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Seeing and saying something could save someone’s life. That’s what specialists with the Betty Griffin Center say about preventing human trafficking and stalking.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Being an active bystander at a store or in your workplace could be life-saving in a dangerous stalking or human trafficking situation.
The Betty Griffin Center, a St. Johns County service provider for victims of domestic and sexual assault, is using National Human Trafficking Prevention Month to educate others on an issue that occurs in the Sunshine State.
“Florida is one of the top three areas where human trafficking especially happens,” Betty Griffin Center CEO Kelly Franklin told First Coast News. “Stalking can happen to anyone. So, we just want people to be aware that these things happen in our community, that we like to think that we’re in one of the safest areas, but things like this happen everywhere.”
Nearly 90% of reported human trafficking cases in Florida involve communication online, according to Anew, a nonprofit focused on serving sex trafficking and exploitation victims.
Throughout the month of January, Franklin and other specialists traveled to all three St. Johns River State College campuses to talk to the most targeted demographic for human trafficking: teenagers and young adults.
At their sessions, they went over what signs to look for if someone were to be in this situation, and what to do to potentially save this victim’s life.
“It might not be the student that we’re speaking to that it happens to, but they might have a friend or they might see something happen while they’re out in the community,” Franklin said. “A lot of times, college students are in service employment, so they could come across the situation. We just want them to know that there are resources and if they have a gut feeling that something’s not quite right, that maybe you should act on that.”
While working with survivors at the Betty Griffin Center, some may not report these instances because they feel at fault and have fear or shame, emphasizing others to speak up if they notice someone in public who looks like they could be at risk. Some warning signs include seeing someone look uncomfortable or isolated while out in public.
Betty Griffin Center advocates are available 24/7 to talk with domestic and/or sexual abuse survivors, their families, and friends. For more resources on human trafficking, you can reach out to the hotline at (904) 824-1555.