I Am No Victim / a Just1 short film about child sex trafficking
This short film depicts the story of Emma (15) and Rachel (22). A seemingly harmless and charming guy contacts Emma on Instagram, and starts building a romantic bond with her, eventually asking her to send him pictures and then to meet up in person. He takes her on a coffee date and they hit it off. Emma quickly begins to fall for him as he woos her, buys her gifts, and tells her he loves her. His pursuit becomes more demanding when he tells her if she loves him, she’ll be more physical with him and sneak out without her parents knowing. Rachel cautions Emma, warning her that it sounds far too similar to when she was manipulated into falling for a guy, which ended in her being forced into sex trafficking. Rachel shares her story, and in the end, Emma decides to not risk her own safety just to be with a guy she likes.
The goal of this short film is show how what starts out as seemingly harmless interactions with someone on social media or in public can lead to being groomed and trafficked.
“According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the average age of missing children who are exploited through sex trafficking is only 15. Some of the top methods that traffickers use as a form of control is emotional abuse, substance abuse, and dependency. A very common recruitment method used in the United States is false promises of love, attention and affection which makes the child believe they are in a romantic relationship. Perpetrators take advantage of the undeveloped psyche of an adolescent to sexually exploit them for their own gain. It’s not uncommon for girls to be recruited and sold for sex, even while attending school. Some of these girls may not even know that what the trafficker is doing is illegal.” - A21
This is why it is so important young people are educated on the tactics and tools traffickers use so they can be equipped to recognize it and protect themselves and their friends.