That’s how you say Natasha!
We are a group of twelve Princeton undergraduates. This is where we will record details of a trip we are taking to Atlanta, GA, to look into the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). We will also post links to articles, photographs and questions for discussion.
-
-
-
Jars of clay, playing with the kids. Dance contest.
-
Breakout atlanta highsteppers
-
View high resolution
HEY PRINCETON: It’s not too often that we see a D grade on something of ours, is it? Especially when it’s our state’s child sex trafficking laws. In fact, Georgia, our case study, has a C, and is ranked 6th best out of the nation. But rest assured that while New Jersey is not the worst, it is pretty dismal.
The following ratings were based on the stated methodology of Shared Hope International. We got copies of our home states’ grades from Kaffie McCullough of A Future, Not a Past. The ratings system involves looking at loopholes in legal statutes, the wording of criminal charges, punitive damages for the perpetrators and the buyers, as well as services for the victims.
The states with the worst comprehensive sex trafficking laws and programs are:
- Wyoming
- West Virginia
- Hawaii
- California (shame on you, home state!)
- Virginia
States with the best child sex trafficking response laws and programs:- Texas
- Missouri
- Illinois
- Washington
- Minnesota
Much debate and food for thought on this initiative’s ratings. -
The Cobb County Story: How the Police See the Issue of Child Sex Trafficking
On Tuesday, we met the Cobb County Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, including Detective Largeant (although it’s really too fun to call her Sergeant Largeant) and her coworkers on the team. SVU investigates all crimes against children (abuse, runaways, etc.), but with the passage of legislation against child sex trafficking in Georgia, Largeant and her team now take on larger cases involving bank statements, federal punishments, and complicated relationships with the victims that they rescue.
The group found some things new about the police officers’ perspective. Perhaps best captured in this jarring quote from the detectives:
When people like you raise awareness about child sex trafficking, that increases our case load.
And without the proper funding, they said, the police department faces the constant struggle of manpower. They simply can’t take all the cases that they get, and some of these girls and boys never see justice. Other things we learned the police department struggled with:
- Trying to keep victims (who have trauma bonded with their exploiter) from running away without angering advocates against incarcerations. The “locked-down” debate has been a constant theme in our trip.
- Gathering evidence and getting victims to testify against their perpetrators.
- Having the resources to conduct stings without taking priority away from other children (for instance, those in domestic abuse cases).
- Getting the victims to believe they have been victimized. Many girls feel a naturally antagonistic relationship with the police (as does a large sector of the urban community) or refuse to cooperate out of fear of retribution from traffickers.
- Combatting distrust of authority and lack of funding; feeling undervalued.
- Bitter jadedness. :P (But actually. The “Bitter, Jaded Old Sergeant Who’s About to Retire Secretly Has a Heart of Gold and Does What He Does Because He Still Cares” was totally a character at Cobb County.)
Overall, many of us feel this was a powerful turning point in our trip— seeing a completely different interpretation of the issue and gaining a new perspective.
-
-
View high resolution
In front of the CNN Center, looking at the media’s role in promoting, combatting, and educating/raising awareness about sex trafficking.
-
PO PO
Talking to the Cobb County Special Victims Unit was jarring, refreshing, and sparked lots of debate. more on this soon.
Theme: Linear by Peter Vidani
