A plea for help from fellow abolitionists

I just got off the phone with my fellow red-headed abolitionist Julie Taylor Shematz, who is head of Beauty From Ashes. When Julie talks about child trafficking, I listen -- because she was trafficked herself.

Today she heads a strategic outreach and counseling program for women and girls all over the country who are trying to break free from the shackles of trafficking.

So here's the challenge that Julie and I discussed...

...and where we need your help:

• Julie was asked to talk to a group of children next month about child trafficking, but the program directors don't want her to mention sex trafficking. Some of the girls are as young as 3, but others are as old as 11.

• Julie met with a group of high school kids who put together a riveting drama about human trafficking--but most high schools won't let them present it because of the topic.

• Meanwhile I can't find a school or community center in the US that will test the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. Schools all over the world are begging for it--but no takers in the US. I suspect it's because (1) they don't think there's a child trafficking problem here and/or (2) they don't want to deal with "offensive" subjects.

Okaaaaay.

So it's okay for kids to watch borderline pornographic dancing on network TV, listen to R-rated music and more...but it's not okay to warn them about sex traffickers recruiting them right now in their middle schools and malls? 

We have a national crisis in the US. The average age of kids entering prostitution in the US is between 11 and 14. That's the average age. Each year 100,000 minors are trafficked in the US--in your towns and ours.

We know that awareness leads to prevention, intervention, and restoration.

So Julie and I decided to throw this open to you.

"We need strategic and creative ideas," Julie explains. "This is a problem that we as abolitionists, especially educators, are facing. We all recognize the need to deliver this message to children and teens, but how do we do this other than the Internet? And how do we do it without sensationalizing or sanitizing it?"

Would you give us your ideas?

1. How can Julie talk to young kids about trafficking without mentioning sex?

2. What should that high school drama group do?

3. How can Born2Fly find schools and groups in the US to test our awareness program?

Tell us what you've done. Share your ideas with us. Or just vent if you want. Let us know in a comment below or here. And thanks.

 

Comments

[Lynda Gunter (Flight to Light Foundation)]

1. There is a way to present this issue to children with descretion. My children were taught a young age that no one had the right to touch them wrongly at preschool.
2. We too are wondering how to get into the school system to present the awareness!? We are hoping throught PTAs by first educating parents and teachers. Concerned parents and teachers may entertain the idea of such a drama. Is this the Peer on Peer Program? Lots of prayer!

[Julie Shematz]

Hi All,

Thanks for your time and ideas. I really appreciate it. For the VBS class we are to write 1-2 sentences a day (5 days) that the directors will read while they show video pics the mission's pastor acquired from our website. They call this 'ministry minute' and we are the support ministry they've chosen. Every day the children will be encouraged to bring in items for our outreaches gifts and care packages (lip gloss, lotion, nail polish, make up, bookmarks, etc.). These gifts go to victims of commercialized sexual exploitation and human sex trafficking. Our organization provides services to this marginalized populace. We do outreaches into strip clubs, sex shops, and porn shows.

Challenge is what to say with a sentence or two for five days that will educate the children, help them to understand that slavery exists here and that Beauty From Ashes Ministries is helping hurt women and children.

We've been asked to set up our table/display at the final night/parents evening in an effort to educate the parents even more. They are going to present with what they have raised.

This is all the result of the mission's pastor, after seeing my presentation a month ago was so moved by the scope of the problem and what BFA does, he has committed to bringing BFA to the front of this church to help educate the community and acquire support for us.

Some ideas we are favoring have to do with the following:
1) Women and children that have been hurt by strangers need to know they are loved and valued.
2) Don't ever talk to strangers; in person, on the Internet, at the mall, movie theaters, corner stores, parks, etc. (top recruiting areas)
3) BFA reaches them with the gifts and help them heal.
4) This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. We help their lights shine after bad people cover their lights.
5) These women and children are being made to do bad things that hurts them & BFA helps them to heal.

As far as the play, it has been a year long project at a public high school that specializes in the arts. They are pursuing parents signing permission slips for their children to attend it. They have presented it to principals, the HT coalition, and at some school staff meetings, but getting it viewed by the most vulnerable potential victims has been a huge challenge for them due to the content. You can view part of 'Selling Innocence' here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-4n1obza1U

Again thanks for your ideas.

Julie Shematz

[Cruciformity]

Late to the party, but...

1. The issue is slavery and human trafficking. The sex comes later, if it comes at all. The details of why are not relevant to a 9yo. There are bad people who want to take you from you parents to mistreat you and make you do things you don't want to do. That is what is relevant.

2. Is this a random group of High school students or a Thespian Troupe? Big difference for what can be done with it. I watched a local drama troupe present a play at regionals that included racial issues and rape. They used the N-word and talked about hanging a black man for raping a deaf/mute white girl when all along it was a white man who did it. In the end, the white girl and black guy got married. All this was presented in a public school during a public school funded Thespian competition. It was also performed for parents and placed 1st nationally.

All that to say, drama troupes tend to be fairly liberal, outspoken, and under the guise of "art" can get away with a ton of things normal people can't. If a random group of high school students approached the administration with the idea of putting on a play that promoted their agenda, they'd get shot down. If a drama program put on the same play, they'd sell tickets. The quality has to be there and it needs to happen through artistic channels.

Movies suffer the same fate. Professionally written/produced movies make it to hollywood (with or without an agenda). Crappy infomercials trying to push your agenda don't. (that's not to say that their play isn't quality, since I don't know anything about it, but if it's pitched as an agenda piece, it will get treated as one). It also tends to be a less than effective way to communicate. Everyone tunes out the After School Specials, but the same message dressed up by hollywood is talked about.

3. Have you thought about private schools or private after school groups? Public schools and community centers have too much middle management for anybody to feel safe making a decision and too much red tape to easily pass the decision up the ladder. I think to get in there would take either someone willing to risk their job to run the program anyways (not likely in government) or a very loud well connected champion. In the mean time, if you are running test programs in private orgs, you can get some testimonials from directors and parents which will help your case with government (and maybe even make some influential connections with people who send their kids to private schools).

Sorry so long. Hope it helps.

[Bee]

Have a class that is attended by kids whose parents have agreed by signed paper to have them educated about the dangers of HT. You can use different words without completely sanitizing the subject matter. Once some of the kids have been educated on what to watch out for, they will spread the word to their friends anyway.

Use the DOJ statistics to help the parents understand that this could actually happen to their child.

[Jerry Sinclair]

This is a very sensitive area. I cannot comprehend my 9 yr old granddaughter absorbing this information safely. Some parents may think it is an acceptable curriculum. But, I would have concerns about long term effects on a child who is fearful of every stranger after hearing about the dangers of trafficking.

[Brittany]

I agree with Lauren... If they can teach slavery in schools then they should know about it now. Use modern day slavery as the topic rather than sex and direct it towards the "physical harm" and doing things against their will without having to mention sex.

[Lady Bear]

Will you give permission to repost this article with a link back to your page? I have many friends who are B.A.C.A. members and perhaps they can help.

[Lauren]

For the elementary school program I would incorporate it to "stranger danger" talks. Surely that is allowed. Talking about ways traffickers recruit kids is the same as telling your child not to take candy from a stranger, don't help them look for their lost puppy, etc. If kids can talk about slavery in the 1800s, they should be able to talk about slavery today.

[Laura]

I blog on human trafficking, but it doesn't reach the schools. If you could send me some information, I will try the schools in my area Mississippi. If you can't talk to the children, maybe try educating the parents, who could then educate their children.

[auntlissas]

I do not understand. There are sex ed programs (and Planned Parenthood is allowed in many schools across the nation) - that "educate" children concerning homosexuality, different ways people have sex, abortion rights, contraceptives, etc......and some of these same schools are concerned about not discussing sex trafficking??? Could you not make this point to educators, in hopes of opening their eyes?

[Jan Carver]

Perhaps teach about intimacy/friendship/playing on the playground/touching - you can get there without the word "sex."

Contact Benjamin Sherman who wrote the children's book "Gregory's Paper Airplane" on Twitter/FlyYourPlane - he could probably write in a children's format so as to be understood by children.

Have you tried Oklahoma Schools for testing B2F - we have a new woman governor & new woman state superintendent of schools - ready for fresh new ideas.

i don't have any ideas for the high school group... :(

Ms. Jan Carver/flygirljc on Twitter