Children’s rights abuses are shocking at any level, and working in the anti-slavery field I am not as  likely to be shocked as many, due to the fact that I have heard so many unimaginable stories of abuse that I am sadly rarely surprised at what a human is capable of doing to another.  Don’t get me wrong, my life is fueled by an unstoppable passion to end such atrocities and to support those who have survived them, but one develops a thick skin and a certain type of mental block to such stories of trauma, which is more of a sense of self preservation.  As the cold hard truth is that you are only but one in an endless sea trying to speak for the millions who are silenced.  Therefore if one is to become consumed by all of these stories, it is difficult to focus on the positive and bringing about change and aid those in need.   However every once and a while a story shakes you and sit with you. Recently a few stories which have caused me to take a moment of reprieve and question the atrocities that human nature is capable of.

I am all too aware of honor killings and the plague of gender-based violence that continues to endanger girls across many cultures, including that of honour killings.  However a recent story of a 16 year-old Turkish girl, who was buried alive for talking with boys, somehow seemed to shock me over many other reports of stoning’s and acid burnings.  ‘A postmortem examination revealed large amounts of soil in her lungs and stomach, indicating that she had been alive and conscious while being buried.’  According to reports the young girl was bound and burried alive just outside a window of her family home,  a family “council” meeting.  According to Turkish government figures over 200 honour killings occur every year, approximately half of the country’s murder rate. (Guardian)

This week I was watching the film Breaking Point, in which a pimp through a baby out of the window, luckily for the child in the film he was caught by an unsuspecting hereon. The friend I was watching the film with turned to me and said I cannot believe someone could do that to an innocent baby.  I stated in the heinous world of pimp controlled prostitution, which is domestic sex trafficking, and other forms of modern slavery, such stories are all too real.  I then told him of the recent story about a Sex Slave’s Baby found Entombed In Cement And Rubbermaid.

That all said I do still live in a world full of hope, as I have not only heard the most horrid stories of human nature, but the most selfless.  Stories of courage and boundless compassion of the human spirit thankfully overcome the horrors that cast a shadow on the true heart of human nature.  In the end good does triumph over evil, however one can often get lost in the darkness.  Therefore we must work together to ensure we continue to shine the light and work to see stories such as this are no longer allowed to happen.

Today is National Freedom Day, marking the anniversary of the ratification the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution under Lincoln, promising freedom from slavery and involuntary servitude.  The day was enacted by President Harry Truman on June 30, 1948, as he signed the bill proclaiming February 1 as National Freedom Day.

I spent the evening at a Freedom Day celebration, hosted by Courtney’s House, for which they held an open house and shared their dreams of freedom with the community. Taking time to honor others in the filed, the organization recognized key supporters who have enabled them to provide the keys to freedom to young boys and girls who have been victimized by commercial sexual exploitation right here in the DC Metro area. Courtney’s House began in August 2008, as Founder and Executive Director Tina Frundt, herself a survivor of domestic child sex trafficking, took years of hard work and experience in the field, quite literally to the streets. Currently conducting street outreach and providing support programs to 11-21 year old boys and girls. ‘Courtney’s House is projected to be a 6-bed long-term group home for sex trafficked girls between the ages of 12 and 18 years – the only one of its kind in the Washington, D.C.area to cater specifically to this vital population segment.

The following is a letter from Ambassador Luis CdeBaca;

In celebration of National Freedom Day, the United States honors the courage, resolve, and hope exerted by those whose pursuit of freedom was and continues to be unflagging. We look to their example as a guide to creating a world that opens the doors of freedom to every person and fulfills the promise made 145 years ago today.

This day marks the anniversary of President Lincoln’s sending to the States for ratification the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which promised freedom from slavery and involuntary servitude. In commemorating this day, we honor the sacrifices of those who lived and died in chattel slavery, those who fought to end it, and those who have worked in the decades since for a country free from involuntary servitude.

The United States recommits itself today to pursue a world without modern slavery by utilizing every means necessary to shine a brighter light on this heinous crime, thereby ensuring the protection of victims, the prevention of future occurrences, and the prosecution of traffickers.

With the culmination of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the United States commits to building on global partnerships and to working across borders and barriers to realize the progress and potential of a slave-free world. We will work to ensure that every man, woman, and child, with no preference to national origin or standing in society, may pursue the greatest human right of all: freedom.

Ambassador Luis CdeBaca
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. Department of State
Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton

Therefore while we take time today to celebrate the achievements made in the fight to end the trans-Atlantic slave trade and end legalized slavery in the United States, we must also take time to remember the some 27 Million men, women and children who are enslaved across the globe today. The harsh reality is that the . Therefore please take time to honor those who have, and continue to fight and sacrifice, to see freedom is met for all men, woman and children.

A report that was released on January 7, 2010, by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), regarding the levels of sexual victimization within juvenile detention facilities leaves many shocked by the statistics.  The report, Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2008-09, is part of a series of statistical reviews, which are required under the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-79). The Act requires that the BJS to obtain data on the levels of prison rape from both adult and youth detention facility administrators as well as from detainees. As required by the Act, the juvenile facilities are listed alphabetically by state and list the estimated sexual victimization prevalence level, as reported by youths during a personal interview, and based on activity in the 12 months prior to the interview or since admission to the facility, if shorter.

The data collected from the 2008-09 National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC), was conducted in 195 juvenile detention facilities, using a study sample of more than 9,000 juveniles, between June 2008 and April 2009. The report provides national-level and facility-level estimates of sexual victimization by type of activity, including youth-on-youth sexual contact, staff sexual misconduct, and level of coercion. The report also includes an analysis of the experience of sexual victimization, characteristics of youth most at risk to victimization, where the incidents occur, time of day, characteristics of perpetrators, and nature of the injuries. Finally, it includes estimates of the sampling error for selected measures of sexual victimization and summary characteristics of victims and incidents.

Highlights include the following:

• An estimated 12% of youth in state juvenile facilities and large non-state facilities (representing 3,220 youth nationwide) reported experiencing one or more incidents of sexual victimization by another youth or facility staff in the past 12 months.
• This report represents 26,550 adjudicated youth held nationwide in state operated and large locally or privately operated juvenile facilities.
• 80% of the sexual abuse reported in the study was perpetrated by staff at the facility.
• 95% of all youth making claims of abuse say that they were victimized by female staff members.
• Non-heterosexual youth reported significantly higher rates of sexual abuse by other youth (12.5%) compared to heterosexual youth (1.3%).
• 91% of youth in these facilities were male; 9% were female.
• About 2.6% of youth (700 nationwide) reported an incident involving another youth and 10.3% reported an incident involving staff.

Please note that the 12% victimization rate only reflects that in which is reported, and the true numbers are significantly higher.   Many children in care or detention facilities will not report instances of abuse, especially on going abuse, out of fear and shame.   The report also does not look at the levels for which youth in the facilities may have been victims of abuse prior to their sentence in youth detention. Therefore this report only opens the flood gates to highlight the levels of abuse which have occurred, or may occur, within the juvenile justice system.

Female Genital Mutilation (Circumcision) (FGM) is a human rights violation that follows women and girls across the globe. In the last few years news has begun to shed a little more light on the global fight, which in many ways is only in its infancy.  In February 2008 10 UN agencies urge end to female genital mutilation, for which the UN claimed the best initiative to change this tradition is to come from individual countries.  Since a few battles have been won over the past few years, such as most recently in Uganda, where the practice has now legally banned, and those engaging in the practice will now face 10 years in prison, and life if the victim dies during the procedure.  Intensive awareness campaigns and events have recently taken place, such as; Enditnow: In Kenya, Girls Say No To FGM and with Gambia’s 2nd ropping Of The Knife By Female Circumcisers.

According to the World Heath Organization (WHO) the number of girls who have been subject to FGM is “estimated at between 100 and 140 million” and that each year another 2 million are at risk.  FGM can be the partial or full removal of the external genitalia. FGM can often be fatal, especially when done in none sanitary condition, and/or by non-medically trained persons, which can often cause excessive bleeding, transmission of disease, or shock. The complications and long term effects of FGM, can include; pain, infertility, difficulties in child birth, trouble with menstruation or urination, problems and extreme pain with intercourse, lack of sexual desire, no sexual stimulation, and mental illness.

The fight against FGM is truly a global fight, and while it may seem often that it is isolated primarily to Africa and the Middle East, however the issue of FGM has risen in western countries, such as the US, UK and other mainland European Nations.  Therefore there has been a growing need to educate and advocate against FGM amongst immigrant populations in the west.  Immigrants may often have a tendency to hold more tightly to traditions and customs, out of a sense of  fear loosing their culture or social identity.  Therefore the need for increased laws and enforcement is not isolated to countries with a history of the the traditional practice.  Such can be noted by the example of France, where under French law FGM falls under Article 222 of the criminal code on violence, which can carry a prison sentences of up to 20 years for both those who preform the procedure and for parents.

Many countries where FGM has been common have passed laws to ban the practice, however laws have proven to be ineffective on their own, as often the practice is deeply rooted in the culture or history. Additionally laws prove futile without education and awareness, as many countries have discovered, only when its been at the high cost of death. Such as can be seen in the following posts; Egypt Makes Huge Strides in Putting an End to Female Circumcision and Girls Death in Burkina Faso Has Many Wondering If Laws are Enough!.

However many FGM related deaths never make it into the media, nor are they often reported.  In Yemen, where FGM, which was banned in 2001 in private and public health facilities, by the Ministry of Health, is most often preformed on newborns; has left many FGM related deaths unreported. Thus the failure of laws alone to end the practice has led the government to seek additional strategies. Last year in Yemen the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood (SCMC), a government body moved to stem female genital mutilation (FGM). The plan to significantly reduce FGM by 2012 is a huge step in the eradication of FGM in the country, and could lead as an example for other countries fighting to truly end FGM in all forms.

While rates of FGM have fallen in many countries with significant use of the practice, the fight to end the practice is far from over and efforts must not only continue in countries where the practice has a long standing history, but also in the West as the fight for gender equality and an end to sexual violence is global and will not be won without a united. FGM must be clearly seen as a human rights violation, and not a one time instance of abuse. Therefore education and awareness on the long term effects must be put into place, as should laws be established that address the severity of the crime, and in doing so on a global scale we can begin to see the end of this extreme form of gender-based violence.

True laws are a vital step in the right direction to ending the practice of FGM once and for all, the banning of the practice alone is not enough to ensure the practice is abolished. Governments and NGO’s must work together with community leaders, on all levels, to see that the entire community is adequately educated on the full facts of FGM, and the long term effects it has on a girls mental and physical health. However glorious the win for laws and persecution of their violators, may seem, the reality has shown a huge societal failure in viewing that FGM is a one time persecution that ends once the cutting is over. For the women and girls who are victims of FGM the pain and torture of the procedure are far from a one time affair, and both the physical and mental scars can last a lifetime.es

So to answer the question; ‘yes, we are closer to an end for FGM’, however we still have significant strides and progress to go before we can see an end to the needless suffering and abuse of women and girls across the globe through the practice.  Please see my previous posts on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)/Female Circumcision for more information and background on the issue. Please also see the World Health Organization (WHO) FGM Fact Sheet and The Female Genital Mutilation Education and Networking Project for more news and information on the long term consequences of FGM.

Does porn drive sex trafficking?  In a world where sex is everywhere and we use motto’s in business, such as “sex sells”, on is left to question where the line of genuine sexuality and harm begins and ends.

“The act of rape is merely the expression of the standard, ‘healthy’ even encouraged male fantasy in patriarchal culture, that of aggressive sex. And the articulation of that fantasy into a billion-dollar industry is pornography….Pornography is sexist propaganda-no more, no less. Pornography is the theory: rape is the practice” (pp. 137, 139). -Robin Morgan, an American author, feminist, and child actor, made the following statement in her book, Theory and Practice: Pornography and Rape, in, The Word of a Woman, part 1, which which was written in 1974, but published 1992;

Morgan, is stating that the consumption of porn by men increases their willingness to rape, and aggravates hostility. The statement is one that has spawned debate across multiple lines, for years.  While many agree with Morgan, others find this a rash and blatantly misleading statement. Is Morgan stating that one who views porn is thus more inclined to commit rape or other acts of sexual violence?  Another reason for such outcry against the statement by Morgan, is the obvious all encompassing nature of the word pornography.  There is no distinction as to a degree of porn.  Despite your views on pornography itself, one has to make the clear distinction between an issue of Playboy or many other forms of erotic film and print, versus that of child pornography of any kind, rape films and hard core bondage.

Whilst one may read Playboy and develop nothing other than genuine sexual arousal and curiosity, an altogether different perspective and sense maybe developed from one who watches or looks at images which is viewed as “aggressive pornography”. There is no sense in arguing that one who watches rape videos may be likely to be enticed to rape as they find such images arousing. However to link the two into one all encompassing statement seems to be what draws the most discourse and thus splits the party down the middle, or into even more pieces.

Cast your ideals aside, you can stand on one side of the fence and I on the other, but is there not a middle ground where one can meet? Yes, there must be…child porn for one.  Lets be clear those who advocate for its acceptance are nothing more than pedophiles, and while they may claim not to be.  Trust me they do, as I’ve received enough responses, hate mail and people looking for acceptance, in my time to know the only person they are trying to fool is themselves.  However the gray areas have found themselves in the world of child porn as well, which can be seen in my previous pieces such as; The fine lines between porn and cyberspace and Virtual Child Porn.

So we agree? Great, lets move on to another area…rape films and images. Can one advocate that such types of porn are ever valid? The first e-mails out of the box will surely be from those who state, but they are only simulated images and of course there is nothing wrong with this fantasy play…but isn’t there? One how is the view to know when such images are real, or acting, and what type of person finds arousal and gratification from watching another violently abused? In my mind what first comes to head is of course a rapist, or potential rapist, thus these sexual images seem to have no validation, for I cannot imagine when a simulated unwillingness for sex is acceptable.  However I am by no means an expert and not a psychologist or therapist of any kind.

While child sexual exploitation and rape films of any nature obviously fall clearly on one side of the fence, and an issue of Playboy and Maxim on the other, we are still left with a large amount of the commercial sex industry that falls into grayer areas, so where do we place the line and how far will it shift?

As I sit her writing this I have seen a commercial for Playboy TV, Erotica TV Network and slew of call in singles “chat lines”, and it is clear as day that the nature of such adds and their frequency has dramatically increased over the years. So while our society is increasingly sexualized, including TV ads for birth control, erectile dysfunction and sexually transmitted disease, which play in the middle of the day and now require explanation to children…which is something no one should have to do. We also see a major shift in our language, as it shifts more and more into a sexual nature and what has become a glorification of a sexually explicit lifestyle including, pimping, which is in fact trafficking…just turn on your TV and count how many times you hear the work “pimp”, “ho” or “b***”, it will leave you baffled. Often this transition is unnoticed and completely misunderstood, just the other day a girlfriend made a comment about my shoes calling them “hooker shoes”, since when did high heals label one such a way? Or to click on to Facebook and see a friend label a childhood photo as “me pimping”, I know for a fact he never “pimped”, so why the label? The fact of the matter is that its become so normalized that its like they don’t even understand what it means, and both of these people are over the age of 40, well educated and know full well I work in anti-trafficking. The truth is one can go on and on, but the reality is that the nature of porn has increased in its violent nature, the age at which one is introduced to sex is lower and lower, as we have increasingly sexualized our society, and all of it has a heavy consequence for which our children continue to pay a higher and higher price.

No matter where you stand on the debate of the commercial sex industry and pornography, children are not willing participants to sex, or sexual advances, nor are children ever anything less than innocent victims. The images of child porn are never truly recovered, the are left to float in the virtual world and continue to victimize. The pain and scars of sexual abuse may fade in time, but they never go away, the trauma they leave behind often stays buried, but will always find its way to the surface in some form one day or another.

I came across this site, Quotes on Porn, which has some interesting and diverse views.  However I will state that the views on this site in do not necessary represent my views, nor are my views intended to appear as such.  The impetus for this piece is to illustrate the diverse views and extreme depth of porn and the commercial sex industry and bring light to the issues of demand.  Rarely do we question or mention the demand for sex as a diver for violence and human trafficking, especially in regards to that of a child.  The harsh reality is that for all too many children across the globe, sex trafficking is their daily nightmare.  The reality is that the demand for children that exists across the globe and the demand for sexual slavery exists as we fail to address it, and it is affected by the desensitization and over commercialization of sex in our society.

As mentioned in my previous post, local trafficking case brings the face of modern slavery home, the recent story of child trafficking out of Fayetteville, NC, has gained a large amount of media attention.   The story thus lead me to do an interview with Blog Talk Radio’s DC based show, “A Measure Of Truth”.  I sat down this evening with host, Michael Fordham to discuss some of the harsh realities of human trafficking/modern slavery and how it can effect every town, and we can all make an impact in helping to bring awareness to, and an end to, this horrendous crime against humanity.  Click here for the recorded pod cast.

While the case in NC has gained much media coverage and attention, few have touched on the realities of human trafficking.  A reality that all to many Americans are still in the dark on.  As mentioned in the radio interview one of the first steps is to educate yourself on what human trafficking is, then make yourself aware of the signs and how to report any suspected cases or potential victims.

What is Human Trafficking, or Modern Slavery? It is when the use of fraud, force, or coercion is used in which to exploit an individual for the mere means of profit or economic gains. There is no stereotypical face of human trafficking, for the chains of modern slavery can bind anyone, of any gender, race, religion or age. Those bound by slavery do not have to cross borders to be victimized, for one can be exploited within their own home, community, as well as half across the globe. Modern slavery comes in many shapes and forms, such as; child soldiers, forced labor through debt bondage, and forced prostitution or sex slavery. And as we have seen, not even rural North Carolina is immune to this disease of power and greed, which binds some 27 million people around the world.

Human trafficking/Modern Slavery is the world’s fastest growing industry, according to 2009 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report over 80% of those trans-nationally trafficked are women and children. The US State department estimates that some 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year and about 80 percent of them are female and at least 50% are children. The numbers given by the State Department do not included the millions of victims which are trafficked with in countries borders, including the United States. The US government has stated that there are some 17,500 victims of sex trafficking in the United States each year, however all of these government figures are well understated and the true number of victims is unknown. According to the International Labor Organization (End of Child Labor Within Reach 2006), each year, some 1.2 million children are trafficked for the purposes of labor, while another 1 million are trafficked into the sex trade.

Why are so many children being trafficked today?  Victims are lured by traffickers who offer promises of a better life, work opportunities or a chance to live in a more democratic and free society. Some families, desperately poor, are willing sell one of their children as a sacrifice for the rest of the family. However the reality is a far cry from the promise of freedom, or an escape from poverty and hardship. Forced into prostitution or trained to kill in child armies, victims of sexual and psychological exploitation are literally robbed of their childhoods, a commodity that is rarely recovered.

One driver behind trafficking in children and young women is the global sex tourism industry, which thrives on foreign demand. If governments and societies do not enforce laws to protect children from pedophiles, many will continue to travel in search of sex with minors. As traffickers and brothel owners rake in large profits, this seedy underbelly does not drive capitalism, but merely creates corruption, fuels the drug market, and other illegal and illicit activities.

When we think of human rights our minds most often drift to images in distant countries, women and children in refugee camps, child soldiers, forced labor, etc.  The struggle for human rights continues right here in the United States, as millions of our own children face abuse and neglect.  Each there over 3 million children are reported as victims of abuse and neglect, a toll which impacts the remainder of these children lives as their innocence is stripped away. Around four children a day in the U.S. die as a result of child abuse and neglect every day.

Anyone can become a victim; there isn’t one face to human trafficking and modern slavery. How do you know if you have come across a victim? Trafficking can take place in any environment and any location.

Are you or someone you know being trafficked? Is trafficking happening in your community? Is the situation you encountered human trafficking? The following is a list of potential red flags and indicators of human trafficking.

If you see any of these red flags, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-3737-888 now to report the situation.  We highly recommend you take a moment to place this number in your mobile phones now.

Common Work and Living Conditions
The Individual(s) in Question:

• Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp / manager
• Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips
• Works excessively long and/or unusual hours
• Is not allowed breaks or suffers under unusual restrictions at work
• Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off
• Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work
• High security measures exist in the work and/or living locations (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on windows, barbed wire, security cameras, etc.)

Poor Mental Health or Abnormal Behavior

• Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous / paranoid behavior
• Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up “law enforcement”
• Avoids eye contact

Poor Physical Health

• Lacks health care
• Appears malnourished
• Shows signs of physical and/or sexual abuse, physical restraint, confinement, or torture

Lack of Control

• Has few or no personal possessions
• Is not in control of his/her own money, no financial records, or bank account
• Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport)
• Is not allowed or able to speak for themselves (a third party may insist on being present and/or translating)

Other

• Claims of “just visiting” and inability to clarify where he/she is staying / address
• Lack of knowledge of whereabouts and/or do not know what city he/she is in
• Loss of sense of time
• Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story

Note: This list is not exhaustive and rather represents a selection of possible indicators. Also, the red flags in this list may not be present in all trafficking cases and are not cumulative. (Polaris Project, Action Center)

I recently posted the story, Trafficking? Not in my town…Yes, in every town, which featured the story of 5 year-old, Shaniya Davis, from Fayetteville, North Carolina.  Shaniya was reportedly kidnapped and her body was later found on the side of a rural highway in North Carolina.  Her mother was later charged with human trafficking for placing her daughter into ’sexual servitude’.

The small town story has made national headlines and has shocked and stunned an entire community.  The story has become what some are calling an American nightmare.  After Mario McNeill (who was seen carrying the young child into the hotel) was charged with first degree murder and the rape of a child, the story made it to Oprah. Airing on last Friday’s show, on which the young girls father and aunt appeared, Oprah stated:

“another child has been raped and murdered in our country”

The reality is that children are raped and murdered everyday in the US — which is why Oprah’s statement wasn’t shocking.  Although Oprah sought to ask tough questions on whether this tragedy could have been prevented, the show didn’t touch on the realities of human trafficking.  No one questioned or mentioned the demand for sex, sex with a child, that factored into this story, which is sadly haunting for many children across the globe.  The reality is that the demand for children that exists in Fayetteville, NC are not that different from the demand of sexual slavery in India and beyond.  This brings me back to an older article I published, Are we still clueless about modern slavery?.

However were we have continued to remain in the dark is in regards the slavery which is covering our own streets. The real face of modern slavery is not one face; the face of modern slavery could be anyone of any class and race, however we often fail to see the many faces of slavery which are lost in the crowd.

Then how do we permanently turn on the lights and show the full scope and detriment that this plague, this human flesh trade, has become? We must continue to increase awareness that it is a crime that affects us all, seek to address demand, increase funding for rescue and restore programs, including police training and task forces, and most importantly to brake the cycle of the trade we must invest in the empowerment of both at-risk populations and survivors.

Anyone can become a victim; there isn’t one face to human trafficking and modern slavery. How do you know if you have come across a victim? Trafficking can take place in any environment and any location.

Some Red Flags to look for include:

• Restricted freedom of movement
• Is under 18 and is providing commercial sex acts
• Signs of physical or sexual abuse
• Fear or depression
• Not speaking on own behalf
• No passport or other forms of identification.

“See it, Report it!” If you have reason to suspect that someone is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline on 1-888-373-7888. Multilingual call specialists are on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All calls are confidential.

Learn more from the following: Fact Sheets - in Multiple Languages for Download Order Free Posters and Materials to distribute and post.

Tune into today’s “A Measure Of Truth”, at 7:30, or listen to the post recorded pod cast,to hear the author, Cassandra Clifford, as she sits down with host, Michael Fordham to discuss some of the harsh realities of human trafficking/modern slavery.

According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, one in every 50 American children experiences homelessness.  Homelessness affects children in a multitude of ways, including both their physical and mental health.  Over two million youths, between the ages of 12 and 24, will experience at least one episode of homelessness each year.  More than 100,000 youth sleep on American streets for 6 months or longer, and many of these children and teens will experience violence and a multitude of abuse.  Children on the streets are at increased risk for commercial sexual exploitation, including forced street prostitution.

Earlier this year the National Center on Family Homelessness published the report, Homeless Children: America’s New Outcasts, the report highlighted America’s hidden shame and showed the devastating numbers of Americas growing problem. In the report, which surveyed 2005-2006, it was found that child homelessness has now capped that of anytime since the Great Depression.

Homeless children are more likely to be sick, go hungry, fall behind in school and twice as likely to have learning disabilities than children who are not homeless.  According to studies our biggest problem is our lack of preparation to address the increasing and serious nature of homelessness in the United States, leaving most states unable to adequately assist those in need and leaving homeless children even more in the dark.

As we continue down the path of the recession the case for child homelessness only looks to deepen, and the issue is one that still rings low on the political radar and wills.  Homelessness effects children in all states, including our own Capital, which only last month had a huge blow for the homeless population thanks to major budget cuts (some $20 million) that is only to result in the closing of more shelters.  Those shelters that will not face closure will be unable to continue serving the numbers they have been currently serving, and all and all it is once again those in need who will be hit the hardest, including the cities children.

According to the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, who does estimated monthly counts, there were more than 6,000 homeless persons in DC during the month of August. The group says that the figures include approximately 703 families which includes some 1,400 children.   At current DC only has 164 city-funded beds set aside for families, leaving the waiting list numbers rising to inconceivable numbers.  And DC is not alone!

Do you live in DC?  Do you want to learn more about the problems in your city and what you can do?  Come hear from local community and government leaders as we discuss the impact of youth homelessness in the District and what you can do to support local efforts to address youth homelessness.
Join FAIR Fund and the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, with Cosponsors Councilmember Tommy Wells and Councilmember Michael A. Brown for “inVISIBLE: Shining a light on DC’s homeless youth”.

Location:
The True Reformer Building
(1200 U Street, NW)

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m.

Please rsvp to  ife at dc-aya.org

The United States has done it has topped the list, were number one…but this is one list and ranking we don’t want to go dancing in the streets about. Shockingly to many the US is the cheerless leader of deaths related to child abuse and neglect. Five children die each day in this country as a result of child abuse and neglect kill more than in any other industrialized nation, according to the report, We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in America released by the Every Child Matters Education Fund.

The report found that no less than 10,440 American children died from abuse or neglect in the six year period of 2001 and 2007, however they noted that the number of child deaths could actually exceed 15,660, as poor record keeping could have missed many deaths.

It’s heart-wrenching that each day in America, five children will die from abuse and neglect, but what’s worse is that the real number is even larger, said Michael Petit, president of Every Child Matters Education Fund. Child abuse and neglect are national problems that require national solutions. That means federal lawmakers must work with states to address what causes it, be more consistent in how data about it are shared, and increase support for the agencies that work to stop it..

In 2007, Kentucky took the grim No. 1 spot with 41 deaths, a rate of just over 4 in 100,000 children. Other states near the top were South Dakota, Florida, Nebraska and Missouri. States with the lowest rate of child death in 2007 — the latest year for which data is available — were Delaware, Rhode Island, Idaho, Maine and Montana.

Of the 721, 646 children confirmed abused and neglected nationwide in 2007:

• 60 percent did not receive proper food, clothing, shelter, hygiene, education, medical care or protection.
• 13 percent suffered from multiple maltreatments.
• 11 percent were physically abused.
• 8 percent were sexually abused.
• 4 percent suffered from emotional abuse.
• 1 percent suffered from medical neglect.
• 4 percent suffered from other mistreatment such as abandonment, threats, and congenital drug addiction.
• 50 percent or more of child abuse and neglect cases are associated with alcohol or drug abuse by parents.

Much can be done to reduce these child abuse and neglect deaths. There exists a vast body of knowledge about healthy child growth and development, including how to prevent abuse in the first place,” wrote Petit. His preface to the report went on to say that “…despite the best efforts of the many who work daily to address this problem, we continue to fall far short in applying our knowledge. said Petit

The report stated that a number of reasons are to blame for the high level of child deaths in the United States compared to that of the rest of the world, including overworked child protection workers and a lack of public awareness. The report was the first survey of its kind to examine the issue state-by-state and noted the states with the highest rate of deaths due to abuse and neglect.

As a writer on children’s rights, the subject of abuse is commonplace, the types of abuse are a varied as they are haunting.  Most often I write about the horrors that happen outside the United States, however the US is plagued by its own child abusers in all forms.  Often we forget to bring much needed attention and awareness to the issues of domestic abuse, including; verbal, physical, sexual and neglect or maltreatment.

Child abuse statistics, are shocking and their numbers are increasing.  The haunting reality is that in the US:

• just over 1,500 children die each year in the United States from child abuse and neglect
• 905,000 children were the victims of child abuse in 2006
• 70 percent of child abuse victims are under age three years old
• Over 80 percent of the abused children were abused by one the child’s parent
• Neglect is the most common form of child abuse, followed by physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, and lastly, medical neglect.

Please see my previous article, Knowing the signs of abuse to protect our children, to learn more on how you can protect and prevent children from abuse.  And while we need to increase our awareness and prevention programs, we must also strengthen our laws to ensure that all children are given a fighting chance.

Every Child Matters, will be releasing the report, We Can Do Better: Child Abuse and Neglect Deaths in the US, in DC at the United States Capital Building.  The report is to bring attention the the increasing numbers of child deaths related to abuse and neglect across the country.  The rally is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend.

The rally is a much needed opportunity for the public to speak out and seek that the child protection system is strengthened, and more safety nets are put into place.  As our current system is over stretched and weak, laws are also weak and often non-existent.  Every Child Matters also brings to attention that, several studies have concluded that the actual number of child abuse and neglect deaths is believed to be significantly higher than official statistics indicate. There are a variety of reasons, including different state definitions of what constitutes a child abuse and neglect death, data collection methodologies, inconsistent record-keeping across the country, and who it is that actually determines the cause of death.

Children do deserve our undivided and devoted attention, however we continue to fail our children as we continue to provide inadequate protection and services to those children who are abused and neglected. Children’s rights are not just a battle to be won internationally, children’s rights is a battle that continues to be fought daily on our streets, in our schools and in our homes.  Now is the time to give our children the attention they deserve and fight to protect those who cannot protect themselves and speak for all who have been silenced by abuse.

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For more on child abuse and the strained welfare system in the US and what you can do to Reducing child abuse and neglect here at home, please see the following article I posted previously posted, Reducing child abuse and neglect here at home.