What I want to address, however, is how our society defines victim, and how it leaves far, far too many people behind. That article above is a great example. How many people, if asked about sex trafficking, picture little white girls or women abducted from Target? Probably a lot. For many, the only real information they’ve ever gotten about trafficking are warnings about Target or shopping mall parking lots from their Facebook friends. They don’t know how many teenage boys from broken homes, living in poverty, are pulled into being trafficked. How many gay youths, rejected by their families, fall victim to it. How many immigrant children here with no parental supervision, are sold off by the people who should be protecting them, into sexual slavery.
Those stories, even if they’re told, are not going to grab national headlines. They are not going to evoke world-wide outrage and sympathy. Those are things that happen to “other people”. We might even be tempted to start looking for reason why it’s their own fault, or at least the parents fault, right?
From a media perspective, we also have to keep this in mind. An abduction of a young white girl from her home, is a rare event. It’s actually newsworthy because it happens so rarely. When it happens, it’s shocking. A trans, minority, teen being coerced into selling themselves, with no one to turn to for protection, isn’t any of those things. A gay male teen being kicked out of their parents house and trying to make it through homelessness, is also not something that happens so rarely that there would be major news coverage of it. These things happen all of the time. So often, that they aren’t really news.
So, which group should we have support and services for? I’d like to vote for ALL OF THEM. But that will take educating people about the reality of who gets abused, who gets trafficked, and for us all to accept that it happens everywhere. Until we get there, and are willing to see all different types of people as victims, we will continue to fail one group or another. That’s not acceptable.
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There is just too much to add to this site, but I am waking up after thirty years to the abuse that has happened to me from many years ago. I have started a blog jz inside story, to let people know all about the different types of abuse. Maybe I will live a less stress life. Maybe I will make a difference in one’s life. I think it is wonderful to see all those that share in their stories. I know it is hard to do. I am embarrassed of where I came from. I feel so ashamed. I am getting where people have said I am shaming myself. I didn’t do anything and people act like I did this to me. WHY?
I can’t help but wonder why my mind stored all my sorrow away just to come back and haunt me many years later.
Is there such a thing as thirty year old shock, trauma?
It was my parents that abused me, but my older sister continued for many years later, and I just wave it under the carpet. Sometime abuse is standing right beside you and you don’t know it! How do I know, they killed my Mom, that wasn’t enough. I was told for the second time in my life that my Dad is not my biological father. To turn around and tells everyone I ever knew I am a liar. Judy makes up stories and then believes them. Because of this my whole family dumped me and my family. I made these people a big part of our girl’s lives, and for what?
Why did this happen, I have a fifteen year old daughter that was running into trouble, she moved in with my 20 something year old niece, I fought back.
Now my daughter feels if she comes home she is picking sides. There is much, much more.
Now I ask for DNA from every single one of them. To find out NO. This is my family they are hurting. Who says No to such a thing? Who?
🙁
Thank you for your time and Thank you for caring about children. Those are MY Private Parts is selling over 500+ copies per month just on amazon. It is currently listed as Amazon’s #1 bestseller in Personal Safety and Sex Education. A 7 year old sexual abuse survivor actually hugged the book and said, “I am going to keep this under my pillow and read it to my little sister every night so she doesn’t get hurt like I did.” (Flora Jessup from Childpro) This little rhyming book covers all of the perpetrator’s tricks, from calling the private parts different names and no private parts games to the first grooming touch; it even gives children a nonthreatening, non-leading space to tell. Most importantly, it specifically mentions family members by name, “Not with my uncle, nephew, niece or dad…” Marcia Stanton from the Phoenix Children’s Hospital distributes the books as door prizes at the end of her Stewards of Children Training and the US Attorney’s Office in Washington DC ordered 300 copies. Children who have read Those are MY Private Parts do not deviate from testimony.
I am offering a quantity discount to all non-profit organizations that focus on the protection of children and the prevention of child sexual abuse.
Quantity pricing Color Copy Those are MY Private Parts:
10-50 30% off $13.99 = -$4.20 $9.80 per copy plus shipping
50+ 40% off $13.99 = -$5.60 $8.40 per copy plus shipping
Thank you again for your time. Please contact me at 310-872-8206 or by email dianerhansen@yahoo.com to place an order. You can place an order for less than 10 copies of Those are MY Private Parts and read more reviews at http://www.amazon.com.
Sincerely,
Diane Hansen
Empowerment Productions
“To Empower Our Children”
Stewards of Children Facilitator, Los Angeles Area http://www.d2l.org
TAALK Volunteer Talk About Abuse to Liberate Kids http://www.taalk.org
You may also contact me to schedule a Stewards of Children Training. For more information please go to http://www.d2l.org