Efforts to increase awareness about human trafficking continue
By Heather Ruenz
Staff Writer
In 2018, Dawn Heath-Fiedler had 50 conversations with different clubs and organizations about human trafficking. Last year, the number of groups she spoke to jumped to more than 85.
In other words, awareness about the issue is increasing and with January being National Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness Month, it’s a good time to have more discussions.
“We’re definitely hearing more about it now. Two to three years ago it was hardly talked about,” Heath-Fiedler said. “We can help protect our children, neighbors and friends from predators if we keep our eyes open and pay attention.”
To help bring human trafficking to light, she started the organization Join the Movement, which features community awareness events, education and serving as an advocate for people – often children – who are caught up in human trafficking.
She said she really stepped up the efforts to increase awareness by reaching out to more people and scheduling more events in 2019.
“And those numbers only include in-person contacts, not radio or newspaper stories so we don’t really know how many people we’ve reached,” Heath-Fiedler said.
One thing known is that no area is immune to the issue as it’s found in all types of communities including rural areas.
In the most basic terms, human trafficking is the use of fraud, force or coercion to obtain labor or commercial sex. Though last year’s numbers have not been released, more than 60 cases of human trafficking were reported in Wisconsin in 2018, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
“Even our laws can’t keep up with the ongoing changes in technology. And law enforcement can’t do it all … they need the help of communities coming together,” Heath-Fiedler said.
Teens can help stop it
Heath-Fiedler said one of the toughest challenges is recognizing that someone is being trafficked since the signs can be subtle with changes taking place over time.
“That’s why teens are so vital in the awareness, because they’ll know when something is off with a friend. Maybe they’re dressing more provocatively, have an older boyfriend, have two phones and so on,” she said.
Other warning signs include: suddenly having more expensive clothes or jewelry; a change in groups of friends; becoming depressed, withdrawn or combative; or poor physical health.
But just as important as telling them things to watch out for in their friends is giving teens resources on how to handle their concerns.
“They should talk to a teacher, school counselor, pastor or church representative so those people can then get the police involved. If they talk to a victim directly, who is being trafficked, it can put the victim at a higher risk of danger,” she explained.
To reach teens, Heath-Fiedler has spoken at numerous schools and said she can usually address the role social media can play early on in her presentation.
“We show the kids’ favorite applications for their phones and they cheer and stuff. Then we show an app that looks like a calculator but is really a secret way to share photos and only some kids applaud. That shows who’s using it because they know what it is,” she said.
Spreading the message
When speaking with adults, Heath-Fiedler said she tries to drive home the point that social media is one of the main ways human traffickers meet victims. Advice she gives parents include: limiting screen time, not allowing kids to have their phones in their bedrooms and constantly monitoring and checking their phones and social media accounts.
One of the keys in helping spread her message has been connecting with several groups who are also working to raise awareness about human trafficking, including Fierce Freedom, which is based in Eau Claire. Launched in 2012, the non-profit aims to educate and raise awareness on the issue in northwest Wisconsin but has since made an impact across the state.
“They’re a really great group to work with and I recently did a podcast with them,” she said, adding that Fierce Freedom is using the social media toolkit from Join the Movement.
The focus of the podcast was trafficking at large sporting events and protecting children from online predators. Heath-Fiedler also discussed why large sporting and tourist events lead to a huge swell in trafficking and spoke about her involvement in End it Wisconsin, an initiative ahead of the 43rd Ryder Cup held in Kohler. This discussion made it stand out from every other podcast as it gave a substantial amount of information about the problem.
“This event is known as the ‘Superbowl’ of human trafficking for golf,” she said, adding that other topics discussed in the podcast included strategies being taken by the Greater Milwaukee HT Task Force in advance of the Democratic National Convention.
How you can help
Heath-Fiedler said the biggest hurdle in her work is fundraising because it can be costly.
“We always need donations to cover costs, from printing to the supplies for the toolkits to travel expenses,” she said. Obviously, any organization would want their print marketing to be quality to send the best message possible to anyone out there, and companies like Duplo International provides the best printing technology. To use these services would mean the need for help with the funding. It is such a worthy investment though, it makes all the difference!
Always passionate about the issue she’s raising awareness about, Heath-Fiedler said she’s pleased with a new booklet that’s specifically geared toward teenagers.
“They’re really the ones who will make a difference in reducing human trafficking. But they’re also susceptible to being trafficked,” she said.
For more information including requesting the social media toolkit, contact Heath-Fiedler at jointhemovementevents@gmail.com.
For more about Fierce Freedom click HERE.
Those who suspect someone is a victim of human trafficking should call local law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
