Filed under: Football
Texas authorities and advocacy groups are doubly committed this year to slowing down the sex trade, especially as it pertains to children.
"Most people don't know that our children are being brutalized this way, and we have to stop it," said Deena Graves, founder of Traffick911, a website designed to stop human trafficking of all forms. "We need to get mad. We need to get angry about what's happening to our kids right here."
Various groups have been hanging out fliers in different neighborhoods to promote their campaign. They've also put out public service announcements using NFL players. Before the Super Bowl in 2008, a large child prostitution ring was broken up in Phoenix. Two men were advertising sex with a 14-year old girl as a "Super Bowl Special." They were both sent to federal prison when they were caught.
According to the International Organization for Migration, most human trafficking victims are between 18 and 24 years old. Out of those who are trafficked, 43 percent are used for sex and 98 percent of those used for sex are women and girls. The drive for sex not only fuels multi-billion dollar industries, it leads to some of the most egregious behavior imaginable.
The black community is affected by underage sex in numerous ways. Many of the young girls walking around "the hood" with pregnant stomachs obtained their condition by having sex with a much older man. Unfortunately, fathers not being in the home causes many of these young women to be forced to navigate the world without the protections that would normally be provided by a dad.
For those who are concerned about this kind of thing, firm action must be taken. I am honestly not one to judge whether two adults agree to trade sex for money (a lot of women chase rich guys anyway, so who am I to judge?). But when it comes to those who are determined to exploit and abuse young children, we should all take a stand to protect kids, whether they are our children or someone else's. The impact of child abuse lasts a lifetime, so we shouldn't tolerate sexual abuse in any context.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.