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Lawrence Taylor: Busted, Not Broken

In an interview with Fox News Insider, former NFL football star, Lawrence Taylor, displays bluntness about his solicitation of a prostituted minor despite his slick attitude and several off the cuff comments. Surely, few believe that this super star was properly punished when he was sentenced to a mere 6 years of probation on March 22 for buying sex with a girl who looked young enough for Taylor to ask her age and mentioned the presence of a pimp. And even though LT got off the hook in court, he admits the worst punishment of all is bearing the shame of his actions to his wife.

While Taylor accepts his conviction saying “I’ll take my punishment like I should” (1:45), he displays a great misunderstanding of the weight of what he has done to a child forced into a life of commercialized sex. “It’s a world of prostitution and you never know what you’re gonna get” (3:28). Taylor says that sometimes the girls are pretty, and sometime they are ugly, describing them as products rather than people—a disturbingly common attitude among millions of buyers of sex.

Stemming from this attitude, Taylor pities himself as a man seeking a “clean” transaction rather than feeling remorse for the crimes inflicted against the child who is one of thousands who are trafficked within the U.S. every year. In his justification, he claims that “I’m not the cause of prostitution,” (1:05) but if all common buyers stopped demanding sex—even from lonely football stars on long, 11 day trips—prostitution would cease to exist as we know it.

“It’s one of those crimes—I guess you call it crimes—where you never think you’re gonna get busted because everybody does it, you know? Until you get busted. Then it’s more embarrassing than anything else” (5:20). There’s no guessing here. Underage prostitution—which is human trafficking by definition—is illegal despite lack of knowledge, and despite lack of guilt.

Lawrence Taylor, thanks for showing the world what your average buyer looks like…an unremorseful, everyday, average Joe.  Your demonstration of ignorance shows us why normal men need to be educated about the devastating effects of human trafficking; because it’s not about the pitiful lonely man.  It’s about 100,000 American children that become victims of human trafficking each and every year.

Look for key misunderstandings of prostitution in interview with LT:

  • “I’m not the cause of prostitution.” (1:05)
  • “It’s a world of prostitution and you never know what you’re gonna get.” (3:28)
  • “I didn’t really want a relationship; I’m not looking for a relationship.” (4:23)
  • “It’s all clean,” [in reference to feelings]. (4:30)
  • “I’m not saying it’s alright, but God, it’s the oldest profession in the world.” (4:43)
  • “I guess you call it crimes.” (5:21)

Look for the prevalence of human trafficking and prostitution in everyday American culture:

  • “You can start by just opening up the phone book.” (5:01)
  • “I have used the services before.” (5:14)
  • “Everybody does it.” (5:28)

Share your findings:
Be sure to share this post via email, facebook, and/or twitter because it’s so incredibly important to change attitudes towards this crime!  Lawrence Taylor’s defense demonstrates a classic buyer’s reaction to getting caught which focuses on his own justification rather than the child’s victimization.  All the while, his hesitation and body language reveal that despite all reasoning, he knows that “it’s not alright” (4:43).

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Exams to Midnight Exploitation

Bikinis are on, margarita in hand, and party pants are securely fastened. Spring break here we come!!! 

As exciting as spring break vacation is for young people in America, many don’t consider the serious threat that sex trafficking poses in resort areas on American soil during this time. With prime resort locations fluctuating in population by thousands on a daily basis and being easily accessible by highways, many traffickers see this as an opportunity to set up shop for short periods of time with the ability to make quick exits and move to a new location. In some areas, activists and law enforcement have assembled special coalitions to combat the growing problem of sex trafficking, including spring break sex tourism. Activists in Myrtle Beach created the Eastern Carolina Coalition Against Human Trafficking (ECCAHT) to help rescue victims of trafficking and to bring traffickers to justice. Another organization, Kristi House, created Project GOLD to directly address the major problem of child exploitation in the sex industry in Miami, Florida. Through education, these groups are seeking to reduce child exploitation of at-risk youth.

The dangers of human trafficking during spring break rise in foreign and domestic resort areas as thousands of Americans flock to the hottest vacation spots. Although these destinations are popular for tourism, many, such as Cancun, Mexico, Miami and Orlando, Florida, Myrtle Beach, North Carolina and Puerto Rico, are extremely dangerous. They carry high rates of violence associated with drug trafficking and human trafficking, which are often intrinsically linked. It is important to recognize that many of these locations can serve as recruiting grounds for trafficking. Thousands of young college-aged tourists, often with excessive alcohol use and a lack of inhibition, make themselves targets for abduction by traffickers in some of these dangerous resort areas. Reduced inhibitions not only increase the vulnerability of young spring breakers to be trafficked, it may also increase the probability that spring break vacationers will pay for sex. Backpage.com provides the drunk buyer easy access to find paid sex.

It is important that we provide education and awareness to those traveling to a spring break destination in order to decrease the likelihood of young women becoming a trafficker’s next victim. Trafficking and sex tourism is a critical problem throughout the world and groups such as ECCAHT and Kristi House provide us with a good example of how to effectively combat this issue. So as you make your way to the beaches of South Padre, educate yourself and your friends about the threats of sex trafficking.  And remember, have fun, be smart, and stay safe!

*If you suspect human trafficking, please report it to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-3737-888

 

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“Sex for Sale” – Sexuality as a Commodity

The world economy is a bustling market supported by trades of commodities such as clothing, food, cars, electronics and more. Unfortunately, a darker industry prevails in the exchange of cash for innocence. In this commercial sex market, sexuality is reduced to a commodity. Where humanity is stripped, a price tag is replaced.

The detachment of human intimacy from sexual relationship is perpetuated by men who purchase sex, forced upon women who are exploited through prostitution and aggravated by social acceptance of the commercial sex industry.

According to a study of male buyers of prostitution by Monto and Julka , a buyer’s belief that sex is a commodity significantly predicted the acceptance of the rape myth  (false belief to rationalize and blame a woman for bringing the rape upon herself as well as the belief that prostitution decreases rape cases), attraction to violent sexuality, less frequent use of condoms, support for prostitution, and the attitude that prostitution is positive for women.

While these factors contribute to the buyer’s role in reducing sexuality to a commodity, violence and exploitation cast damaging effects on victims’ perception of sexuality.

Typical intimate, personal relationship involves genuine intimacy, sharing and respect for each other. Prostitution removes these aspects natural to human relationship. It may result in internalized dehumanization and objectification of women by both the buyer and woman herself. Psychologically, this tendency could cause negative consequences for women such as habitual body monitoring, shame and anxiety, and mental health problems.

These dynamics are further aggravated by society’s glamorization of the commercial sex industry and acceptance of increasingly graphic sexual images.

In all but one U.S. state, prostitution is illegal; however, the commercial sex industry is booming. Commercialization of sexuality plays a significant role in considering sexuality as a commodity. We, as a society, allow this to happen by creating a culture of tolerance for sexual exploitation. Advertisements that boast scantily clad women endorsing products further create systemic, cultural stereotypes and perpetuate the association of women as sexual objects. Provocative images of women’s bodies for high fashion brands are one example.

As we continue to accept the commercialization of sexuality in society, the market demand for prostitution as well as trafficking in women will increase. This displaced sexual value gives false notion that buyers have unlimited access to sexual acts and images, thus making all women and children vulnerable to the exploitation of the commercial sex industry. NOW is the time to reverse the commodification of sexuality. Together, we can replace the price tag of exploitation with the humanity of restoration.

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Don’t Let First Responders Be the Last to Know

The process of restoration for victims of domestic minor sex trafficking can be a long and difficult struggle for healing.  Just as in any trauma case, first responders are crucial to the advancement of that journey.  However, a shortage of shelters specifically dedicated to victims of sex trafficking has positioned organizations such as rape crisis centers to receive and care for these victims in the absence of more specialized services.  In fact, the most commonly accepted estimate reveals that there are probably no more than 100 beds in the U.S. specifically dedicated to sex trafficking victims.  When compared to the 100,000 individuals forced into the industry each year, it is clear that America is in desperate need of resources for DMST victims.  So, how can rape crisis centers provide the necessary services to these victims with very specific needs?

Rape crisis centers may be one of the first responders in sex trafficking cases, especially with DMST victims, because of their hospital advocacy services and 24hr crisis hotline.  In some cases, when a victim is admitted to a hospital for sexual trauma, the hospital will contact a rape crisis center immediately.  Hospital advocates assist the victim during forensic exams and forensic interviews with the police in addition to providing the victim with valuable resources about the organization’s services.  Rape crisis centers often offer free individual and group therapy that can assist a victim of sex trafficking in their long term healing process.  Many rape crisis centers even offer legal advocacy services for those individuals seeking to heal through the justice system, or those who are unjustly being charged with prostitution.  Rape crisis centers can be wonderful resources for DMST victims because of their deep understanding of victim empowerment, which is vital to the healing process, as well as their ability to help restore victims at their own pace.

While rape crisis centers can be pivotal in the healing process of sex trafficking victims, there are still many areas of improvement necessary in order to better assist individuals in this unique population.  Like many other first responders, rape crisis center advocates and counselors are often not trained to recognize indicators of sex trafficking.  This can hinder service provision for the unique needs of this victim population.  Rape crisis center advocates and counselors need to be educated on the revealing signs that an individual has been trafficked and the appropriate treatment that individual should receive.  Service providers may incorporate these tools by adjusting intake questions to reveal aspects of commercial sex exploitation.  Fortunately, there are many online resources, including Shared Hope’s INTERVENE, to help rape crisis centers gain essential knowledge for identifying victims.

Rape crisis centers and other local resources can continue their fight against sexual abuse by expanding their efforts and knowledge to the issue of sex trafficking in their communities.  Each of us has a role in this fight, and only by working in tandem at the national and local levels can organizations effectively combat the sexual exploitation of our children.

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Why So Young? — Why the average age a child is first exploited through prostitution is 13

The AVERAGE age a child is first exploited through prostitution is 13 years old.

This shocking number is not a coincidence or evidence that today’s youth are more delinquent than the generations before them.  Rather, it reveals the fact that pimps are using more manipulative tactics to recruit younger girls.

To understand why the average age of entry is so young, we must understand the strategy used by pimps.  When many people think of sex trafficking, they think of kidnapped children enslaved in a foreign brothel.  However, the commercial sexual exploitation of minors occurs in every corner in the U.S.  While kidnapping for the purpose of sex trafficking does occur in America, a common tactic used by pimps is trauma bonding.  According to Patrick J. Carnes, Ph.D., trauma bonding is defined as the “Dysfunctional attachments that occur in the presence of danger, shame or exploitation.”  Pimps often implement this strategy by initially playing the role of a girl’s boyfriend.  He takes her out to nice places and showers her with gifts in an effort to gain her trust.  As the relationship continues, the pimp starts to exert more power over the girl, engaging in increasingly rough sexual activity, and even beating her.  Eventually, the pimp convinces the girl that they are low on money.  Isolated from her friends and family, she often has no choice but to comply with the pimp’s demands to sell her body for sex. The trauma bonding process brainwashes the victim into believing that she is choosing to engage in this lifestyle, despite the fact that every step was calculated by the pimp to manipulate her.

According to Shared Hope International’s “National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking,” 70% of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) victims have experienced physical or sexual abuse prior to being trafficked.  In addition, the risk of being trafficked increases exponentially for children who run away from broken homes or abuse. In fact, research indicates that 1 in 3 girls will be trafficked within 48 hours of running away.  Girls who have an absent father figure may also be more likely to be targeted for the commercial sex trade. Many DMST victims have one or both parents in jail or on drugs.  Though these factors may increase the risk for a girl to be targeted for exploitation in the commercial sex industry, a girl’s most vulnerable point is simply her age. Young girls are often more susceptible to rely on the perceived love and security that a pimp initially offers. Additionally, youth brings a lack of life experience, a lack of social support, an increased difficulty to meet financial needs for survival and fewer coping mechanisms.

In such a lucrative industry, utilizing minors to meet the demand for paid sex is a sly business move – one that turns a huge profit for pimps. Thus, in an industry driven by an ever growing demand, the young and impressionable provide the most convenient and profitable supply for pimps.  Shared Hope International is committed to ending domestic minor sex trafficking and activating a nation that protects, rather than purchases, our children.

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