Growing up as a girl, I realized very quickly that I had to be constantly aware of my surroundings when I was alone, walking at night or in any vulnerable position. Personally, I have a travel-size can of pepper spray, provided by my parents, that I take with me when I go to different places. Thankfully, I have not had to use it, but there have definitely been moments where it has crossed my mind. This is not something that a teenage girl should be worrying about but, sadly, it is the reality of our world.
To our benefit, there is a local organization called North Star Initiative that helps women who have come out of human trafficking. It provides physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual care with a Christian-centered focus to women who have survived domestic sex-trafficking. Everyone who joins the North Star program does so voluntarily and is free to leave anytime they wish.
North Star Initiative is not a rescue program, but operates The Harbor, a restoration home and program with the resources and support that survivors need to address their physical and emotional trauma, and where they can consider accessible choices toward independent, restored lives. The employees and volunteers at North Star have experienced the reality of human trafficking and how it affects victims and the community.
According to Janelle Esbenshade, director of development at North Star Initiative, the organization focuses on dealing with the trauma that human trafficking has caused its victims. It also focuses on dealing with the root of addictions that can stem from trauma.
Esbenshade said the most important thing to help combat human trafficking is education.
“From middle school on up, young girls and boys need education on human trafficking,” she said. “That education would involve what signs to look for, because the reality is (that) a child/teenager’s brain is not fully developed enough to sense danger.”
Esbenshade said social media have had a huge effect on human trafficking. Most children and teenagers are looking for some sort of affirmation. Unfortunately, there are people online who are willing to give them that assurance and gain access to those children's lives.
Too often, people are forced into trafficking and trafficking rings. Even though it is easy to think that these problems are far from us, Pennsylvania is unfortunately ranked 11th in the country for human trafficking problems.
It is still easy, however, to assume that these terrible situations do not affect our local community and loved ones. It can be difficult to process that human trafficking is a reality in Lancaster County.
“When you know somebody that is in your circle of family or friends who have experienced trafficking or have been trafficked, it really hits home and it really opens your eyes to understand that it really does happen right in our backyards,” Esbenshade said.
Human trafficking, especially in the United States, often operates in plain sight and often occurs through a grooming process.
Trafficking is something we need to be much more aware of. It is neither understood nor talked about enough in our communities. Human trafficking is a horrible reality of our world; we need to make ourselves aware of the truth behind it and how common it actually is.
Ella Brechbill is a senior at Warwick High School.
