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September 9-11th
Prevention and Recovery Ministry
Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel a person into labor or to participate in commercial sex against their will. It often involves extensive grooming and victimizes vulnerable people, like those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol, have mental health problems, are recent migrants, or are children who have run away from home. It can look like a boyfriend using emotional abuse or threats to force his girlfriend to perform sex work to buy drugs or pay the bills. Under federal law, all instances of children under 18 engaging in sex work are considered trafficking. Researchers agree that the majority of victims and survivors are women and girls. Ashley McAree is a forensic nurse at Towson’s Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) and human trafficking liaison for the hospital’s Sexual Assault Forensic Examination, Domestic Violence and Child Protection (SAFE, DV, and CPP) Program. The program is open 24/7/365 and provides free care to survivors and victims of all ages, including trauma-informed forensic and medical exams, peer recovery support, advocacy and education. GBMC’s Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative was recently awarded $50,000 from the federal government, one of 18 winners across the country of its Innovation Challenge to prevent human trafficking among women and girls. Educating community members, from teachers and court-appointed special advocates to naval officers and school resource officers, about human trafficking is a vital role that the Anti-Human Trafficking Initiative plays in Baltimore County and elsewhere in the state. “The truth is that human trafficking, it is happening all around us. It’s happening to so many different populations of people,” McAree said. SARC (The Sexual Assault/Spouse Abuse Resource Center) is Harford County’s lifeline to victims, potential victims, and survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse and stalking. Working within the community, they are a catalyst for the eradication and prevention of violence. Here is their link: About Sarc - SARC (sarc-maryland.org). Here's the link to the article: GBMC aims to expand anti-human trafficking initiative (baltimoresun.com)