Want to save the children? Here’s how

We can all agree that human trafficking is awful and that child trafficking is even more disgusting. So while we can all agree with the basic sentiment behind #SaveTheChildren and #SaveOurChildren, these social media “awareness” campaigns may be doing more harm than good.

Let’s go back to the beginning: In June, someone tweeted a screenshot of seemingly abnormally expensive industrial cabinets for sale on Wayfair, an online furniture retailer, that also happened to use girls’ first names as the product name. The tweet suggested the cabinets were so expensive because they were a front for child trafficking. This tweet received little attention until it was posted to a sub-Reddit (a discussion forum) dedicated to conspiracy theories. From there, the claim gained traction until it once again hit mainstream social media and was shared widely across the internet.

This was the inciting incident for the spread of #SaveTheChildren and #SaveOurChildren and sudden social media interest in preventing human trafficking. Which, on the surface, is great. But the hashtags have been co-opted by conspiracy theorists and used to spread misinformation. From PolitiFact: “… #SaveTheChildren — a seemingly innocuous and philanthropic hashtag that is in fact linked to years-old unproven sex trafficking and pedophilia conspiracy theories involving politicians and celebrities.”

The alternate #SaveOurChildren rose in response to Bill Gates-related conspiracies. There is an actual Save the Children organization, which is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of children worldwide, according to its website. Save the Children receives donations from the Gates Foundation, and since Bill Gates has been at the center of myriad conspiracies some people switched to #SaveOurChildren. All that said, #SaveTheChildren is not affiliated with the real-life group.

The proliferation of these hashtags on social media has led to real-life rallies and protests, including one in Clarksburg last week. Raising awareness about human and child trafficking is a good thing — but if we want to do something that actually helps the victims, we need to drop the conspiracy-touting hashtags and take real action instead.

So what can you do? Support real-life organizations that work to prevent child abuse and human trafficking. Educate yourself on what trafficking looks like. The Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative reports 41% of child trafficking involves family members. Of that, nearly 70% are trafficked for forced labor and a little over 30% for sexual exploitation. The majority of kids trafficked for sexual exploitation are teenagers. It also reports families are more likely to be involved in trafficking boys than girls. This is to say that teaching kids “stranger danger” is only part of protecting them, and little kids aren’t the only ones we need to look out for.

Some common indicators of child trafficking include: Physical abuse such as bruises, cuts or red marks; frequent absences from school or dropping out; bragging about making or having lots of money; change in clothing style — less appropriately dressed than before and/or new, expensive clothes and accessories; withdrawn, depressed or distracted; a new tattoo, particularly of a name, barcode or money; and/or have their movements controlled/monitored by an adult.

None of these guarantee a child is being trafficked, but it’s important to know the warning signs, because recognizing them could save a child’s life.