5 Myths about Human Trafficking in Oklahoma

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention Month, and one local organization said on Thursday that it hopes to dispel common myths. 

The Dragonfly Home said it serves survivors of human trafficking on their paths to freedom and restoration, offering a variety of services on a case-by-case basis. 

"It can be anything from us helping somebody who needs to get a tattoo covered up who was branded by their trafficker; somebody who needs trauma-focused therapy, people who need help getting employment and housing,” the Dragonfly Home said. 

MYTH 1: Human trafficking doesn’t happen in Oklahoma. 

People are blown away that trafficking happens here in Oklahoma, the organization shared. 

“We see situations where people are labor trafficked, maybe in an agricultural or a cannabis setting. People might also be rented out or sold by a family member, intimate partner or spouse,” said Whitney Anderson, Executive Director and Cofounder of The Dragonfly Home. 

Anderson said she also sees survivors in pimp-controlled prostitution, “and so it's very diverse. Every situation of trafficking is different.” 

MYTH 2: Human trafficking is prevalent in Oklahoma because of the highway system. 

“We also hear that people believe we have an issue with trafficking because of our highway system; because of our geographic location and because of the different interstates crossing in our state. When you actually listen to survivor stories, you hear that it's much more complicated than that," Anderson explained. 

MYTH 3: Human traffickers are often strangers. 

“So many people think that trafficking is what you might see in Hollywood, like in a movie-- a strange kidnapping or a stranger situation. What we've seen over the last 10 years is something much more nefarious.” 

Oftentimes, victims and survivors are trafficked by people they know and trust, the organization shared. 

"That could be a family member; their partner. It could be somebody that they met online," Anderson said. 

MYTH 4: Human trafficking is only about making money. 

“We see people with substance use issues selling their children for drugs. So, they would rent out the children and somebody would have sex with the child. The person would get heroin, cocaine, meth, or whatever. So, it doesn't have to be money,” the organization explained. 

The Dragonfly Home added that traffickers often seek out victims in vulnerable situations for personal gain, whether that be for sex, profit, or labor. 

“We find at Dragonfly that traffickers look for people that don't have a safety net or a safe circle of people enveloping them,” she continued. “And so, it's really important to be a safe person in other people's lives.” 

MYTH 5: Nothing is being done to help the problem. 

“There are people tackling this 24/7 in Oklahoma. Dragonfly is one of them. Survivors of trafficking deserve the very best services and they deserve having someone holding people accountable,” said Melissa Eick, Director of Advancement for The Dragonfly Home. 

The Dragonfly Home said it is the only state-certified provider of human trafficking victim-survivor services in Oklahoma City “which then leads to us serving the Greater Central Oklahoma and then even into the rural parts of Oklahoma.” 

"So, if people are frustrated, understandably, by what they're seeing with trafficking in their state, they can get involved with people who are specializing in this,” Eick finished. 

A candlelight vigil featuring interactive displays, performances, and survivors’ stories will be held on January 30th at 6 PM at the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits.