Hand distress signal to use in unsafe/abusive situations and SDGs
A silent cry for help when unable to vocalize it.
Disclaimer
I personally do not advocate any process or procedure contained in any of my Blogs. Information presented here is not intended to provide legal or lawful advice, nor medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevent any disease. Views expressed are for educational purposes only.
Lifting the lid on sex abuse and trafficking in NZ
Thank you, Penny Marie
Gloria Master is promoting a simple hand signal for children who are being sexually abused, to seek help. Please share her hand sign for children. Her podcast, called Handing The Shame Back, is in 63 countries and has had over 12 million views worldwide.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-141193797?source=queue
Penny-Marie’s post promoted me to dig deeper as follows:
Missing North Carolina teen used hand signal to escape her abductor
Nov 05, 2021
A missing North Carolina teenager was rescued by Kentucky police on Nov. 4, 2021, after signaling for help using a hand gesture she learned on TikTok.
The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office shared the 16-year-old teenager was initially reported missing by her parents on Nov. 2, 2021. On Nov. 4, 2021, a motorist in Kentucky reportedly called 911 after seeing the teen showcase the hand signal on the highway.
The TikTok hand signal for help, created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, [Canada’s public foundation for gender justice and equality] is a one-handed sign an individual can use in distress.
"The complainant was behind the vehicle and noticed a female passenger in the vehicle making hand gestures known on the social media platform TikTok to represent violence at home — I need help — domestic violence," the Laurel County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.
The motorist shared with authorities that the vehicle was being driven by a male and proceeded to give law enforcement his exact location.
Once police arrived on the scene, they pulled the vehicle over and brought the teenager to safety. After investigating, police found a phone in the suspect's possession that "allegedly portrayed a juvenile female in a sexual manner." The driver, 61-year-old James Brick, was immediately arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment and "possession of matter sex performance by a minor."
The teenager later shared that the suspect took her through North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio where he had relatives. Once the suspect’s relatives learned the teenager was reported missing and underage, the suspect fled Ohio and began traveling south. The teenager then started to do the TikTok hand signal to get the attention of motorists.
https://www.facebook.com/laurelcountysheriff/posts/256143486545841
Facebook comment re Brick
Andrea Dre Teesatuskie
I sure do wish everybody would quit saying from Cherokee NC. I live here, have almost 40 years (my entire life) and he was a long term renter (if even that) at a campground here, he was not from here!!!
The girl [16] and Brick [61] were acquainted
The girl and Brick were acquainted and she initially went with the man willingly, but at some point became scared, said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, spokesman for the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.
Unclear which hand signal the teen employed
It’s unclear which hand signal the teen employed, but USA Today noted that some police agencies and the Canadian Women’s Foundation suggested the following as a discrete way to ask someone to reach out to make sure you’re safe:
https://twitter.com/HaltonPolice/status/1430218446281875463
Suspect in TikTok hand signal rescue case indicted by grand jury
Nov 19.21
Police said the girl left North Carolina with Brick willingly but later wanted to escape. He refused and the girl told police he threatened to kill her pets or himself in front of her if she did. Instead, she gave drivers the signal that many police and even the prosecutor had been unaware of.
James Brick will be back in court January 19th when he could face additional charges.
https://www.wymt.com/2021/11/20/suspect-tiktok-hand-signal-rescue-case-indicted-by-grand-jury/
Unable to find further court updates.
Social media users praise Canadian Women’s Foundation for TikTok hand signal
Since the story of the rescued teen has gone viral, creators have been praising the Canadian Women’s Foundation for creating the hand signal for help. As of this writing, the TikTok video teaching the signal has garnered 1.1 million likes and nearly 133,000 shares.
In a 2020 video, two women are seemingly having a friendly discussion about a banana bread recipe. But, one of the women is actually signaling to the other that she is in distress, without tipping off the male in the background. At the end of the video, a quick tutorial of the hand signal is shown for reference.
Become a Signal For Help Responder
There’s a lot of stigma and silence around gender-based violence in our society: too many people who experience abuse are shamed, silenced, and stigmatized, and too many people don’t feel they have the confidence or knowledge to support them.
The above project is funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada. https://canadianwomen.org/signal-for-help/
Women and Gender Equality Canada
Committed to advancing equality with respect to sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression through inclusion of people of all genders, including women, in Canada's economic, social, and political life.
https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en.html
Another perspective
How well did the teen’s parents know the man Brick?
Did the parents know where Brick lived? Was he a renter at a campground?
Did the parents ask Brick where he was taking their daughter, why, for how long?
Did Brick’s own family know the teen? Did his family question what Brick was doing with a 16 year old girl from North Carolina?
If the complainant in a vehicle behind Brick’s vehicle noticed a female passenger making hand gestures, was the teen in the back seat with her hand turned backwards to face the complainant’s vehicle? If so, wouldn’t Brick have seen in his rear view mirror such activity?
Due diligence
A distress signal is a valuable resource. You can even create your own to use with family and friends or a code word to text.
I just want to share what I perceive as a bigger agenda behind the story that went viral b/c in today’s AI controlled world, when multiple mainstream media channels broadcast the same story manipulating public opinion, when there’s strong underlying currents of UN sustainable development goals https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal5 that go viral, and when you know what’s really going on i.e. a world coup might you question the narrative?
Questioning the narrative is a form of due diligence to ensure no error on our part. Questions optimize our heart/brain connection to help see through the propaganda, make wiser choices, avoid traps and assist others. TY!
Without prejudice and without recourse
Doreen Agostino
Our Greater Destiny Blog
children