Awareness Archives - Page 30 of 36 - Shared Hope International

April 18, 2011 by Guest

Sex Traffickers and Pimps: the Real Winners of the World Cup

Brazil: one of the best destinations in the world. Great people. Beautiful beaches. Rain forests. An abundance of adventures to be had. The question is: what isn’t amazing about Brazil? The sad truth is that human trafficking and sexual exploitation is a major problem in this vacation spot. According to the State Department Trafficking in Persons Report, sex trafficking of Brazilian citizens within and across the country’s borders flourishes. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime stated that there is an outrageous industry of child sex tourism and child prostitution in Brazil; “According to a January 2005 report, child prostitution rings operate in 937 municipalities throughout the country.” It doesn’t seem asthough it could get much worse. However, after Spain came out victorious last year in the FIFA World Cup, Brazil was named as the next host of this colossal event in 2014. Unfortunately, this great honor brings booming business for the sex industry.

Right before the World Cup took place in Germany and South Africa, several anti-trafficking and human rights groups spoke up about the increased sexual exploitation that would take place during the tournaments. They encouraged the government and law enforcement agencies to step up and keep a watchful eye. Amnesty International and Human Trafficking.org estimated that between 30,000 and 60,000 children and women would be sexually exploited during the World Cup in Germany. ESPN’s Outside the Lines investigation on the effects of the South Africa World Cup on human trafficking found “more young people have been trafficked either into South Africa from other countries or internally to work in a rapidly growing sex industry because of the month long soccer tournament.” Time Magazine cited a trafficker in South Africa gloating about the anticipated increase in business, “Yeah, this is good! Us people are going to make a lot of money then if you know what you’re doing.” There was criticism of too much hype surrounding the problem and inflated numbers of trafficked victims but that does not negate the correlation between the World Cup and sexual exploitation. The Outside the Lines article above reiterated the words of an ordained minister who runs the conservative Family Policy Institute, “Sex traffickers see the World Cup as an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ‘cash in.’”

Advocates of the anti-trafficking movement will once more begin to voice their concerns about the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The importance of soccer in Brazil will likely increase the tournament’s attendance and subsequently the number of customers for trafficking victims. As mentioned earlier, Brazil already boasts a thriving tourism industry and this World Cup could draw more U.S. attendees than normal because of its proximity. We are looking to determined anti-trafficking advocates and dedicated law enforcement officials to lead the charge in this monstrous challenge to make sure traffickers aren’t the real winners at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

April 14, 2011 by webdesigner

Sacrifice made at the cost of convenience – Sexual exploitation on the Internet

National Pornography Statistics estimatethat 68 million pornographic search engine requests are made daily, equaling 25% of total requests. There are currently 4.2 million pornographic websites on the Internet. Among these, 100,000 websites offer illegal child pornography. This shows that many children are being exploited daily.

Due to the highly unregulated nature and anonymity of the internet, pimps and buyers are able to conceal their own identities and use this platform for criminal activities with minimal risk of prosecution. While sex trafficking is not a new phenomenon, the Internet is a new source for sex traffickers to find vulnerable women and sell them for sexual exploitation.

In addition to Internet pornography, sexual exploitation occurs in different forms such as websites that offer advertisement services. Most commonly known is Craigslist. Before shutting down its “Adult services” section, there was an average of 1,690 advertisements posted each day on the New York City board alone. Craigslist produced an estimated $80 million in annual profits from the “adult services” postings. There are also other sites still offering similar advertisement services, including Backpage.com, CityVibe.com, and Eros.com. Those websites allow customers to browse and compare the characteristics, photographs and prices of a large number of individuals selling or being forced to sell sex.

In addition to advertisement services, social networking websites are becoming nests of prostitution. According to a study by Sudhir Venkatesh, a professor at Columbia University, 83 percent of sex workers advertise their services on Facebook. He also estimates that, by the end of 2011, Facebook will be the leading online recruitment space for prostitution.

Although it is a fact that the Internet facilitates many illegal activities, it does not only do harm. If it is used for a right purpose, the Internet can be a very useful tool for many good causes.

For example, Change.org has an option for individuals or groups to start a petition for different issues of concern. Here is one success story. Last August, the United Kingdom chose to opt out of the European Union’s Directive on human trafficking, leaving hundreds of British children at risk. After pressure from tens of thousands of advocates across the globe, including several hundred on Change.org, the U.K. government has opted in to the EU’s anti-trafficking initiative. This action significantly strengthened the fight against human trafficking on the European continent.

As much as the Internet contributes to sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of women and children, it can be used in many ways to bring public awareness and help alleviate the issue if we all work together.

April 12, 2011 by Guest

The Nejloveanu Family: A Look Into How Pimps are Created

Sex trafficking is one of the most inhuman acts in the world. Its utter disregard for basic human rights is staggering. It begs the question, who would do this? Two months ago, the Nejloveanu father-son duo were handed hefty convictions for sex trafficking in the UK. The Nejloveanu family charmed multiple women between the ages of 16 and 25 into selling their bodies for money. They kept the women as their “sexual playthings” through threatening, beating, and degrading them. So why did they do it?

The act of human trafficking is an inexcusable crime but there are some key events in childhood that may be responsible for desensitizing traffickers to violence. A Chicago based study of 25 ex-pimps found that 76% experienced sexual assault as a child, with the average age of assault being 9.5!

The study showed that one of the reasons why people start pimping is the influence of other pimps’ wealth. One former pimp praised his father’s success as a pimp and expressed how that caused him to want to join the family business.

“I wanted to be respected like my daddy. He dressed very well, $400 and $500 suits. He drove the best Cadillacs. I wanted all of that. I grew up in it. It gave me the same things I saw my daddy with. I loved pimping.”

While there is research documenting how pimps control, employ, and recruit women for the sex trade, little is known about why they begin trafficking. According to the Chicago study, another reason why pimps get involved in the industry is the relatively low danger of prosecution compared to the large payoff. The ex-pimps in the Chicago study made anywhere between $150,000 and $500,000 in one year! Marius Nejloveanuand his father made anywhere from $117,000 to $234,000 every year.
From the case of the Nejloveanu family and the Chicago Study we can infer two possible reasons why pimping begins: the hefty income and the lack of danger. The payoff for pimping can become less advantageous by making it easier to convict traffickers, increasing the penalties, and requiring a well trained police force to be present in areas of pimping. Lastly, it is clearly important for interventions in child sexual abuse and physical violence, which are precursors of pimping and trafficking and contribute to transforming victims into victimizers.

April 11, 2011 by Guest

Efforts to Train Social Workers in Pennsylvania Result in Great Success!

It was great to see several months of planning and preparation come together. Shared Hope International had the honor of presenting our training series, Intervene, to over 150 social service providers and law enforcement officials last week in Pennsylvania. Intervene was designed by a multidisciplinary team in an effort to equip first responders with the tools to identify and effectively respond to victims of sex trafficking. The Berks Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Berks Women in Crisis and FREE, a local anti-trafficking group, sponsored the event in an effort to bring awareness about Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking to the area. Shared Hope International exposed the face of DMST by educating attendees on what makes an individual vulnerable, warning signs and indicators of trafficking, language unique to the crime, and the dynamics of pimp control – including the recruitment process and what factors prevent a victim from fleeing.

Shared Hope was joined by District Attorney John Adams, Representative David Maloney, Detective Lee Wiley from the Montgomery Police Department, Julie Janovsky from Polaris Project, and survivor Jennifer Spry. Detective Wiley shared local stories, techniques and information on DMST, while Ms. Janovsky focused on law and policy. The testimony given by Ms. Spry was so powerful that it wrapped up with a standing ovation!
Training is critical to the anti-sex trafficking movement because it changes how law enforcement officers and social service providers respond to victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The Reading Eagle, a local newspaper, insightfully pointed out that “Learning to identify the signs of sex trafficking of minors and the people selling and buying prostitution will better prepare a community to respond if it occurs.” Training assists in reducing the number of DMST victims who go through the social service system unidentified and unaided. “Training also exposes those on the front lines to the gravity of DMST in the U.S., and hopefully inspires them to revise their tactics for treating victims. Co-chair of Berks County Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Bob Morrison, expressed optimism for the future of the county when he told local news station 69News “There’s hope in seeing a whole community begin to talk about this and get mobilized.”

Thank you to everyone who attended the event. Click here if you are interested in bringing training to your community.

April 1, 2011 by Guest

Children of the Corn: The Horrors of Sex Trafficking in the Midwest

Corn, plains, tornadoes…and more corn. These are the first things that come to mind when some people think about the Midwest. Sex trafficking would, in my opinion, be the LAST thing to pop in their heads. I grew up in Nebraska, and I would never have thought that this atrocity was taking place in my state, my home. Sadly, I have finally realized that this is not the case.

While the coastal areas are often dubbed as destination states, the Midwest region is known as a recruitment region. Pimps and traffickers manipulate and lure Midwestern girls into their control, and transport them to the destination cities where they are able to exploit them. Melissa Snow of Shared Hope International stated that truck traffic on I-35, the interstate that runs from Laredo, Texas to Duluth, Minnesota, “may be carrying more than meets the eye.” She added that “Truckers can load women and children into their cabs and transfer them to other trucks at truck stops along the way. They can park so close together that children can be moved without their feet even touching the ground – invisibly.”

The good news is that some people from the middle country are becoming more aware and confronting the issue. In January, the Kansas Attorney General created a human trafficking board. In Minnesota, a man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sex trafficking a young girl. Missouri legislators are currently attempting to toughen penalties for sex and labor trafficking. There is a new program in Ohio that will offer food and counseling at a drop-in center for victims of sexual exploitation. Moreover, there have been several arrests and convictions for buyers and traffickers in recent months in Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Illinois.

The recent burst of news about this crime is a wakeup call for midwesterners, including myself. This evil is happening in rural communities and cities throughout this area so let’s do something about it! Volunteer at or donate to organizations that work on these issues, host events to spread awareness, and support legislation that combats human trafficking. You can also explore our website, sharedhope.org for more ideas and informational tools.

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