http://38.118.71.50/neighborhood/speaking-out/2012/jul/26/message-teens-10-tips-protection-against-rafficker/
WASHINGTON, DC, July 26, 2012 - This column is for the tweens and teens out there. Parents should show it to them. Print it out, stick it in their school books, or post it to their mirrors.
There are ways to protect yourself, or your child, from becoming a victim of a sex trafficker. Familiarize yourself with the following ten tips; share them with friends.
Parents, review these with your child and be aware so that if something changes in your teen’s life, you can catch your child before he or she becomes a statistic.
1. Become media literate. If you don’t know what “media literacy” means, I encourage you to research the topic. It is important that you understand how business enterprises are sending you distorted messages via the media in order to make a profit from selling you their products.
These messages include: You aren’t pretty unless you buy this, you aren’t cool unless you own this, being pretty or cool is more important than anything else, etc. Traffickers understand what popular culture is telling you; educate yourself in order to be armed against predators. Start with Nicole Clark’s documentary, Cover Girl Culture, or Adriana Barbaro and Jeremy Earp’s documentary, Consuming Kids: the Commercialism of Childhood.
For more resources on media literacy, please visit my personal blog.
2. Learn different coping skills. Life in middle school is tough. I know this because I was there; I struggled with the same issues as most teens today- bullying, teen pregnancy, poor self-image, etc.
It doesn’t have to feel so stressful all the time, though. I encourage you to explore ways to cope with stress. Coping strategies can include meditation, prayer, exercise, yoga, martial arts, writing, reading, music, sports, crafting, collecting, etc. Don’t be afraid to try new things, and please ask for help from teachers or family members if you need assistance with starting one of these activities.
A book that helped me with coping strategies was The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
3. Stay involved in extracurricular activities. It is crucial to do well in school and to stay involved in extracurricular activities. Try out for different sports, clubs, or programs.
I promise that good grades and a busy schedule are the most effective ways to overcome middle school troubles and to graduate as quickly and successfully as possible.
Trust me on this- I tried running away from middle school. That route was worse than if I had just stuck things out at school.
4. Don’t be afraid to try new things. If you have an aunt that offers to take you to the ballet, say yes! If an uncle offers to take you to a sports game, take him up on it! Try new things! Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone or away from your friends.
I was very afraid to try new things without my friends- the result? When my friends inevitably began to try new things without me, I felt very isolated and alone. This is part of the reason a trafficker was able to lure me away from home.
5. Volunteer. Volunteering can help you keep things in focus while in middle and high school. There are many different ways to volunteer- from serving food at a soup kitchen to walking dogs at an animal shelter.
Check out www.volunteermatch.org or www.idealist.org to find cool places to volunteer! A healthy perspective on one’s own life will prevent attempted distortion by a stranger.
6. Learn to say NO. Our society is saturated with images of sex, and most images of women in the media are sexualized. This teaches young girls that sex appeal equals value. This turns into a domino effect; over-sexualized girls are magnets for older, opportunistic boys or men who will push to have their expectations met.
Despite seeing and hearing about sex on a daily basis, please know that you have the right to say NO to anyone at any time, no matter what. Saying no does not make you less worthy in any way whatsoever. YOU own your body. NOBODY has the right to touch you- no matter what, no matter when, and no matter how far things have gone with a person in the past.
And, guys- it’s ok to wait to have sex. Despite what you see and hear on a daily basis from television and from peers, it’s cooler to wait. Respect yourself and your partner.
Traffickers look for teens who lack assertiveness. Stand up for yourself! Say NO!
7. Ask questions about sex. Please know that positive sexual health is not accurately portrayed in movies, music lyrics, music videos, or magazines. These are often very negative and inaccurate depictions of romance and love.
Take your time. Rushing to have sex can have disastrous effects.
8. Seek Counseling! It is not normal to feel overly sad, angry, hopeless, or empty. Even though so many movie characters and musicians display this exact personality as being cool or normal, it is not ok for you to feel this way. You deserve to feel happy and safe.
Please confide in a teacher or family member if you are having these feelings. Or, call the Boys Town National Hotline, a crisis hotline for both boys and girls, at 1-800-448-3000 .
9. Understand how child trafficking works. Traffickers hang out in the same places you do: malls, skating rinks, bus stations, online, etc. Traffickers do not typically look like sketchy characters- they are often young and well-dressed. Traffickers will offer to buy you trendy clothes, shoes, cars, or other expensive items.
Traffickers will ask for your phone number; they will ask to see or speak to you alone. Traffickers will tell you how pretty and mature you are, and they may mention knowing celebrities, exotic dancers, models, and porn stars. Traffickers will offer to help you make a lot of money or may offer to help you run away.
Know this- NO stranger (man or woman) has good intentions if they offer to help you run away. NO stranger (man or woman) has anything but personal gain in mind if they offer to help you make money. No matter how cool, how hip, or how fun and friendly they may seem- they mean to harm you.
Seek help from a trusted family member or teacher.
10. Raise awareness! Start a school club to promote awareness for media literacy or human trafficking. You belong to the next generation of advocates who must stand up for your rights and the rights of others. Your voice can make a difference.
Believe in yourself and all that you can accomplish!
Holly Austin Smith is a survivor advocate, author, and speaker. She invites you to join her on Facebook or Twitter and to follow her personal blog.
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
From Barriers to Solutions: Investigating and Prosecuting Human Trafficking
From Barriers to Solutions: Investigating and Prosecuting Human Trafficking
Webinar | February 25, 2013 | 2:00-3:30PM EST
Human trafficking thrives in rural, suburban, and urban jurisdictions across the country because it is routinely undetected, overlooked or misidentified. The common misconception that “we don’t have human trafficking in our jurisdiction” leads many criminal justice system professionals to fail to recognize common indicators of human trafficking. Further, a lack of coordination between the criminal justice system and community-based programs results in a lack of victim identification and offender accountability. While our ability to identify offenders and victims has improved, there are still significant gaps in the justice system’s response to human trafficking.
In April 2012, researchers from the Urban Institute and Northeastern University released the report, “Identifying Challenges to Improve the Investigation and Prosecution of State and Local Human Trafficking Cases,” highlighting challenges to — and recommendations to improve —human trafficking investigations and prosecutions. The report addresses complex challenges in addition to offering numerous recommendations following an in-depth study that examined twelve jurisdictions across the United States. Click here to read the full report.
This webinar will highlight key findings from the report and offer solutions for overcoming some of the barriers enhancing victim identification and safety, and increasing offender accountability through the effective investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases.
Allied justice system professionals including but not limited to prosecutors, law enforcement officers, community-based service providers, medical and mental health practitioners, probation and parole officers, judges, etc. are encouraged to attend.
Click here to register.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Man gets 30 years in prison for pimping runaway girls, ages 12 to 14
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-02-14/news/fl-deangelo-jones-teen-prostitutes-20130214_1_runaway-girls-deangelo-jones-three-girls
Man gets 30 years in prison for pimping runaway girls, ages 12 to 14
February 14, 2013|By Paula McMahon, Sun Sentinel
A man who prostituted runaway girls, ages 12 to 14, in Fort Lauderdale was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for his crimes.
Federal prosecutors said Deangelo Jones, 20, pimped the girls – even forcing one of them to try to pick up customers at night on Sistrunk Boulevard – after he turned down an offer of honest work from his father.
Man gets 30 years in prison for pimping runaway girls, ages 12 to 14
February 14, 2013|By Paula McMahon, Sun Sentinel
A man who prostituted runaway girls, ages 12 to 14, in Fort Lauderdale was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for his crimes.
Federal prosecutors said Deangelo Jones, 20, pimped the girls – even forcing one of them to try to pick up customers at night on Sistrunk Boulevard – after he turned down an offer of honest work from his father.
Anti-human-trafficking efforts gain momentum
http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1917367?preferredArticleViewMode=single
by Yamiche Alcindor, USA TODAY
Published: 02/16/2013 05:51pm
A growing wave of efforts to stop human trafficking has spread across the country as lawmakers and others look to combat the problem through law, policy, and grass-roots activism.
While approaches vary, advocates say more must be done to stop the crime, dubbed "modern day slavery" and defined by the U.S. State Department as the recruitment, transportation or harboring of people by means of deception or coercion. Victims, often mentally and physically abused, can be forced into prostitution, unfair working conditions, or other exploitative situations.
"Consciousness and outrage have reached a different level because of the perverseness but also the impact of human trafficking," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "People understand that everyone has a responsibility to fight human trafficking and every individual can have an impact."
Cases of traffickers recruiting students at U.S. schools, selling sex online and in hotels, and operating slave entreprises alongside everyday life has led to increased awareness.
Two lawmakers in Maryland this month announced plans to toughen state laws on trafficking this year. In doing so, they joined a long list of people around the country working to make the crime in the United States a central topic of 2013.
Blumental and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, launched the U.S. Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking in November and sponsored a bill that later became law to prevent federal contracts from going to companies that benefit from forms of trafficking. The bill aims to hold contractors responsible by requiring them to notify the Inspector General if they receive "credible evidence" that a subcontractor has engaged in trafficking.
This week, Blumental and Portman also led a successful Senate vote to allow child victims of sex trafficking to receive help under the Violence Against Women Act. The House will now need to agree to that amendment.
Meanwhile, the bipartisan caucus will hold its first meeting this month. Blumenthal hopes the group will lead to more legislation, tougher enforcement of existing laws, and additional supportive services for victims.
The federal government hopes to become a model for change following announcements by President Obama last year about several new initiatives aimed at ending trafficking nationwide, Blumenthal said. The efforts include the first-ever assessment of the problem in this country and a $6 million grant to build solutions.
In Maryland, State Delegate Kathleen Dumais introduced a bill this month that would allow authorities to seize the assets of suspected traffickers and confiscate them if they are convicted. Delegate Susan Lee plans to introduce a bill that would increase the penalty for abducting someone under 16 for sexual exploitation from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Detective Thomas Stack of the Montgomery County police department says criminals are moving girls from states like California, Pennsylvania and New York into Maryland's massage parlors, brothels and hotels near Interstate 95, the Eastern Seaboard's busiest north-south corridor.
"Traffickers are no different than criminal enterprises and organized crime," he said, adding that last year authorities rescued 36 juveniles involved in prostitution. "They are making tremendous amounts of money and they get to keep it, even if we catch them and they are convicted."
Other initiatives aim to combat the problem.
The American Bar Association is training lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals to recognize signs that a defendant may be a trafficking victim and plans to encourage states to adopt uniform laws against the crime, said Laurel Bellows, the organization's president.
The group held a training in Chicago last year and will host training in San Diego and Washington this year. Several schools, including Georgetown University, the University of Kansas and the University of Southern California, hosted conferences last month on the subject, inviting experts and victims to speak.
Everyday citizens such as Erin Giles, editor of End Sex Trafficking, have helped publish books on the topic, while celebrities such as Jada Pinkett Smith, head of Don't Sell Bodies, have started organizations.
Longtime activists such as Andrea Powell, executive director of Fair Girls, a non-profit based in Washington, have redoubled their efforts by expanding operations and seeking more funding. For Powell, this year's focus will be on starting an office in Baltimore and getting specialized victim housing as well as passing laws that prohibit minors from being charged with prostitution, she said.
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
by Yamiche Alcindor, USA TODAY
Published: 02/16/2013 05:51pm
A growing wave of efforts to stop human trafficking has spread across the country as lawmakers and others look to combat the problem through law, policy, and grass-roots activism.
While approaches vary, advocates say more must be done to stop the crime, dubbed "modern day slavery" and defined by the U.S. State Department as the recruitment, transportation or harboring of people by means of deception or coercion. Victims, often mentally and physically abused, can be forced into prostitution, unfair working conditions, or other exploitative situations.
"Consciousness and outrage have reached a different level because of the perverseness but also the impact of human trafficking," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "People understand that everyone has a responsibility to fight human trafficking and every individual can have an impact."
Cases of traffickers recruiting students at U.S. schools, selling sex online and in hotels, and operating slave entreprises alongside everyday life has led to increased awareness.
Two lawmakers in Maryland this month announced plans to toughen state laws on trafficking this year. In doing so, they joined a long list of people around the country working to make the crime in the United States a central topic of 2013.
Blumental and Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, launched the U.S. Senate Caucus to End Human Trafficking in November and sponsored a bill that later became law to prevent federal contracts from going to companies that benefit from forms of trafficking. The bill aims to hold contractors responsible by requiring them to notify the Inspector General if they receive "credible evidence" that a subcontractor has engaged in trafficking.
This week, Blumental and Portman also led a successful Senate vote to allow child victims of sex trafficking to receive help under the Violence Against Women Act. The House will now need to agree to that amendment.
Meanwhile, the bipartisan caucus will hold its first meeting this month. Blumenthal hopes the group will lead to more legislation, tougher enforcement of existing laws, and additional supportive services for victims.
The federal government hopes to become a model for change following announcements by President Obama last year about several new initiatives aimed at ending trafficking nationwide, Blumenthal said. The efforts include the first-ever assessment of the problem in this country and a $6 million grant to build solutions.
In Maryland, State Delegate Kathleen Dumais introduced a bill this month that would allow authorities to seize the assets of suspected traffickers and confiscate them if they are convicted. Delegate Susan Lee plans to introduce a bill that would increase the penalty for abducting someone under 16 for sexual exploitation from a misdemeanor to a felony.
Detective Thomas Stack of the Montgomery County police department says criminals are moving girls from states like California, Pennsylvania and New York into Maryland's massage parlors, brothels and hotels near Interstate 95, the Eastern Seaboard's busiest north-south corridor.
"Traffickers are no different than criminal enterprises and organized crime," he said, adding that last year authorities rescued 36 juveniles involved in prostitution. "They are making tremendous amounts of money and they get to keep it, even if we catch them and they are convicted."
Other initiatives aim to combat the problem.
The American Bar Association is training lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals to recognize signs that a defendant may be a trafficking victim and plans to encourage states to adopt uniform laws against the crime, said Laurel Bellows, the organization's president.
The group held a training in Chicago last year and will host training in San Diego and Washington this year. Several schools, including Georgetown University, the University of Kansas and the University of Southern California, hosted conferences last month on the subject, inviting experts and victims to speak.
Everyday citizens such as Erin Giles, editor of End Sex Trafficking, have helped publish books on the topic, while celebrities such as Jada Pinkett Smith, head of Don't Sell Bodies, have started organizations.
Longtime activists such as Andrea Powell, executive director of Fair Girls, a non-profit based in Washington, have redoubled their efforts by expanding operations and seeking more funding. For Powell, this year's focus will be on starting an office in Baltimore and getting specialized victim housing as well as passing laws that prohibit minors from being charged with prostitution, she said.
Copyright 2013 USATODAY.com
Thursday, February 14, 2013
United Nations highlights scale of human trafficking
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/129437
United Nations highlights scale of human trafficking
Wednesday 13 February 2013 by Our Foreign Desk Printable Email
The UN warned on Tuesday that it had found evidence of human trafficking in 118 countries and the victims, mostly women, were of 136 different nationalities.
A new UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report said that the millions of victims could be found working in the world's restaurants, fisheries, brothels, farms and homes.
It said that trafficking for sexual exploitation accounted for 58 per cent of all cases, while the share of forced labour cases had doubled over the past four years to 36 per cent.
"This global crime generates billions of dollars in profits for the traffickers," said UNODC executive director Yuri Fedotov.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that 20.9 million people are victims of forced labour globally, including victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
"While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that there are millions of trafficking victims in the world," said Mr Fedotov.
Women and girls accounted for three-quarters of all trafficking victims. And the proportion of child victims rose from 20 per cent between 2003-6 to 27 per cent between 2007-10.
Other forms of trafficking remain relatively rare.
Trafficking for organs, though just 0.2 per cent of cases in 2010, was reported by 16 countries.
Trafficking for other purposes including begging, forced marriage, illegal adoption, participating in armed combat and crime accounted for 6 per cent.
The UNODC said progress had been made in fighting trafficking, with 134 countries and territories passing laws criminalising it, but there had been few convictions.
Of the 132 countries covered in the report, 16 per cent did not record a single conviction for human trafficking between 2007 and 2010.
Mr Fedotov said: "Trafficking requires a forceful response founded on assistance and protection for victims, rigorous enforcement by the justice system, a sound migration policy and firm regulation of labour markets."
United Nations highlights scale of human trafficking
Wednesday 13 February 2013 by Our Foreign Desk Printable Email
The UN warned on Tuesday that it had found evidence of human trafficking in 118 countries and the victims, mostly women, were of 136 different nationalities.
A new UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report said that the millions of victims could be found working in the world's restaurants, fisheries, brothels, farms and homes.
It said that trafficking for sexual exploitation accounted for 58 per cent of all cases, while the share of forced labour cases had doubled over the past four years to 36 per cent.
"This global crime generates billions of dollars in profits for the traffickers," said UNODC executive director Yuri Fedotov.
The International Labour Organisation estimates that 20.9 million people are victims of forced labour globally, including victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation.
"While it is not known how many of these victims were trafficked, the estimate implies that there are millions of trafficking victims in the world," said Mr Fedotov.
Women and girls accounted for three-quarters of all trafficking victims. And the proportion of child victims rose from 20 per cent between 2003-6 to 27 per cent between 2007-10.
Other forms of trafficking remain relatively rare.
Trafficking for organs, though just 0.2 per cent of cases in 2010, was reported by 16 countries.
Trafficking for other purposes including begging, forced marriage, illegal adoption, participating in armed combat and crime accounted for 6 per cent.
The UNODC said progress had been made in fighting trafficking, with 134 countries and territories passing laws criminalising it, but there had been few convictions.
Of the 132 countries covered in the report, 16 per cent did not record a single conviction for human trafficking between 2007 and 2010.
Mr Fedotov said: "Trafficking requires a forceful response founded on assistance and protection for victims, rigorous enforcement by the justice system, a sound migration policy and firm regulation of labour markets."
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Federal legislation to assist victims of trafficking passes the senate again
Five Republicans Oppose Bipartisan Measure To Combat Human Trafficking
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/02/12/1580061/republicans-human-trafficking/?mobile=nc
By Josh Israel on Feb 12, 2013 at 2:22 pm
As the Senate moves to a final vote on the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), today 93 Senators endorsed an amendment to combat human trafficking. While opposing human trafficking is a fairly non-controversial subject, five far-right Republicans broke with the majority of their own caucus and opposed the bipartisan amendment.
The amendment, authored by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-VT), strengthens VAWA by reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The measure helps law enforcement investigative human trafficking and supports international efforts to stop the practice. Leahy noted that on the anniversary of President Lincoln’s birth, “we continue to fight human trafficking, which can amount to modern day slavery,” making the amendment a fitting tribute. “The United States remains a beacon of hope for so many who face human rights abuses. We know that young women and girls – often just 11, 12, or 13 years old – are being bought and sold. We know that workers are being held and forced into labor against their will. People in this country and millions around the world are counting on us.”
The amendment was opposed by Senators Tom Coburn (R-OK), James Inhofe (R-OK), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Jeff Sessions (R-AL).
Lee also voted against even allowing the Senate to consider the Violence Against Women Act, based on his bizarre belief that the entire bill is unconstitutional.
Prior to his time in the Senate, Johnson famously opposed the bipartisan Wisconsin Child Victims Act, a bill to extend the civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes. His objection was that it would be bad for business if employers who help cover up the crime could be “severely damaged, possibly destroyed, in a legitimate desire for justice.”
Leahy said of the the Trafficking Victims Protection Act:
This measure strengthens criminal anti-trafficking statutes to ensure that law enforcement agencies have the tools they need to effectively combat all forms of trafficking. It ensures better coordination among federal agencies, between law enforcement and victim service providers, and with foreign countries to work on every facet of this complicated problem. It includes measures to encourage victims to come forward and report this terrible crime, which leads to more prosecutions and help for more victims. We have included accountability measures to ensure that Federal funds are used for their intended purposes, and we have streamlined programs to focus scarce resources on the approaches that have been the most successful. A Senator asserted yesterday that trafficking programs have been wasteful and duplicative. In fact, the programs supported by this amendment have been carefully tracked and shown to be effective. Nonetheless, the amendment reduces authorization levels by almost a third from the levels in the last reauthorization because we are determined to ensure efficiency and respond to concerns. We have made similar efforts to streamline VAWA.
The offices of the five Senators were not immediately available to respond to questions about their rationales for opposing the amendment.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Flying the Friendly Skies
One area where flight attendants can make an impact is in the prevention of human trafficking. Flight crews are skilled observers and well-positioned in the cabin; they can be front-line allies in this fight.
Earlier today, the Association of Flight Attendants passed a resolution to actively educate flight attendants on ways to end human trafficking and to seek the addition of industry-wide training that "helps identify, report, and stop human trafficking in its tracks."
President Obama has made ending human trafficking a priority for his Administration, and this morning I thanked America's flight attendants for joining us in this effort.
You can read more about flight attendants and the fight to end human trafficking on my Fast Lane blog
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