blog post 2
Hailee Bryan
Dr. Jenkins
Community Blog Post 2
PS 101
4/7/2022
Blog Post 2- Human Trafficking in the Florida Panhandle
Human trafficking can be defined as the unlawful act of transporting or coercing people into forced labor or sexual exploitation. Reportedly 2,500 people go missing each day in the United States. Florida has become a top destination for human trafficking, with easy access to land and water on 3 sides, and the Mexican border a few states away. Global profits from human trafficking is roughly $35 billion per year! It is the second most common criminal activity worldwide, behind drug trade.
This issue plays a huge part in the lives of many Florida residents, including those living in the Panhandle or along high traffic areas like the beaches. With an influx of out of state tourists and young people, the beaches and places along them are highly targeted areas. In 2022, Florida is currently second in the nation for missing persons, and while these may not all be human trafficking cases, it is safe to assume that many of them are.
As a child, I was taught from a very young age, to always be aware of my surroundings, and to never go anywhere alone. I was taught how to fight off someone trying to kidnap me, scream, fight, yell, make sure you scratch to get their DNA under your nails. This is the sad reality that our youth today is facing. While I’m sure there are many places children from around the United States that are taught the same thing, I feel like in high traffic areas, like the Florida Panhandle, you have to be extra weary. My parents would NEVER allow me to go anywhere close to the beach by myself or even with a group of girls. We were taught that young girls are always sought after especially in sex trafficking.
I first came across this topic in a Facebook group chat where locals can post about sales in the area or events going when a woman by the name of Jennifer posted a story telling of a horrific run in she had with her 3 year old daughter and a woman she believed to be a sex trafficker. The reason this post caught my eye was because of the location, the Walmart in Defuniak Springs, Florida. This location being 15 minutes from my home and the school that my 13 year old brother attends, as well as my 6 year old niece. I have been to this particular Walmart more times than I can count and a few times by myself to pick up small things for my mom on the way home from work. The woman spoke of how she went into the bathroom with her 3 year old daughter and a woman was standing by the sinks. The woman then proceeds to tell the little girl how cute she is and the mother thinks nothing of it because it is not an uncommon occurrance. While walking to the stall, the woman asks if she can hold the child while the mother goes to the bathroom. The mother says no, but the woman keeps pushing her to leave the baby with her. After getting into the stall, the woman tries to crawl under the stall and coerce the baby to come to her. The woman began yelling and the lady quickly left the bathroom. The authorities were called, but the woman was long gone. There are many other horror stories just like this one in surrounding areas. After her initial post, many other mothers and individuals spoke up about their experiences that all sounded very similar, someone following them to the car, staring at their children or making odd remarks towards them. There were too many to count. Okaloosa county shares a county line with Walton and there are currently nine unsolved missing persons cases in Okaloosa county alone. Some of the places the people were last seen? Fort Walton Beach and the nearly abandoned strip mall in Fort Walton. High traffic areas like these are key spots for sex trafficking.
Some ways to help stop and prevent human trafficking is not as easy as it sounds and we may be able to do more to prevent it than local authorities. The most important thing we can do is be weary of our surroundings and always pay attention. Some specific examples are parking in well lit areas, going places in groups, carrying some form of self defense, and don’t be afraid to speak up if you have a weird feeling about something. Protecting ourselves and teaching others how to protect themselves are the best ways to prevent human trafficking and save our youth from its many dangers.
https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/ichuman5&div=14&id=&page=
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0735648X.2015.1034970