When sex trafficking is discussed, it is usually in reference to international girls. I was utterly shocked to learn that American girls are being trafficked all over the United States and forced to work as prostitutes. Actual numbers are vague as most of these girls are runways, but it’s estimated that more 200,000 girls could be working the streets all over the country. It’s a dirty word, “prostitutes.” It conjures up images of women voluntarily soliciting sex--walking up to cars, propositioning men in casinos, etc., The reality, however, is that the majority of these girls don’t keep a penny of what they earn, they are obligated to give every cent to their pimp.
Although the girls’ stories are all different, there are so many disturbingly common threads of abuse and neglect throughout most of their lives. I got very attached to one of the girls we profiled in this show whom we call "Christina." A beautiful and smart girl of 17, she had been working as a prostitute since she was 12 years old. I met Christina in a juvenile detention facility in Las Vegas, she had just been picked up for soliciting sex on Craigslist. Raped at 11, with family members in her home, Christina was not only violated, but also left unprotected. She was never sufficiently counseled and she was therefore, deeply wounded from that day forward.
At 13, Christina was raped again. Her mother--for whatever reason--was unable to help her deal properly with what happened, and Christina lost all of her confidence and self esteem. At some point, she started experimenting with drugs. Without a real male figure in her life, when approached by a pimp who promised to take car of her, Christina fell hard. There began the cycle, or "the Life," as it's known on the street and it would devour this broken little girl who never seemed to stand a chance.
No matter how strong a woman is, she has at least entertained the notion of what it might be like to be taken care of by a man--the most independent of us has thought about it. What about when it happens to little girls--girls without fathers, without anyone to love them? They become the ultimate victims of men who literally prey on these young, imperiled girls.
Once in “the Life,” getting out is almost impossible. Pimps manipulate the girls by reinforcing the idea that all they are good for is prostitution. He often tells her that she is soiled and that no one will ever want her—that she was destined for this life. The pimp provides shelter, food and clothes and makes the girls totally reliant on him. It is brainwashing by violence as those girls who don’t comply are brutally abused. It doesn’t help that “pimps” have been popularized by pop culture. Jay Z’s song, “Big Pimpin,” was the biggest hit of the summer a couple years back. The word “pimp” became synonymous with livin’ large.
Think about a little girl who has lost all of her dignity and confidence. She’s showered with affection, clothes and a life that is glorified by the mainstream. She will do anything to the man who provided this to her. Anything. There’s no other way to describe this trade as slavery: on America’s streets.
After years of getting arrested, when I met Christina at 17 years old, she told me that she wanted to get out. She realized that once she turns 18, the rules will change and that if she’s ever able to get out of “the Life,” she must do it before her 18th birthday or else, her crimes will be on her record forever. Watching her state her case in front of the Juvenile Court Judge was one of the most difficult things I’ve witnessed. Seeing this girl desperately cry for help was hear wrenching. But what is judge to do? Putting her in a detention facility would simply delay her inevitable return to the streets. She and every other girl arrested for prostitution needs a specialized facility that treats the abuse and manipulation to which they have been exposed.
In the end, the judge allowed Christina to go to live in a group home. The woman in charge of the home took a risk on Christina as she has never had a girl accused of prostitution living with her. Christina immediately passed all of her GE classes and got a real job for the first time in her life. What she didn’t get, was any kind of counseling.
Last week, I learned that behind everyone’s back, Christina had maintained ties to her pimp. After months of seeming to be excelling, she ran away. One has to assume that she will be back on the streets soon as she has a warrant out for her arrest. This is a girl who had the support of so many people—the overwhelming majority of these girls do not.
Christina, if you're reading this, you deserve better. Please call me.
