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Community Corner

Countywide Efforts Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking

College of DuPage and DuPage County host programs to increase awareness of human trafficking.

Most people, thanks to Lifetime movies, believe human trafficking is an international issue that doesn't affect us directly. However, Illinois ranks fifth in the number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. In Chicago alone, the Illinois Department of Human Services reports 16,000 to 25,000 girls are sexually exploited through human trafficking.

Sisters of Chicagoland, founded by Donna Werner, recently joined Girls Education Mentoring Services (GEMS) of New York in an effort to raise awareness of the realities of human trafficking locally. With COD’s Human Services Department, they hosted College of DuPage’s Child Abuse Fair on April 26.

GEMS screened a documentary, “Very Young Girls, ” which depicts the ease of how pimps manipulate young girls into prostitution, the people who pay for their services and the program offerings at GEMS.

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Over 50 attendees viewed the film. They were social workers, nursing students and people who volunteer with missing persons. Werner wore a hot pink shirt with the GEMS’ message, "Girls Are Not For Sale" in black letters. 

"There will be difficult language to hear," Werner warned at the beginning of the presentation.

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Another opportunity to learn about the topic took place on April 26 at the DuPage County Administration office building. Illinois Rescue and Restore hosted human services professionals, members of faith based organizations, law enforcement and other professionals for an informative workshop. During this workshop, attendees learned the definition of trafficking, demographics at risk, how predators operate, how to identify trafficking situations and the current laws designed to protect victims.

In the past month, the first conviction under the new human trafficking laws occurred in Cook County. Charged was Troy Bonaparte, of Chicago, who had previously been arrested 55 times. According to Fox News Chicago, he been convicted on charges of pimping, manufacture and delivery of cocaine, and possession of a stolen vehicle. He faces up to 30 years in prison under the new revisions.

Looking for more information on human trafficking? Check resources like the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-3737-888) or the Polaris Project website, which discuss labor and sexual exploitation.

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