According to recent stats, 15% of all phone calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline come from Texas and it’s estimated that an event like the Super Bowl will bring hundreds (if not thousands) of young girls to the area for the sole purpose of being prostituted to the football enthusiasts.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. We only thought slavery ended with the Emancipation Proclamation. It’s alive and well today with more slaves than at any point in history. In fact, there are twice as many slaves today as during the entire trans-Atlantic slavetrade.
A lack of awareness in our country, coupled with the explosion of the Internet, makes the job of the pimp and the recruiter extremely easy and the job of law enforcement extremely difficult. The scope of this horrific crime seems impossible, but each person can make a difference by teaching their own children about the traps of traffickers and knowing the red flags to watch for in other children.
This year during the Super Bowl there will be a full on Campaign launched to bring awareness to this cause. There will be a special event called “I’m Not Buying It!” It will be held 12pm-4pm, Saturday, Feb. 5, at the I’m Not Buying It Tailgate Rally at the Aristide Event and Conference Center in Mansfield, Texas, as we raise awareness about human trafficking.!
Traffick 911 PSA 10 from Nate Bernard on Vimeo.
In December 2007, research by the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice based on interviews with pimps and sexually exploited children in several U.S. cities found that most pimps manage one to three girls at a time and operate as follows:
- At least one quarter may be tied to city-wide crime rings (often engaged in drug sales as well as prostitution) and are constantly looking for new recruits.
- About 15 percent are tied to regional or national networks that are well financed and organized,in which the pimps communicate easily with one another electronically; provide supportservices such as recruitment, selection, indoctrination, and movement of new girls; andoccasionally assist in locating and disciplining girls who escape from other pimps.
- About 10 percent appear to be tied to international sex crime networks and, through them, actively participate in the international trafficking of children. Some pimps also are part of international drug networks and may use children to move drugs in to and across the U.S.
Ultimately, the goal is to get the Dallas SuperBowl Committee to adopt the PSAs as part of this year’s event and highlight the campaign before, during and after the game.
You can help by adding your name to the petition on Change.org.
Domestic minor sex trafficking is the buying and selling of America’s own children. It’s our children being forced into sexual slavery. Federal law defines domestic minor sex trafficking as the exchange of a sex act for anything of value.
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