The rise in myths and conspiracy theories about human trafficking have been one of the most frustrating parts of being a child abuse professional over the past few years. It has been a deadly game of whack a mole, because as soon as one myth or conspiracy theory is debunked, yet another arises.

Dr. Maureen Kenny, a professor of psychology at Florida International University, set out to explore why and how these conspiracy theories were endorsed by a diverse college population in hopes that this would give us insight into better education strategies for the wider public. If you have ever moaned and groaned your way through a media report with whackadoodle ideas about trafficking or rolled your eyes at a movie that depicted it all wrong, this episode is for you. Please take a listen.

Topics in this episode:

• Origin story (1:55)
• What is human trafficking? (3:01)
• Why the uptick in myths and conspiracy theories? (5:06)
• Why we want to believe (13:13)
• Language choices (16:42)
• What kids need to know (18:49)
• Surprising findings (22:41)
• The scale of misinformation (24:41)
• Influencing the influencers (26:15)
• Future research (31:27)
• Advice for child abuse professionals (37:40)
• One bright note (38:50)
• For more information (40:10)

Links:

Maureen C. Kenny, Ph.D., professor, associate chair Academic Personnel and Diversity, Florida International University

“Conspiracy Theories of Human Trafficking: Knowledge and Perceptions Among a Diverse College Population,” Maureen C. Kenny, Claire Helpingstine, and Tracy Borelus (2023), Journal of Human Trafficking, DOI: 10.1080/23322705.2023.2225367

The study Teresa mentions: “‘Influencing the Influencers:’ A Field Experimental Approach to Promoting Effective Mental Health Communication on TikTok,” Matt Motta, Yuning Liu, and Amanda Yarnell (2023); there are multiple news stories about the study, including a recent NPR article by Andrea Muraskin (January 5, 2024)

Dr. Kenny suggests these websites to learn more about myths and facts of human trafficking:

• Polaris Project 
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Trafficking In Persons, OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Exposing the Myths of Human Trafficking (hhs.gov) 
• National Human Trafficking Hotline: Myths & Facts

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.

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