“It’s definitely worsening,” said Sgt. Kelley O’Connell, a detective who until this year ran the Boston Police Department’s human-trafficking unit, echoing a sentiment conveyed in interviews with law enforcement officials from more than two dozen cities. “Gangs used to sell drugs,” she said. “Now many of them have shifted to selling girls because it’s just as lucrative but far less risky.”(excerpted from NYT article)The article featured interviews with convicted pimps, who talk about the tactics they use to ensnare young girls into prostitution--including targeting girls with large backpacks on, who have clearly just left home. The pimps' bottom line was that they recognize these girls' starvation for love and attention, and they can easily "hook" them with a few gifts of jewelry and nice dinners.
"With the young girls, you promise them heaven, they'll follow you to hell."NYTimes content doesn't stay free and available for long, so I'd recommend reading the story as soon as you can. Ian Urbina has put together 4 pages of an extremely important and well-written look at the reality of sex trafficking in America.
165 posts later, today is the one-year birthday of this blog."Help me not to rest, while those around me weep."What will be changed by October 20, 2010? What will we do to fight child sex trafficking over the next 365 days, to make sure this coming year sees even greater things? Thank you to all of you who do not rest, but work tirelessly until the weeping ends.
anizations like Chab Dai, and the work of TBP to partner with existing groups, a united front will be much more effective than each individual fighting its own little battle.Something I think is really cool is that the Blind Project is making plans for a clothing and jewelry line called "We Are Biographers." Each item will tell a real-life story of someone affected by trafficking, and the shirt or necklace will have a wearable, standing opportunity to talk about trafficking.
