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Tell Concerned Women for America that Child Victims of Sexual Slavery Deserve Rescue NOT Arrest!
  1. Signatures
    738 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. Chief Executive Officer, Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee (Penny Nance)
  2. Created By
    Melissa Snow
    Washington, DC
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates

 Child sex trafficking is occurring in America and research has documented that 13 is average age a child is targeted and tricked by a pimp.  Advocates, law enforcement, service providers, and survivors have all come together to sound the alarm and reveal the brutal reality for the victims who are under pimp-control.  Federal initiatives such as the FBI's Innocence Lost Task Forces, which have recovered over 1,200 child victims through four law enforcement operations shows the severity of the problem.  And the stories shared by courageous survivors expose the methodical tactics used by pimps to recruit and trap their victims. 

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act states that any child, under the age of 18, involved in a commercial sex act is a victim of sex trafficking.  This law and many human trafficking state laws, which align with the federal standard recognize that children do not choose to be prostitutes.  These children are victims who deserve rescue and access to specialized services and shelter.   Unfortunately, to date there are limited federal resources available for American child victims of trafficking.  Even more shocking is the dearth of shelter options for these victims who have survived the unimaginable.  The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victim Support Act 2010 attempted to bridge this gap by providing funding for six pilot shelter programs. 

This proposed piece of legislation received unanimous support in both the House and the Senate and was moving forward quickly.  Shockingly, out of left field, Concerned Women for America (CWA) issued a letter to the House of Representatives opposing the legislation.  Their main opposition points show a significant level of misinformation on the issue of child sex trafficking and appropriate, victim-centered intervention.

CWA states that they oppose the legislation because they believe that prostitution laws must remain in place for children as a layer of protection.  This is in direct conflict with Trafficking Victims Protection Act as well as numerous state laws which define children exploited through commercial sex as victims of a crime.  CWA argues that the arrest of the child is necessary to allow law enforcement to investigate the situation of trafficking.  Should we also start arresting children who have been molested in the home to force their cooperation in testifying against their parents or guardian?  Revictimization is not the proper response for children who have been sexually exploited.  These child victims deserve and are entitled to their rights as a victim of a severe and violent crime.  Furthermore, the intent of this piece of legislation was to provide funding for shelter services not decriminalize prostitution. 

Additionally, CWA argues that child victims of sex trafficking should receive restitution from their trafficker rather than have access to the Crime Victims' Compensation Funds.  While convicted traffickers should certainly be required to provide restitution to their victims for the harm they caused, access for victims to funding for services should not rely on the conviction of their trafficker, which can take years.  Victims of crime deserve access to services immediately, not when and if their traffickers are investigated and convicted!!

The answer cannot be to continue to pile the burden of responsibility on the victim.  We must advocate for additional resources for law enforcement so that they can pursue investigation and go after the real criminals.  CWA is correct; shelter options are severely limited!  Sadly, this piece of legislation that CWA opposes could have created six additional safe and appropriate places for victims to start their long road to recovery.

Please join me in telling CWA that their stance on this issue is misinformed.  Let's ensure that when this legislation is reintroduced that we are all on the same page so that shelter can be established for victims and justice is pursued for the real criminals. 

Photo credit: Allspice 1

Recent Signatures

Child Victims of Sex Trafficking Deserve Rescue and Shelter not Arrest!

Greetings Ms. Nance,

Concerned Women for America (CWA) has championed numerous human rights issues. We acknowledged and commend your aggressive actions to combat international trafficking, especially the work done through CWA’s Bridge Project in Mexico. This comprehensive and forward-thinking project, funded by the U.S. Department of State in Mexico trained over 600 people to lobby for stronger legislation in prosecuting criminals who traffic in persons, produced a shelter manual to guide the rescue of victims, produced a database on where victims are vulnerable, produced 80 policy recommendations, produced blueprints for a shelter, and launched an awareness campaign. Clearly, this project, designed by CWA focused on creating appropriate shelter provisions for victims of trafficking and a blueprint for victim-centered restoration.

So, when it comes to the protection and rescue of American child victims of modern-day slavery why would Concerned Women for America issue an opposition letter on The Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victim Support Act 2010 -- the very piece of legislation that would provide American kids the same victim-centered rights? Research done by experts confirms that the average age a trafficker targets American children is just 13 years old. Additionally, the courageous stories shared by survivors of modern-day slavery reveals the brutal violence and psychological manipulation that keeps these children trapped in bondage. Children do not choose to be prostitutes. They are victims of a crime and deserve immediate access to services and shelter, not arrest and placement in a juvenile detention facility. Additionally, while restitution is a necessary component of justice, child victims of sex trafficking should not be solely dependant on funding from restitution for the services that they need desperately and immediately need.

We urge you to reconsider your stance on this important issue to better reflect a victim-centered response, which recognizes that children are the victims of modern-day slavery and not the criminals. We must not continue to pile the burden of responsibility on the victim. The lack of shelter and fractured response has already revictimized so many children. We encourage you to recognize the solutions proposed in legislation such as the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victim Protection Act 2010, which attempts to bridge the shelter gap. It is necessary that we stand in solidarity and not continue to fail the 100,000 children trapped in modern-day slavery in America who are crying out for help.

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