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May 4, 2012 by Eliza Reock

Back to Our Beginning: Rampant Sex Tourism in Jamaica Compromises Youth Safety

In our 2007 report on sex trafficking markets around the world, DEMAND, sex tourism was identified as the major driving force for sex trafficking in Jamaica. Five years later, as we visit our partners in Negril, Jamaica we see not much has changed. Young girls receiving residential services at our partner’s safe house came to Negril from all over the island. The reason: Negril is a major tourist destination and it is believed to be a place where Jamaicans can make money. Unfortunately, traffickers and facilitators also go Negril to make money, by exploiting young girls and boys through the commercial sex trade.

Although some aspects of the commercial sex trade are different in Jamaica compared to the U.S., many are the same. The trauma these young girls have been through presents itself in similar ways, and our partners must invest time and resources to provide them with spiritual and clinical counseling, life skills, and a safe home.

Our partners in Jamaica work hard to provide youth in Negril with vocational skills so they are employable, and less vulnerable to the demand for commercial sex in this beautiful city. Our partners built a relationship with local law enforcement and educate officials on sex trafficking and the resources available to trafficked youth. Whether a child is a resident at the safe house or a student in the vocational program, vulnerable young men and women have access to a staff counselor who is equipped to address the challenges the youth are facing and educate them about the dangers of sex trafficking.

Since the beginning of our partnership in Jamaica, we’ve heard horrific stories of abuse that the young girls in the program have faced. Yet, we cling to hope. Singing and dancing in church on Sunday, worshipping with the residents of the safe house, and listening to their plans for the future in a life free from trafficking, was a joyful reminder of the difference Shared Hope and our supporters are making as we restore the lives of women and girls around the world.

May 4, 2012 by Shamere

Unavoidable Destiny | The “bottom girl” – victim or criminal?

Although I never physically or psychological abused any of the girls in my “stable,” I am considered a criminal. Under the direction of my pimp, I upheld the rules and maintained control. I ensured the girls were working and not sitting down in the club; I made sure the girls were not “out of pocket” (behaving outside the rules and guidelines of the pimp). I had to drive the girls to work, if I refused, I was threatened with death. Yet by driving, I became a criminal and was charged with conspiracy to the Mann Act–driving minors across state lines for illegal commerce.

A bottom girl is almost always emotionally attached to her pimp. This is referred to at the Stockholm Syndrome–a condition that makes victims empathetic and defend their abusers. A bottom girl is extremely loyal to her pimp. Through manipulation, the pimp allows the bottom girl to feel she is in an intimate relationship with him/her and is not enslaved. The manipulation may simply be a reminder of how much she is loved as the pimp provides food, clothing, and housing for her; a reminder that all her bills are paid and life is easy. Her compliant obedience to her pimp is not only to make him happy but also out of terror of the outcome if she does not act accordingly.

This is where things get complicated. When law enforcement becomes involved, a bottom girl will initially defend her pimp as she mistakes his abuse as an act of kindness. She defends the pimp’s act of rape, severe beatings, and verbal abuse by blaming herself. She often feels that she deserved what was done to her.

A pimp will convince a bottom girl that law enforcement will not rescue her; they will arrest her and send her to prison. And just like the pimp promised, the bottom girl is often arrested and charged as a co-defendant in a trafficking or prostitution case. She is inclined to believe the lies told to her by her pimp and has no trust in law enforcement. Having been warned by her pimp and receiving no rescue or services, she becomes unwilling to corporate in the investigation and tries to protect him. Believing that the pimp will be proud of her, she is often willing to accept any charges brought against her.

Anti-trafficking organizations understand that the bottom girl was under the direction of her pimp when she committed crimes. However, her dual role as a victim and criminal make it complicated for lawyers, prosecutors, and judges to uphold the law while acknowledging her victimization. Yet, justice must be served and the bottom girl is faced with taking responsibility of her own actions despite the circumstances.

Come back next week to learn how Shared Hope has effectively addressed this issue.

May 2, 2012 by SHI Staff

A Defenders Dorm Devotional

Instead of merely emailing 3 friends, a new Defender, Sonny, took his pledge to spread awareness to another level…

He rallied some college friends, and held a dorm devotional that focused on sex trafficking, and what men can do to fight it. “We had a few short videos, and someone who spoke on staying sexually pure. And then, at the end, we had 4 computers set up around the room for people to use to sign up,” said Sonny.

The devotional led to a number of young men taking action and taking the Defenders pledge. Way to go, Sonny!

Let us know how you’re creatively engaging your friends to stand up as Defenders!

Send us an email at defender@sharedhope.org, or leave us a comment!

April 27, 2012 by SHI Staff

Back to Our Beginning: What is happening to Jamaica’s missing youth?

What is happening to Jamaica’s missing youth?

2,000-3,000 Jamaican youth have gone missing in Jamaica. Field leaders we met this week described the profiles of missing children that plastered the recent nightly news reports as teens around 14 years old from low income neighborhoods–a major concern for those in the anti-trafficking field.

During our visit to Jamaica, we met with partners and leaders of the National Taskforce Against Trafficking. Members present at our meetings in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital, agreed that more needs to be done to investigate the connection between the missing children and human trafficking. Some studies have suggested at least one in five of these children could be victims of human trafficking–a huge number for a country whose total population is 2.8million–and some indicated the number could be greater.

More research is a desired deliverable for the Trafficking taskforce, as there has been little research published since 2007, the same year Shared Hope International released the DEMAND report, a profile of sex trafficking in Jamaica, the Netherlands, Japan and the U.S. Other goals of 2012 include a more robust public awareness effort and communications plan, more residential services for victims, and quarterly meetings with NGOs.

TM-and-ER-in-Jamaica — Shared Hope staff meet with students to discuss the reality of sex trafficking

The taskforce’s plan to increase NGO involvement was welcome news to our partners on the ground in Jamaica. They work directly with young Jamaicans who have been or are at risk of being victimized by human trafficking, and welcome the opportunity to inform the Ministry of Justice led taskforce of the challenges and trends they are seeing on the ground. The meeting also provided great insight to Shared Hope’s understanding of the current issues our partners face.

During our visit we also had the privilege to view a video preview of the acclaimed new production by Kevin, “Nana Moses,” Calvert, “Where’s Melissa?”. The performance, based on information received from Shared Hope partners, uses Jamaican proverbs and music to tell the story of a young girl lured into sex slavery. Producers of the musical stage performance hope to perform in schools across Jamaica, and eventually other countries. This engaging production is a great introduction to the issue of sex trafficking–especially in Jamaica where people are hesitant to believe the problem exists.

Stay tuned for our next update as we head to Negril, one of Jamaica’s most popular tourist destinations and home to our other Jamaican partner who provides services to vulnerable Jamaican teens who are often victimized by the demand for commercial sex that unfortunately thrives in these “all-inclusive” travel destinations.

April 18, 2012 by Guest

Recent Secret Service Scandal Raises Awareness of Sex Tourism

Recently thrust into the media due to the less-than-honorable actions of some members of President Obama’s Secret Service team, sex tourism has risen to the attention of the global community. Sex tourism, defined as traveling to a domestic or international location with the purpose of purchasing sex, has become a multi-billion dollar industry with some seriously questionable repercussions.
One such repercussion is the proliferation of sex trafficking. Sex tourism increases the demand for commercial sex, enticing traffickers to force women and children into the market to satisfy this demand. This leads to child sex tourism, which is defined as traveling to a location with the purpose of engaging in sex with a minor. Although this commercially-facilitated form of child abuse is known to occur in countries with a weak economic structure, it also occurs in the United States on a regular basis.

For example, Las Vegas is a hub for sex tourism, and thus sex trafficking is extremely common. In a 2008 study performed by Shared Hope, over 400 prostituted children were found in Las Vegas in just one month. Efforts to curb child sex trafficking have made some progress, but the problem continues to plague the area. Fortunately, law enforcement agencies are aware of the strong presence of sex trafficking and tourism in Las Vegas, and are developing measures in similar areas in their communities with the potential to become a hub for sex trafficking. For example, Hollywood Casino Toledo is slated to open in Toledo, Ohio this June, so local law enforcement officers are being trained to identify and address sex trafficking.

Countries with a weak economic structure are popular destinations for sex tourism because buyers can purchase comparatively less expensive sexual services with exotic women, men and/or children, with greater anonymity than if purchasing in their home country. A prime example is India. According to the 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, “Religious pilgrimage centers and cities popular for tourism continue to be vulnerable to child sex tourism. Indian nationals engage in child sex tourism within the country and, to a lesser extent, in other countries.” Essentially, Indian children are being trafficked in India to provide domestic and international tourists with sex, and Indian adults also travel to other countries to engage in sex with minors.

All forms of sex tourism fuel global sex trafficking. Although the U.S. Secret Service members’ alleged sexual engagement involved adults, their actions are driving the sex tourism industry, thus promoting the brutal commercial sexual exploitation of women and children in the region and around the world.