Awareness rally for human trafficking slated for next month

Tonya Cliffman wants to get the word out about child abuse and sex trafficking that’s currently plaguing society. Because of her passion for helping children find a better tomorrow, Cliffman is organizing a rally aimed at bringing awareness to these issues.

The rally, dubbed “Protect the Children,” is slated for Saturday, Sept. 19, in an area near Earp Park on Austin Boulevard. The event is set to begin at noon. Those interested in attending can reserve a spot via the event’s Facebook page.

“Be active, be vocal, it’s not going to go away on its own,” Cliffman told the Daily Mail. “We’ve been fighting this for years. Back in 1984, we had kids on milk cartons, and here we are in 2020, and we have missing children for different reasons. The purpose of the rally is to get people out, bring the conversation to the table.”

Cliffman said it will continue to be a never-ending problem unless people step up and have ownership in it.

“We need to challenge ourselves, get on the internet, and use what resources we have available,” she said. “We need to keep talking, and learning about why our children are targets. We need to talk to the survivors who have been successful at getting out of trafficking. We’re going to have to be vocal if we’re going make a change in trafficking, child abuse, and child pornography.”

Added Cliffman: “We can’t use the same tools we did 20, 30 years ago to keep our kids safe. And the only way we’re going know how to do that proactively is to learn about it — to get behind those organizations that have experience with it, and have the resources available.”

The Joplin Globe recently reported that experts have observed an increase in child trafficking crimes in the midst of the global pandemic. A quote appearing in the article from Ghada Waly, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, appeared in the article. Waley cited major reasons for the recent uptick as “loss of jobs, growing poverty, school closures, and a rise in online interactions (which) are increasing vulnerabilities and opening up opportunities for organized crime groups.”

The article also touched on the various forms of child trafficking, which include “forced marriage, migrant farming, begging, sweatshops, pornography, sex tourism, domestic labor, and armed groups,” citing the United Nations Children’s Fund as its source.

Of further importance, the article stated that the Southwest Missouri Cybercrime Task Force, responsible for investigating cyber offenses related to victimized children, reported that nearly 900 cases were opened in 2019, a 37 percent increase from the previous year.

Cliffman said members of the Vernon County Sheriff’s Office (VCSO) will be on hand for the rally, distributing resources and offering (ID) fingerprinting for children.

“I have five great-nieces, and three great-nephews,” said Cliffman, also a mother of a teenage daughter. “According to the CDC, the statistics are one in four girls. So I’m sitting there looking at my nieces, and I thought ‘I am not willing to sacrifice a single one of them to trafficking or sexual abuse.' When you really look at the odds, and see one of them could be affected, it was really overwhelming. I’m not satisfied with that.”

Cliffman said she would like to bring to light other topics similar to child abuse and sex trafficking.

“I know of instances where there’s 'sextortion,'” Cliffman said, referring to a minor exchanging sexually explicit pictures with an adult. “I know that some of our teenagers are out there having conversations with men. Because if you have a sad story, they’ll send you money. I think it’s a dangerous road to go down.”

Cliffman said she hopes at least 300 people will participate in the rally, and added they will be selling T-shirts to help further raise awareness for child trafficking, with all proceeds going to the Nevada Children's Center.

“We’re encouraging people to make their own signs, to use their own expression," she said. "I would ask that the signs be appropriate. We’re out here trying to do awareness, and don’t want our message to be lost. We want it to be impactful, without losing part of the message due to bad behavior or profanity.”

Cliffman also wants to see the rescued children eventually be able to assume a normal life. “How do you acclimate survivors back to what we would call a normal life? Because in a lot of cases, this is what they know. And in some cases, they don’t realize it’s wrong.”

Said Cliffman: “We parents have to figure out how to recognize when our child might be at risk. We have to know what they’re doing on their phones. Even with (phone) games, there’s chat rooms where people will reach out and try to get to know other people. And that's where predators are finding kids.”

Concluded Cliffman: “I have a passion to make a difference in the world for the kids that don’t have voices.”