This past Sunday, January 11—Human Trafficking Awareness Day—County Line Church of God hosted an anti-trafficking event from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. County Line has a deep commitment to anti–human trafficking efforts, and the event was well attended, demonstrating the congregation’s strong interest in learning more about this issue and how they can help combat this horrific reality in our world today.
The event consisted of three workshops, and participants were able to attend two of them. Leo Ackon from International Justice Mission led a workshop on the basics of human trafficking. Detective Thomas Olinske from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department discussed law enforcement’s response to human trafficking. In addition, Four10 Ministries’ Executive Director, Tammy Crane, was honored to present vital education on grooming, online safety for children, red flags or warning signs that an individual may be trafficked, and what to do if human trafficking is suspected.
Tammy explained what grooming is and its role in human trafficking. Grooming is a calculated process of psychological manipulation used by traffickers to build trust, create dependency, and prepare individuals for exploitation. Grooming consists of six stages, beginning with targeting individuals. Traffickers often target those with vulnerabilities such as unstable housing, runaway youth, individuals involved in the juvenile justice system or foster care, prior sexual or physical abuse, poverty, substance abuse, or mental health challenges. Once a target is identified, traffickers work to gain the person’s trust—often by identifying an unmet need they can fill, such as providing shelter, food, expensive gifts, or promises of romance. Over time, traffickers isolate victims, erode boundaries, and use manipulation, threats, or violence to maintain control—a process that can take up to six months. Additional topics covered by Tammy will be shared in a subsequent newsletters for further education.
Tammy, who is trained in Human Trafficking 101 through Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans (IPATH), also shared that she is available to provide trafficking awareness training for churches, businesses, organizations, and schools.