Fact Sheets: Sex Trafficking of Black Women & Girls in the U.S.
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation put out a series of fact sheets demonstrating the disproportionate impact of trafficking on black women and girls. Click the button below to view the fact sheets. Here’s an excerpt:
“To better understand the high rates of sex trafficking among Black women and girls, research has indicated the continued sexualization of Black women and girls’ bodies which has played out since slavery. The myths around Black women and girls’ hypersexuality cannot be ignored when researching sex trafficking.
Fast Fashion & Labor Trafficking
When people hear the words “human trafficking,” most think of sexual exploitation as opposed to labor exploitation. However, forced labor accounts for an estimated 81% of total human trafficking cases (Human Rights First). One contributor to “forced labor” is fast fashion, which is defined as cheap, trendy clothing that transitions directly from the catwalk or celebrity culture to retail stores for consumer purchasing (Good on You). Its purpose is to get the newest styles on the market as quickly as possible so consumers will purchase them at the height of popularity (Good on You).
Creating a Program: JVUB Houston
In every community, individuals and families experience vulnerabilities to human trafficking. Poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, broken families, low self-esteem, isolation, developmental delays and unsafe social media exposure are life experiences that place an individual at a higher risk of exploitation. However, no man is an island. Each lived experience becomes woven into the fabric of a community, a group of people whose lives intersect. Our collective societal experience shifts in the wake of the ripple of events in individual stories. In our efforts to reach out and lend support to the one who has suffered exploitation, we believe strength lies in leveraging the power and significance of community.
Unbound’s goal is to empower individuals in their unique roles with the knowledge, insight and tools needed to combat trafficking in their own sphere of influence. As we equip groups of individuals, entire communities begin to stand at the ready to guard their vulnerable and help their wounded. It’s a beautiful process and one that continually inspires hope for the future.
Since our conception in 2013, Unbound Houston has served the Greater Houston Area, looking to inspire hope and spark change. We serve to educate our community on human trafficking as it happens right here at home and help them see how they can play an invaluable role in seeing this injustice meet its end. Along the way, we’ve created multiple programs to bolster our community and begin to turn the tides to bring light to a subject that for too long thrived in the dark. JVUB, our program for girls on probation, is a program dear to our heart, yielding countless impactful moments, heartbreaking stories and encouraging testimonies. Thanks to our faithful team of volunteers implementing this program over the last four years, we have built trust and rapport in our community, allowing us to increase our service and collaborate with our partners.
Junior Varsity Unbound
What if one encounter, one impact, could change a life? What if one exhale was the last gust of wind someone needed to fill their sails? What would happen if we pursued these encounters and seized every opportunity we saw to offer up a word, a breath, a smile? Could we change the world? We wanted to find out.
Studies have shown that youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems are at a greater risk of exploitation. In our commitment to supporting at risk youth in an effort to prevent trafficking and exploitation, Unbound Houston developed a curriculum that allowed us to intersect with this precious and vulnerable population. Once a month, our team of trained volunteers visits girls at our local juvenile justice center and hosts Junior Varsity Unbound (JVUB).
Unbound’s Underground: A Drop-In Center for Youth
A 2012 study* by WestCoast Children’s Clinic showed that 75 percent of trafficked youth were exploited for two or more years before being recovered or identified as a victim. 50 percent of these youth were age 14 or under when the exploitation started. 75 percent do not view themselves as victims.
If we wait for these vulnerable youth to ask for help, they may never receive the services they deserve. We must take action now to intervene earlier in the process, and to prevent this from happening in the first place.
That’s why Unbound is opening The Underground, a drop-in center for trafficked and exploited youth, which will be the first of its kind in Tarrant County, Texas.
Your child is home, but are they safe?
It’s plain to see that the world is rapidly changing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—not just on a global scale, but on a personal level. As schools and businesses close, families are exploring what it means to stay home and try to continue life remotely through various technologies. As students transition to learning from home using amazing online resources to continue their education, we as parents need to be vigilant and aware of our kids’ social media and internet activity. In times like these, technology can be an incredible gift, but the internet also has a dark side. For your children, increased time online means increased risk of being targeted by predators who are taking advantage of the uptick in kids’ online activity. The potential for exposure to pornography is also increased as more time is spent on electronic devices.
Chelsea: Survivor Advocacy at Unbound Waco
Chelsea is the lead case manager at Unbound Waco, providing comprehensive case management services to all types of human trafficking victims and survivors. We asked Chelsea some questions to better understand her role.
What does your role look like at Unbound Waco?
“My role involves journeying with human trafficking survivors through their processes toward healing and restoration. My first priority is ensuring their safety and meeting any immediate needs–food, clothing, shelter, etc. My second priority is building a client-worker relationship centered on trust. I build trust by listening to their stories, taking them to eat at their favorite restaurant, and remembering their birthdays. I build trust by discovering their strengths and dreams. It takes time to build trust, but it’s an important foundation for effective advocacy and case management.”
The Faces of Unbound Now: Julia
At Unbound, we believe that every person has a unique part to play in bringing an end to human trafficking. That’s why we encourage everyone (regardless of your career, age, or background) to get involved. Volunteers, survivors, and partners are truly the faces of Unbound; we wouldn’t be who we are without you! Below is […]