A few months ago I told you about the meeting I had with Jenny Davidson, the CEO of Stand Up Placer. Having seen first hand how domestic violence can affect the entire family, I reached out to them out. Based on the statistics, I know Macaroni Kid has to have readers that are being affected by domestic violence, so I want to make sure we have resources to help you on our site.
While I was there, I found out that Stand Up Placer provides so many more services than I realized. They help not only for domestic abuse victims, but those that have been sexually assaulted, and victims of human trafficking. I also found out that I didn't fully understand what human trafficking entailed. I thought it only involved people that had been kidnapped or sold (primarily from other countries). I was wrong. Simply put, human trafficking is when someone is recruited or transported using coercion, deception, abuse or force, and then exploited. That covers a lot of territory, and encompasses those that are forced to have sex for money. January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month.
I can't say that 100% of prostitution is human trafficking, but I would say the vast majority is, even with those that work legally in Nevada. I don't think there are very many women out there that grew up saying they wanted to be a prostitute when they get older. Somewhere along the way, something happened to most of them that led to where they are (they have a "back-story"). Once in the life, it is very difficult to leave. They fear what will happen if they try to get away.
But hey, we live in Placer County, and it's a pretty safe place, right? What does this all have to do with us? Yes, we are fortunate to live where we are, and crime is lower here than in other areas of the state, but the number of cases of human trafficking is going up in our area every year. Jenny told me that a particularly vulnerable age group are girls in their tweens. They are at an age where they are getting interested in boys, and get pretty excited when a boy pays attention to them, plus they don't have enough life experiences to recognize the warning signs of danger (to be fair, all ages can be tricked by a smooth talker).
This is where you all come in. As parents, it's really important to monitor your kids time on the computer, and get to know your child's friends, and friend's families. We've all heard stories about predators pretending to be kids and friending girls online, eventually trying to set up meeting. Did you know there are boys being used to recruit young girls? Yes, you read that right. He starts paying attention to the girl, they become friends, then at some point finds a way to introduce her to his "friends". When they meet his friends, and she finds out these aren't the boys "buddies", but instead adults. Pretty scary, isn't it? That's why we are talking about this.
Ideally, this would never happen, but this is real life, and it does happen. Thankfully, Stand Up Placer is there to help. They have a Student Outreach Program and Community Education Program to educate and try to prevent it from happening, and they provide an amazing number of services to victims
Stand Up Placer is a non-profit organization that relies on grants and donations. I'm sure it will come as no surprise to find out their funding is at risk. That means it's more important than ever for the community to help. They are trying to have more fund raisers. You'll notice I share them on Facebook when I see them.
They also have a Thrift Store in Roseville, near Hobby Lobby. If you have clothing (children's and adult), toys, household items, even furniture, you are ready to donate, this is a great place to take them. You know they are going to be helping local victims in our area. Many leave their homes with their kids, and just a backpack of stuff. They have enough to deal with between court appearances, appointments with the DA, and everything else that goes along with starting over. Through stand Up Placer, they can go into the Thrift store and shop for free. While you're there, check out what they have in the store. You just might find something you want, and the prices are very reasonable. Lets help Stand Up Placer, so they can help those in our our community that need help, and educate others to prevent it from happening in the first place.
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