Sharing the Hope Archives - Shared Hope International

September 16, 2013 by SHI Staff

Buyer Beware: Legislators Tighten Laws to Target Buyers

Rep. Judge Ted Poe and Senator John Cornyn cross-filed the End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013 on July 24, 2013. The bill has the purpose of clarifying the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) and its criminal provision, 18 USC 1591, to include actions by buyers – through the verbs “patronizes or solicits” – as offenses of sex trafficking.

Pending federal court cases in South Dakota ended with the 8^th Circuit Court of Appeals decision issued in January 2013 holding that the plain language of 18 USC 1591 includes the actions of buyers through the terms “entices” and “obtains” primarily. Nonetheless, concern remained that the federal law was not sufficiently clear in its intent to include ALL of the actors in the crime of sex trafficking, including buyers. Federal legislators intend to clarify without a doubt that the actions of buyers – demand – is part of the trafficking crime.

This amendment is the product of years of advocacy by Shared Hope and our anti-demand colleagues. Recently, Shared Hope International’s senior policy director Samantha Healy Vardaman and policy counsel Christine Raino authored a law review article published in the University of Memphis Law Review Summer 2013 publication titled Prosecuting Demand as a Crime of Human Trafficking: The Eighth Circuit Decision in United States Vs. Jungers.

The article presents “the case that buyers and attempted buyers of commercial sex acts with minors—including prostitution, pornography, and sexual performance—engage in trafficking activities essential to the crime of trafficking. The Eighth Circuit decision in the Bonestroo and Jungers cases will greatly bolster the ability of prosecutors and law enforcement to combat and deter sex trafficking of minors in America.”

Shared Hope has been undertaking the Demanding Justice Project to emphasize the need for legislation and prosecution that target buyers of sex with children. This research addresses states’ enforcement of laws analyzed under the demand component of the Protected Innocence Challenge. Phase one of the project – a national desk review of buyer cases identified and tracked through the court process – will be featured at Sharing the Hope 2013. The Pathbreaker Awards Gala will also be featured at the event. This year’s Pathbreaker Award recipients are those who have developed innovative strategies to combat demand: Vednita Carter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Cordes, and Rep. Ted Poe.

To read Rep. Poe and Sentor Cornyn’s End Sex Trafficking Act of 2013, follow the links below.

View the House Bill.

View the Senate Bill.

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 23, 2013 by Guest

It Happens to Boys, Too

Special guest blog post by Anna Smith, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Restore One. Commercial sexual exploitation “happens to boys, too.”

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”– William Wilberforce

The words of William Wilberforce serve as a stark reminder that with knowledge not only comes power but responsibility.

In Spring 2013, ECPAT-USA’s groundbreaking study And Boys Too created a buzz in the sex trafficking movement and forced us to expand not only our knowledge of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and sex trafficking but it increased our responsibility to act on behalf of boys too.

Experts estimate that annually between 100,000-300,000 American youth are victims of some type of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) within the United States. Without any education, most Americans assume sex trafficking and CSE happens only to women and girls. The majority view men as perpetrators and seldom consider them as victims. However the 2008 study, The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New York City, suggests that as many as 50% of commercial sexually exploited American youth are young males.

While the victimization of each gender requires an equal grade of attention, the sex trafficking movement has largely overlooked the fact that it happens to boys too.

Such knowledge shaped the work I do at Restore One and the population we plan to serve through our long-term aftercare program, The Anchor House. Opening in 2014, The Anchor House is staged to be the first in the United States to provide long-term residential care specifically to domestic minor sex trafficked and CSE boys. The issues facing DMST and CSE boys, while similar to girls, are firmly unique. Some of the trends unique to DMST and CSE boys we’ve observed both through study and through relational interaction with male survivors include:

The common age of first exposure to the sex trade is younger; studies suggest that a boys average age of entry is 11-13 years old.
The game is different; boys are not always ‘pimped out.’ There is often a market facilitator involved in the recruitment and brokering of boys to buyers.
Boys express greater amounts of humiliation and shame when associating themselves as victims of sexual exploitation, thus decreasing solicitation of services.
Boys have an increased bewilderment toward sexual orientation and gender identity.
Studies suggest that the bulk of boys identify as heterosexual. Yet gay, bi-sexual, transsexual and questioning (GBTQ) youth represent a significant portion of sexual exploited youth. Along with boys, GBTQ populations must be addressed.
Boys in the sex trade are at an increased risk for physical abuse, sexual transmitted infections and HIV.

Also worth noting, boys exiting the sex trade report complications such as: depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), suicidal thoughts, poor self image, sexual identity issues, sexual transmitted infections, HIV, lack of family support, drug dependency and obstacles with physical injuries.

At Sharing the Hope, I look forward to expanding upon not only these unique trends but discussing the framework application of The Anchor House program.

To hear more on this topic, join Anna Smith and over 25 national experts at Sharing the Hope, November 7-9 in Washington D.C. Early bird registration closes October 1. Book now!

Anna Smith is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Restore One. Anna works diligently on Restore One’s chief project, The Anchor House. The Anchor House will be the first shelter in the nation designed to meet the psychological, physical and sociological needs of sex trafficked and sexually exploited American boys. Aside from Anna’s work with the Anchor House, she oversees Restore One’s prevention program, Project So Loved, and serves as Chair of the Pitt County Rapid Response Team. Anna has dual a degree in Social Work and Religious Studies and is currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Counseling. Anna is a strong advocate for sex trafficked and sexual exploited males. Anna has a resilient passion to see child sex trafficking victims experience true healing and restoration.

August 8, 2013 by Shamere

Unavoidable Destiny | College Recruitment: Pimps and Their Master Plan

The number one question may adults ask children is “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Depending on the age of the child the response may vary. Some may answer a doctor, teacher, nurse, etc. Following the response of the child the adult may reference the importance of education and doing well in school. It is fair to say parents instill the importance of education in their children from an early age. Pimps use this as a recruitment tactic to manipulate individuals into the dark world of sex trafficking.

As far back as I can remember, I wanted be an attorney. I could see myself in the courtroom defending others and would often times dress up in my mother’s clothes pretending to be an attorney with my dolls as my client. My passion grew stronger as I began to pursue an undergraduate degree. This same passion was the source of manipulation that my pimp used to capture me into the dark underground culture we know today as sex trafficking. I was pursuing a degree in legal studies at St. Johns University under a full athletic scholarship. The summer before my junior year, I was injured during track practice. Though it was only a pulled hamstring, it represented the end of my track scholarship and potentially my college career. Finding myself $3,000 short for the spring semester, I met a man who offered to help me pay for school. I was cautious to take the offer but eager to return to school and complete my degree, so decided to take the risk. In the end, the risk ended up greater than I ever imagined. I spent 18 months under the control of a brutal pimp. He continued to promise to send me back to school but as each semester came and went, the reality that I was not returning became evident. Looking back it was as if my passion to complete my education was a blindfold that prevented me from seeing the truth and gave my trafficker the ability to manipulate me.

But my dream never faded.

Last week, I received my acceptance letter to continue my criminal justice education at Loyola University. I had mixed emotions about this. While a part of me was excited that I can continue another leg of my journey toward restoration, a part of me was nervous. That passion to become an attorney still lives in me and I quickly remember the end results of the last time I tried to exercise this passion for education. In the split of a second, I began thinking I had no money to return to school so how will I enroll. In fact, it was due to the lack of money why it was so easy for me to be recruited by my trafficker.

The Holy Spirit has a way of working things out because he sent people around me who were more excited about my acceptance to college than I was. It was through these moments that the Lord began to speak. I don’t have to be fearful about going after my dreams because He will provide. Moreover, this time I am more prepared, aware and knowledgeable.

As college students return to school this week, I know they are excited but thinking about the challenges they may face this semester – tuition, books, housing and food. Guess who else is thinking about these challenges and is lurking around college campuses – PIMPS!!!! They are setting up shop looking for that individual in need of some assistance.

I encourage college students to be aware of pimps and ask questions. If you feel like it’s too good to be true, it probably is, don’t ignore your gut feeling. There are resources available to assist you on your college journey. Ask questions, seek answers, and find solutions without being discouraged. Know that pimps are tricky and master manipulators who will try to convince you to make a decision you will later regret.

It happened to me don’t let it happen to you.

To learn more about pimp recruitment, control and manipulation from Shamere McKenzie join us at Sharing the Hope 2013 JuST Conference November 7-9 in Washington, D.C. To register, visit: www.sharedhope.org/sharingthehope

December 13, 2012 by SHI Staff

Sharing the Hope 2012

Sharing the Hope 2012, Shared Hope’s biggest event of the year, welcomed hundreds of guests from 30 states around the country for three dynamic days of education, discussion and celebration in Washington, D.C.

On November 29, Shared Hope released the 2012 Protected Innocence Challenge Report Cards at the Protected Innocence Challenge Press Conference. These Report Cards document Shared Hope’s evaluation of all fifty states’ legislation regarding domestic minor sex trafficking. We were proud to announce 15 states raised their grade! Attendees and news outlets heard from Linda Smith, survivor advocate Shamere McKenzie, survivor advocate Brianna Myers, Detective Bill Woolf (Fairfax County (VA) Gang Investigations Unit), Abigail Kuzma (Indiana Office of Attorney General) and Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) on the importance of strong state laws to bring justice to survivors.

We welcomed 250 participants at the intensive Do You Know Lacy? training to help professionals and community members identify victims of trafficking and respond effectively. Participants learned from over 20 experts and practitioners from around the nation on how pimps maintain control over victims, the strengths and weaknesses in state laws, and the growing trend of gang trafficking. This Do You Know Lacy? Sex Trafficking Awareness and Response Training presented a collaborative and community-based curriculum to inform various types of responders. Law enforcement, prosecutors, juvenile service providers, community advocates and defenders all learned specific ways to address the issue within their professions.

On Friday, November 30, experts from around the country joined Shared Hope International, The Protection Project from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and ECPAT-USA to evaluate current service provider responses to domestically trafficked youth and propose promising practices for future responders. Practitioners working with formerly trafficked youth came from across the country and discussed placement options for victims, challenges facing current service providers, and what successful treatment programs for victims look like. Over 500 people from across the globe tuned in to witness this landmark discussion. Watch it here!

Friday night concluded the busy day with a celebration of Shared Hope’s accomplishments over the years. This Sharing the Hope Gala included a welcome address by Linda Smith, prayer by Sean Wrench, and keynote address by Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. A live jazz band entertained guests during the social hour. Guests joined Shared Hope in honoring the 2012 Pathbreaker’s during the award ceremony. Linda Smith presented awards to Ernie Allen, Amy O’Neill Richard, Senior Advisor to the Director at the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, Drew Oosterbaan, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Deborah Richardson, Executive Vice President of the Center for Civil and Human Rights. Survivor advocate Rebecca Bender read a moving survivor-written tribute to the Pathbreakers, and survivor advocates Stacy Lewis and Shamere McKenzie presented a dramatic reenactment of a fictional domestic minor sex trafficking victim’s interaction with the justice system. The drama highlighted the lack of concern and resources for these victims that currently hinder identification and care for these youth all around the country.

Sharing the Hope 2012 was an exciting and successful event that enabled community members from around the country to engage in collaborative networking, honest discussion, intensive training, and much deserved celebration for the prevention and end of domestic minor sex trafficking. With the release of the 2012 Protected Innocence Challenge Report Cards, community members can inform themselves, their communities, and their state legislators about the issue to help advocate for stronger state laws.

We hope to see you next year at Sharing the Hope 2013!