Human Trafficking in the news. Stories of forced labor, sex trafficking and child exploitation. Click the bold headings for links to the whole story.
20,000 girls sold in the last 8 years: 'Over 20,000 girls belonging to Chhattisgarh's tribal region have been sold by human traffickers in the last eight years in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai, Congress leader Ajit Jogi said on Sunday. These girls mainly belonged to Jashpur, Surguja and Raigarh districts and were taken away by human traffickers in the name of jobs and trainings, the former Chhattisgarh chief minister said in a statement.' (Hindustan Times)
Hollywood set to release ant-trafficking film Bleeding Sunshine: "The best actors and actresses on the African continent have been brought together to feature alongside Hollywood actors in a new movie 'Bleeding Sunshine', which is set to hit the theatres soon. 'Bleeding Sunshine' is about the “illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labour, and human trafficking." The film tells the harrowing tale of a young Ghanaian girl [Suzzy Nabor] whose life is turned upside down when she is plucked from her humble fishing village and thrust into the gritty world of international human trafficking." (Modern Ghana)
Coach Joe Paterno, what did he know, and when????
The Penn State Child Abuse scandal:Great article from the Washington Times on the reality that the sex abuse scandal is not about Paterno or Penn State, this is about pedophilia. Those at fault will be punished but the victims remain and the cycle is unending without addressing the root causes. Thanks to retired Chicago Police Officer Peter Bella for such wise words.
Dakota Fanning ad is pulled in the UK:Yet another instance of the sexual objectification of children. Miss Fanning, though seventeen in the ad is featured in a dress that was made for her when she was twelve and made up to look much younger than her age.
Somaly Mam, once a a victim of child trafficking herself, now rescues children like the one above, from brothels.
Fearless woman raids brothel to rescue children:Great op-ed piece in the New York Times by Nicholas D. Kristof about Somaly Mam. "Somaly dedicates her life to battling forced prostitution, for she herself was sold as a child to a Cambodian brothel. After enduring torture and rapes, Somaly escaped and reinvented herself as an anti-trafficking activist."
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As always, from all of us at Conspiracy Of Hope, thank you for your passion for justice, thank you for being a voice for the voiceless, thank you for making the world a safer place for children. Please support our newest project to build a home for 40 precious orphans in Rayagada, India. To keep them from the evils that would seek to ravage them. You can donate here.
In India there are 30 million child laborers with some estimates approaching 100 million, the highest concentration in the province of Andhra Pradesh, where almost 20% of the school age population are working. A very large percentage of these children, perhaps upwards of 40% find themselves in the very worst forms of child labor including child prostitution and bonded slave labor. As always there are none more at risk for this type of exploitation than orphans and street children. Nestled near the Andrha Pradesh border is Rayagada, just south of Orissa. It was in this small town that Narges Ashtari of the Prishan Foundation met 40 little orphans that would change her life forever. Narges has dedicated her life to keeping kids such as these out of harm's way. We spoke with her about her current project and the beautiful girls of Assist Orphanage she is helping.
Narges K. Ashtari and the sons of Assist Orphanage's caretakers Abraham and Jainy.
Tell us about the children you are fundraising for.
They are amazing! They are all little princesses with so much love and affection to give. They have all been through the worst things imaginable. They have seen and felt things that no one deserves to have felt and I had such an amazing connection with all of them. I would wake every morning cuddled up between all of them. I loved it and I loved every single second I spent with them. They allowed me to get so close to them and leaving them was SO incredibly difficult. I left promising them I would come back and build them their own home. I am more determined than ever. I send them letters every week and they send me drawings and little cards. My backpack has more letters and cards in it than clothes or anything else.
Some of the 40 little princesses at Assist Orphanage.
All girls, wow. Is there one little princess that stands out?
Gosh, it's so difficult to just tell you about one because they are all so special and have their own unique personalities. Without a doubt the little girl I spent almost all of my time with was Emi. She was the youngest in the orphanage so I felt like she needed more love and care. She's the little girl on my back (below). Every morning, around 6am, she would come and stroke my hair until I woke up. So gently and lovingly. She is 4 years old and lost her parents to Malaria, I don't think she remembers them and thinks of Abraham and Jainy, the orphanage caretakers, as her parents. I love them so much for that. For allowing her to call them mummy and daddy and not making her feel anything less than a daughter. After 2 or 3 days of living with her I became aunty Narges. Kids at that age have that CUTTEEEE voice and every time she wanted a bit of attention she would come and find me, pinch my leg, say aunty Narges in that adorable voice and then she'd be sorted for a couple of hours. We'd play until it was bedtime.
Emi and Aunty Narges.
Her parents died when she was a baby and the villagers had pretty much kept her until they found Assist orphanage. Abraham had told me that when she first came to the orphanage she would often speak about her village people, her little friends so I wanted to take her back to her village. I think that she understood that she hadn't said goodbye to them properly and you could see that sometimes she would just be thinking so deeply about something. Me, Abraham and Emi got on a motorbike and after 3/4 hours got to her village. It was tiny, dirty, not a place for children. It just made me realize how much Abraham and Jainy changed this girls life. She would have still been in this area, miserable, not going to school... She had her new dress and shoes on and she walked with us through that village with the biggest smile on her face.
Emi in her new dress (above), and Emi and Abbi goofin' below.
After coming back from her village I could tell she was so different. She wouldn't wake up as much during the night, wouldn't be so lost in thought sometimes. It was the closure she needed. She understood everything. I miss Emi so much now! Ahhhhh!!
What is the current situation of Assist Orphanage and the children?
When I was there the landlord of the home they had lived in for over 10 years told them they had 2 weeks to leave because his daughter was giving birth and he wanted her to live there. We literally knocked on every single door in Rayagada after that to see if they had space or an empty room for the girls to move into. Finally we found a 2 bedroom apartment. But that was SO small and so expensive to fit all the children into. We convinced the landlord of the orphanage to let half of the girls stay on the first floor of the house and we moved the other remaining 20 into the new home. Thankfully he agreed. So now, half of the girls are living on the first floor of their previous orphanage while the top is occupied by the landlords daughter and husband, and the remaining girls are in a small apartment 20mins walk away. Right now we are paying rent for 2 homes, money we could be using for other things!
Abraham and Jainy, their new orphanage will be more than a house for orphaned children, it is a home, it is family.
The orphanage was given a piece of land 5 years ago by a charity but just never had the funds to build anything on the land. Abraham never even told me about this piece of land because he thought it would never be possible to build anything and said he didn’t want to burden me with it. It was either the day I was leaving or the day before that he mentioned it to me. I rounded the girls up, took them to piece of land, took some photos of it with them and I promised them I would raise the money in 6-12 months…
Do you talk to your princesses while you are back West?
I call the children all the time telling them how much we have raised, I see myself as one of them but the one who is lucky enough to be able to go to the West and raise the money. I really do believe we are all the same, no matter where we are from or what we look like. At the end of the day we all just want to be happy right!?
How much will it cost to build the orphanage?
20 lakh rupees. This is the cost of building permission, to dig 200m underground to pump up fresh water, to have an electricity line, labour charges and materials. All of it together comes to $43,000. If not a little more.
Who will oversee the building?
I will oversee the whole thing. It will take 3 months to build, I will be there for the entire process.
How much have you raised so far?
$9557 Raised, $33,443 to go!
Last year you raised over 7000 dollars by shaving your head, what types of fundraisers are you doing now?
We do bake sales every Sunday morning in downtown Vancouver. I spend the night before, my Saturday nights in style, wrapping 200+ cookies in plastic wrap. I wouldn’t change that for the world. I enjoy it because I know how many donations we get from each one, plus, those ‘broken’ cookies aren't going to eat themselves! I know that sometimes I may upset the people around me because I do not spend as much time with them but I feel like if they were my genuine friends they should understand. These children are my life now. Last year there was a lovely girl who baked cookies for us, it is just too much work, it takes so much time, time that we could spend doing other fundraisers so I buy the cookies this year. Superstore has an amazing deal, 20 cookies for $5.99 so I buy 6 or 7 packs, if it’s going to be a sunny day then I will buy more…
Life at Assist Orphanage....
Right now I have around 6 people helping every week. We have a great time trying to sell them, we joke around with people as much as we can. We stand at a great location as well, right behind a busy Art Gallery, in between two busy roads and next to a road always packed with cars… sometimes we even stop the cars and sell them cookies! We raise around $400 every time. I am trying to find more volunteers so we can start doing it on Saturdays too! I love the bake sales, we get to meet so many people who share their stories with us. We meet many people who have been to India and have fallen in love with the country just as much as I have.
Also I sell jewelry that I purchased while in India. A lovely friend of mine donated around 100 brand new t-shirts for me to sell. I babysit as often as I can, ‘babysitting children for children’ the parents make a donation on my website every time. What ever time I have left during the day I spend it by sending out as many emails as possible to who ever I feel could help us in the fundraising, every business, charity, humanitarian worker or celebrity you can think of, I have emailed!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In 5 years I want to have already lived in India for a couple of years, surrounded by children, a few perhaps adopted by me and be working to fund raise. Instead of having to come back to the west once in a while to raise money I want to stay there and find a way to do it there. Find a way to support myself and the children… That’s my dream.
This holiday season, when we have so much to be thankful for, so many reasons to give let's remember the 40 girls in Rayagada. Let's give them a home for the holidays. Conspiracy Of Hope is donating all of our funds raised until Prishan Foundation reaches their goal for the building project. Below is a short video highlighting that campaign. Please donate with boundless generosity. And as always, thank you for being a voice for the voiceless and Happy Holidays!
Here are eight reasons why we at Conspiracy Of Hope think you would love to support Respire Haiti's work in Gressier, Haiti. In no particular order, the following reasons highlight the methodology, the core beliefs, and the ongoing commitment of RH to the people of Gressier.
From Bellevue Mountain. At the heart of Respire Haiti's story and at the heart of Gressier itself. The story of Respire and Gressier's future will always be inextricably linked to this pristine peak.
Stability and Strength: The earthquake of 2009 devastated Gressier, destroying 70% of the homes and leaving many vulnerable people and especially children at the mercy of the elements. It was in this post-apocalyptic landscape that Respire's founder Megan Boudreaux found herself. That reality stayed with her, the fragility of life, the realization that more storms would come. For that reason, RH is building a school and a community hub that can withstand another earthquake of similar magnitude and be ultra resistant to hurricane force winds. The attention to detail in this respect has been painstaking and sometimes slow, but the reward is safety and security for the impossibly gorgeous children of Gressier.
The deep footings and steel re-enforcement that will help the Gressier school withstand another major disaster. Cutting corners is not an option when the lives of children are at stake.
Social Justice: One of the most exciting things about the school RH is building, and the most compelling for us at COH is that many of the students will be restaveks. In a country of 9 million people there are an estimated 300,000 restavek children. Through education, opportunity, and a true sense of community that the school will afford these kids, RH hopes that tolerance of this injustice will quickly become a thing of the past in Gressier. There are 300 thousand children with no voice in Haiti, Respire is deeply committed to being a voice for those voiceless kids.
Stewardship: Part of every NGO and non-profit's reality is limited resources. Respire Haiti is ever mindful of this. When many other humanitarian orgs in Haiti ride around in new Landcruisers, the staff of RH takes a tap tap or hires a driver for longer trips. This keeps them intimately connected to the community, engenders respect and doesn't foster mistrust, and besides costing less, it also keeps money in the community by using these local businesses. RH shops locally, buys building supplies locally, and in every sense is committed to helping the local economy by buying Haiti first. The majority of RH's staff are Haitian, in fact other than RH's founder Megan Boudreaux, the only other resident non-Haitian is Kyle Fishburn the general contractor who oversees the day to day construction on site.
Kyle the contractor and Bernard, translator and backbone of so much of Respire Haiti's day to day operations.
Sustainability: One of the keys to self-reliance for the Haitian people and one of the tenets of stewardship for RH is sustainability. This means that even as they provide food for local orphanages they also facilitate those same orphanages in planting crops and raising livestock. RH will also use solar panels and wind power at the school and surrounding buildings to lower the communities dependence on an ever temperamental power grid and keep utility costs affordable.
Self-reliance: The reality of humanitarian aid is that sometimes helping hurts. The best intentions of the kindest people often provide immediate relief but do permanent damage or provide no lasting change. Respire Haiti understands this implicitly. In every sense they elevate the people of Gressier by staying out of the way. From the construction of the school to the weekly feeding programs, Haitians serve Haitians. There is no breeding of dependence on foreign hand-outs, no heavy American footprint, only the desire for the Haitian people to be self-reliant. Respire knows that the people of Gressier want to work, and that they work extremely hard when given the chance. Every day 60-70 Haitian men and women walk to the top of Bellevue Mountain and build the future of Gressier: a school for their kids, and soon a church, a medical clinic, a computer lab, a market, a library, and more. The residents of Gressier are pouring their blood and sweat and prayers into these buildings and beautifully taking ownership of the project in their hearts and minds. And, they are being paid almost double the average worker's daily rate! Money that goes back into the local economy and stimulates growth for all of Gressier.
Above, the residents of Gressier, men and women, build a school for their children and their brothers and sisters in the Haitian sun. Below, food is prepared on site everyday.
Scholarships: One of the realities of poverty is that sometimes even a free education is unaffordable. RH partners sponsors with impoverished children to put education within their reach. This means smart new uniforms for children who have never had a brand new piece of clothing. This means two meals a day for a child who would otherwise be hungry and restless, unable to concentrate on learning. This means school supplies and books in the hands of children like Floencia (below), who at 8 will be attending school for the very first time. She was one of the last children to register and I had the deeply humbling honor of walking with her and her precious mom to the little concrete church house that glorious Monday afternoon to sign her up!
Floencia in pink pants!
Sublime Beauty: The Caribbean Sea and the mountains of Gressier are the stuff of poems but their majesty pales in the presence of the Haitian people themselves, especially the children. What a noble people, unconquered in spirit in spite of the deluge of despotic rulers and natural disasters. And what hard workers, what gentle souls, what deeply passionate people are the Haitians. No wonder they so captured Respire's heart. No wonder they have rebounded so quickly with just a little help from their friends.
Haitians are hard workers, from the fisherman and farmer above, to the lovely girl below who helps her mom collect bottles for a recycling program that cleans up the cities and countrysides while putting money in the pockets of Haitians facing an 80% unemployment rate.
Below, some of the beautiful children of Gressier. The future of Haiti.
Sisters: RH began in the heart of Megan after she met a little girl on Bellevue mountain where the school is being built. Michaelle was throwing rocks in the air trying to kill a bird to eat, such was her hunger and her relentless determination. Megan was deeply affected and through a whirlwind of events Megan now has legal guardianship of Micha and her younger sister Jessica. These two girls have become the lifeblood of Respire and the endless stream of guests that come to Gressier to see what God is doing. These girls change everyone they meet with their indefatigable smiles and constant mischief. I have never loved a child other than my own more than I love Michaelle. There is a look she gets in her eyes that reveals a hint of the hurt she still holds but then that unsinkable smile breaks across her face, joy dawns, and the whole world is brighter because she is loved, because now, Michaelle is free.
Human Trafficking in the news. Stories of forced labor, sex trafficking and child exploitation. Click the bold headings for links to the whole story.
45 states bring lawsuit against The Village Voice's Backpage.com: Backpage.com makes an estimated $22.7 million per year from ads in their “adult” section. Backpage.com vice president Carl Ferrer acknowledged the company identifies more than 400 “adult services” posts that may involve minors.
Dutch probe uncovers child porn sites in US: Investigators found some 220,000 child pornography photos and videos. One of the hidden sites police discovered was called "Violent Desires". Along with child pornography, it also contained "a discussion forum that included chats about abducting, abusing and killing children," prosecutors said.
Woman gets life plus 20 in child-sex-for-sale case: Rebecca Wiggins (pictured below) took $10,000 in payment from an east Cobb man, David A. Ray, in exchange for providing access to her 7-year-old niece, who was in her custody.
House introduces H.R.2830!: The bill will re-authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Read the entire text of the bill here. National call-in day to voice support for the bill is Sept. 8th. Info here.
There is a tradition in Afghan society called Bacha-bazi, literally "boy-play". Bacha boys are 8 to 15 year olds who put on make-up, tie bells to their feet and slip into women’s clothing, and then, "to the whine of a harmonium and wailing vocals", dance seductively to smoky roomfuls of leering older men. This wretched practice that ends with the boys being auctioned or rented out for rape is an old tradition in the northern and southern provinces of Afghanistan.
Above, an Afghani teen dances for a roomful of men.
According to Senior Afghan journalist Musa Khan Jalalzai,“The interior ministry has failed to arrest powerful rapist warlords in northern Afghanistan, as the police administration has long been involved in many illegal businesses like drug trafficking, prostitution, and playboys. Corruption in the Afghan justice system is another problem. Courts are helpless before war criminals. Judges are the most corrupt people, who bail out or release criminals and receive millions in Afghan currency."
He goes on to say, “Local residents now have demanded for a crackdown against these elements, but are skeptical because criminals are powerful and well-armed. War criminals have representation in Afghan parliament and in government institutions."
Unemployment, poverty and repressive sex laws have been cited for the recent resurgence of Bacha-bazi in Afghanistan but whatever the reason, recruitment of young boys is on the rapid rise.
A "dancing boy" and his "master".
According to press reports "Wealthy warlords in northern Afghanistan, recruit young boys for sex and dance, while local authorities remain powerless in stopping the practice. Bacha-boys dance all night, and then are abused by several men.”
Jalalzai continued, “A former warlord in Kunduz province told Afghan press that normally criminals first select boys in the village and later trick them into coming with them. The boys get a monthly allowance, and in return [the criminals] can have them any time they want. Last week, an Afghan student from northern Afghanistan informed this author (Jalalzai) by an e-mail that at midnight when the dance is over, the boys are frequently shared by war criminals with close friends for sexual favors.
Above, part of Najibullah Quraishi's documentary titled "The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan". Please watch this entire documentary.
Boys without beards who are intelligent are a status symbol for their masters. Mohammad Zaher Zafari, head of the Northern Branch of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, said: "Sexual abuse and even the sale of boys has been going on for years; the boys involved are usually poor, underage or orphans, and they are forced into it by their economic circumstances."
Another senior official, Hafizullah Khaliqyar, head of the prosecutor’s office for Baghlan province says the teens "are sexually abused, even bought and sold. Fights take place over these Bacha-bereesh (literally boy with-out a beard). It’s increasing day by day, and it’s catastrophic," he said.
Above, Radhika Coomaraswamy, one of the first and bravest international figures to speak out about this crime. Read her PBS interview here.
Jalazai quotes another Afghan reporter, Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, who recently interviewed some warlords saying that they play with dogs, boys, and love teenage girls. "Some men enjoy playing with dogs, some with women. I enjoy playing with boys," warlord Allah Daad told Ibrahimi.
According to Jalazai, after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001, Bacha-bazi increased tremendously and is still on the rise. He says, “Local officials in northern provinces of Afghanistan admit the practice is prevalent but show no specific interest to intercept it. The authorities are in much dismay about the police officers’ involvement in this business. Members of Afghan police in various provinces are deeply involved in male prostitution. The interior ministry in Kabul has received thousands of complaints from locals regarding sexual attacks by police on young boys.”
Reuters, in its November 19, 2007 report and Revolutionary Association of Women in Afghanistan [RAWA], quoted a 42-year-old landowner, Inayatullah, of Baghlan province as saying, ‘Having a boy has become a custom for us. Whoever wants to show off should have a boy.’ In his short interview with Reuter’s reporter, Mr. Inayatullah vowed: ‘I was married to a woman 20 years ago; she left me because of my boy,’ he said. ‘I was playing with my boy every night and was away from home. Eventually my wife decided to leave me. I am happy with my decision, because I am used to sleeping and entertaining with my young boy,’ He told Reuters.
The video clip above is graphic and blood-chillingly cavalier in its description of rampant pedophilia in Afghanistan.
According to Jalalzai, “There are thousands of young boys who have undergone ordeals. But the actual numbers of these vulnerable boys are not known." In Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan, Samangan, Panjshir, and Herat bazaars, Bacha-bazi CDs and DVDs are widely circulated serving an audience who can’t afford the real thing.
In every documentary clip or interview the story is the same, whether it's corporate or private pedophilia, young boys are talked about like food, like dessert. The men are completely disconnected from the child's will and rights, they objectify the boys past the point where they exist on a similar plane with their own children. To them these pre-teens are no one's child. They do not have dreams, they are for sport, for pleasure. To be devoured, a perverse banquet of innocent flesh.
These men are sub-human. How else can they recount with smiles and wistful nostalgia a night of drunken revelry where each man had his turn with a 13 year old boy in a car. The boy who just laid there, presumably frightened for his life, shamelessly raped by one sick twisted man after another. And no one denies, not on any level of Afghani society or Government. They may question the veracity of the numbers but they never question the truth of the accusations.
This must stop. These poor boys, destroyed by lust and demonic control. Tricked, coerced, brokered into short but painful lives of exploitation only to be thrown out like yesterdays meal. This must end now. My heart is breaking tonight. My mind reeling. My spirit cries out for justice. They are just little boys!!! They are not sex toys!! They are not the playthings of the perverted and powerful. They are the future of Afghanistan. Her brightest and best. They are her sons and they have become the food for vultures. No not even vultures, for even vultures wait for death before they desecrate flesh.
Conspiracy Of Hope's blog will have a new semi-regular feature highlighting sex trafficking, forced labor, and child exploitation in the news. We will compile a brief synopsis of each story with the link (click on the bold heading of each story). This will allow us to highlight those individuals and groups responsible for stopping trafficking and those who are the most egregious perpetrators of human rights violations.
9 charged in sex trafficking investigation in Chicago.-Dozens of girls, some as young as 12, were forced into prostitution. The girls and women, some of them homeless, were recruited on CTA trains, the Internet or during random meetings on the street.
Rachel Weisz stars in new film about Sex-Trafficking.-A drama based on the experiences of Kathryn Bolkovac, a Nebraska cop who served as a peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia and outed the U.N. for covering up a sex trafficking scandal. Watch the trailer below.
Sex Trafficking bust in Fairfax County.-13 women and girls forced into prostitution in and around the nations capitol. According to the article, "The pimp's prostitution ring frequented certain areas, so much so that an unidentified Falls Church hotel gave Cornejo a discount because he rented rooms so often, the affidavit said. Cornejo also used a Super 8 Motel in Manassas, his mother's house and locations within the Four Mile Run area of Arlington."
Czech Police charge Nigerian Black Magic Sex Traffickers. Girls were promised jobs as hairdressers or as hospitality sector workers and then forced into prostitution. Some of the girls were forced to take part in black magic rituals that included ceremonies that took place in mortuaries with the girls being forced to drink their own blood and warned their families would die if they broke their oaths. (warning: link contains semi-graphic photo.)
Zara of India. The Spanish retail giant has stores in 73 countries and according to a recent statement has a "zero tolerance for infringements of this kind."
A Diesel Jeans ad lamenting that they aren't pimping girls??
Sex sells. It's as ingrained in advertising as celebrity endorsements and those nauseating sing-song jingles that weasel their way into your subconscious. Over half of all ads featuring women present them in a sexual manner. That percentage jumps to 75 in men's magazines and hovers around the 60% mark even in female fashion magazines. (Julie M. Stankiewicz and Francine Rosselli in their article “Women as Sex Objects and Victims in Print Advertisements”)
But the women aren't always women, increasingly major publications and ad campaigns are using young girls in sexual presentations to sell their product. The sexual objectification of children is nothing new but the frequency and blatancy with which these kids are exploited is troublesome, especially in a world so charged with evil intent, so bent toward the sexual domination of children.
Some within the industry have spoken out against the inappropriate nature of these pictures but others defend them under the tired banner of freedom of expression. But this is NOT art, not satire as some have suggested (although Vogue maintains their spread was), nor is it the last vestiges of puritanical society raining on your pedophile parade. This is the stealing of innocence. This is the blurring of lines, the concerted effort to weaken the resolve of decency. This is NOT OK!!!
Recently we featured a story of the largest online child porn bust in history. 600 pedophiles from around the world engaged in some of the most grotesque and gruesome deviancy with children as young as 3 or 4 months old. This is currently only the perverted fringe but for how long? Sex sells and people are buying. How about lingerie for your 1st grader? Words that should never, ever be in the same sentence. The French lingerie company Joures Apres Lunes disagrees.
According to Dr. Eileen Zurbriggen, Chair of the APA Task Force, "there is ample evidence to conclude that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains, including cognitive functioning, physical and mental health, and healthy sexual development." Our little girls will learn to see themselves as valuable only to the degree they are sexually viable, and it affects our boys too. Boys "are also learning to value women only for their sex appeal, leading to increased incidents of sexual harassment, sexual violence, and increased demand for child pornography," Zurbriggen adds. There is the very real connection of print exploitation to the physical abuse of children. As we previously detailed, 90% of child rapists use child porn. The visual stimulus of sexualized and sexually abused children a part of their ritualistic fantasy.
Above, a Manga image, the popular graphic novels are full of sexualized child-looking characters. Below, a child models a bikini. Brands such as Abercrombie and Fitch have even marketed thongs to pre-teens.
When the fashion industry, the gaming industry, the music and graphic novel industries objectify girls and portray them as sex trophies to be won or sex goddesses to be worshiped the pedophiles win. Society is being reformed, remade into their imaginations, vile and reprobate. And as the average consumer, who shops those stores and buys those products and is inundated by sexual images of kids, there comes a point where those images cease to shock. And slowly we are immunized, slowly our will to resist fails, and each day our little girls are sold and we are the ones buying.
Please boycott companies that use the sexuality of children to sell their product. If you walk into a store and there are images of sexually objectified children, walk out. Put down the magazines with the offending ads, cancel your subscriptions. Send emails to the CEO's and editors. Let your voice be heard. And parents be careful what your children watch, play, read and listen to. Re-enforce with them what true beauty is. They are only young for such a short time. Let them be kids, please.
