The Super Bowl and Human Trafficking

It's Super Bowl day once again and there is excitement in the air.  People are planning their parties and deciding which team they will be rooting for.  But what you may not know is how the Super Bowl can and does have an affect on human trafficking.

 

Large sporting events like the Super Bowl draw people from all over.  People with a lot of money... and traffickers follow money.  They will bring women to whatever city is hosting the Super Bowl with the sole intention of exploiting them. 

 

Super Bowl Player               vs.                    Trafficking victim

Excited                                                        Scared

Cheers from fans                                         Threats from her controller

Sense of pride                                             Sense of shame

Proud to put on his uniform                        Disgusted to put on her “uniform”

Keeps what he earns                                   Earnings taken by her pimp

Admired                                                      Disgraced

Relives the glory                                         Relives the horror

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott called the Super Bowl “the single largest human trafficking incident in the United States.”











"Arrests of pimps running underage sex rings are reported at the National Football League’s championship game almost every year, with girls being trafficking from as far away as Hawaii to hook up with clients via the Internet, hotels and strip clubs.

U.S. police arrested about 750 people in nationwide sex-trafficking sting operations ahead of last year’s Super Bowl" 

(Source: Reuters)

     

Here  a former sex trafficking victim shines light on dark underworld of Super Bowl

 

The good news in all of this is that awareness of this issue has increased.  Many organizations will travel to Super Bowl city to do outreach and try to identify and rescue victims.  Last month our group helped paint 10,000 bricks that have been taken to Super Bowl and placed all around the city. On the back of each brick is the trafficking hotline # where a victim can call for help or someone who sees trafficking can report it.  I heard that as of Thursday last week they have rescued 23 women.

 

 

 

So as you prepare to watch the big game, remember those who have a much different perspective. Those who may be there by force and are having to sell their bodies. Pray for them. Pray for their rescue and restoration.

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and there are a number of ways you can take part!

In 2010, President Barrack Obama proclaimed January as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and urged all Americans to educate themselves about all forms of modern slavery and the signs and consequences of human trafficking. To read his proclamation visit the White House Archives.

Considered taking time this month to learn more about this topic.  Here are some simple things you can do.

 Learn The Red Flags:

• Chronic runaway/truant/homeless youth
• Has goods or services they cannot afford
• Carries multiple cell phones
• Excessive amounts of cash
• Signs of branding (tattoos with a name, symbol, or bar code)
• Lies about age or has false identification
• Restricted and/or scripted communication (story may seem rehearsed)
• Inconsistencies in their story
• Avoids eye contact
• Appears scared/nervous
• Lack of knowledge about where they are or why
• Signs of psychological trauma and abuse (anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, panic attacks, lack of emotion)
• Typically has someone with them at all times.  This person may seem controlling or speak for the victim.

 

Read on the Subject: 

• Nobody’s Girl by Barbara Amaya is an excellent book for raising awareness of the dangers of runaways and pimp tactics. This book will help you understand how incredibly difficult it is to put the pieces of your life back together, to move beyond the pain and trauma, and to learn to trust again

 

• Girls Like Us by Rachel Lloyd is a memoir and a great read for understanding how young girls get trapped into this as well as why it is so hard for them to leave.  This does have some explicit language, but the overall message is one that needs to be heard.

 

• The White Umbrella: Walking With Survivors of Sex Trafficking by Mary Frances Bowley will help you understand the trauma these women have experienced and how important the need for healing is.  

 

• For a longer list of Suggested Books go Here

 

Take Action:

• Visit Polaris Project and add your name to the petition asking Congress to pass the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act.   

 

• Watch this short 4 minute video called America's Daughters and then share it on social media

 

 

Watch a movie or documentary:

 

• My favorite documentary is Nefarious.  It's a comprehensive look at trafficking, but ends with the focus of the hope and healing that can be found in Jesus. 

 

• Host a movie night and show a movie or documentary about trafficking.  Gather your friends and family in your home and provide a platform for some thoughtful discussion after the movie.

 

Get Involved:

• Enter the Human Trafficking Hotline # into your phone 888-373-7888

 

• Research organizations in your area that are fighting against human trafficking and sign up for their newsletter or email. Take it a step further and donate your time or financial support.

 

• Know what’s available for after care here in the Chicago area.  Most of them have a huge need for volunteers. After Care Homes in the Chicago area

 

Pray

 

• Pray, Pray, Pray - There is no better weapon in the fight against Human Trafficking

 

• Sign up for the daily prayer email with Shared Hope International and commit to praying once a day during the month of January to end sex trafficking.

 

Specifically, January 11th is the day set aside as Human Trafficking Awareness Day.  Consider setting a timer on your phone to go off every 2 minutes as a reminder that every 2 minutes a child is trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation.  When someone asks you about your timer be prepared to share this statistic with them.

 

 

 

 

 

The Needs Are All Around Us. Do You See Them?

Last weekend, our pastor talked about the model of compassion Jesus demonstrated as he walked the earth.  Over and over in scripture, we see the pattern of how Jesus modeled love and compassion. Here are a few examples:

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. (Matthew 14:14)

When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”  (Luke 7:13-14)

But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. (Luke 10:33-34)

In each of these biblical narratives, Jesus sees a need, is filled with compassion, and then moves to meet a need.  Marcus taught us that if we live in Jesus (as a believer) that we will live out Jesus (we would love like Jesus did.)


Look - See the need
The first step in Jesus's pattern is to look.  To see the need.  What keeps you from seeing the needs that are all around us?  I believe that our frantic pace of life can play a part.  When we are overscheduled and moving too fast we can hurry past the needs right in front of us.  Do we pay attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit or do we brush it away because we "don't have time?" Where in your life do you need to slow down?

 

















What do we look for?  Here are some Red Flags to help you spot Human Trafficking:

• Chronic runaway/truant/homeless youth
• Has goods or services they cannot afford
• Carries multiple cell phones
• Excessive amounts of cash
• Signs of branding (tattoos with a name, symbol, or bar code)
• Lies about age or has false identification
• Restricted and/or scripted communication (story may seem rehearsed)
• Inconsistencies in their story
• Avoids eye contact
• Appears scared/nervous
• Lack of knowledge about where they are or why
• Signs of psychological trauma and abuse (anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, panic attacks, lack of emotion)
• Typically has someone with them at all times.  This person may seem controlling or speak for the victim.

Love - Overflow with compassion
The next step in Jesus's pattern is to be filled with compassion. Do you struggle with seeing those who are disadvantaged as being made in the image of God and having intrinsic value because they have been made in His image? Do you dismiss their needs because you view them as "less than" or unworthy of your time?  When we take the time to look honestly at the needs and suffering around us we should be filled with compassion.  I believe that if we begin to see all people as valuable we will be filled with compassion no matter what their circumstances are. We don't know what has occurred in their life up to this point.  If we pass judgment, we miss an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  If this is an area where you struggle, consider asking God to give you eyes to see and a heart of compassion. 


Live it out - Move to meet the need
The last step in Jesus's pattern is to move to meet the need. If we are slowing down to see the needs and having compassion for those needs, how can we then not be moved to action?  I often wonder if we allow fear to hold us back? If we operate from a place of fear we shrink back and allow fear to paralyze us, but if we operate from a place of love we are filled with compassion and compelled to find a way to meet the need.

I recently attended a trauma training where the speaker said that it's not what we know, but how we show up that matters.  In order to meet the need, we must be willing to show up.  We must be willing to go into uncomfortable places and situations. We don't have to possess all the answers, we just have to be present. This speaker also said that isolation is as deadly as cigarette smoking.  God created us to be in community and fellowship. To bear one another's burdens. Sometimes simply knowing someone is there for you and is willing to walk your difficult journey with you can give you a glimmer of hope. Hope changes things.  It makes the impossible suddenly seem not so far out of reach.  It allows you to see light where before there was only darkness.

Where do you need to let go of fear and start to live it out?  If we allow fear to control us and remain on the sidelines, we may be missing a front row seat when God does a miracle.

The Me Too Movement and Sex Trafficking

Since the news of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein broke with the allegations of sexual abuse and harassment from dozens of women, Facebook and social media has been flooded with two words…Me Too.  The hashtag #metoo is a movement to raise awareness of the magnitude of those affected by sexual abuse or harassment.  Statistics show that 1 in 4 girls will be sexually abused before she turns 18 so chances are that someone you know has posted #metoo. 

It’s a heartbreaking statistic and one that has devastating effects. Stephanie Tucker writes that “sexual abuse is unbelievably damaging because it enters our deepest, most sacred and most intimate place – a place so precious it was reserved only for the covenant of marriage.” [1]

Sexual abuse and human trafficking are closely linked. One common characteristic or risk factor for a victim of sex trafficking is a history of past sexual abuse.  Estimates are has high as 90% of sex trafficking victims having experienced childhood sexual abuse. Most statistics will read that between 79 - 90% of victims have experienced childhood sexual abuse.  The reason we see such a range in the percentage is because this is such a hidden crime.

Here are just a few of the ways that a past history of sexual abuse makes someone vulnerable to sex trafficking:  

·        Most children who have been sexually abused were abused by someone they knew. So the very person who person was supposed to love them, care for them, and protect them has now become the perpetrator.  These complex feelings of betrayal skew their view of relationships and what is safe or normal. “More than any other abusive act, sexual abuse will deeply affect the ability to bond and trust in future relationships.”[2]

 

·       In some cases, when they have opened up to someone about the abuse, they are not believed. These children will often run away from home because they have no one to stand up for them and stop the abuse from happening over and over again.  Children who run away from home are considered high risk for trafficking because they will often engage in “survival sex.”  Survival sex is when someone who is homeless or disadvantaged trades sex for basic needs like food, a place to sleep, clothes, or other basic needs.

 

·       When a girl is sexually abused, she often stops developing emotionally at the age at which the abuse occurred.  So if a young girl is abused at age 10, her decision making skills will often be that of a 10 year old. This makes a victim of sexual abuse extremely vulnerable to someone looking to exploit them.

 

·       Children who have experienced sexual abuse do not have the red flags that you and I might have when we are near someone who is unsafe or begin developing a relationship with someone who is unsafe.  Their abuse has become normalized. They experience intense shame and often feel they deserve this type of abuse.

So if someone you know has posted Me Too, please thank them for their vulnerability in sharing something so personal.  I hope you will see that they have tremendous courage and bravery.  Please know that it wasn’t easy for them to overcome their past and to stand where they are today.  When you see someone in prostitution, I hope you take a moment to remember that you don’t know her story.  You don’t know what it was that brought her to a place where she feels she has to sell her body.  I hope you see her as a person who needs love, healing, and restoration so that she can begin to know her true worth.

---

[1] The Christian Codependence Recovery Workbook, p 144

[2] The Christian Codependence Recovery Workbook, p 145

The Intersection of Drugs and Human Trafficking

"What we do see is that the trafficking of children is becoming an income revenue stream for organized crime, for gangs. So where they would typically be selling guns and drugs, they are now turning to the selling of children." - Dalia Racine

 

Human trafficking and drugs are closely intertwined.  Many gangs are turning from trafficking drugs to the trafficking of women and girls because it is more profitable.  Drugs can only be sold once and then it’s gone, but a girl a girl can be sold over and over.  Following are some of the ways that pimps or traffickers will use drugs:

 

Recruitment through Drug Use

Finding victims who are already addicted to drugs – these women are easily manipulated by the promise of drugs.  Since we don’t typically think of an addict as a victim, this makes them an easy target.  Addicts may also become involved in the sex industry as a way to finance their drug addiction and often trade their body for drugs.

 

Condition through Drugs

Sex traffickers use a variety of ways to “condition” their victims, including starvation, rape, gang rape, physical abuse, beating, confinement, threats of violence toward the victim and victim’s family, and forced drug use. The trafficker may force feed her drugs to lower her defenses and her ability to resist unwanted sexual interactions.

 

Control through Drugs

Traffickers use drugs to manipulate the victim.  If she is addicted to drugs and her supplier is her pimp, it makes it harder for her to leave.   If they need a fix, the pimp will give it to them for sexual favors. Because of fear and pain of withdrawals, many victims of exploitation will engage in acts they would otherwise never consider doing.   

 

Drug Abuse as Coping Mechanism to respond to the trauma 

Just like domestic violence, sexual abuse, and physical abuse, people who are trafficked will often use drugs to cope with the life style.  Drugs help them to numb themselves or to escape their pain.

Children sold for Drugs by their parent or guardian

35 percent of child victims are sold by family members who are addicts in need of feeding their drug addiction

Most women (around 90%) involved in prostitution say they want out, but feel they have no other options for survival.  Key factors that make it hard for them to leave:

39%        No training or qualifications for another job

50%        They are dependent on Drugs or alcohol

50%        Coercion/Manipulation

52%        Debts they have incurred

67%        Have a criminal record making it hard to find legitimate employment

After Care Homes In Illinois for Sex Trafficking Victims

 

"The #1 goal for helping a victim of trafficking is finding that person housing.  Bouncing around from homeless shelters, to acquaintance's houses or hotels is not stable.  If we're not them providing housing, the are at risk for re-exploitation."
~ Darci Jenkins, Cook Count Human Trafficking Task Force

This past month, our team was trying to find placement for a survivor that we were working with and it proved to be a difficult task to find a safe place where she could find healing.  Many of the places we contacted were full or had a 2-3 week waiting list.

A 2013 Report on the residential programs for victims of sex trafficking found that there was a total of only 33 residential programs in operation exclusive to trafficking victims with only a total of 682 beds.  Only 2 of those programs were located in Illinois.  With the increased awareness around the issue of sex trafficking there has been also been an increase in the programs available, but many more are needed.  With an estimated 16,000 – 25,000 women and girls exploited annually in the Chicago area alone there is severe shortage of places for women to go who wish to escape this type of lifestyle.

Here's what is currently available in Illinois for victims of sex trafficking and it's a definite improvement over the 2013 findings:

For Minors:
Anne's House
Reclaim 13

For Women 18 and Older:
Naomi's House
Refuge For Women
Selah Freedom

These restorative after care homes offer long-term, trauma-informed care for victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.  In these residential, family type environments the women are provided the specialized, holistic after care that is needed.  In addition to providing a safe place to recover, these homes offer the necessary medical treatment, counseling, drug and alcohol treatment programs, education programs, life skills, job skills, and nutritional classes.

The need for these types of after care homes is great.  There are far more victims than there are beds available across the United States for them to heal. The trauma these women have experienced is complex and many do no have safe families that they can return to.  Without a safe place to go, many women have no choice, but to return to their exploitive situation.   Will you join us in praying for more homes like these where women can be restored and redeemed?

Human Trafficking After Care Home To Host Dinner and Silent Auction Fundraiser

 

Refuge For Women Chicago, who opened it's home in October 2016, is part of a National Non-Profit providing restorative after care to women who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. 

The home which is an undisclosed location in McHenry County serves 4-6 women in a residential setting where residents receiving counseling, life skills and job skills.

It is estimated that in the Chicago area there are 16,000 - 25,000 women and girls sexually exploited each year. 

The fundraiser will help raise the funds necessary for Refuge For Women to help support the newly established home so that these women can have a safe place to heal.

The Dinner and Silent auction fundraiser, “Freedom … Living a New Story,” will be held May 6th at the Boulder Ridge Country Club in Lake in the Hills, IL from 6pm to 9pm.  Special guest will be Julianna Zobrist. 

Tickets to the event are $85 and are available here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/refuge-for-women-spring-fundraiser-tickets-31761418257
Registration ends April 28.


For more information about Refuge For Women Chicago please visit their website at http://www.rfwchicago.org/