Thank you to our amazing Board Member, @jax.real.estate, for organizing last week’s garage sale! Your efforts were instrumental in making the event a resounding success, and we are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to another board member who generously matched the proceeds from the sale, as well as to their employer for matching that donation. This means that every purchase made or donation given—whether in person, via Venmo, or through Instagram—was effectively tripled! Your support makes a significant difference.
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If you’re considering hosting your own garage sale, why not think about donating all or a portion of the proceeds to our Life Saving Therapy Program? Garage sales not only help declutter your space but also provide an opportunity to upcycle cherished items while engaging friends, family, and the community in supporting survivors of trafficking.
We can assist you in creating personalized flyers for your event and even invite our network of supporters to join in. If you’re interested, feel free to DM us or email us at info@humansave.org for more information.
Additionally, it’s never too late to make a difference! You can still contribute by making a donation today on our website, Instagram, Facebook, Benevity, PayPal, and more. Together, we can continue to support those in need and work towards a brighter future. Thank you for your continued support! ✨
California legislators, educators, and parents are becoming more concerned about teens spending too much time on social media. According to a 2023 Surgeon General Advisory, children and adolescents who spent at least three hours a day on social media were at double the risk of experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms1. This phenomenon may be partly to blame for this emerging generation of vulnerable individuals that exploiters seek to profit from (the revenue from human trafficking globally was $346B in 2023 alone2). The internet wasn’t developed with child safety in mind; and has thus become a dangerous place for exploiters to not only meet; but also groom young children and vulnerable adults for human trafficking. Learning about online safety and sharing this information (in an age-appropriate way) with your children is an integral part of keeping them safe.
How social media is used to target children and other vulnerable individuals: One of the most important things to remember is thata skillful predator does not feel like a stranger by the time they make a move. Exploiters and predators use specific tools to scan social media profiles, collecting and analyzing posts, photos, check-ins, status updates, hashtags, and geotags, often latching onto current viral trends. This much personal information about children on social media makes them a target for exploitation. Even with social media accounts set to private, an exploiter can easily create social media accounts under impersonated identities (complete with photos) and send direct messages, friend requests, or follow as a student from a different school.
What predators and exploiters are looking for: Social media posts containing hyper-sexualized images, sharing family issues (especially with parents), or expressing sadness and hopelessness about life provide traffickers the ammunition they need to begin building a rapport with a child. They may make initial contact by interacting with their target’s social media posts, sharing manufactured stories to disarm them, and establishing camaraderie. Expensive gifts, virtual items, and other incentives are tools used to reinforce this perceived connection. More often than not, the predator or exploiter will wait until the victim sees them as a friend or confidant before pushing to meet in person. Even the most wary and intelligent children are apt to fall for this, as it preys on their basic human need to feel seen, heard, and unconditionally accepted—specifically if those needs are unmet. It’s also important to note that not every child or adult is a target due to having a social media presence. Three factors that greatly increase the vulnerability of an individual are a history of sexual abuse during childhood, growing up with domestic violence in the household, and lacking closeness with a primary caregiver.
What you can do right now: Set all accounts to “private” and remind your child to accept friend requests from people they know (and trust) in real life. They are probably familiar enough with technology to understand that anyone can pretend to be someone else online. Also remind them that if they wouldn’t share the photo or information with each individual on their “friend list” in person, they shouldn’t post it at all. If you feel your child is too young to have this conversation, we also urge you to reconsider whether they are old enough to be on these platforms. In recent cases referred to us by Federal Law Enforcement, we have worked with children under 13 years old who were exploited on apps such as Discord, Instagram, Roblox, and even Spotify. We can’t leave their safety up to chance.
Long term solution: Strategic parenting is the way to end child exploitation. In addition to learning online safety strategies such as those mentioned above, having deep, meaningful conversations about difficult topics (in an age-appropriate way) early on will provide children with strong armor against predators and exploiters. We have to acknowledge the terrifying fact that predators hunt for vulnerable children, meaning that they intentionally go wherever these children are. However, they know exactly what they’re looking for, and what specific traits they don’t want in a child as well. For instance, a child who is well connected with their primary caregiver and other adults is the least desirable to a trafficker or abuser because they are the least likely to stay in a dangerous situation, and the most likely to sound the alarms. Children who feel loved and genuinely adored by their parents are much less vulnerable to the tactics that predators and exploiters use to lure at-risk individuals because the most powerful tool they have at their disposal is the illusion of love, acceptance, and affection. When someone has this at home in spades, they will be much less inclined to gravitate toward a stranger who promises such things.
It’s time to go toe to toe with human trafficking and put an end to this!
With Gratitude,
Mike from Humansave
P.S. Join the fight for freedom–and the fight to protect children. Make a tax-deductible monthly contribution toHumansave to support our life-saving therapy program and Awareness and Prevention workshops for youth and the community. One-time donations make a difference, too. Your contribution will help save lives, and your impact will make the world a better, safer place.
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