Fox 5 San Diego

Parenting in today’s society with the many dangers that exist is no easy task. In addition, the risk of human trafficking has only been on the upswing of late throughout the nation partly because of poor border laws, along with other factors. Currently, San Diego has the second-highest instances of human trafficking in the nation, with Texas being the number one and Florida following at third. Thankfully, though, Joseph Travers and Saved in America are working tirelessly to change the trend and save kids all across America. Travers recently sat down with Fox 5 San Diego to discuss this issue and what parents' roles as well as society’s role are in the fight for our kids. 

Don’t Defund the Police

We currently live in a world that is fighting to defund the police, to in essence make their reach even smaller. This is exactly the opposite of what needs to be taking place, especially with the increased amount of human trafficking. The human trafficking rings are made up of prison gangs, street gangs, and drug cartels. They are extremely well-connected and well-funded. This means that we are losing in the war against these monsters for the lives of our children in many cases. Thankfully, organizations like Saved in America are stepping in and providing a means of support for both families and police departments as they search for missing kids. 

Social Networking Has Changed the Game

Today’s human trafficking is driven by social networking and online activity. Kids today can not even leave their rooms but fall prey to a predator who is perhaps using an alias or even just telling a kid what they want to hear via social media. Therefore, the scope of the war has changed. No longer do parents have to worry about their kids only when they are away from home. They now have to worry about them when they are in the other room, seemingly safe behind locked doors. These predators are so skilled at coercion that many times kids will leave on their own and then become vulnerable to the human trafficking rings that are just waiting to imprison them. That’s why today’s parents have to be extra vigilant and educate themselves on how human trafficking rings work to hopefully prevent their kids from becoming a statistic.