Online toolkit set to help sex trafficking victims

Rapid City, S.D. (KELO) — January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

The South Dakota Survivor Task Force has recently put out a toolkit online to provide a one-stop location for local, regional and national resources.

Human trafficking survivors from across South Dakota have put their hearts into this toolkit to hopefully make a difference and save lives.

“And the toolkit identifies these different kinds of abuse, how people might respond to the abuse and how to navigate it afterward,” Task Force Member Jolene Geary said.

It offers guidance and tips for other victims who are trying to survive. 

It also includes warning signs that could save a life. 

“The victim will not be speaking for themselves but the individual holds a place of authority. Whether it’s age or just a dominant role. And you can usually recognize that an individual that’s being victimized will hold back, maybe not make eye contact,” Treasured Lives Executive Director/Survivor Kelly Patterson said.

Kelly Patterson is a human trafficking survivor and author who speaks around the country. 

“And a lot of people don’t imagine that happens here and so my biggest passion about the whole thing is educating the public to understand it does happen here, it’s been happening here for a very long time,” Patterson said.

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In recent years, social media has brought more attention to the reality of these situations.

“Because of social media, people who are younger are becoming more aware of these social injustices, these social issues. And they do want to get involved, they do want to see people heal, they want to see people freed,” Task Force Member/Survivor Gina Dvorak said.

Former CIA Special Operations Officer and actor Bazzel Baz has been working to rescue children for more than 30 years. In that time, his team has helped rescue more than 500 children.

“A moral issue in our country and that should be approached with dignity and compassion simply because children are the most innocent in our nation. I believe it’s a national security issue too,” Association for the Recovery of Children Founder Bazzel Baz said.

Not only can trafficking begin with a kidnapping, but it can also start with psychological means. The most common recruiters are Family Members or Caregivers, Intimate Partners, and Employers.

“And we need to be good leaders and good people that will say, this is not going to happen on my watch. You know if I’ve got 80 years here to live, then within 80 years I’m going to do my very best to save a child. Saving one child will not change the world, but for that one child their entire world will change,” Baz said.

“I think it’s really important for family members and people who are support systems or people who are victims going through this. And so the toolkit is an online resource, so it’s also really accessible to rural areas too,” Geary said.

Law enforcement and the judicial system are also making a difference. The number of people convicted of human trafficking nearly doubled from 2012 to 2022.

Survivors are hoping these toolkits send an important message.

“Pretty much everything that happens in trafficking is not your fault. You know, it’s being under the control of someone else. And so that’s always important for me to share is that those things don’t define who you are as a human being and you can overcome incredible amounts of trauma and live a different life,” Dvorak said.

Not only does this toolkit provide information on sex trafficking, it also has information on domestic violence, stalking, and more situations one might be fighting against.

You can find the toolkit here.