BY JENNIFER ATTILUS
“It takes village to raise a child, but if the village is unaware how can they help” -Jessica White
Every year, millions of tourists’ flock to Miami and the beaches, also known as “Sin City,” to live the life and feel like a star for the weekend. But for many young girls in Miami, the life is their reality and they are the star of the show, not just for the weekend, but for years and sometimes forever. Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children is the buying and selling of minors in exchange for sexual acts that include pornography and prostitution; Florida is 3rd in the country for sex trafficking amongst the ranks of California, New York and Texas.
Founder of the Sugar Love Foundation Inc. award-winning philanthropist, and TEDx speaker Jessica T. White explains that the subject of sex trafficking is such a taboo topic. As a former Children Protective Investigator, now Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Jessica has worked diligently to serve and protect child victims and survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation. This topic being a taboo subject is true not only in Miami but in the United States because, America is supposed to be the home of the brave and the land of the free and the idea of sex trafficking being a problem in this country seems to go against our DNA. There is also the reality that this is a multi-million-dollar industry and when money of this amount is involved, it is a very difficult system to dismantle. This will be an issue in these United States until we start talking about it because “You cannot help until you accept that it is happening.”
The masses believe that prostitution and sex trafficking is limited to poor and underprivileged communities when in fact, the largest sex trafficking community in Miami-Dade County is Miami Beach. Young women are owned and traded like merchandise for money and goods. The logical question that comes to mind is why would anyone chose this lifestyle? The reality is, this is not always a choice. This is not a life one looks for but is rather a life that finds them. Many are recruited in the streets and are promised a better life and a steady high paying income. There is also a direct correlation between sexual abuse in the home and sex trafficking. Many studies show that young girls that are abused as children are more likely to become a part of this lifestyle because they are amongst the most emotionally vulnerable demographic in the nation.
The men and women that control these young girl’s prey on the emotionally weak that are looking for security and comfort. These victims are usually from the LGBTQ community, inner city communities, and rebellious teens from wealthy neighborhoods. More often than not, these girls have run away from home or are the victims of unfortunate circumstances and situations that have forced them into this life. The most effected age group is from 12-18, with the most vulnerable age group being 14-16. When a young girl leaves home to flee her living situation, she is often approached within the first 48 hours by pimps masked as a helpful hand. They are promised food, a place to stay and ultimately love.
Some pimps are “Romeo” pimps, that create an emotional bond, act like a boyfriend, and are patient in luring her into the life. Then there are “Gorilla” pimps that are violent and create obedience through fear. Either way, these young girls live a life of fear and despair and often have no way out. Either way, these young women live under the impression that these men love them and are loyal to them.
With this world being somewhat of a secret society to the general public, how would we even know whether or not this was happening in our neighborhoods, schools and home? Jessica T. White broke down some of the signs of human trafficking that are recognizable but wouldn’t be decoded as trafficking. For example, younger girls dressing distasteful or too mature for their age, unexplainable absences from school, branding tattoos on the face and multiple bruises, scars, burns, and black eyes. These are all signs that can go unnoticed but deserve questioning and concern. Once you become aware of someone that may be in this lifestyle, I’m sure you wonder what you can do. There are many organizations and hotlines that you can reach out to and you can even reach out to Jessica herself please (see below for resources). For parents, the protection from this lifestyle starts at home. Being involved in children’s lives and invested in their mental and sexual health is key.
While this is a grim story of despair and what seems like hopelessness, there are moments of victory, escape and rehabilitation. A cavalier and light in the fight to aid in this effort is Kristi House. Kristi House has created Project Gold, Girls Owning their Lives and Dreams, that welcomes “sexually exploited girls.” Girls that come to the Project Gold drop in center are “empowered to find their strength in a non-judging healing environment.” As if this safe haven were not enough in itself, Project Gold offers groups in Life Skills, Survivor Support, My Life, Art Therapy, Yoga and Fitness Classes, Recreational Group, Health and Sexual Education and Cooking and Baking classes. In addition to these classes, the program offers mentorship and transportation. To find out more about Kristi House and what you can do to help, please call (305) 547-6800 or browse their website: www.kristihouse.org.
Hotline information:
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children-1-800-843-5678
The National Runaway Safeline-1-800-RUNAWAY
National Human Trafficking Hotline-1-888-373-7888
Florida Abuse Hotline 1-800-96-ABUSE