International Boulevard

Since it is Human Trafficking Awareness Month, and I only briefly mentioned the issue in my prior post, I thought I would share about a side of the problem close to home. Zoe Simone Yi and Rebecca Dharmapalan, two teenagers from Oakland School of the Arts, recently won the 2013 Girls Impact the World Film Festival with their 5 minute documentary on child sex trafficking in Oakland. The film in called "International Boulevard," which also happens to be the same street of the clinic / community center where I volunteer once a week.

I had noticed many young women on the street during my 3/4 mile walk from the BART each week, and I wondered if any of them were trafficked youth. Unfortunately, my intuition was likely correct. On any given night, it is estimated that 100 children participate in commercial sex work on International Boulevard alone, with reports siting some as young as 12 years old. In 2009, Oakland was labeled a high-intensity child prostitution area. Furthermore, the Bay Area as a whole, which includes San Francisco and San Jose, is believed to account for as much as 20% - 40% of sex trafficking in the United States. My understanding is that many of the U.S. citizen children that are trafficked within the country are runaways and/or foster youth fleeing from potentially abusive situations to begin with, which has particularly caught my attention as a CASA for foster youth.

A friend and coworker pointed out that the "International Boulevard" film focuses largely on police perspectives of the problem, and that bothered her. I definitely believe it is important for police to be aware of the complicated issues involved in commercial sex work, and I am happy to see that efforts are being made to get help for children trapped in sex trafficking, rather than criminalizing their circumstances. At the same time, prostitution in general is a very stigmatized profession, with an often strained relationship to law enforcement, so it would have been great to hear more from those who are able to talk about their own lived experiences, to give voice to the actual individuals affected. Of course, this may have been difficult to incorporate in this particular short film, given that (1) the producers are themselves youth, (2) victims are minors, and (3) even now-adult former victims may prefer to maintain their privacy. Alternatively, perhaps local community members or advocates from local nonprofits - both those that provide healing services and those that fight to prevent future trafficking - might have added another perspective to the mix. Although the police necessarily have an integral role in ending human trafficking, there are many other groups also working to meet the needs of youth in the context of sex trafficking. Furthermore, many of the best solutions to community problems involve community members expressing the strengths and needs they see, brainstorming interventions and preventive measures, and taking ownership and responsibility for implementing of the best ideas. My main point is that in considering the issue of sex trafficking, we should keep in mind that there are multiple viewpoints on what constitutes trafficking, a wide array of opinions on how it can best be stopped, and a host of varied experiences by the women (and men) who have lived through it.

For those looking for a little more breadth of information from a few other perspectives, I highly recommend "Oakland struggles to protect children from sex trafficking," an article from Aljazeera America.

Regardless of the above critique of the short documentary, I think it is commendable that local youth are getting involved in important problems and raising awareness. And what a testament to their hard work that they won first prize! I hope that their documentary, and all of the press that the Bay Area has received for the child sex trafficking problems here, will lead to better programs and policies to prevent trafficking, as well as an increase in awareness and action among teachers, families, friends, neighbors, law enforcement, community organizations, and activists to end this injustice!

Cyber Bullying: Beyond the Edges of the Computer Screen

I mentioned cyber bullying briefly in my last post on teen dating violence. Coincidentally, I have seen a number of articles on bullying since then, so I want to add my thoughts with a bit more depth to the bullying conversation.

One of the particularly challenging aspects of bullying today is cyber-bullying, in part because it was not even around when many of the parents of today attended school. For the sake of this discussion, I will more broadly define cyber bullying as harassment or humiliation involving the use of modern technologies, such as cell phones (including text messages, photos, or phone calls) or computers (including email, websites, or social media).

In particular, I want to address one of the main themes I have seen in the comments after the bullying articles I have read lately. Many adults have responded to this outcry against bullying with comments about America "going soft." These posters say things like, "students need to hit bullies back," and simply "shut off the computer." One poster, who called himself or herself "Pork Earmarks" went so far as to respond to someone's personal testimony about cyber bullying by saying, "You can't be cyberbullied. Period." This skeptical individual continued to explain that comments made on facebook are not worth anything, because they are not verbal and may not even be sent directly to the individual being insulted; therefore, in this person's opinion, they are not part of "real life."

Image source: http://cyberbullying.us/2007_charts/cyberbullying_how_victims_felt_2007.JPG

There are so many things that immediately jump out at me when I read comments like this. Here are a few:

• The first is that I believe responses like this one are most likely to be made by those who did not grow up with the pervasive influence of technology in their childhoods and who do not understand how far-reaching its effects can be. A lot has changed in the last twenty years. The online world becomes increasingly intertwined with "the real world" with every day that passes. As you may know from previous posts, I do advocate for keeping oneself away from sites that trigger negativity (and I practice this personally). But when it comes to bullying, many individuals, both child and adult, who have experienced cyber-harassment will know that simply turning off the machine will not fix everything. This can be true even if the bully is a complete stranger and may be even more true if the cyber bully is a person also known personally outside of the cyber experience.
• Secondly, comments like the one above perpetuate the myth that verbal and emotional abuse are not truly hurtful. This person erroneously assumes that because someone is not being physically assaulted, there is no damage done. Remarks made in writing or online, as well as those delivered in person, can cut to the heart emotionally, elicit genuine fear in the victim, and leave a lasting psychological imprint. Get with the times and acknowledge that verbal abuse is real abuse.
• Thirdly, for those who advocate physical retaliation against bullies, even though I am not a proponent of violence, I am not going to say that there is categorically no instance where that can work. But at the very least, I can name many situations where it is not effective. First of all, if the identity of the online harasser is unknown, there is no one to attack. Furthermore, bullies often prey on those who they perceive as weaker and therefore unable to fight back (or they may work in packs). Additionally, even if further cyber activity is halted by punching a bully in the school hallways, the genius of the internet is that once something is put out there, it usually cannot be taken back. If an embarrassing photo is circulating the internet, for example, even if the original photo is taken down, copies of that image can continue multiplying through cyberspace and are nearly impossible to track and remove. Once the damage is done, it can continue indefinitely. Furthermore, as stated in point two, physically assaulting a bully to prevent future attacks does not remove the ongoing psychological effects of past verbal abuse or rumors circulating the school.
• Additionally, the social experiences of children and teens are extremely important and formative, and young brains are simply not wired to handle pressures the same way as adult brains. Asking a twelve year old to respond to bullying as if their sense of self was as developed as that of a forty-two year old simply does not make sense or align with the real experiences of that child.
• Beyond that, even adults handle social challenges in a variety of ways, depending on personality and life experience. I know that I personally would love to shrug off every naysayer I meet, and I have worked hard to develop a thicker skin over the years, but even so, I have had tremendously damaging and emotional interactions with people who took hurtful comments too far (both in person and through email). In general, I think that suggesting every single person should be able to "ignore" harassment in the same way one person does shows a profound lack of empathy for those who experience the world differently than the individual prescribing this course of action.

2010

Image source: http://cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/cyberbullying_gender_2010.jpg

2008

Image source: http://cyberbullying.us/2007_charts/cyberbullying_gender_victimization_2007.JPG

Even as an adult, I notice that I encounter negative and what I would call "bullying" remarks in the comment threads of reputable news organizations on a near daily basis. This tells me that bullying behavior is a pervasive part of our online culture. Luckily, I have a more mature hold on my feelings and greater security in my relationships than I did when I was 14, and perhaps more importantly, I don't have to go to school the next day with the posters of these insulting remarks. But especially for children and teens who have to face their online tormentors in person, the bullying doesn't stop at the edge of the computer screen.

I remember in high school (ten+ years ago), one of my best friends received an email containing song lyrics from another girl, with really mean words and phrases highlighted in bold. Sure, my friend was able to delete the email, but those words were etched in her mind, and she still had to see the sender every day in class and on her sports team. I also dated an extremely nice guy who was called a "fag" on internet message boards by "popular" people he barely knew. Of course, he was confident that his friends all loved him, and he generally did not have to hang out with the jerks around school, but it was still emotionally hurtful and personally shocking to know that those messages were being broadcast about him. I myself was the subject of speculation about my sexual experiences as a freshman in high school, because, as one person put it, "What else would you be doing when you go to someone's house after school?" I was also criticized behind my back for being open about my Christian faith throughout high school. Sure, those things didn't change the reality of who I was or what I did, but they still hurt. And truth be told, my twelve year old self probably made some comments through AOL instant messenger that were more hurtful than I ever would have said in person.

As prevalent as these behaviors were when the internet was just gaining popularity in my teen years, unfortunately, these types of experiences are becoming even more common today. My family got our first home computer when I was in middle school; flip phones were the new cool thing to get when I started driving as a teenager (yep, my first cell phone at 16); and facebook only came out during my senior year of high school and required a college email address to join at that time. Students today have smart phones, internet access, social media profiles, etc. available to them nearly all the time and from a very young age. Even if your child doesn't have those things, chances are, a number of their peers do. The below chart of teen technology usage is based on a 2010 study of over 4000 teenagers in the southern United States. A 2011 Pew Research study showed that 95% of teenagers use the internet and a full 80% of those online participated in social media sites. These numbers continue to rise rapidly, as has the switch in the last two years from standard cell phones to smart phones, which provide 24/7 internet access (with more than half of cell phones in the U.S. being smart phones as of May 2012). All that is to say, these 2010 numbers are a good guide post and show the prevalent use of technology among teens, but keep in mind that almost all of the below values are undoubtedly markedly higher today in 2013.

Image source: http://www.cyberbullying.us/2010_charts/teen_tech_use_2010.jpg

In many of the articles I have seen this week, students tell stories of other students creating fake profile pages on social media sites, where they use the pages to spread lies or make malicious comments. This is a completely new form of bullying that very few parents today would have experienced. In these instances, the victim does not even have to be involved with an online presence at all, yet rumors and negativity can follow the student to school in ways beyond their control. Telling the victim of this type of bullying to simply "keep away from the computer" is like telling your child to just "cover their ears" when a bully is insulting them in person. Sure, the sound will be a lot quieter, but it doesn't change the child's internal knowledge that someone is hurling insults his or her way and that other peers are well aware of what is being said.

Image source: http://www.callnerds.com/what-is-cyber-bullying/

As you can see from the above charts, studies differ on the exact frequency of cyber bullying experiences. Yet all paint the picture that cyber bullying is all too common. The growth of cyber bullying has added many new layers to the childhood social experience, enabling attackers to spread gossip, inappropriate pictures, and threats to a much wider audience than in past. Cyber bullying can also help attackers maintain a level of anonymity not previously available, and even when not anonymous, technology can provide a certain "distance" from the comments being made (since the bully doesn't have to directly confront the victim to his or her face.) The psychological scars of cyber harassment are just as real as those that come from being slammed against a locker, and I am truly alarmed by the lack of understanding around the effects of verbal/emotional abuse in our culture.

Let's start a conversation about bullying where we come to the table acknowledging that our childhood experiences were different than those of children today. Let's listen and show empathy for the experiences of those who have been victimized and those who have bullied others (often the same children). Then we may have a real chance at understanding what cyber bullying is doing in our schools today.

For more information on teen internet usage, check out the Pew Research Center. For more information on cyber bullying, visit the websites of the Cyber Bullying Research Center or STOP Cyberbullying.

Teen Dating Violence

Image credit: http://www.teendvmonth.org/

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and more specifically, February 11-15 is Respect Week. I consider domestic violence and dating violence to be pressing public health issues, so I wanted to provide some information.

Dating violence involves abusive behaviors used to exert power or control over a dating partner and often becomes a pattern over time. According to the Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month website, "Any teen or young adult can experience violence, abuse or unhealthy behaviors in their dating relationships. A relationship may be serious or casual, monogamous or not, short-term or long-term. Dating abuse does not discriminate – it does not see gender, sexual identity, economic status, ethnicity or religious preference."

Dating violence can include physical abuse, verbal/emotional abuse (threats, humiliation, isolation, stalking, monitoring), or sexual abuse. In recent years the use of the internet, phone, or other technology to harass or monitor an individual has also become a major concern, as described in the stories here and here.

Example of cyber stalking. Carla Franklin is not a teen, but this video gives an example of what may occur. 

Dating violence can happen at any age, but February focuses on teenagers, because according to the U.S. Department of Justice, young women between the ages of 16 and 24 experience the highest levels of partner violence. Research shows that one in three teens in the U.S. is a victim of physical, verbal, or emotional abuse, and by college, one in six women report having been sexually abused in a dating relationship. Chances are, you know someone who has been in an abusive relationship (although you may not know their story, since many victims do not tell others of their abuse).

Various studies have also shown that dating violence makes teens more likely to become pregnant, contract an STD, develop an eating disorder, engage in substance abuse, or commit suicide at some point in their lives. It is critical, therefore, to prevent violence from happening and also to engage in the most helpful way with teens who have experienced violence.

If you do know someone in an abusive relationship, tell them you are concerned for their safety. It is important to listen non-judgmentally to keep the lines of communication open with this person. You can help the person recognize the abuse, reiterate that the person is not alone, let him or her know that they do not deserve the abuse, focus on strengths, and support the individual emotionally. But his or her decision to end the relationship is usually outside of your control. If you engage in a direct confrontation with the abuser, you may leave a difficult or dangerous situation for your friend when you leave, so be careful regarding such interactions. Furthermore, it is common for an abuser to attempt to isolate his or her partner from friends and family, so it is important that your friend know you will be there whenever he or she wants to talk, even if your friend has not been in contact for an extended period. If the friend does ultimately end the relationship, it is crucial to continue the support; it is common for individuals to return to abusive relationships multiple times before ending things for good, so having friends to encourage and uplift the individual after a breakup can make a big difference. For more specific advice on your situation, consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE.

As a parent of a minor child in an abusive relationship, you may have more control over the situation. At the same time, there will also be many instances when you are not with your child (such as at their school, where the abuser may also attend), and it is important that they feel free to talk to you about what is going on during those times that you are not together. If you find yourself in this situation as a parent, please call the National Dating Abuse Helpline or the National Domestic Violence Hotline for advice about what authorities to contact and how to talk to your teen.

For additional facts about dating violence, check out the Clothesline Project or the Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month website.

So how can you help right now?

• One quick and easy way to raise awareness is to wear orange on February 11 in support of Respect Week. Be sure to talk to your friends, family, coworkers, and those you meet that day about why you are wearing this eye-catching color: "Love is Respect!" Then continue advocating and raising awareness other days of the year!
• Know the warning signs of abuse. This is especially important as a friend or parent of a teen. Read about some red-flag behaviors you may experience in a relationship here or here and symptoms you may notice as a friend or family member of a victim here.
• Talk to your teen and even pre-teen children about dating violence. In an age-appropriate manner, talk to them about what makes a good partner, share the warning signs of an abusive partner, and let them know you are there to talk, help, and support them through the joys and trials of dating.
• Consider mentoring a teen or pre-teen. Having a safe person to talk to who is not a parent may help teens make better dating choices, and you can be a trusted resource if they do need to seek help. This is especially important for youth who are at higher risk for entering abusive relationships or even becoming abusers themselves. One organization I highly recommend in my area is CASA of San Mateo. Your area may have its own CASA program, a Boys & Girls Club, or other mentoring opportunities.
• If you or someone you know has questions about what to do in an abusive relationship, or if you are wondering whether a relationship is abusive, contact the National Dating Abuse Helpline by texting "Loveis" to 77054 or by calling 1-866-331-9474. You can speak to a youth peer advocate who can offer support, information, and advocacy.
• For a more extensive list of organizations dealing with domestic violence and abuse, check out this site. Consider contacting any one of these organizations to seek help, to volunteer your time, or to donate funds for prevention or victim services.

Human Trafficking Prevention Month Continued

Since it is National Human Trafficking Awareness and Prevention month, as I mentioned in a previous post, I would like to continue sharing about trafficking in my own back yard. This news report sheds some light on the problem as it is growing and changing today:

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/as-seen-on/188795071.html

I find it especially heartbreaking that, as Betty Ann Boeving states, 60% - 70% of domestic trafficking victims are foster care youth. (Note: the phrase "domestic trafficking victims" here refers to trafficked individuals whose trafficking experiences originate in the United States, so these statistics would not include individuals who were brought to the U.S. from other countries.) Foster youth are much more likely to run away or may not have anywhere to go once they age out of the system. They are vulnerable to being kidnapped, or more commonly, to being picked up by someone on the streets who can "protect and provide for them." I also learned during my Court Appointed Special Advocate training that LGBT youth are more likely to be in the foster care system than their non-LGBT peers, due to a variety of factors, including conflicts with family over sexual orientation. They are also often vulnerable to being "kicked out of the house" by families and are therefore at higher risk for trafficking.

This is a real problem that is truly right down the street from many of us. One thing you can do to help is to become educated about the issue and keep your eyes open for anything suspicious (for example, many different men going to and from a home at all hours of the day and night - this type of observation has been how some trafficking rings have been uncovered!) If you are being trafficked, know of an instance of trafficking, or even have suspicions about something you saw, you can call the confidential Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline. You can also support organizations that are combating trafficking locally, such as the Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition and the groups they work with. Or find organizations near you in other parts of the country through The Polaris Project. For additional information on international human trafficking issues, I would encourage you to check out International Justice Mission.

Human Trafficking and Slavery Prevention Month

January is National Human Trafficking and Slavery Prevention Month in the United States. In light of this, I thought it would be good to provide some additional information on what trafficking is.

What comes to mind when you hear the word "traffic?" Probably the highways on the way to your place of employment. And that would be a good start to understanding the meaning of the term "human trafficking." The word trafficking literally means the transportation of goods, and the common usage is typically for items which are intended to be used or sold illegally, although the word can also be used to describe legal trade or general commerce. For example, when someone smuggles guns into another country, we call that weapons trafficking, or when organizations transport drugs from a farm to a place of distribution, we call that drug trafficking. In the case of human trafficking, the language refers to the illicit transportation of people, and in the context of the modern day abolitionist movement, the trafficking being referred to is for the purposes of forced labor, sexual exploitation, or any other form of bondage. In other words, human trafficking is modern day slavery.

In recent years, the word trafficking has also been used to describe any form of slave-based commerce, even if it does not involve "moving people," including any child in the commercial sex industry. For example, in Cambodia, some children have been kidnapped or purchased from other countries (like Vietnam) to be prostituted for sex with pedophiles. Yet in many other cases, parents sell their children locally for sex on a nightly basis. In the case of the former, these children have been literally "trafficked" over a border, and in the latter case, these children remain local and may even go home to their families during non-working hours, but the term "child sex trafficking" is applied to them, as well, since they do not have the autonomy to make the decision not to engage in commercial sex work. For more information on child sex trafficking in Cambodia, visit www.agapewebsite.org, or read about my trip to Cambodia this summer here and here.

Adult men and women can also be forced into prostitution. For example, in Eastern Europe, one common tactic is for traffickers to recruit women for employment as waitresses or hostesses in other countries, only to sell them to brothels upon their arrival in the destination country. They are either physically locked up or are kept in brothels through other coercive means. These women are forced to perform sex work until they can pay off their travel and housing expenses, or are not given a future "out" at all.

Human trafficking occurs not only in the form of forced prostitution, however, but also in forced labor. For example, families may migrate from a poor rural area in search of employment and end up working in a factory under dangerous and threatening conditions. One way this can occur is through bonded labor, when families borrow money from a factory owner for initial expenses or food, but the system is set up such that their wages will never be enough to pay back the money owed, and they are therefore never able to leave. Often, the working conditions, hours worked, etc. are extremely unhealthy, and there may be a threat of violence if they try to escape. Some of the workers may be children.

Calimlim home, valued at $1.2M
http://www.jsonline.com/news/
waukesha/29322709.html

This can also occur with domestic or farm labor. A young man or woman may be promised a job on a farm, cleaning a home, or watching a family's children, but upon arrival, may be forced to work without pay and under the threat of violence. If they have been taken to work in another country, their passports will usually be held by their captors. With the threat of violence, no money, no identification, no network of friends or family, the threat of jail and deportation upon escape (whether real or made up by their employers), perhaps even little knowledge of their location or the native language, they are held in bondage. In 2009, for example, a Wisconsin husband and wife, both of whom were medical doctors, were prosecuted for bringing nineteen-year-old Erma Martinez to the United States from the Philippines in 1985 and forcing her to work in their home for years. According to the Department of Justice, "The victim testified that for nineteen years, she was hidden in the Calimlim's home, forbidden from going outside and told that she would be arrested, imprisoned and deported if she was discovered."

Erma Martinez
http://www.jsonline.com/news/
waukesha/29322709.html

Many countries have laws against human trafficking and slavery, yet little enforcement. Consider the dysfunction in the enforcement of even simple laws in some countries or cities. Have you ever driven in a city where there is no one enforcing driving laws, such that cars careen through intersections and veer in and out of lanes in a haphazard way? Similarly, in some places, there are often few, if any, officers enforcing human trafficking laws, or there may be corruption and bribes hindering the enforcement.

Trafficking is not something that occurs exclusively in foreign countries, however, as evidenced by the story of domestic servitude above. Nearby my own place of residence, San Francisco is considered one of the largest centers for sex trafficking in the world, with many massage parlors secretly operating as locales of forced prostitution. These businesses use a variety of methods to evade the law. Because trafficking is primarily "underground," it is unknown how many victims actually exist. According to a 2006 article in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Although it's not known how much money the San Francisco market generates for sex traffickers, federal agents confiscated $2 million in cash from 10 Asian massage parlors during a San Francisco raid in summer 2005."

Here is another excerpt from the 2006 article. (Note that these specific facts may be different by 2013, but this gives you an idea of the scope of the problem):

There are at least 90 massage parlors in San Francisco where sex is for sale, according to the online sex Web site myredbook.com. The site has been around since 1997 and has more than 55,000 reviews of Northern California sex workers. It is used by johns, yet is also a main monitoring tool for law enforcement. On average, there are about eight women working in a massage parlor, police say. That would mean more than 700 Asian sex masseuses working in San Francisco, based on 90 illicit parlors listed on sex Web sites and on police interviews. 

But the scope of sex trafficking in San Francisco is much larger -- women are also forced to work as escorts, outcall girls, erotic dancers and street prostitutes. Women are also placed in "AAMPs" -- Asian apartment massage parlors -- which are little more than apartments rented by traffickers who staff them with one or two sex workers. Business is done by word of mouth, and only customers approved by the owner are allowed in. 

Police in Livermore, Concord, San Mateo and Santa Clara have all found residential Asian brothels in their neighborhoods in 2004 and 2005.

One of the difficulties is that a brothel cannot be shut down unless money is proven to have changed hands for sex services, which may be difficult to show. Even the simple fact that someone is seen by an undercover officer in the middle of performing a sex act is not enough to demonstrate a commercial exchange. The massage parlor can be cited for other infractions, such as providing housing in a commercial building or inadequate ventilation, but that is only a short deterrent. Furthermore, it is difficult to prosecute traffickers, because women are often told by their captors that they will go to jail for confessing to prostitution (even forced prostitution) or for being in the country illegally. Sometimes the doors are not even technically "locked," but the threat of violence is so severe that women feel they have no choice but to stay. Jurors may have trouble understanding why a woman did not just walk out. Women are often too afraid of their traffickers to testify, and indeed, some who have testified in the past have disappeared, had their families threatened, or been maimed at a later time. Many of these "massage parlors" end up paying trivial fines for trivial violations and continue running.

One of the more detailed accounts I have read regarding this issue is the four-part series/special report, "Diary of a Sex Slave" in the San Francisco Chronicle. The first part of the report is the article quoted above. The full series details the increase in trafficking in the Bay Area and the specific account of a South Korean college student, You Mi Kim, who was trafficked to San Francisco and forced into sex work. If you have time, I would highly recommend reading parts one, two, three, and four. They are challenging readings and complicated by You Mi Kim's culpability in her initial financial difficulties from credit card debt, but the deception that led her to originally believe she would be working in a non-sexual industry represents the harsh reality for millions of people worldwide.

To learn more about personal stories and work being done on human trafficking in the Bay Area, consider attending the Freedom Summit in Fremont, CA January 25-26, 2013. Register here!

I believe that human trafficking is a true public health crisis affecting nearly every part of the world. I discussed a couple of ways to get involved in my previous posts about International Justice Mission's "Freedom Commons." See those posts here and here. For other ways to make a difference in the fight against trafficking and for more information on trafficking resources in your specific state, check out The Polaris Project.

Final (Belated) Cambodia Update

Letter co-written by Matthew & Kristen Campbell

Dear Friends,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Bay Area! We wanted to (finally) write to give an update about our trip to Cambodia this past summer. We really appreciate your prayers and support and want to let you know about how God is working in Cambodia and in us.

Our experiences on this twelve-day trip included some light-hearted ones in which we experienced some interesting aspects of Cambodian culture, and others which broke our hearts as we learned about some of Cambodia’s violent history.  On a lighter cultural note, we both tried fried tarantula (Matthew popped a whole spider in his mouth just like the picture of our friend Mark to the left!), and we each had a bite of durian cake, which is made from a notoriously stinky fruit. We also learned how silk is made by hand!

Perhaps the deepest impressions, however, were left by our visits to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and the killing fields, as we learned that around 25%-35% of the population of Cambodia was killed during the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970’s. At the start of the regime, all of the cities were evacuated, with people being told they could return home in a few days. In reality, families were forced into years of agricultural labor in the countryside, with the hope of developing a Communist agrarian society. Intellectuals, doctors, teachers, monks, even those who wore glasses (which were believed to represent education, wealth, or elitism), as well as anyone who opposed the regime leader (Pol Pot), were killed as enemies of the state. At Tuol Sleng prison (a former school), people were interrogated and tortured, sometimes by soldiers as young as twelve years old, and then taken to the countryside to be brutally murdered and left in mass graves (which are known as the killing fields). Out of nearly 20,000 people that went through Tuol Sleng, there were only seven survivors. Moreover, Tuol Sleng is just one of many interrogation prisons that were located throughout the country. Many other Cambodians who were not killed directly died of disease or starvation due to harsh working and living conditions in the countryside. The individuals who lived through this experience are now the parents and grandparents of today, and we learned that this historical backdrop is an important part of understanding the problem of human trafficking in Cambodia.

So what did we actually do in Cambodia? We primarily partnered with Agape International Missions (AIM) to run “Kids’ Club” at the Rahab’s House community center in a town called Svay Pak.  This town is known to be a “destination location” for pedophiles. At Kid’s Club, we sang songs, danced, told Bible stories with puppets, and did arts and crafts with the children. We were told that five years ago, nearly every one of the of the children in Svay Pak was being trafficked (sold for prostitution).  The very community center where we were holding Kid’s Club was a former brothel of underage prostitution that AIM and International Justice Mission (IJM) helped to shut down. Today, due to the work of a variety of nonprofit organizations, children in this town are much less likely to be abused; however, more work is left to be done.  The pastor at a new church in this village knew for certain that 17 girls in attendance at Kids’ Club were being trafficked. This represents tremendous progress, yet it was still heart-breaking to know that some of the six to twelve-year-old girls sitting in front of us were being forced to have sex with adult men (many of them “sex tourists” from the West) on a nightly basis.

In addition to Kids’ Club, we had time each day to use our individual gifts to assist AIM in a variety of ways. AIM recognizes that child sex trafficking is a complex issue requiring a multi-faceted solution, so they have a wide variety of ministries attacking the problem. For example, AIM runs a gym where pimps and traffickers can mingle with aid workers. As a result, some of these pimps and traffickers have renounced their former ways and are helping to turn other perpetrators around. Some of the men from our team got to spend time at the gym with the traffickers and have conversations with them.

Another important aspect of AIM’s ministry is the development of fair trade factories that provide formerly trafficked women (once they are sixteen years or older) with training in a trade.  One of the problems with child sex trafficking is that those who are rescued may feel that they have no skills besides prostitution, and ultimately believe they have no choice but to return to sex work for “good pay” or find work in a sweat shop for insufficient income. AIM is providing an alternative by opening factories that pay fair wages and provide a work environment which is much safer than most alternatives. These factories provide a living wage, family-style lunch, free child care, and one hour of education to workers each day. So far AIM has opened one factory and is aiming to have ten factories running within two years. Many members of our team had the opportunity to visit the first factory, and some members of our team used their experience in fashion design to consult on the clothing patterns being used, the methods of sewing being employed, the quality check processes, and the layout/design ideas. We also feel hopeful that over time, through both national economic change and through the education AIM is providing to the rescued women and to the children of Svay Pak, young people may have (and create) an even wider variety of economic opportunities in future. Perhaps some of the children we met will fill the vast gaps left by the Khmer Rouge regime's systematic extermination of the nation's professionals decades ago.

AIM also runs a school for grades K-12 and pays for the most promising students to attend local private schools after grade six. The students and teachers were eager to learn, and this is where we were able to help! It is a special treat for the students to attend arts classes between all of their academic study time. Matthew taught guitar classes every day for several hours, and Kristen taught a liturgical dance class. The Sunday before we left, one student played a guitar song during church, and the dance class (equal parts male and female) performed a worship dance in the Sunday service.

In between the Kids’ Club activities each day at AIM, our team also drove to several factories in the area, which manufacture bricks, to distribute clothing we had collected for the children. Some of these kids take a van to Kids’ Club every day, and they are easily identified by their extremely dirty clothing and their penchant to fall asleep, even during loud singing. These children live in one-room shacks and squalor, and many help their families make bricks in dangerous working conditions. Their joy at receiving the packages of clothing was tremendous, yet our hearts were heavy to know that their needs remain great each and every day.

Towards the end of our time in Cambodia, we had the opportunity to visit Agape Restoration Center, a home run by AIM for rescued victims of child sex trafficking. We planned a luau-themed party for the girls there, including a lunch together, nail and face painting, games, and more. It was a lot of fun, and it was very special getting to see how resilient these young women are!

Throughout the week, we also dropped in on some other organizations that are fighting trafficking in Cambodia, including Hagar International, International Justice Mission, and Bloom Asia (a cake business in Phnom Pehn—the capital city—employing formerly trafficked women). They explained some of the ongoing challenges, such as underage prostitution moving “underground” in recent years as a result of the success in shutting down child brothels. While the brothel closings show progress is being made, the underground activity is much more difficult to prosecute, and corruption remains rampant in Cambodia’s law enforcement. Despite these difficulties, we also felt encouraged as they shared about how each of their organizations is uniquely contributing to end child sex trafficking.

Overall, we feel that God showed us a lot about what He is doing in Cambodia and how much is left to be done. After returning home and pushing through traveler’s sicknesses, we have had more time to process; indeed the experience was very inspiring and eye-opening. We feel confident that God is calling us to serve abroad for about two years when Matthew finishes his graduate school program, although at this point we are still not sure in what part of the world that might be.  As part of our discerning process, our plan is to make a short-term trip to another country this coming summer. Perhaps God will ultimately point us to a new place for our longer term service, or He may send us back to Cambodia!

Our team also shared responsibilities for keeping a group blog throughout the trip, which details our daily events: http://www.mppcmission.org/trips/cambodia/2012aug/index.htm Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have, and thank you again for your prayers and support!

In Christ,

Kristen & Matthew Campbell

Court Appointed Special Advocates

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www.casaofsanmateo.org

If you have a heart for helping those in need, consider becoming a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for a child in your area. In most regions, you may work with children who are either dependents of the court (abused/neglected) or delinquents (have broken the law). Many children fall under both categories.

What is a CASA? This is an adult who has been trained regarding the particular needs of children who have been abused or who have broken the law. The adult befriends a child and meets with him or her weekly to hang out, mentor, play, talk, or spend time in whatever capacity will benefit the child. This adult also has access to the child's full set of records (court, school, doctor, etc.); may discuss concerns with the other adults in the child's life (parents, foster parents, social workers, therapists, teachers, etc.); and advocates for the child in court by making recommendations in court reports and answering questions the judge may have during hearings.

Your investment in the life of a child can have a lasting impact on his or her current experience and future choices. In many cases, CASA's are one of the few consistent adults in the life of a child who has been let down countless times.

Check out the CASA program in your community! Click here for more information on becoming a CASA in the Bay Area. And feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.