The Post article on child prostitutes shined some light on the problem but did not tell the whole story. First off the term child prostitute doesn't truly describe the situation. Ken Lawson, a vice cop from Columbus, prefers the term prostituted child. It is his belief that no child would on their own volition choose this lifestyle for themselves. I would like to pull out two phrases that were in the article - enslaved and domestic trafficking. These children are victims, they are modern slaves; calling them child prostitutes turns them into criminals. They are for the most part forced into prostitution by pimps, drug dealers, and sometimes family members.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act states that any minor caught in prostitution is to be considered a victim of human trafficking. What seems to happen is that the child is considered the delinquent while the John who rapes her (I do consider this rape) gets away with it. Pat Kelly, in his comments, seems to miss this point by again blaming the child. As I have stated these children are forced into these situation.
Here are some facts published by Shared Hope International (www.sharedhope.org), an organization that tries to combat the sex trafficking of women and children:
· The average age of entry into prostitution is between 12 and 14.
· 100,000 to 300,000 children are considered at risk for sexual exploitation at any time.
· 75 percent are controlled by a pimp through the use of violence and psychological torture.
Currently, there are only 39 beds in specialized shelters that help these children return to normal lives. In Ohio, an organization called Gracehaven (www.gracehavenhouse.org) is in the process of opening a shelter for these victims and will increase the amount of beds available by 10.
These children need our help. If we are to end this we need to educate ourselves about the danger that lies out there for our children. I ask that you spend some time looking at Shared Hope International's Web site. Little steps can help.
Wesley Marsh is a resident of Athens.
4 Opinion
