In The News Archives - Shared Hope International

December 20, 2019 by Christine Raino

When Difficult News is the Most Important News

Sometimes the most important news is the most difficult to hear. On the same day that Shared Hope International celebrated the release of our 9^th annual Protected Innocence Challenge report cards, we heard that the Kansas Prisoner Review Board had decided not to recommend Hope Zeferjohn, a child sex trafficking victim, for a pardon. After working all year to advocate for victim-centered, trauma-informed legislation, produce in-depth analysis reports, and support our partners in translating their strong laws into practice, this was indeed difficult news to hear. But it was also important to hear because it challenges us and reminds us of the challenge we face as a nation: how do we keep our focus on the purpose of passing human trafficking laws?

That purpose is, and always should be, to protect those who have been victimized and prevent others from being exploited. Most would agree that purpose seems clear and uncontroversial. However, as this relatively new area of law has developed and the knowledge gap about human trafficking persists in broader society, the implementation of laws developed for this important purpose has become increasingly complex and sometimes disconnected from the very purpose behind passing those laws.

Where this has become painfully relevant is in the context of sex trafficking victims charged with crimes as a result of their trafficking victimization. Trafficking victims charged as co-conspirators alongside their traffickers, or in lieu of their traffickers, is a phenomenon appearing in headlines, leaving many of us shaking our heads. We know this is not moving the fight forward, yet we also recognize the complexity of this intersecting victimization and criminal conduct. Simultaneously, we are also facing the fact that this is not an outlier case. Based on Shared Hope’s ongoing research into this issue, these cases are even more common than the headlines would indicate.

Evidenced by Hope Zeferjohn’s case, minors are not exempt from facing serious criminal consequences as a result of their trafficking victimization – far from it. Not only can minors face potential prostitution charges in 20 states, but the headlines also show that child sex trafficking victims are being picked up and charged as co-conspirators alongside their traffickers (e.g., see this and this), or are facing other serious charges that directly resulted from their victimization (e.g., see this, this, this, this, this, this and this). And yet, these cases are proceeding through the criminal justice system despite language enshrined in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, the groundbreaking law that established the federal crime of sex trafficking, indicating that trafficking victims should be protected and not punished as a result of their victimization. According to the “Purposes and Findings” enshrined in Section 102(a)(24) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000:

“Trafficking in persons is a transnational crime with national implications. To deter international trafficking and bring its perpetrators to justice, nations including the United States must recognize that trafficking is a serious offense. This is done by prescribing appropriate punishment, giving priority to the prosecution of trafficking offenses, and protecting rather than punishing the victims of such offenses.”

The Protected Innocence Challenge, which has focused on analyzing child sex trafficking laws in all 50 states and DC every year since 2011, seeks to advance that protective purpose of anti-trafficking laws at the state level. However, Shared Hope’s grades do not analyze the implementation and enforcement of those laws, including whether the laws are being implemented in a victim-centered and trauma-informed manner. For example, Kansas’ ‘A’ grade reflects the strength of the laws enacted to address child sex trafficking and respond to victims, including whether the law allows for child sex trafficking victims to be criminalized. For the last three years, Kansas has earned an “A” for having passed legislation that comprehensively addresses the crime with one glaring exception: Kansas state law fails to protect survivors of child sex trafficking from facing criminal consequences as a result of their own victimization. For the last nine years, Shared Hope has relentlessly called on legislators to develop statutory tools for recognizing and appropriately responding to sex trafficking victimization all in the hopes of ensuring that exploited children, like Hope Zeferjohn, are protected, not punished.

Recognizing that policy must be shaped by the realities of implementation and enforcement, hearing from those in the field who are on the front lines of fighting this crime is essential. To that end, Shared Hope’s policy work involves engaging with survivors, law enforcement, service providers, and policymakers. For several years now, Shared Hope has been convening the JuST Response Council, a group of individuals from around the country with expertise on issues related to juvenile sex trafficking. This group is geographically varied and they bring to the table a diverse range of professional and lived experience perspectives, including that of service providers, survivor leaders, government agencies, law enforcement, prosecutors, clinicians, policy experts, attorneys and others. Currently this group is working on field guidance for criminal justice stakeholders to help shift away from the type of retributive, victim-blaming, and not trauma-informed response that we see occurring in Hope Zeferjohn’s case. This field guidance has been the central project of the Council for over 3 years and we are excited to release the report in January 2020.

In addition to convening the Council to work through difficult policy issues, we have also been convening and consulting with stakeholders in the field for the past several months, including conducting a national survey/poll this summer, to understand how the Protected Innocence Challenge laws are being implemented. The field input we’ve gathered, along with a growing collection of unjust cases and a persistently low national score on victim protections, indicate there is a need to revise the Framework to deepen our focus on victim protections.

Therefore, perhaps it is the tragedy of Hope Zeferjohn’s case that answers our initial question. Human trafficking laws are designed to protect survivors; to keep our focus on that purpose, it is clear that we, as stakeholders, must make that the core purpose and goal of our work.

August 7, 2019 by Sarah Bendtsen

How to Make an Ocean Rise – Celebrating Cyntoia Brown’s Release

“Ripples. When you create a difference in someone’s life, you not only impact their life, you impact everyone influenced by them throughout their entire lifetime. No act is ever too small. One by one, that is how to make an ocean rise.” –Danielle Doby, Author

Eight months ago, we learned that Cyntoia Brown, a survivor of child sex trafficking, was

facing a potential turning point in her life story. In 2004, at 16 years old and in the throes of life experiences that no child should have, Cyntoia killed a man who had purchased her for sex. Despite overwhelming evidence of horrific childhood trauma and current exploitation, she was tried as an adult and convicted of murder. Instead of providing protection and services appropriate for Cyntoia’s trafficking victimization, the state handed her a sentence of life in prison.

Almost 15 years into her sentence, and after years of tireless cries for justice by advocates across the country, we learned that Cyntoia’s case was being considered for clemency. And so we turned to you—advocates from all walks of life—to demand justice for Cyntoia. In less than three weeks, 4,590 of you took action, signing a petition to Tennessee Governor Haslam, asking that he use his authority to grant clemency to Cyntoia. We celebrated when, on January 7th, the outgoing Governor Haslam stood on the side of justice and granted clemency to Cyntoia. And we celebrate again as we witness Cyntoia’s long-awaited release from prison today.

We celebrate this moment of justice for a survivor. We celebrate the policy advancements this specific case, and the resulting dialogues have inspired. We celebrate as we anticipate the effect Cyntoia’s case will have on other survivors of sex trafficking who may face unjust responses from the juvenile and criminal justice systems. We celebrate because we see an ocean rising.[easy-tweet tweet=”We celebrate as we anticipate the effect Cyntoia’s case will have on other survivors of sex trafficking who may face unjust responses from the juvenile and criminal justice systems.” user=”SharedHope” hashtags=”SharedHope, StoptheInjustice” url=”https://sharedhope.org/2019/08/07/how-to-make-an-ocean-rise-celebrating-cyntoia-browns-release/” template=”dark”]

When you took action, you impacted Cyntoia’s life. Resultantly, we know Cyntoia will have an extraordinary impact on her community and in this movement. The ripples from your signature, your call, your social media post will continue. Because of that, we know we have arrived at the door of critical and sustainable change.

With both immense admiration for Cyntoia’s strength and gratitude for the relentlessness of fellow advocates from across the county, we remain steadfast in our commitment to pursue justice for all survivors of sex trafficking. We invite you to join along and seek protection, not punishment, for youth who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation. Together, we can make the ocean rise.

August 2, 2019 by Marissa Gunther

What Does Being a “Four-Star Charity” Mean?

By Marissa Gunther, Director of Growth Strategies, Shared Hope International

For the 6th consecutive year, Shared Hope International has achieved the coveted four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator of charities. Following a thoroughly comprehensive review, Shared Hope earned 92.73 points out of 100 overall for the Fiscal Year 2018.

So what exactly does that mean?

Here is what Charity Navigator President and CEO Michael Thatcher had to say about our score in a letter dated August 1, 2019:

“Only 9% of the charities we evaluate have received at least 6 consecutive 4-star evaluations, indicating that Shared Hope international exceeds industry standards and outperforms most other charities in America. This exceptional designation from Charity Navigator sets Shared Hope apart from its peers and demonstrates to the public its trustworthiness.”

Aiming to achieve a four-star rating is our commitment to our donors, supporters and the vulnerable adults, girls, and boys we serve. We specifically strive for:

Sound fiscal management
Commitment to accountability and transparency

Our mission is preventing the conditions that foster sex trafficking, restoring and empowering survivors, and bringing justice to vulnerable adults and children. We cannot accomplish our mission without the trust of our donors, collaborators, legislators and the public.

And so, we are throwing all the confetti and popping all the corks celebrating this achievement today. We hope that our continuous efforts to be financially healthy, transparent and accountable prove to be worthy and deserving of your trust.

We celebrate YOU, too!

Thank you for trusting us with your donations, your volunteer time, and your belief in our mission. Your support means the world to us, and to the vulnerable adults, girls, and boys that we serve.

Shared Hope International Ambassador's of Hope — Shared Hope International Ambassador’s of Hope

Because of you, we can continue providing hope – one life at a time. Thank you for being part of our mission to end child sex trafficking!

You can review Shared Hope’s full profile and rating by Charity Navigator HERE.

July 29, 2019 by Marissa Gunther

Running Upstream: A Call to Action this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

By Marissa Gunther, Director of Growth Strategies, Shared Hope International

Perhaps you’re familiar with the fable of the man and the river?

The story is commonly told like this: A man sits peacefully on a grassy slope that rolls into a river’s edge, his family picnicking and playing nearby. As he listens to his children’s laughter, their shrieks of joy echoing off the hillside, a different more desperate sound breaks through.

A scream. Help!

Alarmed, the man frantically looks for the source and finds it coming from the river. A girl, no older than his own young daughter, is fighting for her life as the current sweeps her downstream.

Without thinking, the man takes off running down the slope into the icy waters and grabs the young girl before it’s too late.

Now, back at shore, the man wonders with wild confusion…How did this happen?

But before he can ask the frozen and exhausted child any questions, he hears another scream. Then another. And then another. The man looks back at the river to find dozens of children, girls and boys, hopelessly clambering to stay afloat as the river washes them away.

He quickly realizes that he can’t save all of the children alone. He needs more help.

He yells for other picnicking families from his village to join him in the rescue attempts – the village begins swimming as quickly as possible to rescue each child.

Soon rescue teams and fire trucks arrive, and out jumps the fire chief. She takes one long look at the situation and begins to run up the river, realizing that somehow, for some reason, the children keep falling in the river upstream. There is where she will find the source of the problem.

Like the fire chief, we too must hurry upstream and address the source.

Pictured, children at our Village of Hope, Pune India

For over 20 years, Shared Hope has been pulling children out of the deadly river that is child sex trafficking through restoration and empowerment. Currently, we’re providing funding and technical assistance to partners in India, Nepal, Jamaica and in the United States that provide safe housing, medical care, education, vocational training, and therapeutic services.

But someone – somewhere – is creating a demand for the children and vulnerable adults we’re helping. More and more children will fall into the river unless someone fixes the source.

We will not quit until every child is safe.

And so, we support the United Nation’s global plan of action and will celebrate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30. We see this day not just as an occasion, but as an opportunity to educate the public about the scourge of human trafficking, to mobilize a political force and the resources needed to truly address the source of the problem, and to celebrate the achievements of the abolitionists of today and survivor leaders who bravely speak out and stand up to this evil. [easy-tweet tweet=”We support the United Nation’s global plan of action and will celebrate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.” user=”SharedHope” hashtags=”SharedHope, StoptheInjustice” url=”https://www.un.org/en/events/humantrafficking/” template=”dark”]

Research spanning multiple decades, including data collected by both Shared Hope and the UN reinforce the fact that human trafficking is a global problem and no country is immune to it. Millions of victims fall in to the hands of traffickers, lured by fake promises and deceit, and fueled by the economics of market demand.

Data also shows that trafficking happens all around us. According to the 2018 UN Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the number of victims trafficked within their own country has doubled in recent years to a staggering 58% of all detected victims. Note that these numbers exclude the millions of suspected unreported cases.

In response, government entities around the globe have passed laws that aim to protect victims and hold offenders accountable. However, even with laws on the books, including laws passed at the state and federal level in the United States, victims continue to be trafficked and criminalized while the crimes of traffickers go unpunished.

Astonishingly, over one third of the states in the US lack laws that would prevent minor victims of sex trafficking from being criminalized for the crime of prostitution rather than ensuring they receive a protective response and specialized, trauma-informed services.

Yes, you read that right.

Child sex trafficking victims in the US are still being arrested for the crime committed against them.

So tomorrow, Shared Hope stands with the United Nations and celebrates their decision to focus 2019 World Day on highlighting the importance of government action in the interest of justice for victims.[easy-tweet tweet=”Shared Hope stands with the UN and celebrates their decision to focus 2019 World Day on highlighting the importance of government action in the interest of justice for victims.” user=”SharedHope” hashtags=”SharedHope, StoptheInjustice” url=”https://www.un.org/en/events/humantrafficking/” template=”dark”]

And, like the fabled man and his village, we are running full speed towards UN’s call to action – PREVENTION. Everyone, not just government entities, can take action to stop children from ever falling into the dangerous and brutal river that is sex trafficking.

We can, together, mobilize our own village of hope.

So you might be thinking…

Yes, yes, YES! Trafficking is a big problem and it will take a big village. So where is my place in all of this?

Shared Hope has a pathway to action for you. Right where you are, as you are.

Consider the following actions as a great place to start:

Become well educated on the issue and learn as much as possible about what life is really like for trafficking victims. Take time to learn about the conditions that foster trafficking, and how this dark marketplace is fueled by buyers who pay traffickers to supply victims to meet their demand. Then educate others. As a place to start, we recommend reading or listening to the audiobook Renting Lacy by Linda Smith, which details eye-opening information based on real victim stories of youth bought and sold within the American commercial sex trade. Share the book with others when you’re done.
Learn the warning signs and how to respond responsibly. To get you started, you can visit SharedHope.org to access several downloadable, free resources on warning signs and how to take action. You can report suspected child sex trafficking to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-THE-LOST (843-5678).
Volunteer your time and talents. Shared Hope offers many on-ramps to taking action. Easier still, you can get started in any place that is comfortable to you, at your school, faith community, social media group – even in your own home. Our Ambassadors of Hope are trained and supported volunteers who carry the torch of prevention education into their communities, their voices causing a culture changing ripple effect across the nation. Join our team today!
Your voice matters and can make a difference. Legislative advocacy is an effective tool that can strengthen legal protective responses to victims, ensure pathways to social services for survivors, and hold buyers and traffickers accountable. If you feel moved to learn more about the laws combating sex trafficking in your state, visit our legislative action center.
Give a gift of hope. Your giving empowers Shared Hope to continue our work to eradicate child sex trafficking through prevention, restoration and bringing justice. You can make an impactful, tax-deductible donation to Shared Hope here.

We hope you’ll join us tomorrow, the 30^th Day of July, as we run upstream, carrying forward our mission to end child sex trafficking.

We believe that together we can end human trafficking once and for all.

July 29, 2019 by Guest

VICTIMS OR OFFENDERS? How the Criminal Justice System Needs to Shift Its Perspective

Octavis Lampkin will be presenting, “Victim or Offender? Peer Recruitment and Drug Trafficking within the Sex Trafficking Experience” with Sue Aboul-Hosn, BSSW, CPSW, Regional Human Trafficking Coordinator, Florida Department of Children and Families, on Tuesday, October 15 at this year’s JuST (Juvenile Sex Trafficking) Conference in Cincinnati, OH. Visit justconference.org/just2019 to review our workshop agenda and for more information on how to register.

Read Octavis’ blog below:

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VICTIMS OR OFFENDERS? Why the Criminal Justice System Needs to Shift Its Perspective

By: Octavis Lampkin, Victims Advocate, Free Myself LLC

When I read about the 14 year old girl who was just convicted of capital murder in Fort Worth, Texas after being used as bait in a crime committed by her trafficker, I recognized the injustice. I myself, at the young age of 14, was also eager to please my pimp. At the time, I believed I was in control but in reality, I was grappling with a complex whirlwind of emotions and my understanding of my circumstances was completely shaped by his manipulation. The injustice in the Fort Worth case shows the gulf of misunderstanding between the reality faced by victims of sex trafficking and how their conduct is perceived by the criminal justice system.

The fact is that sex traffickers don’t just control their victims to coerce them into commercial sex. Traffickers don’t limit their criminal activity to the commonly understood concept of sex trafficking. When they see the opportunity, they manipulate their victims into a host of other crimes, sometimes even serious offenses like robbery, drug smuggling and even recruiting young girls and women to work for the trafficker. A young person in this situation may actually believe it is the right thing to do. A trafficker probably convinced her that as a female she needed someone to look out for her and that other girls actually want to be a part of his trafficking organization. She may also know by recruiting, that she wouldn’t have to sleep with as many strangers nor place herself at risk of being raped anymore. This is the complex reality that a trafficking survivor may face, but fails to be recognized by the criminal justice process.

Part of the problem is that it’s hard to convey the extent of control that a trafficker can exercise over a victim and how dramatically trauma can change the way a survivor may act. Often, children who experience trauma and come from broken homes long for love and affection regardless of who is providing it. When a child is given shelter, food, protection, and clothes, they feel obligated to the person who is meeting those basic needs. Traffickers exploit these vulnerabilities through coercion, mind control, guilt, and most importantly, through mental and physical abuse. Grooming may take place when the victim and pimp engage in intimate relations. This is often done to weaken the barriers of the victim. After the pimp succeeds in mentally controlling the victim, she begins to believe that their bond is genuine. The pimp then demands the victim return her loyalty by delivering whatever the trafficker demands. This could be anything.

When you look closely at the circumstances of a trafficking case, victims are not the masterminds but followers. Any request of the predator is perceived as a privilege to the victim. And as such, the victim follows through with the request to win over their predator’s love and trust. This is similar to when a child seeks trust and privileges from their own parents; but trafficking victims may lack the ability to differentiate between the two. Traffickers are aware of the sensitivity and vulnerability of minors in sex trafficking and have been for a very long time. That is why traffickers keep a very low profile, making it very difficult to identify them as they use victims as their bait. It doesn’t take long for mind control to become effective. Then, the longer time that a victim is under control, the more likely that the victim does not see an alternative to carrying out the demands of the trafficker.

In fact, some of the factors that the prosecutors and the court relied on as evidence that the minor in the Fort Worth case was a willing participant are actually indicators of her victimization. In that sense, this case is not unusual. Sadly, when the judicial system fails to respond to trafficking victims in an appropriate, trauma-informed way due to a lack of understanding of the trauma that the victim has experienced, the child victim seeks other ways to cope with our system’s failure, often by not cooperating or lashing out. Then that child begins to be seen as an offender rather than the victim they truly are. There are many signs in this case that went unnoticed of this little girl’s hopes and dreams going down the drain. First, she was clearly under the control of her trafficker. Most importantly, she had been stripped of her identity, independence, and the ability to think critically or logically. She suffered physical and mental abuse, which creates immense and unexplainable fear, preventing her from doing the right thing even if she feels it’s wrong. The minor in the Fort Worth case was manipulated by a predator, leading her to believe they had an intimate relationship. This would confuse any child victim, especially as that child continues to be taken advantage of by her exploiter.

And so I see here another child who has been failed by the system; just as I was failed by the system and found myself alone on the streets with no one to turn to except a predator who held out his hand with a motive. And I also see the immense injustice of the criminal justice system’s response to this case – that the consequence of the trafficker’s exploitation of this child is that this child must pay for the trafficker’s crime.

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Since 2009, Octavis Lampkin has provided awareness for Florida Department of Children and Families, law enforcement, Human Trafficking Task Force and many other organizations. She recounts her own experiences of being involved in Human Trafficking to at risk youths, maturing them on different tactics to prevent them from becoming victimized. In recent years, she has presented at various summits regarding the Life, peer recruitment and drug trafficking, and about being a survivor of DMST and the complex issues associated with their own exploitation. Octavis is a capable, unique individual who has overcome many obstacles and irregular dysfunctional cycles. She is a mother elevating a gifted and talented young teenager, teaching him morals and critical values of life. This courageous mother has completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and continues to strive to her maximum potential as a Victim Advocate Consultant.