Last year, the University of Maryland chapter of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity became the first Greek organization in the country to become a certified Safe Haven.
The designation meant many of the members underwent the mandatory four-hour training to learn how to identify victims of sex trafficking and spread awareness. But the fraternity has not stopped trying to combat the problem.
Alpha Sigma Phi hosted the second two-hour training session Tuesday, helping eight other fraternities and sororities earn a Safe Haven certification.
“Just walking around campus, sometimes you mention, ‘I’m in Alpha Sigma Phi,’ and people mention … ‘Oh, you guys were the first fraternity Safe Haven; how do we get involved?’ And that’s exactly the reaction you want,” said sophomore Brooks Gearhart, president of the chapter and a marketing and supply chain management major.
About 130 people came Tuesday after about 140 showed up to the first part of training last week, said Louise Dickson, Maryland volunteer coordinator for the Safe Haven Campaign. The first training included an overview of sex trafficking and explained factors that can influence it.
“We’ve figured out how to start the [Safe Haven] initiative, and we’re proud to be the chapter that is leading the initiative and realizing that we are making a difference at the University of Maryland,” Gearhart said.
The training opened with Dickson asking whether anyone knew about Stockholm syndrome — the theme of the night’s training and one of the tools traffickers use to trick victims. Also called traumatic bonding, Stockholm syndrome describes the phenomenon of victims feeling an emotional connection to their captors.
The Safe Haven Campaign primarily focuses on raising awareness because many people don’t realize human trafficking is a problem in the United States, Dickson said.
“The trafficking of minors is a growing crime and out of proportion,” she said. “At this point, it’s an epidemic.”
Kodiak Carb, community service chairman of the Alpha Sigma Phi chapter, said all the students at the event would hopefully help bring this issue to other people’s attention.
“They’re all going to go out and they’re all going to talk to other people,” said Carb, a senior physiology and neurobiology major. “Maybe they just talk to their parents. Maybe they just talk to their friend. Maybe they just talk to their roommate, but that’s 300 people that kind of have been educated on this issue.”
The event also featured a screening of Chosen, a documentary depicting the true stories of two human trafficking victims.
One of the film’s subjects, Brianna, was a typical girl from a small town. One evening, Brianna met a man who eventually manipulated her into becoming a stripper. However, the girl’s family convinced her of the danger she had put herself in before it was too late.
“I don’t know how many of you have … younger sisters and brothers, and this could easily happen to them,” Carb said, noting that authority figures can sometimes be manipulators. “Maybe just questioning everything is the best approach.”
Both Gearhart and Carb stressed the importance of bringing attention to human trafficking and said awareness is best weapon against it. They plan to spread awareness throughout this university’s Greek life community and the entire student body. The Alpha Sigma Phi chapter won the President’s Cup from this university as well as an award from its national fraternity for its initiatives.
The chapter is planning to “start a spark in the Greek community, and then we’re going to take it to the University of Maryland, take it to the entire campus,” Carb said.
