The STOPLight

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Prevention begins with you and me

For the past eleven years, I have been working to help people who feel helpless, oppressed, and powerless over their lives. They speak of feeling violated to the core of their being, their soul. The people I work with are survivors of sexual violence. Over the years, I have come in contact with many people who were victimized by a form of sexual violence -- prostitution. Each survivor has a unique life story about how they became involved in the sex industry (prostitution, stripping, pornography), how they survived, how they got out (if they are out), and how their lives have been affected.

My work is not in a large metropolitan area. It is in the heart of rural Minnesota. Our young people are vulnerable to those who would exploit them for promises of jobs, love, or money. They are vulnerable because they do not receive prevention education that warns them about pimps or predators they might meet in the places like malls, outdoor parties or motel room parties where they hang out. Parents are not prepared to talk with their children about such non-"Minnesota nice" subjects. It's hard enough to talk about healthy sexuality, let alone discuss sexual abuse or prostitution as something their kids might have to deal with.

Yet, our children are dealing with it! Maybe it begins with an acquaintance rape and the child is given money to keep quiet. They feel guilty that they have done something wrong. This may be reinforced when parents find out and shame them further by not believing them. Even when believed by parents, attitudes in our society and legal system may fail a young person who has taken money for sex. A prevailing attitude is often that a person chose or Someone's body is just another commodity to be bought and sold. The pimp and the john are just a businessman and a customer. It is illegal. It is rape. It was forced, manipulated, coerced. And the victim's life is changed forever.

Young people are especially vulnerable when their lives were conditioned in early childhood by sexual molestation. They become an easy target for those who would exploit them in the sex industry. Because a person's boundaries were broken or didn't develop, that person is vulnerable to someone else continuing to break the boundaries. A pimp can pick up on this by testing a young person to see if they can cross boundaries without getting a reaction. The pimp can figure out whether the youth seems open to talking to a stranger or someone giving them attention. This is not the victim's fault; the victim has been conditioned to do this.

Young women are vulnerable when they have teenage pregnancies without the support of the child's father, her family, or the community. If she gets kicked out of the home, she may live with friends or move to another part of the country. Because poverty is a major dilemma for a teenager with a child to feed, she may turn to the sex industry to earn money, not as a real choice, but because of a lack of better choices.

Young people are vulnerable when they run away from home. Once on the streets, they will be approached by a pimp within days. Pimps make kids feel safe at first, taken care of and made to feel special, but it won't be a free ride. They will be forced to earn their way through pornography, stripping, and prostitution. They are dependent upon their pimps and they may be dependent on drugs used to help them numb out their feelings. They may have been threatened, beaten, and sexually abused by their pimp. They may be abused and beaten by johns. Death may be the consequence for trying to get away. They may be taken to another state and sold to another pimp. This is the slavery of today. Freeing these child slaves begins with you and me!

Where can we begin? We begin by becoming involved! We can get involved in the "Preventing Teen Exploitation" project of the Southwestern Minnesota Women of the ELCA. These women are working with Adults Saving Kids to speak to 5,000 youth in southwest Minnesota about the realities of prostitution and how youth can protect themselves. Help is needed to get a prevention message into the schools. You can talk to your school superintendent, board members, teachers, guidance counselors, and social workers. Where schools have social concern workshop days, you can help to get the issue of teen prostitution prevention included as one of the workshops. Educate yourself and become a speaker for our children and grandchildren. Contact Pastor Al Erickson at A-STOP for training opportunities.

Wherever you live, whether you are a mother, grandmother, or a concerned person, become a part of the ELCA Women working to prevent further tragedy and loss of our young people to those who exploit them. Help in the battle to rescue the 11, 12, 13, 14 year-olds who need our help. We must prevent our youth from being lured away in the future. It can happen to your child or mine, your grandchild or mine. Prevention is everybody's business!

by Ginny Larson, Coordinator of Sexual Assault Services in Brown, Nicollet, and Sibley counties in Minnesota. For further information, call 507/931-2652. Ginny is also a speaker for Adults Saving Kids.

In 2002 our organization changed its name to Adults Saving Kids. Prior to that we were called A-STOP (Alliance for Speaking Truths On Prostitution), STOP (Speaking Truths On Prostitution), or Grassroots Ministry Alliance.