Love Where You Are

January 30, 2023

Ep. 3.5 : What Parents Should Know About Human Trafficking with Dr. Jessica Peck

Welcome to the Love Where You Are podcast! 

In today’s episode I am joined with Dr. Jessica Peck.

Dr. Jessica Peck is also known as Dr. Nurse Mama. She is the mom to four teenagers and has been working as a pediatric nurse practitioner in primary care for over the last 20 years. Jessica is also a native Texan and clinical professor at Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing. 

Jessica is an accomplished author of dozens of clinical articles for peer-reviewed journals, is a regular contributor to parenting magazines, and is a frequent guest on radio and television shows to promote the health of children. She advocates for the vulnerable and underserved children, fights against humantrafficking through education, and wrote a book called Behind Closed Doors to help educate, equip and empower families…

This episode is not an easy one. Jessica and I talk about the reality of human trafficking, its many misconceptions, the real risks, and how it can happen to anyone. But Jessica also empowers us with the hope of the Gospel and practical steps you can take to protect your kids. We cannot overstate the importance of this topic, but Jessica and I will take care of your heart along the way.  

Thank you for being here today. Now, let’s dive into the conversation! 

You can connect with Jessica through Facebook, Instagram, and her website. 

You can also order her book, Behind Closed Doors! 

 

FAVORITE TAKE-AWAYS:

*Less than 5% of human-trafficking cases were from kidnappings. The majority of cases are from grooming tactics, meaning the child knew the person who recruited them and trusted them.

*Recruitment typically happens online through social media.

*The kids most at risk are: people of color, gender non-conforming, and with combined risk factors.

*Risk factor examples: mental health struggles, eating disorders, difficult home life, poverty, history of sexual abuse, learning disability. Anything that makes the child vulnerable, a recruiter can use.

*Children in fostercare are at high risk and do not have healthy relationships modeled to them. And children in foster care can get lost in the cracks of the system.

*Human traficking is a sophisticated machine and business. It has moved from the streets to the smart phone.

*There is healing and there is hope in the Gospel. Parents, it’s not your fault if this happened or happens. And for your child: God loves you, God knows you, and God weeps for you.

*Maybe you notice these warning signs in your kid’s friends. See something, say something. 

REMEMBER:

-Jessica’s 5 Simple Safety Tips to protect your kids online

*NO kids under the age of 13 should have a social media account. The Federal Government has legislation to protect kids by making social media companies ask you’re over the age of 13. If they click the box saying they are, when they aren’t, you’re disregarding that safety rule. 

*Social media profiles should be PRIVATE. The default on many platforms is public and most kids don’t know how to change the setting or that it exists. A public account means anyone can find your child online and all of the child’s information they’re posting: where they go to school, their friends, hobbies, relationship status, etc. 

*Kids profile pictures should not look like a minor. Instead of a personal picture or selfie, think about using a cute animal or geometric graphic of symbol. A Human-Trafficking Recruiter will ignore those. 

*Disable geotagging! There is metadata in your photos which the recruiters can use to know exactly where your child is, depending on their pictures. 

*Do not “friend” someone you do not know! Even if they’re a “friend of a friend” or someone you met online and seems trustworthy. Don’t do it! 

-Model healthy relationships for your child and talk about what a healthy friendship looks like. For example: no friend will ask you to take off your clothes or make you feel uncomfortable! 

-Pray for your kids! Pray for them outloud so they can hear how much you love and care for them. Make your home a safe place, where your child can admit when something happened. 

RESOURCES:

Unbound Now Houston Free Training 

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-3737-888

We challenge YOU to share organizations in the comment section! Let’s share hope!

 

Connect with Somer! 

Stay connected to Somer and the Love Where You Are podcast through her Facebook & Instagram! Now, go love where you are and live on mission for Jesus today.