SHI Staff, Author at Shared Hope International

August 29, 2013 by SHI Staff

School’s In Session (Part 2 of Keeping Watch Over Schools)

Kids are heading back to school and jumping into another year of learning. Let’s make sure that they are learning about how to stay safe within the school system as well.

This second post of a two part blog presents ideas for how you can prepare yourself, students, and their schools to fight sex trafficking.

Yellow buses are populating the streets again as children and teens are starting a new school year. Let’s make sure that they, their schools, and you are all armed and ready to defend against sex trafficking. Below are three action steps that lead to a lesson plan for prevention, rescue, and restoration.

Educate yourself: You are already on the right track here. You are reading this blog. Chances are you have explored Shared Hope’s website to learn more about sex trafficking in the United States and around the world. If you have not, then we encourage you to do so. There are plenty of resources to answer your questions on sex trafficking. Shared Hope also has a YouTube channel and a Vimeo channel that feature news clips, our DEMAND. Documentary, and much more. Shared Hope would also like to invite you to attend Sharing the Hope. This event will feature three riveting days of education and celebration. There you will learn from the nation’s top leaders on how you can take action to fight sex trafficking and save one life at a time.

Educate students: The previous blog urged you to talk to children and teens. You can find tips on how to talk to them about sexual abuse here. And, as was suggested before, you can use Chosen to open the door to discussions on sex trafficking. Young people will be impacted by the stories told in the documentary by two teenage girls who escaped the snares of commercial sexual exploitation. When you order Chosen, guides, discussion questions, and action ideas are included in your purchase. You can use these tools to organize a viewing in your church, community center, or even at your local middle school or high school. For those kids that are not yet pre-teens, be sure to broach the subject in an age appropriate manner. And do not forget to talk about solutions! If all we talk about is the darkness, then it can leave young people afraid and overwhelmed. Give them hope.

Educate teachers: The first line of defense against trafficking and sexual abuse is so often the educators, school staff, and volunteers that interact with children on nearly a daily basis. If your local district does not have a program in place that teaches these individuals how to spot and respond to signs of sex trafficking, then push for one. The Department of Education has recognized the need for school employees to be aware of this issue. They created this fact sheet to provide an overview of what trafficking is, how to identify potential victims, and what to do.

It takes an entire community to tackle this issue, to protect our children and teens from traffickers. We all need to work together to continue to save these precious lives.

August 29, 2013 by SHI Staff

“Concert for the Innocent” – Vancouver, WA

Announcing the “Concert for the Innocent” a benefit/awareness concert supporting victims of child trafficking

The Defenders USA and Shared Hope will be hosting a free concert with local Vancouver and Portland bands to raise awareness about the issue of ending demand for domestic minor sex trafficking. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that over 100,000 children are trafficked every year in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the average age is 12-14 years old.

The concert will feature local bands and special guest speaker Mike Macintosh from Horizon Christian Fellowship in California. There will also be fun for the whole family, including dunk tanks, inflatable bounce houses, face-painting, and more.

Date/Time: August 31, 2013 from noon to 6:00 PM

Location: Marshall Park, 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd, Vancouver, WA 98663

Guest Speaker: Mike Macintosh of Horizon Christian Fellowship

Bands: Evan Wickham, Chuck Girard, Alex Ferraro, James Younger, The Fargher Lake Boys, and more!

Cost: Free!

This awareness concert is sponsored by Shared Hope, the Defenders USA, and Harvest Fest Events, and is open to the general public.

Contact

To learn more about this event, please contact

Ed Ouellette, Program Manager

PO Box 65337 Vancouver, WA 98665

Office: (360) 693-8100

Fax: (360) 695-9489

Edwin@sharedhope.org

August 27, 2013 by SHI Staff

Keeping Watch Over Schools

Kids are heading back to school and jumping into another year of learning. Let’s make sure that they are learning about how to stay safe within the school system as well. This first of a two part blog discusses the connection between sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

It is difficult to imagine someone with whom children are trusted everyday could possibly abuse that trust. Unfortunately, it does happen. In our school systems there are those that use their position to get close to children in order to sexually abuse them. In some cases, this goes beyond sexual abuse and into trafficking.

We see more cases of a school employee sexually abusing a child than we see of a school employee trafficking one. However, a childhood history of sexual abuse leaves a minor more vulnerable to sex trafficking, which multiple studies have confirmed. “For example, a study of 106 adult women in Boston who were incarcerated for prostitution-related offenses or had ever been arrested for prostitution-related offenses found that 68 percent of the women reported having been sexually abused before the age of 10 and almost half reported being raped before the age of 10 (Norton-Hawk, 2002)” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Human Trafficking Into and Within the United States: A Review of the Literature, 2009).

Some school employees have also had a hand in trafficking minors. For example, in June of this year a New York trafficking survivor came forward and shared her story. Brianna was nine years old when her school janitor kidnapped her, raped her, and then sold her to a pimp. Eventually she escaped, only to fall into the hands of another pimp. She was arrested at 13 for prostitution and made to testify against her pimp. ““This man who owned me as a slave, who sold me to child rapists, who profited off of my body deserves to be punished more harshly,” Brianna said. There was also a California case this year in which a Moreno Valley school board member attempted to recruit two underage girls to become a part of the prostitution ring he ran out of his home. During the course of his trial it was revealed that in addition to the three women he was already prostituting, he attempted to draw in two minors.

So what can you do in this situation? Talk to children and teens! You can use Chosen as a tool to open the door to conversation and to make them aware of the dangers of sex trafficking. Shared Hope created this documentary, which tells the story of two teenage girls who were tricked into trafficking.

Teach students about appropriate and inappropriate interaction with school employees. Show them that you are open to listening to them if they feel unsafe around or have been abused by someone in the school system. People generally believe that school employees are often falsely accused of sexual abuse. “In a 1991 review of false or mistaken accusations of sexual abuse, Yates concludes that the majority of false accusations occur in custody cases and that in other circumstances, the incidence of false accusations appears rare” (U.S. Department of Education, Educator Sexual Misconduct: A Synthesis of Existing Literature, 2004). Victims of sexual abuse need to know that they will be heard because so often an abuser will tell them that no one would believe them if they say anything. We have to remain vigilant to ensure that they understand that they will be protected and defended.

In the next blog, you will learn more about the steps you can take to protect children and teens in schools.

August 22, 2013 by SHI Staff

Announcing 2013 Pathbreaker Award Recipients

This year Shared Hope International is proud to honor the men and women who stand bravely against the force that drives the commercial sex industry: demand. The force of the buyer is powerful and is responsible for the estimated 100,000 American children who are exploited through sex trafficking every single year in the U.S. The 2013 Pathbreaker Award recipients have developed innovative strategies to combat demand and have inspired a culture of zero tolerance for those who purchase sex with children. These Pathbreakers join those of prior years who have led the fight against sex trafficking.

Congressman Judge Ted Poe

Second Congressional District of Texas

Congressman Poe is a dedicated ally in the battle against demand and a longtime advocate for victim rights. Congressman Poe sponsored the End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013, H.R. 2805, in July 2013. This bill amends the TVPA to clarify the range of conduct punished as sex trafficking to specifically include the conduct of buyers. The bill adds just two verbs: “patronize” and “solicit,” but will be a critical clarification of the intent of Congress to prevent, deter and punish demand. The bill also directs the U.S. Attorney General to engage existing task forces and working groups to increase the investigation and prosecution of demand.

In 2012, Congressman Poe rallied the crowd during the 2012 Protected Innocence Challenge press conference with his stern, unapologetic promise to keep his target aimed on buyers. Watch his inspiring speech here.

In 2006, he established the bipartisan Victims’ Rights Caucus (VRC) to advocate on behalf of victims and to serve as their voice. As co-chair of the VRC, Congressman Poe plays a vital role in passing legislation to safeguard our children and to advocate for the needs and issues facing crime victims. Congressman Poe also proudly serves on the House Judiciary and Foreign Affairs Committees where he fights for increasing victims’ rights as well as international human rights.

Prior to serving in Congress, Congressman Poe served as a judge for 22 years where he oversaw 20,000 of the worst criminal cases and 8 years as a prosecutor where, as chief felony prosecutor, he never lost a jury trial. Congressman Poe is known for his creative sentences, hard-nosed approach to enforcing the law, and compassion for crime victims.

Cynthia Cordes

Assistant United States Attorney and Human Trafficking Coordinator
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri

Ms. Cordes is the first federal prosecutor in the country to use the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) to prosecute buyers of sex acts with minors. Her strategic use of this powerful law has helped obtain sentences from 10 to 15 years in federal prison for buyers. In 2006, she spearheaded and has continued to lead the Human Trafficking Rescue Project (HTRP), the local human trafficking task force in Kansas City, which is comprised of federal, state, and local law enforcement and victim service providers. Prior to her commencement of the task force, a human trafficking case had never been prosecuted in the history of the district. She has now prosecuted more human trafficking cases than any Assistant U.S. Attorney in the country.

Ms. Cordes presented at Shared Hope’s 2008 Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Conference in Dallas, TX during which Linda Smith challenged the prevailing interpretation and use of the TVPA to prosecute just traffickers, not buyers. Ms. Cordes returned to Kansas City and upon further examination of the statue and collaboration with the Task Force, developed a breakthrough buyer sting. In 2009, she designed and created a unique undercover sting, known as Operation Guardian Angel, to specifically target those who purchase children for sexual acts from traffickers in an effort to address the demand side of commercial sex trafficking. Her use of the TVPA has been affirmed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and she has trained other investigators to employ the same sting operation in their cities.

Vednita Carter

Founder and Executive Director
Breaking Free, St. Paul, Minnesota

Vednita Carter is the matriarch of the anti-demand movement; a survivor who understands the impact demand has on the trafficked person and the industry. In 1996, she founded Breaking Free and today her organization serves 400-500 sex trafficked women and girls each year.

In 1999, Breaking Free developed one of the first Offenders Prostitution Programs (“John school”) in the nation to respond to the ineffective and damaging cycle of response to prostituted women. At the time, prostituted women were being arrested and buyers were required to pay a fine, with no additional punishment, leaving buyers completely undeterred. Through a partnership with local law enforcement, the City Attorney, survivors, and others, the Offenders Prostitution Program educates buyers– those who pay for sex with an adult–on the social, community, health and human consequences of their behavior. Ms. Carter has extensive experience in developing and planning programs for sex trafficked women and girls and serves a role model and leader for other survivors.

In 2012, she was invited to the White House to participate on President Obama’s committee on human trafficking as an expert in her field, as well as to New York to address the United Nations on the issue of domestic sex trafficking and the model programs developed by Breaking Free (2013). She has premiered in several documentaries including her own “A Day in The Life” to be released in 2013. She has dedicated her life to advocating for, rescuing and restoring victims of prostitution.

Don’t miss the celebration of the 2013 Pathbreaker Award recipients at:

Sharing the Hope Gala and Pathbreaker Award Ceremony

Washington, D.C.

November 8

Click here for the complete conference agenda, including Pathbreaker Award Reception and Gala, Networking Reception, National Colloquium, Protected Innocence Challenge Press Conference, tour of Congress with Congresswoman Linda Smith and more!

Buy Tickets Now!

August 20, 2013 by SHI Staff

“You just don’t get it!”: Understand the teenage brain and its vulnerability

The average age of entry into commercial sexual exploitation is 13 years old. At this age, the brain has started an important stage of development during which a teenager is gaining vital decision-making skills. A trafficker understands that the teenager is going through pivotal changes and manipulates them during this tender point. They capture them young and create bonds that solidify as this brain development continues.

A teenager can sometimes seem like an alien who has taken over the body of a previously delightful child. At this age, they seriously begin questioning why they shouldn’t jump off the proverbial bridge if everyone else is. Adults wonder, ‘What is wrong with them?’ Well…nothing is wrong. Teenage years are a key time in brain development. Unfortunately, this makes teenagers prime targets for traffickers. The average age that children are first exploited in sex trafficking is 13.

As soon as puberty hits, the brain begins a massive undertaking that lasts until about the age of 25. This amazing process is integral in developing humans with more sophisticated reasoning and decision-making. Here are the highlights:

1. The brain begins to prune away synapses, which help signals pass throughout the brain. Those that have never been used are removed, effectively “de-cluttering” the brain and allowing for faster thinking.

2. The connection between the frontal lobe and the hippocampus strengthens. The frontal lobe is responsible for decision-making. The hippocampus plays a role in processing experiences and storing them as memories. It is particularly stimulated by new experiences. When these two parts combine, the brain is able to better use experience to inform decisions. However, during adolescence the hippocampus highly craves new experiences. This leads teenagers to take more risks than they would have before.

3. The connection between the right and left sides of the brain strengthens. This allows for more complex thinking processes. A teen is learning to weigh several factors at once.

(David Dobbs, “Beautiful Brains,” http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/10/teenage-brains/dobbs-text; Richard Know, “The Teenage Brain: It’s Just Not Grown Up Yet,” http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124119468; Sarah Jayne Blackmore, “The Mysterious Workings of the Adolescent Brain,” http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain.html)

With all of these changes, teens are vulnerable to traffickers who have mastered manipulation. The trafficker perceives that teenagers feel misunderstood and knows that a teenager will be drawn to someone who shows sympathy. In order to appeal to their increased attraction to novelty and risk, the trafficker provides an environment different from what they have experienced to date. The trafficker also understands that an adolescent craves acceptance from those outside of the home. This is the brain preparing the adolescent to leave the nest one day. Anna was 12 when a trafficker slowly and sweetly inserted himself into her trust. She felt misunderstood and was afraid that her adoptive Christian family would give her back like so many foster parents had in the past. He listened to her fears, becoming her best and only friend. After a fight with her mother, Anna ran away with her friend…who then trafficked her. Anna was only 13 years old and her pimp became her world.

Because they only are beginning to use their brains’ connection between experience and decision making, teens are ripe for a trafficker’s twisted influence. Every teen is vulnerable. So, how do you protect these young people? Keep watch. If you see signs that a girl is at risk of being trafficked, ask questions. Teach them about the dangers they face by showing them Chosen, a resource Shared Hope created to make the conversation easier. This documentary tells the story of two teenage girls who were tricked into trafficking.

Don’t forget to also patiently show love, support, and guidance. And make an effort to foster a teen’s increased attraction to risk. Granting them new experiences in a productive, safe, and healthy environment is invaluable to their brain development and it ensures that they are protected during the process.

If you need help or guidance, or want to report a suspected case of human trafficking, call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Tipline 1-800-THE-LOST.

< Previous Page
1
…
22
23
24
25
26
…
48
Next Page >