I am going to get a bit serious with y’all today so just bear with me. I felt God calling me to share what I know about an issue that is a HUGE problem today: sex slavery.
The reason why I felt called to share about this topic is because I have learned a lot about sex slavery in the past year and God put it on my heart today to share what I have learned about the issue. This summer, I will be interning with a group called Out of the Darkness, which is partnered with The Atlanta Dream Center, where they help women and children who are living in Georgia escape prostitution. Also, during my time on The World Race, I will be visiting countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, which are countries that are largely affected by the sex trafficking industry. I hope that I will be able to minister to the women and children who are trapped in this industry. I definitely feel God calling me into field of work where I can help survivors of sex trafficking. I want them to know that they are loved and adored by God and that they are princesses in His kingdom. I felt God calling me to write this post to reach out to you all and let you know about sex slavery and why it is important to stop this issue.
First, I wanted to clarify that sex slavery, sex trafficking, and prositutuion are all the same thing. They are all industries where women and children are forced to have sex to make money for their pimps. It is estimated that there are about 1 million to 2 million people trapped in the sex trafficking industry in the United States. This is a HUGE problem that some people are not aware of. From what I have researched and learned about prostitution is that it is a dark, manipulative, and abusive industry. Based on the information I have gathered, I am going to briefly tell you about this issue:
Most of the women and children who are in sex trafficking DO NOT choose this way of life. People who are in prostitution are typically forced or coerced to work for their pimp. From the stories I have heard, what usually happens is that pimps search and find women and children who are particularly vulnerable. Maybe they ran away from home (1 in 3 teens on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home), maybe they were abused, maybe they live in poverty, or maybe they were just lonely and wanted to be pursued. The pimps convince their victims that they are special and loved. They can do this by either romancing the woman/child, buying them material possessions, promising them a job or money, and/or promising them a loving home. Since most of the victims of sex trafficking are from a troubled background, these promises seem great and a way to escape the difficult life that they were in before. Once these women and children have formed an attachment to their pimp, they want to do everything they can to keep this relationship that they believe is special. Once that bond is formed, that is when the pimps force or coerce their victims into prostitution. They do this by either beating the women/children, threatening them, and/or manipulating them by saying things like “we just need to money so you will do this one time” or “if you love me you will do this”. Once these women go into the life, they are forced and coerced to stay in the life through violence, threats, and/or emotional abuse. These women usually receive none of the money during the interacting. Instead, the pimps take most or all of the money and only provide the women/girls with food and a place to stay. The pimps make them feel that there is no way out and that they are trapped and this is the only life that they are good for.
The average age for a women to be forced into sex trafficking is from ages 14 to 15. Some girls are forced into the life as early as 10 or 11 years old. THESE ARE CHILDREN!!! This fact absolutely break my heart. The number of children sexually exploited in the U.S. or at risk of being exploited is between 100,000 and 300,000. These girls are in middle or high school. They are young and are still growing and learning about the ways of the world. Some of these girls have not even hit puberty yet. They are young, innocent, children who are being abused and raped by men who can be more than 20 years older than them. These pimps find these young girls and promise them love and comfort but the girls instead receive a life of abuse and pain. My heart breaks for these young girls and it makes me want to cry every time I think about all the girls who are out every night to be taken advantage of.
A 2004 TNS poll reported 15 percent of all men have paid for sex and 30 percent of single men over age 30 have paid for sex in the US. Men who pay for sex, also known as “Johns”, vary across the board according to socio-economic standing, race, age, and even marital status (yes, some of these men are married and have children of their own). I think that most people have the stereotype that men who purchase prostitutes are skeezy and gross men, but in reality they are the average man that you meet every day. Sometimes men find their prostitutes by picking up the women standing by the side of the road. However, since the creation of the Internet, purchasing sex has become a lot easier. There are tons of websites such as Craigslist or BackPage where Johns can go to purchase women and children for sex who are being advertised online by their pimps. Then they usually meet up with these women or girls in a hotel where they take advantage of them, pay (usually the pimp not the women), and leave. Some Johns can even request underaged girls on the Internet. This is the disgusting but sad truth about sex trafficking and the Johns who pay to continue this industry.
I will admit, I did not know about the sex trafficking that was happening the US until I started doing research and getting involved. I used to think that women choose to live this life, but now I know for a fact that women and girls are FORCED to be in this life. My whole view drastically changed when I got involved with the group Out of Darkness which is a part of the Atlanta Dream Center. They provide a safe place for these women and children to get help and get out of sex trafficking. I had the opportunity to go on their Princess Night, where we were able to drive to the parts of town that are affected by sex trafficking and give our hotline number, a rose, a card, and God’s love to the women who are out on the streets. It is a beautiful time filled with prayer and love and it has changed many lives of the women that Out of Darkness has met with.
The only saddening and shocking part Princess Night was that we drove to an area that was 15 MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE. Sex trafficking is occurring in our very back yards! This is a problem that is everywhere and it affects millions of Americans. We need to stop this issue NOW.
So, after reading this, you might be feeling disheartened by this problem and you may be asking yourself the same question that I did: “How can I help? What can I possibly do to stand up to this issue?” The great truth is that there are plenty of things you can do!
- 1. EDUCATE YOURSELF: I only provided a bried summary about sex trafficking but I would highly suggest to do your own research as well. There are plenty of documentaries, websites, and books about the issue. I would highly recommend watching the documentary on Netflix called “Tricked” which talks about sex trafficking in America. I would also recommend reading the book “Girls Like Us” which gives a first hand account of women and children who are survivors of sex trafficking.
- 2. SPREAD AWARENESS: Tell your friends and family about this issue! Let everyone know about what sex trafficking is and try to combat the myths or unawareness of this industry.
- 3. GET INVOLVED. There are resources and shelters for people who are victims of sex slavery in most cities. You can usually volunteer by working at the shelters, providing meals for the women/girls, or even working a hotline to help women/girls escape the life. Check out the resources in your area and get involved if you can!
- 4. DONATE. Most of the shelters and resources for victims of sex trafficking rely on government money and/or private donations. In order to help these shelters and resources stay up and running, you can donate money to them, they definitely need it!
- 5. SUPPORT SURVIVORS: If you know of anyone who is in sex trafficking, support them! Believe them, love them, and be there for them. Also, educate yourself on the resources in your area so if you ever meet someone in sex trafficking, you can help them by directing them to a hotline or shelter.
Sex trafficking is a huge problem in America and around the world. Together, we can help to stop sex trafficking and end the pain and suffering that is endured by the women and children who are trapped in this terrible industry. I ask that you please pray for me this summer and during my time on The World Race. Pray that I would have wisdom and that God would tell me what to say and show me what to do when I interact with those who have been impacted by sex trafficking. More importantly, pray for the women and children who are affected by sex trafficking and pray that they will receive the help that they need.
I can’t wait to show the love of God to these women and children and see what He has planned for them. They are all PRINCESSES in His kingdom. 🙂
