20 DIGS.NET | 1.13.23
"I
In observation, DIGS spotlights national expert Rebecca Bender and her
quest to spread truths about—and end—this o-invisible crime.
Januar y is National Human
Traff ick ing Prevention Month
AWARENESS
Every year since 2010
the President has
dedicated the first month
of the year to raise
awareness about human
trafficking, as well as
educate the public on
how to identify and
prevent this crime.
SCOPE
•ough statistics vary,
there are estimated to be
more than 24.9 million
people — adults and
children — subjected
to human trafficking
around the world,
including in the
United States. [U.S.
Department of State]
ABOUT
Rebecca Bender is a
representative member
of the National
Advisory Committee on
the Sex Trafficking of
Children and Youth in
the United States. •e
committee advises the
Attorney General and
the Secretary of Health
and Human Services
on the nation's response
to sex trafficking.
t's not always what you see
in the movies, and victims
don't always self-identify,"
states Rebecca Bender, a national expert
on human trafficking whose trainings
have reached over 115,000 law enforce-
ment, national security, medical and legal
professionals, from FBI and Homeland
Security to local police and prosecutors,
who are on the front lines of this crime.
Bender is on a quest, and it starts with
separating fact from fiction. "Sensation-
alism sells," she says. "Unfortunately
sensationalism also fuels the misiden-
tif ication of victims." Myths about
trafficking, she points out, obscure its
realities, making it more difficult for
concerned people to keep loved ones safe,
and for its victims to be identified. "We're
not seeing victims who are right in our
neighborhoods," she explains.
Bender, who is regularly called to serve
as a subject matter expert in trafficking
cases, also has public courses, talks
and media—including a recent TEDx
talk, "Sex Trafficking in Plain Sight"—
focused on correcting well-circulated
myths about the crime. Such myth-
busting truths include: Kidnapping is
rare. (Less than 1% of trafficking, she
points out, involves stranger abduction.)
Not all victims come from lower-income
households. Trafficking can involve a sex
act and/or forced labor. In the case of sex
trafficking, "buyers" are largely men from
all walks of life. And more.
W R I T T E N B Y C O N S TA N C E D U N N I M A G E S C O U R T E S Y O F R E B E C C A B E N D E R
REBECCA BENDER
INITIATIVE
REBECCABENDER .ORG
ELE VATE ACADEMY
ELE VATE-ACADEMY.ORG
Rebecca Bender. Photo by Bethany Sellers.
I N F L U E N C E R | R E B E C C A B E N D E R
