Commentary Archives - Page 8 of 13 - Shared Hope International

June 24, 2014 by Guest

SAVE Act Targets the Advertisement of Human Trafficking Victims

By: Eion Oosterbaan

As its use becomes increasingly universal, the Internet has drastically changed the face of human sex trafficking. Through this medium, criminals have found a way to expand their reach of influence while simultaneously reducing the risk of their detection by law enforcement to a significant extent. Traffickers, or pimps, have taken their business operations from the streets to the online realm, openly advertising their victims as if they are items for sale on websites like Backpage.com and Craigslist. This new practice has caused the selling of human beings for sex to become enormously profitable as human sex trafficking now generates $9.5 billion yearly in the United States. With hundreds of potential buyers from all over the country viewing these ads daily, a trafficker can make anywhere from $150,000 – $200,000 per child victim in a given year.

Even more surprising is the fact that websites earned a total of $45 million in revenue from prostitution advertising in the United States last year. In the average month Backpage.com receives $4-$5 million from these types of ads, which often involve underage children. Legitimate, legal, multimillion dollar corporations are currently profiting from criminal activity and the plight of trafficked children as they generally choose to ignore the fact that their services are facilitating these crimes. It should be noted that not every corporation has disregarded this issue, however, as Google has recently made a highly publicized decision to remove all pornographic ads and links to sexually explicit websites from their services.

In order to limit the prevalence and profitability of human sex trafficking and to hold services like Backpage.com accountable, Congresswoman Ann Wagner and members of the Republican Task force on Human Trafficking in the 113th Congress have worked to create the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act (SAVE Act). The SAVE Act seeks to criminalize the advertisement of commercial sex acts with minors and victims of human trafficking by amending Section 1591 of the Federal Criminal Code to include “advertising” to the types of conduct that constitute the crime of federal sex trafficking. This act would effectively target the traffickers posting the ads in addition to the website organizations where the ads are posted. The bill has already passed through the House of Representatives with overwhelmingly bipartisan support, and has just recently been introduced in the Senate.

The SAVE Act directly coincides with Shared Hope International’s current activity in its fight to eradicate human trafficking. Shared Hope has taken a proactive approach to the issue of these illicit advertisements by using its resources to identify, track, and report instances of human trafficking activity on websites like Backpage.com. The criminalization of human trafficking advertisements would significantly increase the impact of this work. In addition, Shared Hope International’s Sex Trafficking Identification and Response Training would provide the necessary capacity to deal with these types of advertisements.

*Facts and statistics retrieved from the Family Research Council presentation on the SAVE Act at:

http://www.frc.org/eventregistration/pornography-and-sex-trafficking-stopping-online-advertisers-of-trafficking-victims-with-the-save-act

June 13, 2014 by Guest

My 6-Year-Old Daughter Introduced Me to Sex Trafficking

By: Gunnar Simonsen

When my daughter was little she received $30 for her birthday that she could spend on whatever she wanted. Of course, we thought she would want to spend it on a stuffed animal or toy.

But we were wrong. Very wrong.

When her mom asked her what she wanted to spend it on, she asked for the catalog we received from a non-profit humanitarian organization. It was the kind where you could purchase things like goats, chickens, food, and clothing for people in need throughout the world.

We figured she would want to buy some chickens for a family or clothing for a child, tangible items she was familiar with. But as she looked through the catalog, she kept turning the pages until she found what she was looking for.

What she did next, we’ll never forget.

She found the page she was looking for. She decided to spend her $30 to help girls and boys who had been rescued from sex trafficking.

She was 6 years old.

When asked why she chose to spend her money that way, she responded with “as an only child, these are the brothers and sisters I never had. I need to take care of them.”

In that moment I learned that too often the difference between adults and children was simply that children still believe they can change the world.

She went on to raise several thousand dollars to help more children.

Through the eyes of my 6-year-old daughter, this was my introduction to sex trafficking. I would also learn soon after that sex trafficking wasn’t just something that only happened in other countries, it was also happening in my own backyard.

I met up with a friend of mine shortly after my daughter donated her birthday money to aid victims of trafficking. He was blown away by her heart to help others. He then paused, looked me straight in the eye, and said four words…

Don’t let her down.”

It was like a thousand arrows had simultaneously hit their mark. Those four words still pierce my heart to this day.

It has been ten years since my daughter introduced me to sex trafficking. Ten years since she introduced me to brothers and sisters I, too, never had. Ten years since she opened my eyes to this scourge on humanity.

For me, “don’t let her down” meant that with sex trafficking happening in my own backyard, there was work to do.

Since then, I found myself actively engaged in the fight to eradicate sex trafficking. From the incredible inspiration of many new friends (the brothers and sisters I never had) who have survived being sex trafficked to organizations like Shared Hope International and their work to prevent, restore, and bring justice in this fight, my heart’s cry is that maybe, just maybe, my actions have begun to live up to the impact of those first $30.

For certain, there is much work left to be done and sadly too many who need yet to be freed. And so, because a 6 year old paid it forward with everything she had, how could I not go forth and do the same?

On this Father’s Day, I will look back with thankfulness on these past ten years since my eyes were opened. Certainly what I saw was anything but something to be thankful for. However, because of my daughter, I not only saw the effects of sex trafficking, I was now responsible to do my part in ending the cause of sex trafficking, too. In this, I simply could not let her, and the many brothers and sisters that she and I never had, down.

So it is because of her actions that on this Father’s Day, I truly do reflect back on the past ten years with thankfulness. Thankfulness to a daughter that helped me return to that belief I once had as a child, in that perhaps I too can help change the world.

What about you?

June 4, 2014 by Shamere

Unavoidable Destiny | The Abnormal Return Home

As a native of Jamaica, my anticipations of returning home are always filled with excitement and joy. I think of visiting family members, activities and events and the food. While this trip is filled with excitement and joy it is also filled with a bit of nervousness and fear. For the very first time, I will witness the effects of human trafficking on my island home of Jamaica.

In 2007, Shared Hope published the Demand Report which is a “comparative examination of Sex Tourism and Trafficking in Jamaica, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United States.” Through this report I was exposed to the harsh reality and truth that sex trafficking occurs on the small island of Jamaica. In addition to the Demand Report, I delved into the Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report, to further my knowledge on sex trafficking in Jamaica. The TIP report “represents an updated, global look at the nature and scope of trafficking in persons and the broad range of government actions to confront and eliminate it.” Although Jamaica was not included in the first two years of the publication of the TIP report, since its inclusion in 2003, Jamaica has fluctuated from a tier 2, to a tier 2 watch list to a tier 3, the lowest rank possible.

As a child growing up, I do not recall ever hearing or even witnessing anything that can be identified as human trafficking. I do remember hearing conversations about “go-gos” which is the equivalent to a stripper, but these were always adult women. In fact, “go-gos” are looked down upon by many citizens of Jamaica. Since my own trafficking ordeal, I have returned to the island four times and still didn’t see any signs of trafficking. Based on the two afore-mentioned reports, it is evident that trafficking exists on the island despite me not seeing any evidence. Sex trafficking takes a different form in Jamaica compared to America. In America, we have the standard forms of trafficking: pimp control, gang control, familial and survival sex. In Jamaica, sex trafficking mostly takes the form of familial, survival sex and sex tourism. With Jamaica being a third world country, I will definitely conclude that the major reason human trafficking continues to exist is due to the lack of economic opportunities. According to the Demand Report, many residents of Jamaica demonstrate and verbalize their belief that the severe economic situation of Jamaica forces a culture of “making do.” This culture of “making do” leads girls into sexual activity at an early age either by the idea of an opportunity or a better life or through force by parents or guardian as outlined in the Demand Report .

This trip, I will be visiting two homes that provides sevices to victims of sex trafficking (funded by Shared Hope International) on the island, in addtion to visiting some of the places where trafficking occurs and speaking with survivors. I am not sure I am ready to accept this reality. We all know abuse and injustice occurs but we don’t have to deal with it, as we simply place it to the back of our minds. I can no longer leave it in the back of my mind. I am preparing to accept the weigh of confronting, in person, that my country and my people are being scarred by sexual exploitation and violence.

I am really looking forward to speaking with students and survivors on the topic of “overcoming adversity.” Wether it is being a victim of sex trafficking or facing economic hardship, we are all faced with some forms of adversity. Many times, young people simply need a little encouragement and support when faced with adverstity instead of being rediculed. Therefore, I am happy to share about my own adversity, examples of how I am overcoming it and some words of encouragement.

I am very honored to join Shared Hope in Jamaica as we conduct a site visit to our Jamaician partners. I will be blogging while I am there so check back as I take this journey of an abnormal return home. Who knows, you just maybe offered a plate of ackee and saltfish (the national dish) and some festival similar to the picture on your right.

May 28, 2014 by Guest

Prevention, Protection, and International Cooperation Against the Use of Technologies to Exploit Children

23rd Session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Conference

By: Eion Oosterbaan

In May 2014, a panel discussion meeting took place at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria. This discussion served as a side event to the Twenty-third session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Conference, specifically focused on the prevention, protection, and international cooperation against the use of new information technologies to abuse and/or exploit children. Eion Oosterbaan attended as a representative of Shared Hope International.

In attendance to speak as members of the discussion panel were Tejal Jesrani of the UNODC, Bjorn-Erik Ludvigsen of NCIS Norway, Andrew Oosterbaan of the USDOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Ethel Quayle of the University of Edinburgh.

The discussion opened up with an outline of the UNODC’s Study and Technical Assistance Programme to Combat the Misuse of Internet Communications Technology (ICTs) to Abuse and Exploit Children. The study pointed out the severe and increasing threat that developing technologies pose to our children, and how the use of technology has enhanced the ability of sexual predators to commit offenses. The use of ICTs has allowed predators to enhance their access to child victims, increase levels of harm and re-victimization, and it has increased the profitability of criminal enterprises. The severe difficulties of keeping pace with the criminal usage of this quickly evolving technology has presented law enforcement many issues with combating these criminals.

Currently, law enforcement is falling behind as they severely lack the proper resources to contain the criminal activity of these predators online. The scale of child abuse on the Internet is too large and widespread to completely eradicate. New developments in technology have allowed individuals to hide their identity (through the use of IP Address encryption and web browsers such as Tor) as they increase the frequency and ease of their online sexual offenses. It has become incredibly difficult to track and identify these skilled offenders, as they have found a haven through technology.

The experts on the panel stressed the importance of keeping up with the technology that sex offenders are now using. If mastered, the use of ICTs can actually be used as a tool for prevention and detection. Law enforcement has undertaken a policy of proactive investigation through the use of computer forensics to detect and identify online offenders, and they have recognized the need to increase the perceived sense of police presence on the Internet (“Fear of Detection”) as a key to crime prevention. The panelists also stressed the importance of increased information sharing as a key method to combating online child abuse. Internationally, we must be more willing to share/exchange information and we must establish a certain level of cooperation between Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and law enforcement.

Overall, this meeting/discussion served as a means to identify the significant threat that developing technologies pose to children, get the issues out there, and begin the process of creating a viable solution. The experts on the panel admitted that there currently exists no concrete solution, but stressed the importance of continuing the conversation and making this a subject of high priority.

Shared Hope International has joined in the effort to help prevent and combat the threat of sexual predators online, and recognizes the dangers that the misuse of technology presents. The use of ICTs has greatly enhanced the ability for buyers to find and make contact with victims of human trafficking. Girls are openly advertised on Internet websites like Backpage and Craigslist, yet the identities of the girls, their pimps, and their buyers remain protected and undetectable. Shared Hope has taken this issue head on, using its expertise and resources to provide Sex Trafficking Identification and Response Training while also tracking the human trafficking cases found on these ICTs.

May 19, 2014 by Guest

Traveling Sex Offenders Pose Significant Risk to Destination Countries

By: Eion Oosterbaan

In May 2014, the United States Mission to the European Union in Brussels, Belgium hosted a strategy meeting focused on information-sharing regarding traveling sex offenders (TSOs), who play a large role in the ever-growing presence of International Sex Tourism and Human Trafficking. Eion Oosterbann attended as an observer on behalf of Shared Hope.

In attendance were more than 70 people from over 15 countries representing government, law enforcement and non-governmental agencies. The purpose of this strategy meeting was to discuss the activities of the countries represented with respect to tracking the travel of TSOs from one country to another and notification of that travel to destination countries. It should be noted that it was accepted as a premise that the problem of TSOs is linked to the problem of human trafficking, particularly the trafficking and sexual abuse of children.

It was clear at this meeting that U.S. law enforcement is tracking TSOs and providing notice to destination countries with a great deal of effectiveness (offenders against children). The U.S. is aided by its sex offender registration laws. The United Kingdom, Australia and Canada have similar laws and also address the problem effectively. Most other countries do not, but there seems to be broad interest amongst these countries in finding ways to provide and receive notice of TSOs. This universal determination is due to a recognition amongst governments that child sex offenders who travel to foreign countries pose a real risk to children in destination countries, particularly in destination countries with significant trafficking problems. However , the European Commission is not likely to enact legislation to register sex offenders due to privacy rights concerns. Without such legislation in countries, it would be difficult to track and provide notice of TSOs.

There are a number of legal and practical impediments to establishing a global notification system. The legal issues include privacy rights, which is a critical issue for certain European countries. The practical issues include problems of availability of data, lack of central control of data, reliability of data, and the timeliness of delivering of data and, accordingly, notice to destination countries.

By the end of the meeting it was clear that many gaps and needs must be resolved before a global notification structure and process for TSOs can be developed. Having discussed the diversity of conditions among the countries present, it was agreed that going forward the group’s strategy must be bifurcated to address countries that can and will monitor sex offenders on the one hand and those countries that cannot on the other. For the countries with privacy concerns standing in the way, arguments must be put forth that show the interests of protecting children outweigh privacy interests of offenders. Countries with an effective track record in registration and monitoring will help put forth these arguments with compelling examples and outcomes to be used by advocates in non-registration countries. For the countries already registering and/or monitoring, it was agreed that certain principles and objectives discussed at the meeting would be set out, drafted and shared by organizers with a view toward further discussion on specific steps and measures going forward. It is expected that this document will be shared shortly.

Due to Shared Hope International’s mission to prevent, restore, and bring justice in the effort to eradicate human trafficking worldwide, this issue lies directly within its realm. Looking at it from a macroeconomic perspective, Shared Hope has identified and targeted the demand for victims (buyers) as the entity that allows human trafficking/ sex tourism to exist and thrive. Simply put, without demand there would be no supply. Therefore, the establishment of a global notification structure for Traveling Sex Offenders would serve as a significant obstacle to the demand and source of revenue for human trafficking.

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