Driven to Make a Difference

Engedi Refuge is dedicated to serving women who have been exploited by sex trafficking. Over the years, many of the women we have served at Engedi Refuge were first exploited as children. This troubling fact underscores the importance of the need for more prevention efforts, especially for vulnerable youth.

Traffickers often target youth to try to groom them into a life of sex trafficking. They can use lies, threats, and violence to manipulate and exploit youth to try to make money off of them. As local youth travel to and from school, church, and to sports and other activities, they often use Whatcom County Transportation Authority (WTA) buses, school buses, or rideshares. These public transportation systems, and places like bus stops and bus stations, can be locations traffickers use to meet youth they have targeted as potential victims.

Public transportation systems are also used to connect victims to sex buyers. A 2018 report by Polaris titled, On Ramps, Intersections, and Exit Routes: A Roadmap for Systems and Industries to Prevent and Disrupt Human Trafficking, noted that when Polaris surveyed a group of human trafficking survivors, 42 percent explained that they or their traffickers used public buses to facilitate their exploitation, and 26 percent of survivors said that public transportation played a role in at least one of their exit attempts.

So, although traffickers can use public transportation locations to meet and exploit victims—buses, taxis, and rideshares are also public systems where community members can notice the warning signs of human trafficking. That’s why this month, Engedi Refuge is partnering with Truckers Against Trafficking to participate in the first annual Youth on Transportation Safety Month awareness campaign.

This public awareness campaign was created after Truckers Against Trafficking facilitated several youth focus groups and consulted human trafficking experts to learn how youth, parents, schools, and community members can recognize the warning signs of human trafficking. During the month of May, Engedi Refuge is sharing free online training materials for Whatcom County school bus drivers, transit bus drivers, and law enforcement departments, as well as sharing resources for local families about keeping youth safe from human trafficking.

Resources are available for caring adults interested in learning how to keep youth safe from human trafficking. Websites like Polaris and Truckers Against Trafficking offer comprehensive information, including signs to watch for and preventive measures. Donating to and volunteering at Engedi Refuge is an excellent way to support survivors. Parents and caregivers can visit the website for Safer, Smarter Families to learn age-appropriate tips for how to talk with children about the harms of human trafficking. Plus, Love 146 has developed a Guide for Caregivers to learn how to help prevent child sex trafficking.