Every minute, two children are being sold for sex in the United States. Some are marketed on the internet on sites such as Backpage.com. Some are forced to stand on street corners and solicit strangers 10-15+ times each night. Some have been filmed for the porn industry, and some are entertaining guests in strip clubs and massage parlors.
All of these children are held in bondage to a pimp or manager, and are subjected to brutal beatings if they show any deviation from the rules, which are stringent and numerous. All of these little ones are forced into criminal activities, and all of them are victims of adults who are exploiting little kids for their own monetary gain. The average age is 13, but there are many as young as seven or eight who are regularly raped for profit as disposable commodities.
These crimes against our vulnerable children are happening in every community, every day. With an estimate of 200,000 children in sex slavery, forced into sex acts even as few as 10 times a day, two million sexual violations of minors happen daily, and 730 million child rapes occur annually, just in the United States. Most people have no idea that these scenarios happen in our country, but assume it is the plight of third world countries.
StreetLight USA (formerly StreetLight Phoenix) wants to help bring greater awareness of the child sex slavery issue. They have begun Campaign13 to address the problem. The number 13 is in honor of the 13th amendment which abolished slavery in the United States. It is also the average age of children who are coerced to sell their bodies for sex. For too long, this number has been considered unlucky. Streetlight USA wants to reclaim the number as a symbol of hope and restoration.
Campaign13 will catalyze individuals, churches, corporations and civic organizations to pledge to become more aware of the devastation of sex trafficking in our cities. With that awareness, the next step is to inform others and then join together to take action against this injustice. The StreetLight website will be posting articles on steps that can be taken by individuals or groups–from simple actions such as tweeting or posting on Facebook information about the issue to helping create larger awareness events in your community.
A number of events have been planned in the Phoenix area to kick off Campaign13 and start the momentum for a nationwide focus.
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