"SEX TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES"

This is a study I found that was done in 2001. I can only imagine how much these statistics have gone up within the last 9 years. The depth of this study is difficult to swallow and I only suggest it to people who really want to know reality.

Here are some excerpts taken from http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCYQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.uri.edu%2Fartsci%2Fwms%2Fhughes%2Fsex_traff_us.pdf&ei=jb06TIqsHY-WsgOnocjaCg&usg=AFQjCNHyGXSo8P0H8cqitBZPh-ofVJTP-w&sig2=OX1300l-Jv-oTXDSO-XbFg:

"The international women interviewed in this study were predominantly from the former Soviet Union (13 of 15), and over half of the U.S. women were African American (13 of 25). The majority of international (80%) and U.S. women (83%) interviewed in this study entered the sex industry before the age of 25, many of them as children. Sixty percent of the international women had been in the sex industry before entering the United States. Seventy-three percent of international women had no or very little English language proficiency while in the sex industry in the United States. The majority of international women arrived in the country on tourist visas (53%) and other legal means, while others were trafficked in with the use of fraudulent travel papers."

“Often the servicemen marry prostituted women around military bases abroad, bring them to the United States and pressure them into prostitution.”

“Most trafficking organizations were small, with only one to five people involved, although there were a few large (6-15 people) and very large (50-100 people) networks reported. Husbands and boyfriends acted as pimps for some of the international (20%) and U.S. (28%) women.”

“Conditions facilitating recruitment of women include economic desperation and disadvantage,lack of a sustainable income, and poverty--all of which are preyed on by recruiters, traffickers and pimps.”

“Pimps recruit young, vulnerable U.S. women in malls and clubs by befriending and creating emotional and drug or alcohol dependencies to entrap them. Pimps are also adept at preying upon women’s vulnerabilities. Coercion and violence are also used.”

“Many of the U.S. (62%) and international (29%) women are domestically trafficked inside the United States. These trafficking patterns are diverse with international women transported from the East to the West coast, from the South to the Northeast, and from urban to rural and rural to urban districts. Similarly, U.S. women are domestically trafficked across city, state and even national borders.”

“Twenty percent of the international and 28 percent of the U.S. women had intimate relationships with the men who pimped them. They and other victims described classic dynamics of battering that evolved into pimping. Emotional and physical coercion were used to break the women’s resistance to entering prostitution. Pornography was used as an “educational tool” with many (50%) of the international women. For some, stripping was the entrance point into the sex industry, after which they were constantly pressured into prostitution.”

“Methods used to control women in the sex industry included: denying freedom of movement, isolation, controlling money, threats and intimidation, drug and alcohol dependencies, threatened exposure of pornographic films, and physical and sexual violence.”

"Community Involvement
Community involvement is essential to prevention, prosecution and protection. Media, law enforcement and social service providers must be sensitive to the complexities of community participation in anti-trafficking campaigns, especially within immigrant communities. Communities should not bear the resource burden alone. There should be a joint effort of government, women's and community groups to act quickly on behalf of trafficking victims and to provide long-term assistance.
Government should work with a variety of community-based groups to design and implement victim services and support networks in various regions of the country."

I would like to see a more recent statistical paper such as this one. I think it's sad that all of this information is only based on 128 people. What if we saw trafficking for what it really is? What if we looked at the girl that always walks past our store with compassion rather than disgust and hatred? What if? Do you think that we can change this?

Open to change and 20 to boot!

As I go on about my life, I feel more and more free from the suffocation caused by abuse. One thing is for sure, I can't step away from the pain I feel when I think about the girls out there; the girls being posted on stage like dancing manikins for all to "try out" and see if they like the merchandise. I've never been a stripper. I've never sold my body for money, but I've had all integrity stripped away and turned into shame.

I had a hard childhood and teen years. Very few people wanted to help or even knew how. It's the same for the women and children being trafficked. There are girls half my age with more men under their belt and anxiety in their hearts. Their emotions have completely shut down so that their minds no longer register that anything is wrong. These girls should be noticed. They should be cared about. Their lives should be featured and stories be told. More places should be opened in their honor. More hearts should break for them. More mother's should get to see their daughters again. We should do something. We should get involved.

My goal is that over the next year I can get involved with foundations and non-profit organizations to bring about awareness. I want access to statistics, organizations, people, help, and ways to donate your time or money to be at your fingertips. Hopefully by this time next year we will all be drowning in information. Looking forward to it and stay tuned. =)