are out on the street and that that makes 'em very susceptible to trafficking.

Because when we talk about that grooming process and that facilitation of a relationship, a trafficker will come in and offer them a safe place to stay, provide them with food and shelter, ensuring that they have all of their basic needs met.

And then from that, will facilitate the development of a relationship.

They'll offer to be their protector.

They may promise them a family that they never had before.

And so it's really all this process of developing that relationship and fulfilling that need until one day, then the trafficker needs something themselves.

- Ah, and then that person feels, is already entrapped at that point, not through anything that they've done wrong.

It's simply that they found someone who paid it, as we talked about before, pays attention to them, meets some of the needs they don't have.

And I guess when you mention that, especially when it regards homeless and runaway, that's another whole problem that needs to be solved.

And yet now it becomes a part of this problem.

So if you, as we've always talked about, a lot of topics on the program, all of these issues are interlinked.

It's not like homelessness stands alone or in this case, human trafficking.

And they all are integrated together unfortunately, and lead to this larger issue that we deal with.

How do we get, so with regard to that kind of a population, is there any mechanism for people, for those people, unfortunately, especially when it comes to younger people to get them out of that situation as opposed to them being taken in by a human trafficker who they don't know as a human trafficker at that point?

Are there mechanisms that we can do to deal with that, with that population specifically or not?

- When I think about human trafficking in general, it really needs to be approached from a stance of prevention, identification, and empowerment.

We need to collaboratively work together to try to reach these vulnerable populations before they get to a point where they are susceptible.

And then in addition to this, we need to collaboratively look for ways that we can identify the issue.

But identification is not only the key.

Identification is essentially, in our minds, we think it's the end, but it's the start of a very long beginning, right?

Because when we identify an individual, then we need to empower them to become more than just a survivor, but to, in fact, become... - Yeah, well- - A thriver.

- Yeah, and I understand what you're saying 'cause that was gonna be my question.

It's like, because I think I know as I was looking through some of your work, you mentioned the fact that, and to some degree only people who are survivors that really know what it's like.

Really can wade into it and say, "Yeah, people look at this, we're trying to address it."

But the reality is you need those people to explain to you, "Oh, this is what it was, this is what, this is how we can maybe get to this, here's the issues I confronted."

And it might not be issues that the rest of us think about as much.

So the survivor part of it is pretty important because the good news is there are people that are able to get out of this and then get back to what we would consider a more average life and not be, unfortunately, caught in this web.

Have you, with survivors, I mean, what are some of the things they say?

I mean, I know it's a tough topic.

It's a tough area.

But 'cause they probably have stories that most of us would go, "Oh, my gosh," you know, you can't imagine maybe what they're gonna come with.

- So you saw there for a moment I got a little emotional.

- [Steven] Sure, oh, yeah, understandable.

Yeah.

- And part of the reason for that is because of my amazing network of friends who are survivors.

You know, one of the things that is key to combating human trafficking is ensuring that your work is survivor-informed.

Because at the end of the day, we can do all of the research and we can study and we can work collaboratively, but they are the experts and they are key into understanding all of these complexities that involve trafficking.

And so the reason I get a little emotional is because I, like I said, I have a good network of friends who are not only surviving, they're thriving, and it's beautiful to see that transition.

But in that transition, the work is continuously ongoing for them.

- Sure.

- When you think about, you know, exiting human trafficking, there are so many things that are involved.

Everything from safety, housing, transportation, employment.

- Right.

- Maybe even expungement of a criminal record.

I mean, the list can go on and on.

So it's really important that we involve them in our work because they can tell us not only the complexities of trafficking, but also what it is that they need for longevity.

- Yeah, and that's a good point because again, only they know what will actually help people in this situation.

Because you said we can look at this, all of the data, we can look at everything else and think we know what's going on.

But nothing gives you direct information like somebody who's gone through it and can say, "Yeah, you might think that, but here's actually what happens, and here's, we approach it this way, we're approaching it not in a correct way, here's what we need to do to really get to the core of this and deal with it."

When you talk with survivors, what's the first thing they tell you about it?

Is there one thing that comes to the top about either how they ended up there or what it was like, is there one thing that, unfortunately, the worst possible circumstance that they mentioned?

- You know, in talking with survivors, the number one thing that is important to remember is that if you're in that critical moment of that identification phase with them, we never wanna push them.

- Yeah.

- We always want to allow them to say whatever they feel most comfortable in saying.

And then if they're past that phase, and they're in a realm like now where they help to inform my work because they trust me to share their voice, you know, I think the number one thing is, is talking about the facilitation of that, the grooming process and how that's a key piece.

A good example of this is my dear friend Harold D'Souza, who is a survivor of labor trafficking and founder of Eyes Open International.

One of the things that he speaks very publicly about is that when he was brought to the United States from India to Cincinnati, Ohio, his name was changed from Harold to Illegal.

- Oh.

- When you think about that for just a moment, the psychological impact that that can have on someone.

- Sure.

- That is huge.

That is huge.

Because a lot of times people will say, "Well, why don't these people just leave?

Why don't they ask for help?"

But if it's been ingrained in your mind every time you turn around, "Illegal do this, Illegal do that," you think and believe that you're doing something wrong.

- Yeah, and so you're not going to go to the authorities and say, I have an issue because you think they're going to basically arrest you instead of the person who's victimizing you, wow.

Yeah, and plus it destroys your identity completely.

You know, have your self-awareness, your self-worth is diminished by that.

And that's obviously part of the psychological and the physical part of this too, because we know that some of it is not, this isn't just psychological, a lot of it gets into people being beaten and whatever and that kind of thing too.

And the state of Ohio, and obviously as we talked about, we have, we report well, I guess, which is a good thing and a bad thing.

But the Attorney General has a task force, an initiative team that deals with, so talk a little about that and your role in that, because people need to know the state is looking at this and is trying to get, you know, to solve this issue.

- So there is tremendous work that is being done at the state level with us.

And I don't know if you've ever had an opportunity to see Attorney General Dave Yost speak, but he is very, very passionate about this cause.

And in his passion and in his work, he has now this HTI commission of sorts.

So it's Human Trafficking Initiative.

And it is comprised of multiple subcommittees.

And these subcommittees include but are not limited to law enforcement, victim services.

There's a healthcare subcommittee, research and gap analysis, demand reduction.

And the committee of which that I am chair of is the public awareness committee.

And then I also serve on the healthcare subcommittee as well.

- Yeah, now, when you talk about public awareness, what are the parts of that committee's of work?

What are some of the initiatives you're working with there?

- So we know that human trafficking has become a really hot topic.

And what I mean by that is, is that there are so many people that are out there either educating on the topic or wanting to provide education.

One of the things that we just recently worked on within our subcommittee was creating an HT 101 Best Practice Guidelines.

So this tool will be available on the AGIS website here soon.

And what it is, is it essentially outlines the important pieces that should and should not be included when providing human trafficking education.

Some of those things can be anything from language to image.

And what's really wonderful about this work is that it is both evidence-based, survivor-informed, and that it has gone through an extensive peer review with multiple experts from our state that are deeply committed to doing this work.

- Yeah, and it's an interesting point because even when I was discussing with you about what should we portray when we looked at the images that are behind us?

Because it's such a delicate and sensitive topic, you don't want to put the wrong message out there.

And I think that's a good point that you made, that it educates us about and the people who are in the field, law enforcement, folks like you, to make sure we're saying the right things and projecting the right images about what this is, and not contribute to making maybe somebody who's in this field even less human in this situation.

We know this work is gonna go, is ongoing for you with this.

Feel free to come on any time to talk with us 'cause obviously, an issue that we need to really work on and continue to work on.

So we appreciate your efforts in this area.

So, yeah.

- Wonderful.

Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

We appreciate you guys being here tonight.

You can can check us out at wbgu.org.

You can watch us every Thursday night at eight o'clock on WBGU PBS.

We'll see you again next time.

Good night and good luck.

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