Modern Day Slavery and Coercion

Modern Day Slavery is a deep subject. Sometimes as I write my blog I think of the movie Matrix.  I am glad I took the red pill, yet it has been a hard pill to swallow.  

Coercion. In my article entitled Pimps, Johns, and Child Prostitutes I discuss the different kinds of pimps that draw in their victims, mostly girls ages 13-14, and how they treat the "girls" they have in their stable. However, the psychological part of this growing epidemic is misunderstood and renders its victims helpless and permanently damaged. But organizations all over the world, like Shared Hope International and Exodus Cry are working on restoration solutions. 

Whatever it takes

                                                                                           

Marked as property

Beatings, denial of food, etc

As a society we have misunderstood prostitution. Even the very small percent of prostitutes that claim to have 'chosen' the career of prostitution have stories. On second look you hear how they started. For example, after being abused as a child they decided at least they could be paid for what they were being forced to do. They thought they would have control of their own bodies and life. Taking a deeper look, you find they end up controlled by a brutal pimp anyway. (see Nafarious)

Nefarious: Merchant of Souls is a 2011 American documentary film about modern human trafficking, specifically sexual slavery has stories ranging from girls taken through the coercion of promised work, romance and security. There are also stories of children who are sold by their parents, it was believed for money to survive. On second look, these girls are sold then their fathers sit and play cards all day. (see Nafarious)  It just keeps getting deeper.

What of coercion?

I will start by suggesting that no child desires to be a sex object to anyone. Coercion. Definition: the action or practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.

               

“If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed.” Adolf Hilter

What have WE believed? They want it. It's their body they should be allowed to do whatever they want with it. It's the oldest profession. 

Below is an excerpt from an Article on Lawrence Taylor. 

'He said, This is a working girl that came to my room.”

That working girl was 16 years old.  But Taylor feels that the “world of prostitution” was at fault here.

“You never know what you’re gonna get. Is it gonna be a pretty girl, an ugly girl or whatever it’s gonna be,” Taylor said.  “I don’t card them. I don’t ask for a birth certificate.”

Taylor doesn’t consider soliciting prostitutes a serious crime.  After all, it’s the world’s oldest profession.'

REALLY LAWRENCE??? 

What happens now to the young girl he wanted to just have a little fun with? 

This young girl was the victim. She is undoubtedly broken. Her pimp might have read Pimpology which gives complete instruction for how to become a pimp or learned it on the street. Be certain of this, he has told her that he is her provider, protector, and even that he loves her and probably that she has no value. She knows not to cross him. He has given her a new name to rid himself of the trouble that the little girl he captured will keep showing up in her. Eventually the new girl takes over. It is part of the method used to destroy her old self and to give her a completely new one. 

Stockholm syndrome, or capture-bonding, is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with the captors.

Children and women who are victims of human sex-trafficking suffer from Stockholm syndrome, PTSD, and other psychological and emotional trauma and abuse symptoms, not to mention multiple physical health issues such as STD's, broken bones, head injuries, malnutrition, alcoholism, drug addictions. The average life expectancy for one of these girls is 7 years. 

I heard it said once at a seminar on trafficking that these kids are called throwaways and that when the cleaning up of a red-light district takes place it's called picking up the trash. 

           

These kids can grow to become women (they have a 7 year life expectancy) and are long forgotten or are lost in the system. 

It doesn't matter how many kids are out there, what matters is that we seek to open our eyes to the truth. Change our vocabulary. Look at each case individually and at the same time seek to look at the big picture. Restoration is a long difficult process. You can help by donating to organizations like Shared Hope International or by getting involved in helping in your community. I hope this is a good starting point for you to see some of the realities of coercion.