Human Trafficking
Safe House of Hope: Video Resources
The Safe House of Hope is a volunteer organization that offers support to victims of human trafficking. Several videos are featured on the organization’s website, and you may find the first two especially helpful:
1. “Sex Trafficking”: A Girl Scout troop promotes awareness
This artistic montage offers startling facts and statistics about sex trafficking in America. This video project was created by the Girl Scouts of Severna Park, MD. The video’s poignant message is geared toward raising awareness, and the style and content are appropriate for most mature pre-teen and adolescent viewers. (00:02:36)
2. The Making of a Girl
This video offers hard insight into the tangled, emotional web of prostitution for many young girls. The victims describe the manipulative tactics pimps use to coerce them into prostitution and the aftermath for the girls of becoming trapped and enslaved by their pimps. Professionals may consider this video useful for increasing awareness, especially among girls who may already be at risk for becoming victims. The video has no explicit language; however, topics covered may not be appropriate for some younger audiences. Viewing age recommendations are: adolescent, mature pre-teen, and at-risk, elementary-age girls who may already have some exposure to, and understanding of, prostitution. (00:05:09)
Affected for Life
This shortened version of an educational documentary created by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) explains that human trafficking is a global tragedy that exists in every region of the world. The issue is complex and multifaceted because individuals are trafficked and exploited for different purposes and come from many different backgrounds. The video, which is intended to raise awareness among law enforcement and lawmakers, conveys the multiple forms that human trafficking can take. While the video is a bit long, it could be broken down into segments. Between 00:10:00 and the end of the video, the psychological and physical symptoms that many victims experience are listed, including apathy, shame, self-destructive behavior, hostility, memory loss, and chronic pain. The entire video illustrates how devastating this problem is. This video intended for mature audiences is available at www.UNODC.org. (00:13:36)
Courtney’s House: One Little Girl’s Story
This short video depicts the horror of domestic human trafficking by beginning with the story of one little girl’s experience. While the video is a PSA specifically for the Courtney House in Washington, D.C. and does end with a plea for donations, the larger message is that shelters designed for children who are survivors of human trafficking are rare. This video might help inspire the right people to create more resources and shelters available to this population. This powerful video is difficult to watch and would not be appropriate for younger audiences unless they are survivors of human trafficking. This video is available at www.courtneyshouse.org, the website devoted to this initiative and shelter. (00:03:18)
LINK: http://youtu.be/PFsDPltJ_KA