In this video interview (see below), FREA volunteer and committee member Angela Rae Clark shares her personal story of how she was abused at age 3 and trafficked by her grandfather beginning when she was only 5 years old.
Angela's story puts a human face on a horrific crime that is all too common: Child trafficking by trusted adult family members.
Angela shares the sad statistic that about 40% of trafficking is familial trafficking. These adult family members can include the child's father, mother, uncle, step parent, extended family member, or - as in Angela's case - a grandfather.
The Larger Sex Trafficking Problem
Familial trafficking is a major part of the larger human trafficking scourge. Experts estimate human trafficking accounts for about $32 billion in illicit criminal income with about $15.5 billion of that income occurring in industrial countries. Only illicit drug and arms sales earn criminals more money.
Raising Human Trafficking Awareness
Angela and other advocates are raising awareness about human trafficking and the devastating health and emotional toll it takes on survivors and even customers who fuel demand.
FREA.support Emotional First Aid Resources
As you'll hear in the interview, Angela applied some of the tools you'll learn about on the www.FREA.support site in the Resources tab to help navigate through the emotional pain she experienced during recovery.
Angela's story and the information she shares is compelling. Here is the interview highlighting her experiences and her suggestions for helping keep children and teens safe.
Stephen Carter
Stress Solutions, LLC | www.EFT-MD.com | Email: SafeLivingToday@gmail.com
Stephen Carter is a former Chief of Police, Corporate Security Director and safely leader for one of the world's largest financial services companies. He is now the CEO of Stress Solutions, LLC, a company dedicated to helping people enhance physical and emotional wellbeing through stress mastery using mind-body methods. He is the host of the, "Safe Living Today" and "Mind Over Stress" podcasts.