Child Sex Trafficking: Story 2 | with Crista Miller

Social media has connected us in ways we could never have imagined. We are now connected, even if we are physically away from our friends and family.  Our lives on are display for the world to see, our proudest moments, our deepest sadness. The times of self-reflection and isolation to regroup ourselves, are a thing of the past, as we turn to the internet for comfort and a sense of belonging. Cause, after all, it is easy to share our lives with just a few clicks. All the while, "they" could be watching, and by "they" I mean the predators.  When I say predators, I don't mean the monsters that we conceive in our mind that are constructed out of our nightmares, I am talking about everyday people, working everyday jobs. The people you see, day in and day out, the ones you would say, "I didn't think they were capable of doing that, they were so nice", those are the predators I am talking about. The ones hiding behind the gentle façade of a friend request and then lurking and waiting for the right opportunity. The ones who have infiltrated our lives masking themselves as our friends. 

As adults growing up, we were taught about Stranger Danger, don't talk to strangers, we were told in a stern voice. There is no doubt that it was easier for us to determine if a person approaching was a stranger. Fast forward to today, is a person you call a friend on social media considered a stranger? Is it clear to our kids what a stranger is? How do we teach our children to distinguish a stranger from a friend? Social media has blurred the lines and it is important that we teach our kids the difference. But in order to teach them the difference, we need to get right about what a stranger is nowadays. 

On today's episode we are going to hear Crista's story, a mother whose daughter was groomed, tracked on social media, and during a moment of typical teenage angst, got herself into a trafficking situation. Her story is a cautionary tale about relying on parenting strategies of yesteryear that are no longer enough and how through giving our kids grace can change the course of our relationships with them.

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Thanks:

Thanks to Shane Yoder and his team at puttheminasong.com for the theme music, thanks to Ed Luby for the Awareness Logo, and thanks to my family for allowing me to do my part to help raise awareness.

Intro Music:

Imagine Beyond - Mokhov

Closing Music:

They Know - Macabro