Part 2: Debunking the conspiracy theories doing the rounds on Instagram right now
I talked to the experts. Here’s what they said.
Last week we talked about Pizzagate and where child trafficking conspiracy theories came from. If you missed it - you can read it here. In today’s newsletter I’m sharing what the experts told me.
Eleanor Parkes is director of CPAT Child ALERT. It is the only New Zealand-based organisation whose sole focus is to address the sexual exploitation of children.
Like me, she’s had many people write to her freaking out about Pizzagate and Wayfair.
“People know that sex trafficking is a huge industry, but they don’t know what trafficking looks like so they build up their knowledge through conspiracy theories on social media and movies like ‘Trafficked,” she says.
“A major misunderstanding that we are constantly dealing with is around the term ‘trafficking’ - people picture children tied up and smuggled over borders or on planes, and while it may look this way in some countries, this image does not at all capture what we most often see here in New Zealand.”
“Trafficking in New Zealand is much more likely to feature New Zealanders who are exploited without ever leaving the country and who are reluctant to engage with [the system] due to negative early experiences with Police or Oranga Tamariki or family distrust of these agencies. They might avoid police and social workers, disengage from services like mental health support, and are unusually tough for their age. Otherwise, they look like regular young people – they're usually not starving, not forbidden from accessing medical treatment, and not locked up in brothels. This reality has been evidenced in Dr Natalie Thorburn’s recent research into trafficking, based on interviews with victims.
"What sex trafficking really looks like in New Zealand is disenfranchised minors who are locked into relationships with usually older boyfriends or family members. These relationships typically involve sporadic but frequent physical and sexual violence and high levels of control, precluding their ability to try to refuse when they’re instructed to sell sex to ‘clients’ organised by the other person".
It is my view that conspiracy theorist influencers focused on celebrity or political trafficking of which there is no evidence, and turning away from trafficking in their own backyard, their own church, their own home - are putting children at risk.
Eleanor agrees the emphasis on stranger danger for children is misplaced.
"In New Zealand we still have this idea of ‘stranger danger’ and we need to move beyond this because most cases of child sexual exploitation involve someone already known to the child."
Eleanor says New Zealand needs a more accurate picture of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children - and conspiracy theories are simply making it harder to recognise and stop abuse.
I contacted Catriona Robinson, GM Operations Associate DCE, Immigration, at Ministry for Business and Innovation and asked for information on the conspiracy theory that NZ is ranked as a ‘safe haven’ for paedophilia.
"Each year the US State Department produces a global report that assesses countries on their anti-trafficking efforts, and each country is ranked on their efforts. New Zealand has maintained Tier 1 status in the report, which is the highest ranking," she said.
I’m going to put this in caps. THE HIGHEST RANKING.
I asked what people should do if they believe they’ve discovered child trafficking in New Zealand. She said go on Instagram and do a bunch of stories about it in between posting pictures of your children and saying things like “love these new wooden toys only $850 for a truck! Little Quinoa loves them!”
LOL JK she said this: “People should familiarise themselves with the signs and indicators of people trafficking, and contact Police or Immigration New Zealand if they have concerns.”
The Police said they do not comment on conspiracy theories. They gave me this statement: “While child trafficking for the purposes of exploitation is recognised as an issue globally, across borders or within borders child trafficking is not widely encountered in New Zealand. Police does work with partner agencies to monitor any situations or incidents where this offending is suspected. We encourage anyone with concerns or suspicions that a child is being exploited to contact Police in the first instance rather than confront a person suspected of involvement in this type of offending.”
See, not that crazy!
Meanwhile, influencers dutifully put “down the rabbit hole” in their stories after dropping their kids off at their brother’s house - because they need time out you know? This research work takes time you know. Then it’s their uncle’s place on the weekend. Sunday school with that very nice priest who is just so kind to the altar boys.
1 out of 3 girls may be sexually abused before she turns 16 years old. Most of this abuse (90%) will be done by someone she knows and 70% will involve genital contact.
1 in 7 boys may be sexually abused by adulthood.
More then 23% of women who participated in a recent Auckland study reported that they had been sexually abused as children. Most of the abuse was perpetrated by male family members with an estimated median age of 30 years.
Over 90% of child victims know their offender, with almost half of the offenders being a family member. Of sexual assaults against people age 12 and over, approximately 80% of the victims know the offender.
I understand how scary it is to face the idea that maybe your child might not be safe with someone you know. But spending hours spreading bullshit about Hillary Clinton and sex abuse is actually lulling you into a false sense of security that puts your kids at risk.
You’re also putting other kids at risk.
Thank you for supporting this work. In the next part of this series I’ll go into more detail about what trafficking in New Zealand looks like and what we can do to stop it. I’ll also look at online sexual abuse - and how kids are put at risk that way. I will also address the conspiracy theories about abortion law reform in New Zealand.