An app that allows users to talk to friends and strangers in real-time via voice, text, or video chat while playing video games.
What Would Jesus Say About Human Trafficking?
Advocate: Defending Hope for the Hopeless is a free faith-based Small Group Study Series designed by the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking and to specifically talk about how Christians and the Church, at large, can respond to the crisis of human trafficking happening in America.
The purpose of the study is to evaluate the various nuances of human trafficking with a Christ-centered perspective and to spark helpful conversation among the group that leads to practical, effective solutions and understanding.
Hosted By Francis Chan
World-renowned leader and best-selling author, Francis Chan, helps guide the study and conversation as he helps connect the mission of Jesus with practical ways we can approach and eliminate the atrocity of human trafficking in America.
Francis Chan has always shared a passion for victims of human trafficking and has led a Christ-like example of how the body of Christ should respond to such atrocities in our world.
Join Francis Chan as he guides this study and provides actionable steps for the body of Christ as we learn the true impacts of human trafficking in our modern-day society.
How It Works
This is a video-led study, which means that the group will spend time watching a video and then use the accompanying study guide to discuss it as as a group.
Each video will be roughly 15-20 minutes in length. 5 videos and 5 topics available.
The videos will contain several interviews with experts, victims, and organization leaders who bring an intelligent understanding of human trafficking and how to put this evil under the lens of Jesus’s mission for his Church.
All assets are free, including our study guide. Complete the registration process to get access to the videos and downloadable study guide.
FAQ
In 2022, Kevin was approached by several pastors after speaking at an event in Florida. They shared that they want their church to be more involved in the fight against human trafficking, but they were not sure where to get started…they were not sure where to become educated on the matter and put that into action.
Kevin took this to heart and approached the team. Not only did our team at the U.S. Institute want to provide an educational resource that spoke directly to the Church, but we also wanted to focus on how God has spoken to us about approaching the work of fighting human trafficking…fighting against sin and destruction… fighting for hope.
After months of working on content and bringing this vision to life, we are excited to provide this Bible Study Series that focuses on how the Church can bring hope to our modern day society and also become educated as to how modern-day trafficking is effecting our local society.
All of this is absolutely free!
Of course, any donations will help us spread the word of this series and help provide funding for future growth of this project.
While we ask for donations, you are able to view our videos and download our study guide at absolutely no cost.
All of the videos will be provided as a link on Vimeo.
If you are looking to showcase this at your church, you can contact us for a downloadable version.
You can also cast it from your device or the Vimeo app using your Smart TV, Amazon Fire stick, Apple TV, or Roku.
Series
Don't forget your Study Guide
If you have not downloaded our study guide, you can access it for free right now.
Session 1
If you would like to become connected with our organization to fight human trafficking, a great place to start is joining our Abolitionist team: kidsnotforsale.org/usiaht/
The goal of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) is to educate every business,church, and organization about the signs of human trafficking within our communities and invite them to publicly declare themselves a Trafficking Free Zone. By joining together, our community can be empowered to take action, discourage buyers to buy, cause traffickers to be afraid to sell, and improve the chances of helping victims escape forceful or coerced captivity. If you are a business and want to train your employees and declare your business, Church, or organization as a Trafficking Free Zone, sign up at: USIAHT.org/TraffickingFreeZone
Session 2
Unfortunately, “signs” of trafficking are not always clear and obvious. Most times, it can be happening within your inner circle of community, such as school, neighborhood, family, friends, or church. To better understand signs that have been identified, please go to the site below (this is being updated as often as possible to better educate the public as new data comes to the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking).
AdvocateSeries.com/learn-the-signs
Learn more about signs and how other instances occur by taking an additional online training of “HT 101”: USIAHT.org/get-educated
Oree’s story is very powerful and this part of her story is extremely hard to hear. By the grace of God, there is restoration in Oree’s life that we actually get to hear about in Session 3. However, to truly understand Oree’s whole journey and to gain a better understanding of how we can spot occurrences or circumstances in someone’s life to better prevent trafficking or grooming from happening, we created a 3-episode podcast that tells Oree’s full story.
Watch On YouTube:
Bonus Episode: Interview with Oree and Kevin Malone
We also provide a deeper dive into this episode as we have a discussion with Oree. To reflect further on this episode and prepare for Session 3, please access Season 2, episode 4 of our podcast.
Session 3
Foster care is an extremely important ministry in our society today. The data shows that if every Christian church in the United States had just ONE family licensed to take in a foster child, we would have more foster homes than foster children. Providing a loving, Christian home is one of the most practical ways of saving generations from being trafficked.
Look for a faith-based foster care agency in your county (or services your county) to find out how you can help their agency or possibly become licensed as a foster parent.
To dive in further, please listen/watch our interview with A Door of Hope (a foster care agency in Florida):
Session 4
If you are ready to take action and try volunteering at a safe home, victim care center, or something similar that assists victims of sex trafficking, exploitation, or abuse – sign up to become an Abolitionist to receive our trainings, resources, and content so that you can make a difference in your area and sphere of influence.
Sign up here: kidsnotforsale.org/usiaht/
There is a lot to unpack in understanding a victim’s life of prostitution/trafficking. We interviewed Bekah Charleston who was trafficked for 11 years through “legal” brothels in Nevada in this episode’s deep dive podcast on Trafficking Free America. To reflect further on this episode and prepare for Session 4, please access Season 2, episode 6 of our podcast, Trafficking Free America: Listen on Spotify or Apple.
Brandy Crisafulli runs a safe home on the east coast of Florida. If you would like to learn more about her home and ministry, you can find out more below:
Session 5
If you are ready to take action and try volunteering at a safe home, victim care center, or something similar that assists victims of sex trafficking, exploitation, or abuse – sign up to become an Abolitionist to receive our trainings, resources, and content so that you can make a difference in your area and sphere of influence.
Sign up here: kidsnotforsale.org/usiaht/
Resources
DISCUSS INTERNET SAFETY AND DEVELOP AN ONLINE SAFETY PLAN:
Discuss with your teenagers before they engage in online activity. Establish clear guidelines, teach children to spot red flags, and encourage them to have open communication with you.
SUPERVISE USE OF THE INTERNET:
This includes periodically checking their profiles, posts, and browser history. Keep electronic devices in open, common areas of the home and consider setting time limits for their use.
REVIEW GAMES, APPS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA SITES:
Review before they are downloaded or used by your teenager. Pay particular attention to apps and sites that feature end-to-end encryption, direct messaging, video chats, file uploads, and user anonymity, which are frequently relied upon by online predators.
ADJUST PRIVACY SETTINGS AND USE PARENTAL CONTROLS:
For online games, apps, social medial sites, and electronic devices.
TALK WITH YOUR TEENAGER ABOUT BODY SAFETY AND BOUNDARIES:
This includes the importance of saying ‘no’ to inappropriate requests both in the physical world and the virtual world.
BE ALERT TO POTENTIAL SIGNS OF ABUSE:
This includes changes in your teenager’s use of electronic devices, attempts to conceal online activity, withdrawn behavior, angry outbursts, anxiety, and depression.
ENCOURAGE YOUR TEENAGERS TO CONSULT A PARENT, GUIDANCE COUNSELOR, OR OTHER TRUSTED ADULT:
If anyone asks them to engage in sexual activity or other inappropriate behavior.
Watching Out For Online Enticement
Overview
Online Enticement involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a minor via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This is a broad category of online exploitation and includes:
Sextortion, in which a minor is being groomed to take sexually explicit images and/or ultimately meet face-to-face with someone for sexual purposes
Or for Instance to engage in a sexual chat online or, in some instances, to sell/trade the minor’s sexual images. This type of victimization takes place across every platform; social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc.
Red Flags!
📵 Engaging in sexual conversation/role-playing as a grooming method, rather than a goal.
📵 Asking the teenager for sexually explicit images of themselves or mutually sharing images.
📵 Developing a rapport through compliments, discussing shared interests or “liking” their online post, also known as grooming.
📵 Sending or offering sexually explicit images of themselves pretending to be younger.
📵 Offering an incentive such as a gift card, alcohol, drugs, lodging, transportation or food.
Social Media Apps You Should Know About
SNAPCHAT
One of the most popular apps in recent years.While it promises users can take photo/video and it will disappear, new features including stories allow users to view content for up to 24 hours. Snapchat also allows users to see your location on their Snap Map.
MEET ME
A dating social media app that allows users to connect with people based on geographic proximity. As the name suggests, users are encouraged to meet each other in person.
WHISPER
An anonymous social network that promotes sharing secrets with strangers. It also reveals a user’s location so people can meet up.
LIVE ME
An anonymous social network that promotes sharing secrets with strangers. It also reveals a user’s location so people can meet up.
DISCORD
