January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and each of us can take an action that will have significant impact--spreading facts, not misinformation, regarding child sexual exploitation. Throughout 2020, news sources debunked QAnon's use of the hashtag #SaveTheChildren in an attempt to legitimize its outlandish, unverified claims regarding child sex trafficking. Their hijacking and deliberate misuse of the #SaveThe Children hashtag threatens the advocacy efforts of legitimate anti-human trafficking organizations- Hotline numbers are flooded. While QAnon remains a fringe movement, its emergence on the social media scene must be countered.
Our collective efforts in advancing anti-human trafficking legislation, along with education and training is too critical to be derailed. As members of our Coalition, leaders of our communities, and every day folk who are committed to making a difference, please add your name and affiliation to the below statement that disputes QAnon's false claims.
Thank you for taking this critical action, and your support of our efforts to ensure that not one child is exploited for labor or sexual purposes.
show your support - sign the statement
As active participants in the Metro Atlanta Coalition to End Human Trafficking, convened by the International Human Trafficking Institute of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, we reject the false claims that undermine the tireless work of our members. We represent over 200 entities from the public, private, multi-faith, education, advocacy, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, who firmly stand against any group that politicizes and misinforms our communities. The trafficking of persons is an egregious human rights violation, and will only end if our actions are guided by facts.
QAnon and its use of #SaveTheChildren hashtag is built on misinformation and false claims. As a result, support and attention is diverted from organizations with proven impact. This also hampers our communinty's commitments to prevent human trafficking, and addressing the needs of those who are, or at risk of becoming, victims. Unsubstantiated claims and accusations can spin out of control and mislead well-meaning people into doing more harm than good, declared Polaris, who operates the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Please take a moment to learn something, see something, do something to end human trafficking
learn more: resources
- Polaris QAnon #SaveTheChildren Q&A
- QAnon has hijacked the name of a real organization trying to save children
- QAnon crackdown: Facebook restricts Save the Children hashtag ahead of Election Day
- QAnon’s ‘Save the Children’ morphs into popular slogan
- These Arizona anti-trafficking groups say QAnon misinformation is derailing their efforts
- MSNBC: QAnon’s Save The Children conspiracy is harming real anti-trafficking organizations
- Combatting Child Trafficking Misinformation
- How ‘Save the Children’ Is Keeping QAnon Alive
- QAnon 101: What you need to know about the conspiracy theory
- QAnon believers think there's a vast cabal snatching up children in kidnappings, but almost every child reported missing turns out to be a runaway
- How #SaveTheChildren is pulling American moms into QAnon
- WWNY: Was a Save the Children rally in Watertown inspired by QAnon conspiracy theory?
- You want to stop child abuse? Here's how you can actually help
- QAnon Followers are Hijacking the #SaveTheChildren Movement