A community seminar focused on recognizing, preventing and responding to human trafficking will be held Friday from 9 to 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Russell Springs.
The free event will feature presentations by Meredith Whitfield, Kentucky state director of Safe Passage, and Bonnie Wheeler, program coordinator at Silverleaf Sexual Trauma and Recovery Services. A panel of professionals will follow the presentations, with a moderated discussion and public question-and-answer session.
The seminar is intended to increase awareness of human trafficking, help community members recognize warning signs and provide information about prevention and resources available to victims.
Human trafficking has occurred in every Kentucky county, Whitfield said, despite common misconceptions that the crime occurs only in other countries or large communities.
“When it comes to human trafficking in general, I think that we believe the myth that it’s only happening to other people or it’s only happening in other countries or other communities. But there has been human trafficking in every single county in Kentucky…It is here and it is now. We either choose to ignore it, or we can fight the issues that are already happening,” she said.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1,225 human trafficking cases involving 2,751 identified victims have been reported in Kentucky since the hotline began operating in 2007. In 2024, the hotline received 278 contacts from Kentucky, including 75 from victims or survivors of human trafficking.
Nationally, the hotline has identified 112,822 human trafficking cases involving 218,568 victims since its inception. A single case may involve multiple victims and may be reported through phone calls, text messages, emails, online reports or web chats.
Whitfield said public perceptions of trafficking are often shaped by television portrayals of strangers abducting young girls or women and forcing them into sexual exploitation. In most cases, however, the trafficker is someone the victim knows and trusts.
She said that in 85% of human trafficking cases, the person being trafficked believes they are in a relationship with their trafficker.
Safe Passage serves boys and girls ages 12 through 19 throughout Kentucky and provides lifelong support to victims of trafficking.
“When it comes to kids, what we see a lot in Kentucky is called familial trafficking. It’s a family member trafficking a child, usually for the price of drugs,” said Whitfield. “It is actually someone that the child loves or trusts.”
Whitfield said children may be manipulated so deeply that they are unable to break away from the person exploiting them. Although children are sometimes sold, she said it is more common for a child to remain with the trafficker and be manipulated into allowing inappropriate photographs or contact with adults.
“Adair County sits in the Cumberland Region of Kentucky. The Cumberland Region historically has predominately high rates of human trafficking,” she said.
Whitfield said poverty, substance abuse, family instability and limited resources can increase children’s vulnerability to trafficking. In some cases, children are trafficked by their parents in exchange for drugs. Other children may be raised by grandparents or spend extended periods unsupervised online while parents work to provide for their families.
Children may encounter perpetrators through online platforms and become victims of exploitation, manipulation or blackmail, she said. Fear of retaliation or having private information or images exposed can also prevent victims from seeking help.
Whitfield said education and open conversations with children and families are critical to reducing those risks.
“More on the child side, the more we talk to kids and families about the dangers that exist online and dangers that exist to vulnerable families, the more we are able to fight trafficking,” Whitfield “We are just afraid to talk about it. We are afraid to talk to kids about the risks. We are afraid to talk to parents about what their kids may be exposed to. The more we ignore it and the less we talk about it, the more your own child is at risk.”
Whitfield some there are some apps often used to exploit youth that are commonly used for games or interation.
“We have to start talking about the online dangers. We have to start talking about the dangers of Roblox, Discord and Reddit, and all of these websites – if we choose to ignore it, kids are getting hurt because of it,” she said. “Ignoring it is allowing kids to get hurt, and I see it every single day.”
Wheeler will discuss the services available through Silverleaf, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing trauma experienced by victims of sexual abuse and sexual assault.
Silverleaf provides resources that may include basic necessities, life-skills support and mental health treatment for survivors of trafficking.
“All the things to make these victims feel heard. They may not recognize that they’ve not had their voice. Depending on what age they are pulled into the life, that sometimes goes from young childhood into adulthood,” said Wheeler.
Wheeler said responding to human trafficking requires involvement from the entire community.
“Human trafficking is not one agency’s problem. It is a community responsibility,” she said.
She encouraged parents to monitor their children’s phones, messages and social media activity and to remain attentive when children are in public. Teachers and other adults who work with children should listen carefully and recognize potential warning signs, she said.
Human trafficking is also a global problem. According to estimates from the International Labour Organization, approximately 27.6 million people worldwide are living in situations of forced labor or forced marriage. The organization estimates that 77% of victims are subjected to forced labor and 23% are exploited through sex trafficking.
Men and boys account for an estimated 57% of trafficking victims worldwide, while women and girls account for 43%. Women and girls make up 78% of sex trafficking victims, while men and boys account for 22%.
Organizers encourage parents, educators, community leaders and other residents to attend Friday’s seminar to learn more about recognizing trafficking, protecting vulnerable individuals and connecting victims with available resources.
