Giving Compass' Take:

• Jonathan Todres explains how upstream, public health approaches grounded in facts can successfully prevent child trafficking.

• How can funders work to fight stigma and myths around trafficking? How can upstream solutions be implemented efficiently? 

• Learn about building city leadership to combat human trafficking. 

Q: How do we shift public perception from this idea that people are selling their bodies for fast money to reflect the reality of vulnerable people who get caught in a violent system?

A: First, it’s important to note that trafficking is not just about sex. When most people think of trafficking, they think of sex trafficking of women and girls, but labor trafficking actually affects more people. So, we must first raise awareness about the various types of trafficking.

Next, how do we change attitudes? Public health has a wealth of experience in confronting harmful attitudes and behaviors. Think about smoking. A generation ago, smoking was portrayed as cool. Public health campaigns helped to shift attitudes and bring attention to the harms caused by smoking. Seat belt use and violence are other issues where public health campaigns have helped foster changes, and ultimately better outcomes.

Trafficking is unique in certain ways, but we’ve seen success in public health campaigns. That is why Dr. Diaz and I believe that public health methodologies can help in this area.

Q: Your book is dedicated to the children around the world who have survived human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. What impact do you want this book to have?

A: We hope it will spark conversations that will lead to a change in how we address child trafficking. Most of what is happening today is aimed at addressing trafficking after the harm has occurred.

We want to spur efforts to “move upstream” to more of a prevention focus. And we want to contribute to the development of a comprehensive, integrated approach to preventing child trafficking, and indeed all forms of human trafficking.

Read the full interview with Jonathan Todres about addressing child trafficking by Jennifer Rainey Marquez at Futurity.