Op-Ed Why a mom's Facebook warning about human traffickers hurts sex-trafficked kids
Lara Powers
April 3, 2017
A viral Facebook entry about child sex trafficking posted by a concerned Southern California mom, Diandra Toyos, has reached tens of thousands of people through shares, likes and comments. Unfortunately it is a misinformed and ultimately harmful depiction of what this crime is about and how it happens in the United States.
In her post, Toyos relays the story of her family’s recent outing to Ikea, which was interrupted when two men followed her, her mother and her children through the store, despite their efforts to elude their pursuers. This was a terrifying incident and it reminds all of us of the need to be cognizant of our surroundings.
The problem is that Toyos framed herself and her family as “targets of human traffickers” in the post. There are zero indicators of human trafficking in Toyos’ story. Zero.
I wish I could say the post nonetheless will help make us all “better safe and vigilant” than sorry. In fact, I find that it so misrepresents the dangers, warning signs and risks associated with sex trafficking that its readers and likers may now try to protect kids by watching for the wrong things in the wrong places. They may miss real sex trafficking as it happens; they may miss the opportunity to extend a lifeline to child who needs their help. What people don’t understand about sex trafficking can prove lethal to kids.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-powers-ikea-mom-sex-trafficking-20170331-story.html
