01/29/2025
Potential trigger alert….. Please take a moment to read this. I volunteer with this organization, and for those of us who may travel in our career journey, especially by car, there is a reason we see information with tear-tabs and phone numbers for reporting.
Put the number in your phone.
In the early years of my nursing career, I worked in inpatient care for child and adolescent mental health. What was happening to the kids I met in the 80s is still happening today.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Languages: English, Spanish
Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
1-888-373-7888
Text INFO to 233733
"A little bit about my journey—it’s hard to start with the negative, but if sharing how I’ve turned something terrible into something meaningful helps others, then it’s worth it.
I was a victim of severe child abuse—physical, s*xual, s*x trafficked, mental, and emotional—through almost all of my childhood. The abuse began at 2 or 3 years old, and finally ended when I was 16 or 17. I was never rescued. My abusers were never caught.
Familial trafficking is incredibly difficult to uncover because children are conditioned to see abuse as their obligation. I was taught that it was my role in life, that speaking out would betray my family. I was terrified of the consequences, and I know other children feel the same.
Trafficked children, especially in familial situations, often work hard to maintain the appearance of being ‘perfect.’ I was a straight-A student, active in sports, and eager to please authority figures. On paper, I looked like I had it all together. But underneath, I was carrying a heavy, invisible burden.
I realized I didn’t have to treat my experiences as a skeleton to hide. Instead, I chose to carry it as a banner. It wasn’t my fault, and I had nothing to be ashamed of. The shame belongs to the abusers, but too often, victims carry that burden.
I wanted to show that children can survive unimaginable things and, with the right support—therapy, love, patience—they can recover and lead meaningful lives.
My first presentation, I shared a simple message: children can heal, recover, and thrive. That message of hope became central to my work.
That’s why asking direct questions—like ‘Are you being abused?’—doesn’t work. The answers will be what the child has been conditioned to say: ‘I’m fine,’ ‘I’m happy.’ Instead, ask subtle questions like, ‘Where do you feel safest?’ or ‘Who do you trust the most?’ Their answers can reveal cracks in the facade. If a child says they feel safest in a closet or can’t name a trusted family member, those are indicators that something may be wrong.
I love NCMEC and their commitment to combating human trafficking. The courage of the Walsh family, who turned their tragedy into a mission to protect children, has been a constant source of inspiration for me.
To everyone working to protect children, you’re making a difference—for children, families, and survivors like me.” Robert Lung: Judge and Child Advocatee
