Event in St. Cloud Will Tackle Human Trafficking and Sexual Violence

Panelists will be tackling human trafficking and sexual violence at an event Thursday night at Whitney Senior Center in St. Cloud.  The event is called Voices for Safety and will take place from 5:30-7:00pm Thursday, October 1, and will focus on human trafficking and sexual violence and the impact it's having in Central Minnesota.  The event is free and open to the public.

Panelists

To discuss the event, I was joined by Mallory Voit, Public Health Nurse from Benton County and Kylie Weller, Whitney Senior Center Program Coordinator.  The panel will include representatives from Benton County Public Health, the Central Minnesota Child Advocacy Center, Anna Marie's Alliance, Terebinth Refuge, Bikers Against Child Abuse, the Center for Victims of Torture, and the Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center.

Prevention and Education

Voit says prevention and education are keys to reducing the frequency of trafficking, sexual violence and grooming against youth in Central Minnesota.  She works with youth to educate them about the types of dangers that can occur.  Voit explains that most grooming situations happen to young people by someone they know.  She teaches a course in school districts in Benton County talking about trafficking and exploitation.  The course is called "Not a Number".

What Parents Can Do

Parents can help prevent these types of situations by monitoring what their children are doing online and having conversations with their kids about people they communicate with.  Voit says girls and boys are victims of grooming and trafficking at close to equal rates.  She says when it comes to online exploitation, boys are targeted more than girls.  Voit explains that this is an issue that parents of boys and girls should be aware of.

How Grooming Happens

Voit explains that grooming is something that takes place over time.  The perpetrator often gains the trust of the young people before they begin to isolate them and exploit and/or abuse them.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Mallory Voit and Kylie Weller, click below.