Social media depictions of trafficking can cause harm

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — You've likely seen the posts. A friend of a friend posts a screenshot of a post from another friend. In it is a fraught tale of a near abduction. A woman returns to her car and notices cash under the windshield wiper or a plastic bottle in her wheel well. She acts quickly to jump into her car and speeds out of the parking lot with a van of kidnappers close behind, only to drive to a police station and see the culprits foiled.

Abductions do happen, sex trafficking is a real problem, but it often doesn't play out the way we see on viral social media posts.

A recent post circulating on Facebook presents screenshots of a text and a post, warning of sex traffickers lying in wait in Sioux Falls. These outline a supposed attempted abduction from the Louise Ave. Walmart, and another at the east side Walmart.

“Hey friend,” begins the text conversation in the latter, which recounts a story that supposedly came from the text author's sister.

According to this text, the woman left the store with her child and noticed zip ties on the handle of her car. Sensing danger, the woman threw her kid in the car and drove away, dialing 911. The message says the woman was followed by a van, and that 911 directed her to an area with police, who then cornered the van.

The text then goes on to warn that “apparently sex traffickers are using zip ties on car handles (and also putting money under windshield wipers) as a distraction, hoping the person gets distracted long enough to be abducted.”

Being as this post specifically referenced a Sioux Falls location and police involvement, we reached out to the Sioux Falls Police Department (SFPD) to ask about such an incident.

“We've seen those screen shots but nothing like that has been reported to police,” said SFPD public information officer Sam Clemens. “The reality is abductions, or attempted abductions, involving strangers are extremely rare in Sioux Falls.”

Clemens concluded that his best advice is for people to be aware of their surroundings and call police immediately if they see suspicious behavior.

Assaults, sexual assaults, harassment and stalking do of course happen, and remaining aware and vigilant is never bad advice to give. But when a post with an apparently false story circulates, even one that encourages vigilance, it can have a negative effect.

Becky Rasmussen, CEO and founder of Call to Freedom, an organization started to help those impacted by sex and labor trafficking, helped explain.

“In the survivor world they say it can harm the overall awareness and education of human trafficking,” said Rasmussen. “If you don't understand a lot of these trafficking situations are based off of relationships — if you don't understand, then sometimes you can fall victim to something that you're not educated about.”

In human trafficking, you typically have to either have force, fraud or coercion in exploitation for sex or labor trafficking, Rasmussen described. “We don't see that as often,” Rasmussen said of the force category, which would be what posts of this sort describe.

“Traffickers approach this as a business, and they're really looking for individuals that they can build a relationship with,” Rasmussen said. “Typically they will build a relationship and exploit them throughout that relationship — we've had people who have known their trafficker for up to a year before they were actually trafficked by that individual.”

Force, such as kidnapping someone from a parking lot, is more difficult to do, and it is also harder to continue exploiting that person. “If you are using fraud or coercion — it's easier to keep that victim in that trafficking situation.”

Rasmussen clarified that forceful trafficking, with people taken off the street, can absolutely happen here in the U.S., especially with young kids.

“But we have not seen a lot of those cases — nor zip ties,” Rasmussen said. “We're very connected in the survivor world across the United States, and survivors talk a lot about these misconceptions that every one of those zip ties is tied to a trafficking situation.”

Like Clemens, Rasmussen advocates vigilance and awareness. That can come in the form of learning about the realities of trafficking, taking defense courses, and yes, calling for help if you feel unsafe.

While the events in the Facebook post above do not appear to have happened, the actions of the woman described are not bad ones to take. She supposedly felt concern and called for help, which is the right thing to do.

“There could be other situations that arise,” said Rasmussen. “It could be a kidnapping, not necessarily for human trafficking — but typically in the human trafficking realm, we are seeing quiet a bit when it comes to that coercion and fraud.”

Posts warning of zip ties and the like on people's cars, or strange interactions with strangers are tough to verify. Taking them with a grain of salt can be beneficial.

“When you see those posts, don't live your life around fear,” Rasmussen advised. “Make sure you get educated on what that looks like.”

If you're someone looking to share a concerning experience that happened to you, Rasmussen stressed the importance of reporting to the proper authorities, not just to social media.

“The authorities can't do something unless there has been a report,” Rasmussen cautioned. “They may not be able to act on that report — but if there are multiple reports that come in, typically that can lead to a breakthrough in a case.”

Posts such as these, often hard to verify the legitimacy of, can walk a fine line between raising awareness, and spreading harmful misconceptions. When it comes to how you interact with them, you will have a decision to make.

“What I would say to that individual is, what are you promoting,” asked Rasmussen. “Are you promoting more fear in people's life, or are you promoting more awareness?”

You can find resources to help understand the realities around trafficking at the Call to Freedom website, and at the Human Trafficking Hotline.