Help Stop Child Sex Trafficking- RESPONSE

My favorite part of this article isn't the initial text at first. When you scroll down you will find a list of not hundreds, but thousands of people who have sent a letter to there congressman/women to help end the violence and abuse of our nations children. 16,922 people to be exact have made a difference, a major difference in the past seven days. I for one am glad I am one of those people. Without me it would be 16,921, one less step closer to peace. 

Seeing this number of people take time out of their day to support this bill fills me with hope. Maybe just maybe one day my children, and my children's children, and their children, can walk on the streets without a thought in their mind of being beaten, or raped, or kidnapped, or sold. What a dream that would be.

Help Stop Child Sex Trafficking- NOTES

-as we speak there is a bill in congress fight against the exploitation of innocent children

-it is called "International Megan's law"

-would mandate reporting requirement for convicted sex traffickers trying to engage in international travel and prevent entry into the US by an foreign sex offender against a minor

-bill will send the message to people who believe that they can buy, sell, and abuse our world's children that we will one day have a Earth rid of people such as themselves

-I urge you to send a letter to your congressmen today to help pass this bill

     >change.com has made this quite easy, simply go to http://www.change.org/actions/view/help_stop_child_sex_trafficking     and  fill out your name and address below

 -together we can make a difference!

Take Action- RESPONSE

Through research and statistics the first path our world needs to take to end this horrific epidemic is awareness. Before I started this project, very few people in my school community knew that such a thing as this was going on. I personally first learned of this from a lifetime movie, it was so terrible I thought it was 99.9% fictional, after research though, I found this not to be true. But wanna here one of the most scary facts of all? In 2000 the U.S. Department of State passed an act called the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. The United States Department of Justice spoke out about this on July 25th of 2008. This is as follows:

"On October 28th of 2009 the President signed into law the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. This new law, which was passed virtually unanimously by both houses of Congress, addresses issues of worker exploitation resulting from trafficking in persons. This law is the culmination of the federal government's efforts through the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force , an interagency group that brings the FBI, INS, Department of Labor and other agencies together to remedy a problem with both domestic and global dimensions, primarily involving women and children as victims.

The Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division, which enforces slavery and peonage statutes that were initially enacted over 100 years ago, was highly involved in drafting this new legislation. The new law expands the definition of forced labor to reach the more insidious forms of coercion occurring in contemporary times, thus enabling the Section to come to the aid of more victims and to bring more cases than allowed under prior laws.

Here are some highlights of the new statute as they affect the Criminal Section's enforcement responsibilities:

• -creates new laws that criminalize trafficking with respect to slavery, involuntary servitude, peonage or forced labor
• -permits prosecution where nonviolent coercion is used to force victims to work in the belief they would be subject to serious harm
• -permits prosecution where the victim's service was compelled by confiscation of documents such as passports or birth certificates
• -increases prison terms for all slavery violations from 10 years to 20 years and adds life imprisonment where the -violation involves the death, kidnaping, or sexual abuse of the victim
• -requires courts to order restitution and forfeiture of assets upon conviction
• -enables victims to seek witness protection and other types of assistance
• -gives prosecutors and agents new tools to get legal immigration status for victims of trafficking during investigation and prosecution"

Sounds pretty wonderful right? But three out of every five goverment officials and police men don't know about this.

So this is my step, towards awareness. I may not be able to aware the world, but that is not my goal. Rather my object is to create an awareness brochure that talks about sex trafficking, not only in the United States but also in the world. The brochure will also contain statistics, photographs, and ways people can help. I can first put these up around my school, but in the end I hope to have them spread around my town of Damariscotta and neighboring cities. I seriously can not wait to show my community what is going on across our state, country, and world. As a teen I need to start taking a stand for my passions and telling the world what I believe in. Will YOU listen?

This is my first step... now the question is- what will yours be?

Take Action- NOTES

-there are many ways to stop sex trafficking in its tracks
-the following are just some of the ways you can help change your world:


In Your Community:
          >Show a film on the subject and provide speakers/speaking programs on the issue
          >Form your own anti-trafficking group to give voice to this issue in your area
          >Educate your network of friends and colleagues
          >Travel wisely and urge your friends to do so
          >Report suspected trafficking by calling: (888) 373-7888
As a citizen:
        >Provide your city officials with informational materials on the subject
        >Ask your local, state and national representatives and officials what they are doing on the issue
        >Support your State Representatives / Senators in passing anti-trafficking legislation for your        State
        >Write officials of other countries about your concerns for trafficked women and children

Educate yourself about sex trafficking:
           >Learn more about the global sex industry and how it fuels trafficking
           >Learn about how international trafficking and U.S. teen trafficking/ prostitution are one and    the same systems
           >Learn to recognize trafficking victims

At School:
           >Write a class paper on sex trafficking
           >Do a campus/school radio show on the issue
           >Write a student newspaper article on the issue

above all though- give a voice to those who cannot speak

Second Peer Blog Response

Katherine, you have chosen a very interesting topic to blog about! While reading the first notes you took about what seemed to be on a movie, I was extremely interested, interested about what these kids have had to go through. I had always thought there was at least homeless shelter in these kinds of communities, but I guess I was wrong. I was shocked at the amount of foster homes these kids have gone through, with either being taken away from them or just simply running away. Now although the notes were very detailed and I thought that they were very good, they were just simply too long. If there was any way to cut back and maybe condense some parts together, that would make it not as extensive and not as arduous. Another thing that may not actually help your writing but it may help the reader would be the text colors and fonts. The text color for your notes is the same color of your background just extremely light, which for me makes it hard to read, and as for the fonts, they are changing in almost every other blog post whether it's smaller or if it's a completely different font. I think that by making some of these changes to your blog it would help a little bit.
As for the responses, like Kelsey said, it seems that you're just repeating everything you say in your notes which makes it kind of pointless. If you to just discuss how you felt about the topic of the article or how you felt about a movie, it would dramatically change the way your responses are put together. I found that the sources used were wonderful, using movies, books, articles, magazines, and databases this helps with extensive knowledge and maybe the opinions and viewpoints of other people who have experienced it.
All and all I found that what you have done for this blog is great, I found the topic interesting, especially when being told from the viewpoints of kids that have had it happen to them.

Your topic was very interesting. I admired the fact that you chose this topic when most people tend to look the other way and ignore this worldwide problem. Your notes very detailed and thorough, giving the reader a good review of the facts you have aquired. My only advice would be to add more concrete facts into your notes. Of course the real life stories make this topic come across more dangerous and intense, although when you write a statistic it tends to back up your story.
The responses were very well done also. I thought it was interesting how you saw the responses as a chance to develop your notes to a more complex level. However, don't forget to write your personal thoughts and review about the source for every response.
The development of your topic is very well done and I did feel like each set of notes brought a new idea to the table. It would show that you have a deeper understanding of the topic if you were to occasionally write your own personal opinions on the matter.
I did not find any connections in this particular topic, however I could see people reading these notes and finding many connections.
Blog organization is very good, colors are fine and citations are complete and correct. Your responses and notes are titled correctly, and overall, your blog was very well done.

Second Peer Blog Responce

This is so cool that your researching this. I knew that slave trade was a big issue but the facts are eye opening! When I read about how so many of our official are unaware about this I was shocked. I would have thought that there would be more places for people to go to but there isn’t. All the facts that you have posted are really interesting. I was shocked to find out how many children are in slavery just in the United States! I think your asking really good questions and I think that this will continues to lead you in the direction that you want to go with your iSearch.

You said that “words and phrases in italics are information that needs to be looked up for further details”, I don’t understand; almost everything is in Italics.

In your responses you have a tendency to repeat almost all your notes again. If you have your notes in your notes post and your responses in you response post we would be able distinguish what you think about the issue and what the notes are.

Also maybe it’s just me but I’m getting confused between all of your different font sizes and types. Some posts are in the same font and some are different. It’s hard to distinguish what is what.

Second Peer Blog Response

The blog itself was well organized, easy to read, and all of the posts were there, as well as the citations. What I liked most about your blog though, was all the different sources of information you used. This made it more interesting to read. Your responses were also well thought out and you seemed truly interested in your topic and in finding out more. The notes you took were extensive and were easy for me to understand, even though I knew nothing about your topic. If it were possible to find an interview with someone who has been through sex-trafficking, I think that would be very interesting. Overall, great work so far.

girlhood- RESPONSE

The movie “girlhood”, although didn’t pertain directly to my topic, taught me a lot about how other people my age are living and what might, in the end, lead them to a life of sex trafficking. It also put my life in great perspective. Comparing myself to Megan, my mom seems wonderful! While her mother is constantly being put in jail and yelling at Megan, my mom is bringing me shopping and asking me about my day. Although I feel terrible for Megan’s situation, especially because it most definitely led to who she is today, it made me feel happier about where my life is now in comparison. Shanae’s story seems even more terrible than Megan’s (although they are of-course both horrific). Can you believe being twelve years old and killing your best friend!? And then to top it off being ripped away from you family for almost four years?! I personally believe at that young an age she should have gone into intensive residential therapy rather than being punished. All and all girlhood was one of the most interesting documentaries I have ever seen and would recommend it to all who have an open mind.

girlhood- NOTES

-in the US during the last decade, the number of young girls committing violent crimes has more than doubled

-this movie follows the lives of two girls living in the city Baltimore, Maryland

    >true story

-the girls’ are named Shanae and Megan

    >Shanae was 12 when she stabbed her friend three times in a fight

    >Megan is 16 now, she grew up in foster care and has been arrested on runaway and assault charges

-this film follows Megan and Shanae for three years as they come of age, both in juvenile institutions and at home on the street

1999:

-Megan and Shanae are locked up at the Waxter Juvenile Facility in Maryland

-they both have open-ended sentences. this means that they will be released based on their behavior and family circumstances

-about a dozen girls sit in a community discussion dressed in an obvious uniform of light gray sweatshirts and sweatpants

-there are a few women leading discussion (dressed in colorful attire)

-Shanae is 14 and wants to leave the facility for she believes she is missing out on life

    >she has been their for two years already and hates that people see her for her     sentence and not who she truly is

    >she says she wants her mother (like a puppy)

    >she has been at Waxter longer than any other girl

    

    >on Shanae’s birthday she has a birthday party

        ~she cries because she is so happy

        ~the girls start a dance party- they look like any other teenagers

    >on her birthday Shanae has reached enough points to live with her mother on     the weekends

        ~Shanae tells her parents that the girl she killed has the easiest part of all

        ~her parents tell her their goal isn’t to get her home, it’s to make sure she         wont hurt anyone and no one will hurt her, they are reticent thats ever         going to happen and don’t want her home

        ~when she returns on Monday she must be stripped searched

    

-Megan is 16

    >she tells the camera she misses her little sisters the most and that her mother is     locked up, like her, in a jail

        ~she says in a joking yet serious manner that her mom will get out of jail         soon, but in the matter of a few weeks be back in jail again

        ~her mother gets locked up for “gettin’ high and prostitution”

    >when asked where she will go when she gets released she says that she has     no where to go

        ~she has lived in eleven foster homes, run away from ten of them and was         taken from the eleventh

        ~she says every time she runs away she looks for her mother on the         streets she says “i love my mother, i would die for her”

        ~she was five when her mother was first arrested so she and her little         sisters went to live with their grandma, but they were soon brought into         foster care

        ~on visiting day she wants her grandmother to come- she doesn’t (even         though she says she would

            + “i swear nobody loves me”

    >she has a tattoo on her right arm

    >megan is clearly depressed

    >megan doesn’t go one day without getting in trouble

2000:

-Shanae is still in rehab although she is now being reviewed to possibly be released

    >she tells a board of people she “had to stab her” [her friend] although she is     guilty of her death, she does not regret it though

    >shanae’s therapist says although her mother is quite loving she is “not ready for     Shanae to come right home

        ~Shanae looks sad about this-nobody wants her

    >when asked what Shanae thinks should “happen to her now” she smiles and     says “I wanna go home” but “she knows thats not possible”

    >is it decided that she will go to a less intense treatment program in a few     months, before returning home

        ~Shanae gets an interview at one of these facilities

            +she has mixed feelings

            +at the interview it gets uncovered that she was raped at 11 by five             different people and became pregnant

            +she gets accepted into the facility and is overjoyed to be leaving             but she is clearly hurt to be leaving so many of her friends and a             part of her, despite this she is ready

-Megan receives a card from her mother and has to ask an adult to read it to her

    >after hearing the card she says she didn’t expect to hear from her mom ever again because she hasn’t heard from her in two years

-Megan says “there is no reason for me to be here, all I do is take up a bed”

    >Megan is in Juvi for attempt at murder with a murderous weapon, a box cutter

-Megan continues to get in trouble everyday-she doesn’t seem to understand

-people tell her she’s going to end up just like her mother- she rebuts saying “i already have

-Megan tries to escape

    >she gets caught

    >Megan wanted to leave to see her mother, she says shed “do anything for her”

-Megan gets evaluated and says that if she stays her any longer she will “loose her mind”

    >she gets released (I DONT UNDERSTAND) to foster care

    >their reasons is that they believed she was “spinning her wheels here” {Waxter}     and the only way they could get you to live act properly is to take a risk and     release her

    >she says is will register when she sees her mother

    >one week later her foster mother is concerned about her

        ~Megan has been hanging out with men who sell drugs

        ~she is floating on thin ice as she is not following her foster mother’s rules

-Megan goes to visit her mother- it is clear she loves her mother and is quite worried about her

-Megan and Miss Harrison (her foster mother) don’t get along so Miss H agrees to let Megan with with an adult friend of hers if she checks in with her periodically

2001:

-Megan’s mother is off drugs and has been working since she was released from jail

-Her mother wants Megan to go into counseling

    >she is taking drugs (prescription) and doing drugs (weed)

-She is now living at her aunts house (her 8th house since she has been released)

-When asked is she had three wishes what would they be, she hesitates for awhile but in the end replies “i don’t know what i would wish for, i don’t know, their aint so sense in wishin or nothin’ ”

-three months later Megan and her friend get their own apartment

    >her mother does NOT approve

-Megan says that she has started school

-Megan sees her mother and it is clear that her mother is back on “dope”

    >Megan says she never wants her mother to see her again and she is “no longer     her mother”

    >Megan says she “aint nothin’ liker her mother cuz she wants somethin out of her     life and her mom don’t”

-Megan says that her father said he wishes she was never home

-Shanae gets released to go home!

-Shanae says her mother is the only person she could not live without

-Later in the summer Shanae’s mother is rushed to the hospital with heart problems

and one week after that she dies

2002:

-Shanae is fourth in her class

-She is going to her prom (in a limo)

-Shanae will be attending community college

    >she plans to major in psychology and the law

-Megan is back living with her aunt and going to counseling through Social Services

-Her mother is back in prison

When No One is Looking (Part One)- RESPONSE

    Over the past few weeks the New York Time has been doing a series on children sex trafficking around the world. Just a few weeks ago they came out with a short two part documentary online about the numbers of runaway children increasing and the likeliness of them being trapped in or willingly going into child prostitution. This short film is called “When No One is Looking” and is an eye opener to what is going on in our back yards.

    One of the most surprising facts found in the video was the fact that the children who have grown up on the streets are actually much better off than the runaways. Since it was always their life, they know nothing better. They have developed strategies for survival and no how to get along on their own. These basic lifestyles must be learned by the increasing number of runaways, and rather quickly.

    A girl named Nikki who is now seventeen can relate to this quite well. Although her story is different than most, one can still learn a lot from her triumphs. After her parents lost their house she grew up in due to a pile up of medical bills they moved to a trailer park a few towns over. Wanting to finish high school, Nikki got a job and slowly paid off her parent’s debt why attending school. Her overall goal was to attend college as none of her family members had ever done. Unfortunately, this objective slipped away from her quickly as she lost her job. Her water and gas were shut off. She was forced to have to search trashes for food. Despite all the difficulties, Nikki strived to stick it out and learn how to survive no matter what. Although she was street savvy and knew how to get by, she left her parents at far too young an age and is thus still a child. Nikki has found that the simple things in life are what she misses the most.

    Nikki recalls knowing many children her age, and younger, who live in Hawthorn Park near her house. Unfortunately, compared to these kids, Nikki is quite well off. Hawthorn Park is much like a homeless hangout. Here teens look out for each other, like a small community. The most astonishing of these children names is Clinton, who is now eighteen. Clinton has grown up on the streets, particularly in Hawthorn park, since he was twelve. He acts as a father figure for both the new and experienced runaways. He teaches these friends how to get along, such as how to hide their belongings, make a tent, what berries, plants, and mushrooms are OK to eat, how to hide from the police, etc. as all these things must become second nature to the runaways.

    One of these runaways nicknames is Bug. When Bug first arrived at Hawthorn Park, Clinton talked her into returning home for about a week. It was short lived though for her mom soon kicked her out of the house and she returned to the park. Bug told the New York Times how her mother used to hit her repeatedly after promising she would no longer. It’s scary to hear her say this, as she says it like it is no big deal and just the way life is. When truly life should be like this for no one.

   

    These three young adult’s lives develop along with other stories into “When No One is Looking- Part Two”. I am so pleased that the New York Times is having these stories and increasing people’s awareness to this growing epidemic. I look forward to reading and watching more and I encourage you to follow them a well.

When No One is Looking (Part One)- NOTES

-some kids grow up on the street so they know how to survive

-others runaway from home and have to fight to live

-over the past two years government officials have seen an increasing number of runaways

-a girl Nikki is now seventeen and her story is different than most

    >after her parents lost the house she grew up in due to a pile up of medical bills

    >wanting to finish high school (rather than move with her parents) she got a job and continued living in the house

    >soon Nikki lost her job

        +her water and gas were shut off

        +she was unable to find food and living was difficult

        +despite this Nikki strived to stick it out and learn how to survive on her own no matter what

        +her over all goal was to better herself and eventually go to college as no one else in her family had done before her

        +although she was street savvy she left her home far too early and is still a child

        +Nikki has found that the simple things in life are what she misses the most

-as the economy worsens the number of children have been seen living on the streets or on their own (like Nikki) has grown

-Nikki recalls knowing many children her age, and younger, who live in Hawthorn park near her house

    +compared to these teens, Nikki is quite well off

-Hawthorn park is like a homeless hang out

    >here teens look out for each other like a small community, sticking out for each other and giving new comers a roof over their head for a few nights

    >a boy named Clinton is 18

        +Clinton has grown up on the streets and in Hawthorn park since he was 12

        +he acts as a father figure for the new and experienced runaways

        +Clinton teaches other kids how to hide their things, to make a tent, what berries, plants, and mushrooms are OK to eat, how to hide from the police, etc

        +he agrees with statistics and says that he has seen many more runaways lately

            ~the sad thing is many of these runaways are never reported, they don’t have to hide because they are already invisible to society once they leave their town

            ~one of these runaways names is Bug

                *when Bug first arrived Clinton talked her into returning home for about a week before her mother kicked her out and she returned to Hawthorn park

                *she recalls how her mother hits her repeatedly after promising she will no longer

        +Clinton recalls going a week without eating a thing

            ~to make sure this wont happen again he keeps a jar of peanut butter in his bag and has a spoonful every couple of hours

    >almost every child has admitted to selling themselves for money to live

Running in the Shadows- RESPONSE

Many stories have been told for years of child sex trafficking across the world. One of these stories was plastered across the New York Times this week for all of the Earth to see. I just wish all the world had seen it. The tale is about a young girl named Nicole, age fourteen, who ran away from her home and was forced to take refuge with the price of sex. Nicole is now seventeen and free of the men, but never of the horrors. Nicole says that at times she would be threatened if she would not have sex with the men to be thrown out of the streets. What I, as many other people, have trouble grasping is the fact that streets in these parts are death traps. Thus Nicole, as many others, was ordered to choose between death or rape. Nicole was in this hell for fourteen months until she finally made an escape from the pimp who held her captive in his garage, as only a sick human being would. At first Nicole believed that this horrible man loved her and that they were a couple. It eventually became apparent that their relationship was much more (or less) than that.

Studies have shown that about 1.6 million children run away from their homes each year. Two thirds of these children return to their homes within a week. That last one third number is what’s most important though. That last one third are the ones who become child prostitutes. This means that over 533,333 children are almost undoubtedly forced, sold, or willingly brought into prostitution each year. These adolescents trade their innocence for food, money, drugs, a place to say, or their lives. And consequently they become half living shadows. Many of these minors wind up in an abusive relationship which makes it even harder for them to leave the streets. 

Although many laws have been passed to help this, teenage prostitutes are usually seen as teenage criminals rather than the underage victims they truly are. Another important note to think about is how much this criminalistic* job has grown over the last few years. Why? The internet! A detective stated one of her alarming thoughts on this matter; “ ‘ Gangs used to sell drugs, now many of them have shifted to selling girls because it’s just as lucrative but far less risky’ ”. Why should selling human beings be less risky than trading a plant?!

As the economy is stuck in tight holes, places where children are cared for afterward their captivity are disappearing. States are continuing to cut programs and services such as the; mental health services, child welfare agencies, and residential programs where the children can receive counseling that many adolescents rely on. After living in prostitution children learn to trust no one. This usually results in difficulties with authorities and the minor committing crimes. Where does lead them? Back on the street. And thus our county, nay, our world is stuck in a never ending circle of hell.

*word does not exist in traditional english

Running in the Shadows- NOTES

>after running away from her home Nicole took refuge with a man whose price was sex

>Nicole was 14 and is now 17

>Nicole was threatened and consequently forced to have sex

-the streets were death traps, she had the choice between sex and death

>Just after her first money for sex deal her prostitution spiked up and held on for 14 miserable and hell like months

>Nicole escaped last year from the pimp who held her captive in his garage

>Nicole at first believed that this pimp loved her and that they were a couple

-it eventually came thru though that their relationship was much more (or less) than that

>1.6 million children run away

-the vast majority of those return home within a week

-but those who do not  almost 1/3) are almost undoubtedly forced, sold, or willingly brought into       prostitution

>children trade sex for food, money, drugs, or a place to stay

>many children in this lifestyle wind up in abusive relationships

-this causes leaving the streets that much harder

>although many laws have been past against this, teenage prostitutes are most often seen as teenage criminals rather than underage victims

>child sex trafficking has grown in the last years

-mostly due to the internet

-a detective stated on this matter “ ‘ Gangs used to sell drugs, now many of them have shifted to selling girls because it’s just as lucrative but far less risky’ ”.

>as the economy is in tights places these childrens’ care afterwards is also very difficult

-states are continuing to cut;

+mental heath services

+child welfare agencies 

+residential programs where the children can receive counseling

>after living in prostitution children begin to trust no one

-this results in difficulties with the authorities and crimes which leads to being back on the street

Sold- RESPONSE

The gripping and terrifying novel Sold follows the life of a young thirteen year old girl, named Lakshimi, as she gets sold into sex slavery by her own father. Lakshimi begins her life growing up in Nepal much like many other girls of her time. She lives with her step father, mother, and baby brother. All her family wants is the simple things in life, but as Lakshimi’s step father gambles away all their money, they are desperately poor. Because of this, Lakshimi’s step father is constantly threatening to sell her away for money for the family, but the love from her mother protects her. Yet one time this doesn’t stand up quite strong enough and Lakshimi gets sold to a women referred to in the book as “auntie”. Both Lakshimi and her family are under the impression that when she goes with this women to the city she will become a maid and money will be sent back to her family. Lakshimi is very excited and happy to help out her family and one day return to them having given them a better life.

Many girls all over the world are being tricked into thinking much the same thing. They are told that if she go to the city they can be a maid and help support their family. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth.

For weeks Lakshimi travels with Auntie to the city. One day Auntie sells her to another man Lakshimi calls “Uncle Husband”. Uncle Husband and Lakshimi travel for weeks more, crossing borders illegally by claiming they are married. Lakshimi doesn’t understand quite what is going on, but she is too swept up by the exciting and scary nature of the passing cities. Lastly, Uncle Husband and Lakshimi land in one of the largest cities in Nepal. Unknowingly to Lakshimi, she gets sold to a large brothel where she will most likely spend the rest of her life.

This trip is continuing being traveled by hundreds right now. These people are not tourists, but rather children walking into a never ending trap of hell.

The brothel was run by a women named “Mumtaz”. First Lakshimi gets brand new clothing and she cannot understand how she can do maid work in such nice articles. But this question gets covered up when she is brought into a room with a man who tries to take advantage of her. Unfortunately, Lakshimi makes it nearly impossible to do so. Why unfortunately? Because due to this she gets locked up in a cage of a room without food or company. Weeks pass and Lakshimi begins to go mad. It is explained to her that she owes Mumtaz thousand of dollars and must pay her back by doing this work. Once the money is paid off she may go home. Lakshimi sees know other choice.

This decision is given to many kids right now. And although it seems like the worst choice in the world to agree to sell your innocence and your life, the only other option is definite death.

Once Lakshimi proved herself loyal she was given the privilege to live in a public room. Although she was now living with other girls where friendships were made, it was still an empty life. In this new bedroom there were four beds separated by sheets hanging which were drawn back when “visitors” came. Occasionally she could sneak a condom in from other girls, but men rarely agreed to wear them. Because of this she had to wash herself after each visitor with water to prevent sickness and infections. But as we know quite well today, this does not work. Heavy makeup was worn daily to make the men even more attracted to the girls. The girls would do anything they could to get as many costumers as possible. Soon Lakshimi finds out that Mumtaz lied to her and that she will be living there forever. The only hope of leaving was if she came down with a terrible sickness or grew too old to work. Only then she would be sold to another brothel or thrown out on the street to meet her death.

Although these two things seem like the only option for freedom a third one meets her face to face one day. American men raid the brothel, taking as many girls as possible. One of these girls is Lakshimi. It is then understood by the reader that that Lakshimi was taken to a safe shelter where she could get a help and have the hope of a new life.

Although this may seem like a mere summary of a fictional novel I read, it is much more than that. Months of research went into creating this book to make it as realistic as humanly possible. Thus this story is the same as thousands of girls across the world. It was a privilege to be able to step inside this world and live through this horrible experience as many are at this moment.

Sold- NOTES

-girl
    ~thirteen
    ~named Lakshimi
-lives in Nepal
    ~with step father, mother, and baby brother
    ~VERY POOR
        +step father gambles away money
        +all family wants is the simple things in life such as a tin roof and food
-step father constantly threatens to sell Lakshimi
    ~mother does not let him
    ~Lakshimi thinks it will be very good for her family
-eventually Lakshimi gets sold to a women referred to as “auntie”
    ~Lakshimi and her family are under the impression that she will be a maid when     she gets to the city
-Lakshimi travels for weeks to the city
    ~gets transferred to a man referred to as “Uncle Husband”
    ~crosses borders illegally by calling herself Uncle Husband’s wife
    ~travels through cities in amazement and horror
    ~lastly gets sold into a brothel
-The brothel:
    ~run by a women the girls there call Mumtaz
    ~Lakshimi gets new clothes
    ~still believes she will be a maid
    ~ soon finds out what the truth is
    ~refuses to practice this sex game and goes without food for weeks locked up in     a cage
        +goes crazy
    ~it is explained to her that she owes Mumtaz thousands of dollars and once she     pays it off she may go home
        +Lakshimi begins her work hesitantly
-In the brothel:
    ~once lakshimi proved herself loyal she could live in a public room with other     girls
    ~in the bedrooms there were about four beds separated by sheets hung up to     make     privacy when they were in business
    ~friendships developed
    ~she was taught to clean herself after every “visitor” as to not get sick or an     infection
    ~occasionally she could sneak a condom in but men almost always refused to     wear them
    ~all girls wore heavy makeup and would do anything to get as many visitors as     possible
    -Lakshimi soon finds that Mumtaz has lied to her and she will never be able to go     home     again
        +Mumtaz will wait until she is too sick or too old then either sell her to         another brothel or throw her out of the street where she will meet her fait
-for some girls brothels were the best options, even better than their homes
-a raid happens at the brothel by americans where Lakshimi gets taken
    ~brought to a shelter and given a new path for an additional life

Our Officials Are Unaware- RESPONSE

    News reports with statistics such as this news stories are huge eye openers. I think about hearing stories of females getting raped once and having their life totally change. Not to belittle this of-course, but imagine that happening to you 6,000 times in just five years! How would your life be different then? How would you be different then?


    Other then the statistics, this report held names of many organizations and acts (such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act  and the Shared Hope International organization) that I can use for further back up information and news.


    This news story taught me a lot about the child sex trafficking world. The most amazing thing I learned was the basic fact that the law enforcement knows almost nothing about what is going on right under their noses. If sickens me to think I know more about such a matter then the people that have been put on this Earth to protect us.


    As well as teaching me new things, this article also forces me to ask more questions. How is it possible that law enforcement don’t know about such a serious matter? How can we educate them better? What is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act?  What is the organization Shared Hope International?  Why are there only five shelters for the victims of child sex trafficking in America when it is one of the the worst countries for this crime? What is the worst country in the world? What are the other types of slavery in the world other than sexual? How did Linda Smith come up with her detection list?


    I look forward to answering these questions as well on looking up background information including the Shared Hope International organization, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and Linda Smith.

Our Officials Are Unaware- NOTES

>most Americans know little to no information on the problem our world has with child sex-trafficking

    -this includes government officials
>about 100,00 American children are forced into prostitution each year
    -these children are raped about 6,00 times over a course of five years
    -children are defined as any young person under the age of 18
>America is one of the worst countries in the world for this crime
>Trafficking Victims Protection Act is unknown to most law enforcement
    -this has resulted in:
        + the governments inability to enforce these regulations
        + children being arrested for prostitution despite the fact that it was         against their will and goes against this protection act
>There are only five shelters in the US to house victims of sex trafficking that provide healing, restoration, and help with a new life
    -these shelters are in:
        +Los Angeles
        +New York
        +Dallas
        +Texas
        +San Francisco
> Children can be exploited through:
    -prostitution
    -pornography
    -stripping/sexual dancing
>Just in 2009 the US State Department gave information to show that about 12.8 million adults and children across the world are trapped in slavery
    -1.39 million if these victims are trapped in sexual slavery
>It is being said that the feelings during and after one of enslaved in this modern sex slavery is similar to the slavery of humans back in the 19th century due to their race
>Unfortunately minor sex trafficking is treated as the same crime as child sexual abuse although they are two very different crimes
    -sex trafficking is severely misunderstood
>Linda Smith (a Republican congresswomen from Washington) created a list of notes on identifying children caught in child prostitution
    -a foster child talks about having an older boyfriend or having sex
    -a child going to a strip club
    -a child talking to a counselor about having sex with an older man/boyfriend
    -child has tattoos of a man's name
    -child uses words usually only used in sex trafficking industries


>>reports taken from Shared Hope International (SHI)




(words and phrases in italics are information that needs to be looked up for further details)

Five Paragraph Introduction

Personal Interest – Will this issue, person, or topic keep me curious and eager for 5 or 6 months? Furthermore, how might this research and knowledge gained impact my future plans?

As sex trafficking around the world has become increasingly more common it has rose to my attention and interest. It intrigues me to find girls my age, and even younger, to be sold into a life of unhealthy and dangerous sex. This topic puts my life in great perspective and I look forward to learning more about it and what can be done to help the horrors of this come to an end.

Currency - Is enough happening or changing for this subject so that tracking will seem worthwhile and interesting?

As of now, law enforcement is doing everything they can to end this crime. Unfortunately though, it will take years and hundreds of more attempts to ever end it completely, and even then it will most likely continue. There is constantly new cases found of these events happening across America and beyond to add to my report and increase my knowledge on the topic.

 Information available – Am I going to find lots of interesting information on this subject in many places?  Will it be easy to find?

As these lawful acts are becoming more common the reporting and news on them has rose as well. Thus I so far have not had any trouble finding information. So far I haven’t even just found news stories but also facts, opinions, history, even movies, pictures, and songs all about this horrible sport like crime that is being committed on our future.

Ongoing – Will this issue, person, or topic provide a basis for ongoing research? Will time make a difference or will the information be static?

As of now the information about this topic has been relatively static. New facts and news is found often, but it is not very often anything we haven't seen before. Although this is true, this does not make the topic unable to be researched throughout the year and continue on being interesting, entertaining, and intriguing.

Challenging – Will this issue, person, or topic stretch me and force me to think in new ways?

As I have not done any research on this in my previous lifetime as well as the fact that I have not had any life experiences such as this, this topic will stretch me to look at the world in different ways. I look forward to having to expand my mind to understand the ins and outs of this world and how it could come to be in our time.