Human trafficking, the exploitation and objectification of human beings, is constantly happening all over the world; around us, behind our backs, under our noses, to anyone and anywhere. On the 19th of November, IIL (Institut International de Lancy) had the pleasure to host a seminar by Youth underground, a Swiss non-profit association battling against human trafficking by encouraging people to speak out and seek help if needed. In addition, our school had the privilege of having Jerome Elam, a human trafficking victim, talk to the students of year 11, 12 & 13 of the English secondary.
Jerome was able to answer many of the fascinating questions students from all year groups asked whether about human trafficking, his experience with it or even the role social media plays in illicit trade markets like that of human trafficking. We were overwhelmed by the reaction of the students and the admiration they had for Jerome’s ability to talk so openly about his background. The entire seminar proved to be inspirational for many of the young adults aged 15-18 and overall a huge success for all participants.
We did however ask Jerome a couple of questions to summarise the seminar and we would like to warn you of the distressing and possibly shocking subjects or images that may be described in the following parts of the article:
Could you briefly describe the process of your trafficking experience?
Jerome: My story is unfortunately one that is far too common in the world of child sex trafficking. I was born into a life filled with dysfunction. Alcoholism, drug abuse, domestic violence, and child molestation became the fabric that was forcibly weaved into my life. My mother was an alcoholic, pregnant at seventeen. My biological father, who was four years older, joined the Army to help pay for the medical bills associated with my birth. It was the 1960’s and he returned from his overseas deployment filled with anger. My first memory as a three year old is the sound of my father’s hand slapping my mother’s face. My parents soon divorced and a sexual predator targeted me through my mother, romancing her to get to me. He won the trust of every adult around me and began molesting me, securing my silence with threats of violence against my mother. Six months later he began using me for child pornography and three months after that he introduced me to the pedophile ring he belonged to. My initiation into the ring at age five was to be repeatedly raped by all ten members. The first time I was trafficked at age five, I was handcuffed to a truck stop bathroom and raped by a series of eight men and one woman over six hours.
What advice would you give to people who are currently being trafficked?
Jerome: The advice I would give to someone who is being trafficked is that they are not alone and that many others including me are fighting for their freedom. I would also add that there is always hope deep inside us, it may flicker at times, but when we embrace hope we have found the power to change the world. You can break free of the chains of fear and shame that bind victims of human trafficking. I struggled with depression for many years and fought to overcome the fear I had lived with most of my life. Victims need to take their recovery one day at a time and pause to acknowledge small victories, such as making a decision to go for a walk or eating at a time that you choose. If you are a victim or survivor of human trafficking I want you to know that your story matters and you matter always!
Do you believe that social media is fuelling human trafficking, or creating a platform on which human trafficking can thrive?
Jerome: Social media has become a hunting ground for human traffickers and sexual predators. Disguising themselves using an avatar, they prowl sites like Facebook, Twitter and apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp looking for vulnerable kids. Just this year, I fought with a coalition of survivors, congressional representatives, advocates and non-profits to shut down the largest online brothel in the world, Backpage.com. Backpage trafficked children and aided human traffickers by disguising the age of their victims. In 2017, Europol rescued hundreds of children and arrested 870 sexual predators after breaking up an internet pedophile ring: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/europol-fbi-joint-investigation-operation-pacifier-uncovers-global-paedophilia-ring-870-arrests-a7722821.html
What do you think is the best way for people who have experienced human trafficking to move on?
Jerome: The healing journey for victims of child sex trafficking is especially difficult. I am one of less than 1% that survive child sex trafficking and I would not be here today if I had not spent twenty-five years in counselling with a trauma therapist. As a victim, you are deprived of unconditional love and crave it just as a drowning man craves oxygen. During my recovery I often asked my therapist why I survived and so many who were trafficked alongside me did not. The answer we arrived at was that I had a great aunt who gave me unconditional love as a child and she was the only one who had done so in my life. Her love was the tether to my self-esteem that allowed me to survive the nightmare that I endured.
My wife and children have been the number one healing force in my life. They have shown me the true meaning of unconditional love and remind me every day what it means to love someone with your whole heart with no restrictions or boundaries. The horrible nightmare of my childhood has faded into a momentary whisper from a voice that shouted in my head for over forty years. I am thankful every day for my family and the unconditional love that they give me!
Trust is also an issue, as you are conditioned not to trust anyone as a victim of human trafficking. The recovery process must involve the reboot of a victim’s self esteem and giving them a sense of what healthy love looks like in their lives.
What do you think is the best method for combatting human trafficking (E.g. International protocols, raising awareness..etc.)?
Jerome: The best method for combatting human trafficking is education. Youth underground (http://youth-underground.com) and my organisation Trafficking in America Task Force (https://www.traffickinginamericataskforce.org) have partnered together to educate global youth about human trafficking and protect our most precious treasure, our children. If you suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking, contact law enforcement and the human trafficking hotline. I was trafficked while I was in school and appeared normal to the world around me. If only someone such as a classmate had recognised I was a victim of child sex trafficking early on, I could have been spared a lifetime of pain and suffering.
The laws both domestically and internationally must also be changed to keep up with the technology that traffickers use to both recruit and traffic their victims. The Dark Web is 500X larger than the internet you and I surf and sexual predators and human traffickers are using it to sell children (https://www.commdiginews.com/business-2/the-dark-web-a-haven-for-pedophiles-beyond-the-internet-42843/). We must also end demand, which encompass those individuals who buy the services of human traffickers. Harsher penalties must be put in place that prosecutes anyone caught paying for sex with a victim of human trafficking. Pornography is also a driving force in sex trafficking and my organisation, Trafficking in America Task Force is working to protect children from exposure to pornography and teach them what a healthy relationship looks like. If we can protect vulnerable individuals and eradicate demand we can end human trafficking in our lifetime.
Finally, a huge thank you to not only Jerome Elam, but everyone that was involved in making this seminar and many others possible and to those fighting against cruel practices such as human trafficking. If you would like to know more about human trafficking or get involved please visit the website or contact Youth underground, Trafficking in America Task Force or even Jerome Elam himself via social media (links are below). And if you would like to get to know more about human trafficking do not hesitate to watch the short documentary “The Silence” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GosYYgHRaGA
Jerome Elam on social Media:
Stories by Jerome Elam: Contently
jeromeelam.contently.com
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/199Eb93
Twitter: @JeromeElam
Linkedin: http://linkd.in/1cQS9ve
Google+: https://plus.google.com/117765548405722730027/posts
Pinterest: http://bit.ly/199GEAt
YouTube: http://bit.ly/1dI3bSa
An end to silence blog by Jerome Elam: http://bit.ly/J17wWz
Find Trafficking in America Task Force on social media:
Twitter: TIATF: @BoysAreNot4Sale
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trafficking-in-america-task-force-inc
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TraffickinginAmericaTaskForceInc/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1914286858793412/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/111511785336327445931
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpVSdHP2KO4uoEIhMOfYPwg
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/traffickinginam
