In this episode of The 411 Live, Beverly Taylor talks to Lisa McCormick, the mother of a sex trafficking victim, and Dr. Debbie Lassiter, the Executive Director and co-founder of Convergence Resource Center on the importance of awareness when it comes to sex trafficking and families. We discuss how to be more aware of sex trafficking and the impact it has on the family.
In this first of two-part series, we follow along as Lisa McCormick tells her story of how she went from someone who didn’t know much about sex trafficking to her son becoming a victim of the violent trade. Lisa says, “You know, being from rural Wisconsin, we really were not aware of what trafficking was and if it was, it was something, you know, in a much bigger city than, you know, small-town America”. Dr. Lassiter guides us along as she explains the impact sex trafficking has on victims and their families. Using Lisa’s McCormick’s story to explain how we are to understand this world which is unknown to so many people and how we are to react and support those who are victims. Especially if they are a family member or friend. Dr. Lassiter says, “So what they didn’t understand is that the families are now in shock and they don’t know what to say to you. They don’t know what to do. Unfortunately, some of them then said, well, I’m going back to my trafficker because at least he loves me”.
Lisa’s story stands out amongst the others because unlike the typical victims of sex trafficking that we’ve come to assume, Lisa’s child that was sex trafficked was her son. A white boy from rural Wisconsin who was trafficked to woman, a story we are not used to hearing. Join Beverly and guest as we embark on a change, for a better future.
If you would like to learn more about Convergence Resource Center and their programs, go to convergencesresource.org or contact them at (414)-979-0591.
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888 or text BeFree (233733)
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“Trafficked” More Than Just A Story Healing Series
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