‘The Spoon Trick’: Person Shares A Tip That Can Help Victims Escape Their Abusers Discreetly
InterviewEvery year, thousands of people fall into the hands of human traffickers, both in their own countries and abroad. One of the motives for committing such a horrendous crime is forcing a victim into marriage. In 2016, there were an estimated 15.4 million people in forced marriages, 88% of whom were women and girls. Although it’s hard to calculate the exact number since so many cases are underreported, the problem may be even bigger.
But the UK-based charity “Karma Nirvana,” which supports victims of abuse and forced marriage, has come up with a way to alert the authorities that you’re in danger. It’s called the “metal spoon technique,” and it refers to hiding a metal spoon in your underwear to trigger airport metal detectors. As a result, the victim is taken away for a search, enabling them to raise the alarm in a safe and private manner.
More info: KarmaNirvana.org.uk | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Hiding a metal spoon in underwear will trigger airport detectors and will show the authorities that the victim is in danger
Image credits: Andrew Pilloud (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda reached out to Anup Magnota, the operations manager at Karma Nirvana, a charity in Leeds, UK that came up with the metal spoon technique. Anup explained that the idea came from one of their call handlers 9 years ago, whereby a victim was worried about being taken abroad for marriage.
“The call handler reacted instinctively and stated to put a spoon in her underwear and whilst going through security at the airport, she will have the opportunity of speaking to someone privately and disclose that she does not want to leave the country because of a forced marriage.”
Anup warned that the spoon method is a last-resort measure to prevent a victim leaving the country, “as we will aim to work with partners to ensure a victim is removed from an abusive situation before.”
The metal spoon technique came to the spotlight on social media after one person shared it in a Twitter thread
Lockdown has been a difficult period for many of Karma Nirvana’s victims. Anup explained that “they experience constant surveillance by their perpetrators, who often are parents or their partner. We receive contacts via email, as it’s a safer way of seeking help.”
Luckily, the challenging circumstances have not stopped many victims from calling the helpline for support. “Victims have managed to call for help when they went for a walk or call when the perpetrator was out of the home.”
The UK government has also taken measures into their hands by developing ways to raise the alarm about abuse. “Victims can dial 55 when speaking to the police to alert they are a victim of domestic abuse. This will trigger a response to the address to get the victim away safely.”
Other people joined the thread
Karma Nirvana’s helpline has been running since 2008 and the organisation was set up in 1993. Anup said that even if it’s hard to give an accurate number for the life span of the organisation, they do know since the inception of the helpline, they have had over 100k contacts to the helpline.
“Over lockdown, since 23 March, we have supported 1371 people in the UK that are suffering honour-based abuse, at risk of forced marriage and domestic abuse,” Anup explained.
The idea came from this UK charity that supports victims of abuse and forced marriage
Image credits: karmanirvana
Anup also said that their charity would never make a decision for the victim, but will provide them options and advocate on their behalf, especially as some lack confidence or have language barriers.
“A case is never closed on the helpline and our service will remain open regardless where the victim is in the journey. Sometimes a victim will want to just speak to someone as they feel very low and require emotional support, which has increased significantly over the lockdown.”
Most importantly, Karma Nirvana is working to ensure the victim is listened to and believed, since they’re often the first agency that validates what victims are going through.
And this is what people had to comment
Whether you are at risk or are concerned for someone in the United Kingdom that is, contact the British charity Karma Nirvana’s helpline for confidential support to both victims and professionals at 0800 5999 247.
I really support this but we might want to keep it from getting to publicly known because then abusers might check for it. But anyway im so so glad that this has saved people and can help save people
RIght. Except how do you get the info to potential victims? It's impossible to get info like this out there without letting both victims and perpetrators know.
Load More Replies...Great idea! But would the victims always have the time to find a spoon somewhere and tuck it in their underwear?
Not always, but it doesn't have to work with all people all the time to be effective. A spoon seems like a common enough item that an abuser wouldn't think twice about leaving around his victim or notice if one is missing.
Load More Replies...Whether it works of not, it is still a chance. Me, I'd fake an epileptic seizure or something so medically wrong, they would be forced to call paramedics.
I worked for TSA for 5 years, and we were continually taught, and had to take refresher courses on, how to detect possible human trafficking, and what to do when we suspect it. We learned the signs, and how to discreetly alert the proper people. Basically to make sure, if the people are exiting a flight, the airport LEOs would know who to pull aside. If boarding, the Air Marshalls and their destination airport would be alerted, so they could be pulled aside, separated to keep the victim safe and possibly comfortable enough to talk, and then be interviewed. There are special visas for victims, so they can legally stay here while recovering from the abuse (physically treated of course, and at least given a good foundation for recovering mentally and emotionally also), getting their identification returned (traffickers hold on to it so their victims can’t leave) or replaced so they can travel (to their home countries), and completing their statements for the traffickers’ trials.
One problem is that if you're dealing with child trafficking, security won't be allowed to separate the child from the parents. The parents would be required to be present during a private screening. Still, it would work for adults, since even spouses or companions wouldn't be allowed in the private screening.
They will if this gets too much out there.. that's the down side.. Also the hand sign for abuse in video calling.. doesn't work anymore in some cases.. :(
Load More Replies...This was invented specifically for young girls suspecting they are taken abroad by their parents to marry some stranger in their parent's home country. It's not just all around for victims of abuse! These girls often did NOT experience any abuse prior to the forced marriage, which is why they can't believe their parents are really going to do it, when it happens.
What is the human traffickers are the authorities in the airport? Ever thought about that?
I travel for work all the time and almost always get food delivered, so I travel with silverware to avoid so much waste... Unless the x-ray can see that it's packed in my underwear instead of my work clothes, the tsa is gonna get really tired with me very quickly
it doesnt have to work every time, if it works once, thats good.
Why do people keep falling for these things? Yes, they have never heard of this because it's not a thing. Unless someone can find me a verified source.
I really support this but we might want to keep it from getting to publicly known because then abusers might check for it. But anyway im so so glad that this has saved people and can help save people
RIght. Except how do you get the info to potential victims? It's impossible to get info like this out there without letting both victims and perpetrators know.
Load More Replies...Great idea! But would the victims always have the time to find a spoon somewhere and tuck it in their underwear?
Not always, but it doesn't have to work with all people all the time to be effective. A spoon seems like a common enough item that an abuser wouldn't think twice about leaving around his victim or notice if one is missing.
Load More Replies...Whether it works of not, it is still a chance. Me, I'd fake an epileptic seizure or something so medically wrong, they would be forced to call paramedics.
I worked for TSA for 5 years, and we were continually taught, and had to take refresher courses on, how to detect possible human trafficking, and what to do when we suspect it. We learned the signs, and how to discreetly alert the proper people. Basically to make sure, if the people are exiting a flight, the airport LEOs would know who to pull aside. If boarding, the Air Marshalls and their destination airport would be alerted, so they could be pulled aside, separated to keep the victim safe and possibly comfortable enough to talk, and then be interviewed. There are special visas for victims, so they can legally stay here while recovering from the abuse (physically treated of course, and at least given a good foundation for recovering mentally and emotionally also), getting their identification returned (traffickers hold on to it so their victims can’t leave) or replaced so they can travel (to their home countries), and completing their statements for the traffickers’ trials.
One problem is that if you're dealing with child trafficking, security won't be allowed to separate the child from the parents. The parents would be required to be present during a private screening. Still, it would work for adults, since even spouses or companions wouldn't be allowed in the private screening.
They will if this gets too much out there.. that's the down side.. Also the hand sign for abuse in video calling.. doesn't work anymore in some cases.. :(
Load More Replies...This was invented specifically for young girls suspecting they are taken abroad by their parents to marry some stranger in their parent's home country. It's not just all around for victims of abuse! These girls often did NOT experience any abuse prior to the forced marriage, which is why they can't believe their parents are really going to do it, when it happens.
What is the human traffickers are the authorities in the airport? Ever thought about that?
I travel for work all the time and almost always get food delivered, so I travel with silverware to avoid so much waste... Unless the x-ray can see that it's packed in my underwear instead of my work clothes, the tsa is gonna get really tired with me very quickly
it doesnt have to work every time, if it works once, thats good.
Why do people keep falling for these things? Yes, they have never heard of this because it's not a thing. Unless someone can find me a verified source.
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