Over 90% of S.C. human trafficking victims are minors
AIKEN, S.C. - Following the release of South Carolina Human Trafficking Task Force’s annual report, victim advocates are renewing their pleas for a shelter to house minors.
Per the state’s report, over 90% of South Carolina’s human trafficking victims are minors. However, there’s just one shelter in the entire state that is authorized to host underage human trafficking victims.
That shelter is the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons in Aiken.
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Capt. Sherri Smith of the Horry County Sheriff’s Office is a member of the task force. She said it’s paramount to know the way in which our digital world is influencing how predators find their victims.
“A lot of times, it’s someone that they meet online. They’re being groomed, and they meet them online and then they decide to meet up for whatever reason. You know, ‘Your parents are too strict. If you come stay with me, I’ll let you do whatever you want,’” Smith said. “And these kids don’t know what they’re getting themselves into. They think, ‘Oh, I’m in love with this person and I want to go be with them.’”
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If a child is identified as a human trafficking victim in Horry County, Smith and her team question the child, and then move on to the bigger picture. She said they look at everything from who the child was with to their family to their school attendance.
Regardless of age, any sexual assault or human trafficking victim is taken to a hospital for a thorough exam and treatment plan, if it’s needed.
That’s where Natalie Lennard and her team come in. Lennard is the coordinator of McLeod Health’s forensic nurse training program.
She said it’s always gut-wrenching to deal with trafficking victims, but it’s especially horrific when the victim is just a child. Regardless of age, Lennard makes sure her patients know while they’re under her care, they are finally back in control of what happens to them.
“We want to make sure that we are giving them choices because they’ve had every choice ripped away from them,” Lennard said. “So, as simple as things like, ‘Would you like to do this first, or that?’”
Once Lennard and her team have finished their work in the hospital, they refer their patients to counseling and further treatment.
However, per the state’s report, underage trafficking victims are often exploited by their own family . In that situation, Lennard and her team are stuck; since there’s only one shelter for underage trafficking victims in the state, the only remaining options aren’t suitable for trafficking victims.
“We need a place for them to go. They come in and there’s no place to put them,” Lennard said. “They can’t just go into a regular foster home, unfortunately. It just doesn’t work that way. They can’t go into a regular DSS home. These are severely damaged children.”
Lennard said the reason for that is because of the sheer level of trauma young trafficking victims have experienced. Additionally, she said she’s seen children completely brainwashed into thinking healthcare workers are harmful, and even trying to recruit other children.
To keep your kids as safe as possible, both Smith and Lennard recommend keeping a close eye on your kids’ social media activity. Keep track of who they’re speaking to and what sites they’re using.
Additionally, Lennard said it’s important to have open conversations with your child about sex, human trafficking, and consent in order to make them as aware as possible of the world around them.
If you are a victim of human trafficking in the Grand Strand, you can call 843-448-7273 to access a 24-hour hotline.
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