Awaken

Red Flags: Indicators

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 19:41:33 GMT

SEX TRAFFICKING RED FLAGS AND INDICATORS

Child trafficking is a deeply concerning issue, and it's important to be aware of potential signs that a child might be a victim. While these signs are not definitive proof on their own, they can raise suspicion and warrant further investigation by authorities or professionals.

Signs of child trafficking may include:

Physical Signs:

- Evidence of physical abuse or injuries.

- Signs of malnourishment or neglect.

- Inadequate/unseasonable clothing, hygiene, or medical care.

Behavioral Signs:

- Sudden and unexplained changes in behavior, such as withdrawal, depression, or aggression.

- Fear of a specific person or reluctance to discuss certain topics.

- Running away from home repeatedly.

Control by Others:

- A child appears to be under the control of someone else who makes decisions on their behalf.

- Restricting a child's freedom, such as not allowing them to attend school or interact with peers.

Lack of Personal Documentation:

- A child lacks personal identification documents like a birth certificate or passport.

- False or forged documents may be in use.

Involvement in Commercial Sex Acts:

- Children who are involved in prostitution or the commercial sex trade are involved against their will due to force, fraud, or coercion.

- Signs of frequent movement between locations, such as hotels, may be present.

Isolation from Family and Friends:

- A child is isolated from their family, friends, or social support networks.

- They may not be allowed to speak freely or communicate without supervision.

Exploitative Labor:

- A child is forced to work in exploitative conditions, such as long hours, low pay, or hazardous work environments.

- They may have injuries related to labor exploitation.

Online Presence and Exploitation:

- A child may be coerced or groomed online by traffickers.

- Sharing explicit content, engaging in sexting, or communicating with unknown individuals online.

Signs of Traffickers' Control:

- Presence of older individuals who exert control over the child.

- Threats, coercion, or intimidation tactics used to keep the child compliant.

It's important to note that these signs should be considered in context, and not all may be present in every trafficking situation. If you suspect a child is a victim of trafficking or in immediate danger, please contact your local law enforcement agency or a child protection organization immediately. Child trafficking is a crime, and trained professionals should be involved in investigating and addressing it.

Internet Safety

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 19:41:35 GMT

APPS AND TOOLS TO KEEP YOUR KIDS SAFE

In today’s digital age, the internet offers incredible opportunities for learning and connection, but it also poses risks we cannot afford to ignore. This page is your guide to understanding those risks, recognizing the signs of potential dangers, and equipping yourself with the knowledge and tools to protect your child both online and offline. Together, let’s embark on a journey to create a safer online world for our children.

There are several apps and tools available to enhance internet safety for both children and adults. Here are some recommended resources, apps, and tools for various aspects of internet safety:

Parental Control Apps:

Bark: Provides comprehensive parental control features, including content filtering, time limits, and activity monitoring.

Norton Family: Offers web filtering, app monitoring, and location tracking for children's devices.

Kaspersky Safe Kids: Helps parents manage screen time, block harmful websites, and receive realtime activity reports.

Gabb: Safe phones for ages 5-18, giving kids access to only the content they need, while avoiding dangerous apps and websites.

Safe Browsing and Content Filtering:

SafeSearch (Google, Bing, YouTube): Enable SafeSearch settings in search engines to filter out explicit content.

Angel IQ: A search engine designed as a buffer and guide to the internet that creates safe, curated experiences for kids, giving parents peace of mind.

Secure Messaging Apps:

WhatsApp: Offers endtoend encryption for messages, ensuring privacy.

Signal: Known for its strong encryption and privacy features.

Virtual Private Network (VPN) Services:

ExpressVPN: A highly rated VPN service that enhances online privacy and security.

NordVPN: Offers strong encryption and a nologs policy for secure browsing.

Education and Awareness Apps:

Common Sense Media: Provides ageappropriate content recommendations and resources for parents.

NetSmartz Workshop: Offers resources to educate children and parents about online safety.

Recommended Books for Families:

God Made All of Me - Justin S. Holcomb: Explore God Made All of Me and find encouragement, clear guidance, and the tools necessary to facilitate open conversations about how your children can protect their bodies, an important step in keeping them as safe as possible.

I Said No - Kimberly King: This book helps families navigate a difficult subject in simple, kid-friendly language that advises readers to identify their feelings, recognize green and red flags, and to always (always) confide in a trusted adult when encountering the red ones.

Good Pictures Bad Pictures: Good Pictures Bad Pictures is a read-aloud story about a mom and dad who explain what pornography is, why it’s dangerous, and how to reject it.

It's essential to research and choose the apps and tools that best fit your specific needs and concerns regarding internet safety. Make sure to regularly update and review the settings of these tools to adapt to changing online threats and the needs of your family.

Remember that this is an ongoing conversation, not a one time talk. Revisit and reinforce these concepts regularly as your child grows. The goal is to empower them with knowledge and the confidence to protect themselves from potential dangers while maintaining their trust and open communication with you.

Start Early and Age-Appropriate:

Begin the conversation at an age appropriate level, gradually building on it as your child matures. Use language and concepts that are suitable for their age and level of understanding.

Create a Safe and Judgment-Free Environment:

Emphasize that you are there to listen and support them, not to judge or blame. Encourage questions and open dialogue, even if the topic is uncomfortable.

Focus on Empowerment and Awareness:

Teach your child about personal boundaries and consent, emphasizing that it's okay to say no to anything that makes them uncomfortable. Discuss the importance of trusting their instincts and the people they interact with both online and offline.

Use RealLife Scenarios and Stories:

Share age appropriate stories or news articles about child trafficking cases to illustrate the dangers without causing unnecessary fear. Highlight the tactics traffickers may use, such as grooming and manipulation.

Discuss Online Safety:

Teach your child about internet safety, including the risks of sharing personal information online and the importance of not meeting strangers they've met online in person. Emphasize the need to be cautious when sharing photos or information on social media.

Sextortion

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 15:05:11 GMT

PROTECTING YOUR CHILD FROM SEXTORTION

Discussing sextortion with your child is essential to ensure their safety and awareness of the risks. Here are the key conversation topics to cover:

1) Define Sextortion:

Start by explaining what sextortion is, involving threats or blackmail using explicit images or messages.

2) Recognize Warning Signs:

Teach your child to identify potential sextortion signs, like unsolicited explicit messages or threats involving private content.

3) Emphasize Consent and Privacy:

Stress the importance of consent and respecting personal boundaries online. Discuss the need for strong privacy settings and cautious sharing of personal information and photos.

4) Report and Seek Help:

Make sure they tell a trusted adult right away (parent, teacher, school counselor, or another adult they trust), report the account or page to the social media site or platform where it happened, and contact local law enforcement.

5) Avoid VictimBlaming and Maintain Open Communication:

Ensure they understand they're not at fault if targeted.

Parents should be actively involved in their child's online activities and regularly discuss online safety. These five steps provide a solid foundation for discussing the topic of sextortion with your child while promoting their safety and awareness online.

Remember to adapt the conversation to your child's age and maturity level, and make it an ongoing dialogue. Encourage them to trust their instincts and to be vigilant while maintaining a balance between online safety and enjoying the benefits of the internet responsibly.

Apps Every Parent Should Know

Sun, 01 Oct 2023 15:33:00 GMT

There are several apps and platforms that can pose risks to children if not used responsibly or without proper parental supervision. While the suitability of an app may depend on the child's age, maturity level, and the extent of parental oversight, here are some apps that are often considered unsafe for kids:

Anonymous Chat Apps:

Apps like Whisper, Ask.fm, and Yik Yak can expose children to cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and interactions with strangers.

Social Media Platforms:

Platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok can be used for positive interactions, but they also expose children to privacy issues, cyberbullying, and potentially harmful content.

Dating and Hookup Apps:

Apps like Tinder and Grindr are not suitable for minors and can expose them to inappropriate content and interactions.

Chatroulette and Omegle:

These platforms enable random video chats with strangers, which can lead to exposure to explicit content and inappropriate behavior.

Kik Messenger:

Kik has been associated with online predators, and it allows users to interact with others without sharing their phone numbers, making it harder for parents to monitor.

Vault Apps:

Apps like Calculator%, KeepSafe, and Photo Vault appear innocuous but can be used to hide explicit photos or content from parents.

Live Streaming Apps:

Apps like Live.me and YouNow allow live broadcasting, which can expose children to inappropriate content and interactions.

Gaming and Chat Apps:

Online gaming platforms with chat features can expose children to inappropriate language and interactions. Popular games like Fortnite, Roblox and Minecraft have ingame chat features.

File Sharing Apps:

Apps like BitTorrent and FrostWire can be used for illegal downloading and sharing of copyrighted material.

Secret Messaging Apps:

Apps like Telegram, Signal, and WhatsApp offer encrypted messaging, which, while secure, can make it difficult for parents to monitor their child's communication.

It's important to note that while these apps can pose risks, some of them can also be used responsibly and safely with proper parental guidance and monitoring. Parental control tools and open communication are essential to help children navigate these apps safely and responsibly.

Mary's Story

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:44:04 GMT

Mary 's Story

Mary’s first sex trafficking experience was when she was just eight years old—and the man who sold her was her own father. As a young girl growing up in Indiana, Mary said she remembers her uncle putting vodka in her juice cup and then molesting her. She recalls climbing trees and hiding there overnight in order to avoid her dad. By age 12, she was a full-blown alcoholic.

My dad would pimp me out to my friend’s dads and then their dads would pimp them out to my dad. Then they would gamble all the money away. It had a huge impact on me. It ruined me. I drank for 48 years and I have three boys I couldn’t even raise. I’m depressed. I don’t trust anyone and no one trusts me.

Mary is now 58 and living in Reno where she receives counseling and life support from Awaken, an organization that she says helps her cope and attempt to heal from the trauma of her past. Mary is still struggling with addiction and mental illness, although Awaken is one of the brightest spots in her life. Her favorite events at Awaken are the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday dinners that provide the family atmosphere she never had as a kid.

They put me in a safe environment and keep me focused. Everyone always wants to say, ‘oh you poor thing, that must have been so hard.’ No one at Awaken puts you down that way. They just work to make sure I am safe and loved. There is a sisterhood among the girls there.

The abuse from Mary’s childhood led her to a lifetime of alcoholism and sex trafficking. She was taught by the very people meant to protect her that her body was only good for making money and pleasuring men.

That’s all I ever knew, and it was a matter of paying rent. I have gotten myself in situations I didn’t want to be in. I’ve been raped and I have always lived in fear. Then I needed something to calm me down so I could breathe. Alcohol did that for me.

Mary wishes she had support from an organization like Awaken when she was a child because she thinks her life might have turned out differently. She believes that preventing other girls like her from being trafficked and controlled is possible, but that caring adults need to look out for the warning signs and speak up when something doesn’t seem right.

Prevention is so important for girls who have been degraded, walked on, stomped on and discarded. These girls are just babies who want love. When someone gives them attention, they are in. I think if someone would have reached out a hand to me and held it, it would have been nice.

Since Awaken was founded in 2011, it has reached more than 700 women and children in the Northern Nevada community. Awaken’s mission is to increase awareness and education surrounding the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and to provide housing and restoration for its victims.

Thank you to all of the Awaken donors and supporters who have helped us reach this important milestone of ten years!

Amber's Story

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:28:47 GMT

Amber's Story

Amber only recently came to terms with her history in the sex industry and how it impacted her life. Battling a heroin addiction in 2009, Amber got a job as a dancer in a Reno strip club in order to pay for her habit. For the next nine years, she says she took off her clothes for money every single day. Eventually, she began meeting with sex buyers outside the club.

It gave me a purpose, going and getting ready and all dressed up. It was like I was finally needed and wanted in this environment. It wasn’t always horrible. It was often enjoyable, even though it wrecked me to my soul.

As a child, Amber was extremely transient. She attended 20 different schools and moved 60 times by the time she was 18. She says what she lacked most in her 20’s was true friendship, and she believes that is what led her to become a victim of commercial sexual exploitation. In order to maintain good relationships at the strip club, Amber was forced to pay a portion of what she earned back to the owners.

I sacrificed parts of myself that I didn’t want to because I thought I was in a safe environment. It was all very hush-hush in the club. The dancers all say they don’t do it, but I’m pretty sure everyone was involved in this. We had a lot of shame about it and so we didn’t talk about it.

Amber says after she had children, sex work lost all of the glamour she had created about it in her mind. It became simply a job she felt forced to do in order to provide for her son and daughter. That’s when she left the business and decided to get sober and find work that didn’t make her feel so lonely inside.

Awaken came to my church and I felt comfortable enough to share my story. Saying it out loud took away its power over me.

Amber now attends frequent therapy groups at Awaken, and the organization helps her financially when times are hard. Through Awaken, she has found a sense of community and love that is healthy and fulfilling. She is nearly finished with her associates degree and plans to transfer to UNR soon to major in social work. She hopes one day she can integrate her education and all of her past experiences in order to help other women battling addiction.

They may think they are making a choice, but they really don’t have a choice. They wouldn’t need drugs if they had a community like Awaken to lift them up.

Thank you to all of the Awaken donors and supporters who have helped us reach this important milestone of ten years!

Bailey's Story

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:24:14 GMT

Bailey's Story

Bailey is 24-years old and has been living full-time at the Awaken House since March. The home is a refuge for survivors of the commercial sex industry to heal themselves and work toward a life free from trafficking. It’s not her first time getting help from Awaken though. In 2018, a police officer introduced her to the organization after she was beaten so badly by her trafficker that she ended up in a coma for over two months.

I had to have a tracheotomy because I couldn’t breathe. I went to the drop-in center and was introduced to Awaken, but then I got back very deep into my addiction. It’s hard to stay clean. My addiction kept getting the best of me.

Bailey’s substance use started when she was 12 and a family member injected her with heroin in order to sexually abuse her. She said this experience started a cycle of abuse for her that includes a heavy drug and alcohol addiction for much of her young life.

I have never known anything other than being beaten and hurt by people. I’ve been suffering abuse pretty much since I was a baby. I was sexually assaulted at age 4, and then beat by family members and my husband. I was once beaten so badly that I ended up with broken ribs and a ruptured spleen.

While most of Bailey’s physical abusers have been men, she says her first introduction to trafficking was when a female friend sold her in order to make the next month’s rent.

She said ‘we gotta do what we gotta do.’ I was afraid to be homeless and have to sleep outside in the freezing cold. I’ve been trafficked by three women. At first, I thought they were my friends and that they would take care of me. But the female pimps I have had have been way more aggressive than the men.

Bailey said she knew she wanted to escape from the sex industry for good when she was held at gunpoint in a Reno hotel and forced to detox from drugs while being raped and abused. At the Awaken House, Bailey says she feels safe for the first time in her adult life. She is now working on healing from her past traumas and finding ways to deal with negative emotions in healthy ways. She wants to get stable and be able to support herself and eventually regain visiting rights with her 6-year-old daughter.

I want to be able to hug my daughter again. Since I’ve been here, I have gotten an ID and set up medical and dental appointments to take care of my physical health. I want to get my GED and eventually go to college. In therapy we are chipping away at recent trauma and soon we are going to deal with the harder stuff. I have to set daily goals.

Bailey said Awaken has been a non-judgmental and safe place that has changed the course of her life for the better. Recently, Bailey wrote her future self a letter to help her keep going if times ahead are difficult. She said she wrote words of encouragement that she has been taught to believe and trust.

I wrote, ‘Keep your head up and continue to put one foot in front of the other. Keep pushing forward. Look at how much you have gone through already. You’re an incredibly strong woman. You’ve got this.’

Thank you to all of the Awaken donors and supporters who have helped us reach this important milestone of ten years!

Jessica's Story

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:24:13 GMT

Jessica's Story

Jessica spent ten years as a dancer at a Reno strip club. Jessica’s roommate introduced her to the strip club, where she started making good money and she was able to pay her bills again.

I was sexually abused as a child. I had a single mom who was never around. I guess I was an easy target. It was a really dark time for me. I was really lonely.

The job made her feel disposable, so she often got as drunk as possible before work in order to numb her thoughts.

I never slept with any customers, but I definitely let the lines blur. I had men put $7,000 cash on the table and say, ‘what can you do for me?’ I’d think, man, I could pay my rent for the next six months. I’ll never see you again and it’s half an hour of my life. I created this belief system in my mind that if men only wanted me for my body, then why shouldn’t I take advantage of them too?

Jessica’s life as a dancer was also dangerous. She remembers other dancers leaving the club with customers and returning with black eyes and other injuries. Some women never came back. She believes the club owners exploited the dancers and tried to get them intoxicated so they could take advantage of them.

If you gave the manager a cut of what you were making, they would turn a blind eye. Strip club is basically a cover name for a brothel.

Awaken was Jessica’s ticket out of an industry that had her feeling trapped with no choices. When Jessica first quit her job after ten years as a dancer at a Reno strip club, she was terrified of being judged, and she felt like she didn’t have any skills that would transfer into the job market.

The hardest thing about getting out of this industry is ‘okay so this is what I did for ten years.' So, what do I put on my resume?

She transitioned slowly—first finding work as a bartender, and then eventually starting nursing school where she is set to begin clinical trials in June 2021. She says she hopes to one day volunteer to support Awaken because she understands what it’s like to feel trapped in the sex industry.

Awaken offered financial assistance, and got her connected with a therapist who she says has changed her life for the better. Jessica is now in a healthy relationship with her boyfriend of four years, and she’s even begun rebuilding ties to her family.

“I don’t know how to express how good it feels. Freedom. You have autonomy. You have your body. No one gets to look at you. You don’t have to be abused. There is no shame for me anymore. It’s not a secret. This is me and what I have been through, and I made it."

Sarah's Story

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:19:57 GMT

Sarah's Story

Sarah is one of the youngest survivors of Awaken, having been trafficked in Reno starting at age 15. She’s now 17, living with a foster family, and is on track to graduate with a high school diploma in 2022. Sarah says she still feels hopeless most days, like she’s just trying to survive.

"If Awaken wasn’t here, I don’t know what I would do. Where would I be? Ever since the trafficking, it has stuck with me. It effects how I view myself and how other people treat me. You can’t undo what has been done to you."

Sarah was born in Ohio, but when she was 12, she moved in with her dad in Reno in order to escape her own loneliness and depression, and also to get away from her mom who was addicted to drugs. When she got here, she said her dad and his girlfriend also had addiction issues that included daily gambling and crime. Eventually, her father went to prison and Sarah ended up in the custody of Child Protective Services.

"I ran away from CPS with my boyfriend, and he told me I had to make money for him. He said it would just be a one-time thing, but then I had to do it every day. I kept thinking it would stop, but it didn’t. He would beat me, but then he would also promise me things."

Sarah said her boyfriend sold her body by posting advertisements about her on the internet. Even though he often got mad at her if she didn’t make enough money, at first she thought she was in love with him. In December of 2018, he kicked her out of the hotel they were staying in and she was rescued off the street when Awaken drove by and saw her struggling.

"Awaken is the only family I’ve got. I wish I was in the position where I didn’t have to go to counseling and could just be normal again. I want to remember what I was like before."

Sarah says sex trafficking in Reno may seem like a rare occurrence, but she knows dozens of local teens just like her who have also sold their bodies for money.

"I thought I was the only one. But it’s so common."

Return to the Ten Years of Transformation page to read other courageous survivor stories.

Thank you to all of the Awaken donors and supporters who have helped us reach this important milestone of ten years!

Tianna’s Story

Thu, 11 May 2023 17:58:20 GMT

Tianna's Story

Tianna’s survival story starts ten years ago, at the same time Awaken director Melissa Holland founded the nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating commercial sexual exploitation. Tianna, now 44 years old, was the first survivor that Awaken worked with, starting with a court-ordered therapy group for women who had received citations for solicitation.

“I didn’t like the group at first, but then Melissa took over and she was so refreshing. We were all shocked that someone really cared and was actually listening to us. I had never had anyone be so nice to me.”

Tianna’s childhood was abusive, and she was surrounded by addiction and abandonment. She says today she still suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from the abuse she suffered, and it led her toward a destructive lifestyle starting when she was a young teenager.

“I was never loved or cared for. I went back and forth between family members, but I never felt wanted.”

A severe drug addiction and an abusive husband left Tianna homeless in her mid-20’s, and she eventually met a pimp who introduced her to a new lifestyle. She says she knew that selling herself for money would be frowned upon, but she got through the experience by turning off her emotions and numbing herself with alcohol and drugs just to survive.

“It’s demoralizing. But if you’re numb enough, you can forget all of it. All of us are homeless, sad, broken living day to day. When you’re out there, it’s all on you. There were literally no resources to help us until Awaken.”

Tianna hasn’t sold her body in five years, and she’s committed to her recovery. While she still struggles with mental health issues and difficulty finding work to make a steady income, Awaken is the one thing that keeps her moving forward. Tianna believes the work of Awaken is essential in our community to help other women like her who have been on the streets most of their lives. Many of them don’t have the job skills, the confidence or the freedom to seek a different option.

“It’s really something that no one wants to address. Everyone looked down on me before, treated me like dirt. We need to bring awareness to people. That’s where it starts. Prostitution is frowned upon, but it’s also accepted in some ways, and it’s legal here. Think about your daughters, your sisters, your neighbors.”

Tianna says Awaken saved her from continuing a dangerous lifestyle, and she brings other women into the doors to help them escape too. She hopes one day she will fully heal from her experiences and trauma, but in the meantime, Awaken is her family.

“My life is still a chaotic mess. I still struggle. I’ve lived on the streets my whole life and it’s hard to change. But Awaken is my heart.”

Ten Years of Transformation

Wed, 10 May 2023 18:03:12 GMT

Ten Years of Tranformation

May of 2021 marks ten years since Awaken began transforming lives in our community, working to eradicate commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. Since the organizational launch in May of 2011, Awaken has reached more than 700 women and children in the Northern Nevada community, helping them regain their freedom and their dignity. To celebrate, during the month of May, Awaken will be sharing the unique stories from ten courageous survivors.

Awaken has also lifted the veil on commercial sex trade in our state, a rampant but well-hidden problem in our region. Adjusted for population, Nevada’s commercial sex market is by far the largest of any state, with over 5,000 individuals sold for sex on average each month. The problem still exists—but Awaken has brought it into the public eye. On this ten-year anniversary, Awaken is celebrating not only the successes, such as legislative changes, increased police enforcement and a safer community for women and children—but also the personal and unique stories of the survivors who have transformed their lives.

“We feel both the wins and the losses, the hardship and the death. But we also feel that an impact has been made. The women we work with have changed. They feel they belong. And we’ve seen the entire city create change and become safer.” – Melissa Holland, Awaken Co-Founder

Ten Stories of Survival

Every woman who enters the doors at Awaken does so in a different place in her life. Each of them has a unique history and experience that leads them to create a new choice for a different path. These stories do not all have happy or picturesque endings. Some of these women are still struggling, healing and building themselves back up. But on this ten-year anniversary, Awaken invites you to honor and celebrate all of our survivors. As you read these ten stories of survival, we ask you to recognize their strength and celebrate each of them for how far they’ve come to be authentically and fully themselves.

All names have been changed to protect each participant:

Annie's Story

Wed, 10 May 2023 17:56:07 GMT

Annie's Story

Annie was a seemingly happy teenager—an athlete and a straight-A student in high school. She even graduated with honors. But while she kept up positive appearances on the outside, she says she felt inadequate and empty on the inside. It was this depression that led her to numb her feelings with drugs and alcohol starting at age 14.

“My success was all for show. I had potential but I felt horrible about myself. Drugs destroyed all of my relationships."

Just a month after graduation, Annie traveled to Las Vegas with her boyfriend and his older brother. She was in a house with strangers when the men beat up several women in front of her and told her they’d do the same to her if she didn’t start making money. That was the first time Annie sold her body for money, just to survive.

“I stayed there for a while and I learned the game. I was too proud to go home, and I was making good money. I wanted to be in control. I felt powerful, like no one could touch me.”

Annie ended up back in Reno and was in and out of jail. She met her husband, who was a drug dealer, and eventually they had three daughters together. By age 21, Annie was employed by a escort agency and was supporting herself financially. But she says she was always running. She fled to California, Seattle, and back to Las Vegas, where she was raped, robbed and beat up by dozens of abusive and controlling men. While she desperately wanted to escape the destructive lifestyle she was living, every time she tried, her depression and her pride pulled her right back into the cycle.

“The last time we escaped, we left in an ambulance by calling 911. My daughters and I had nothing but the shoes on our feet. I wanted help. I stopped using drugs and I wanted to rebuild my relationship with my girls.”

The team at Awaken got Annie set up with the basics at first—things like sheets and bath products. Then they helped her with therapy and support groups to help her heal from past trauma and work on her relationships. They even paid off a small college debt for her, giving her the opportunity to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UNR. Annie now sells insurance, pays her own rent, and proudly mothers her three resilient daughters who also play sports and get straight A’s. Annie says Awaken helped her finally break her damaging life cycle.

“They didn’t shame me or guilt me or make me feel bad about my life choices. They intervened and were a support system for me. To thank them, I stay on the right path. The best way I can give back is by telling my story.”

Annie says Awaken is an unconditionally loving program that helps give her and the other sex trafficking survivors a place to go and someone to talk to. She says she owes Awaken the value of her life for changing her entire outlook.

“Balanced. I don’t feel like an empty hole anymore. I feel like a million bucks. Inside now too.”

Katerina’s story

Wed, 10 May 2023 17:18:32 GMT

Katerina's Story

Katerina is proud of herself for the first time ever in her 27 years of life. She recently went back to school and earned her GED and she’s taking college classes in order to become an HVAC technician. It’s also the first time in as long as she can remember that she doesn’t owe anyone anything—not money, not sex and not drugs. In November of 2020, Katerina became the very first graduate of Awaken’s restorative housing program designed to help sex trafficking victims recover and reclaim their lives.

“I am most proud of the fact that I was able to go back to school. I got teased a lot as a child for being overweight and for not having clean clothes. Walking back into a school was a big deal for me.”

When hearing Katerina talk about her freedom and her success, it’s hard to believe that before she got to Awaken, she was mistreated, neglected and abused for most of her life. Her first experiences with sexual abuse were when she was a young teenager and her mom’s boyfriend would buy her gifts in exchange for sex. Even though she told her mother she was afraid to be alone with him, she says her mom moved out one day and never returned.

“I knew I couldn’t be at home. I felt unimportant because no one made room for me in their life. It was hard to feel loved or wanted.”

At age 14, Katerina ran away with a friend’s 25-year-old brother—simply because she wanted to escape the abuse happening at home. He took care of her at first, and she says she felt appreciated and safe with him. But soon, he began to sell Katerina in exchange for drugs or a place to stay. She was passed around by his friends, strangers and anyone who would help supply their habits. Eventually, Katerina’s own addictions also dragged her down, making her feel even more stuck in her situation.

“He made me feel like this was the only way. And I loved him. I didn’t realize there were other options, that I had a different choice.”

Her boyfriend wasn’t the only man who controlled her. In ten years, Katerina was trafficked in Reno and Sparks by four different men, all who sold her body for money or drugs. It wasn’t until she went to jail and ended up in an addiction treatment center, that she discovered Awaken and completely redirected her life. Through Awaken’s housing program, Katerina received intense group and personal therapy, and she began to learn healthier coping skills for her emotional pain. She was surrounded by a supportive, loving community, great friends and a chance for a fresh start.

“The team at Awaken loves you even when you can’t love yourself, even when you struggle to look in the mirror.”

To all of the women who are still out there and caught up in drugs or being trafficked, Katerina says to trust in the process and give Awaken a chance to work in their life. She says it’s often the women who are from broken homes, forgotten and damaged by their pasts who are most vulnerable to the system.

“People don’t believe this is happening in our town. Most of the community turns a blind eye. They don’t want to see or hear about it. But it’s rampant.”

Erica's Story

Tue, 09 May 2023 18:11:34 GMT

Erica's Story

At age 6, Erica’s abuse began. After years of exploitation, and without the protection of her mom, she moved from place to place and ultimately became homeless by the age of 12.

“I did what I had to for shelter and to survive. I guess you could say I was pretty sexualized at a young age. My upbringing was filled with drugs and alcohol and abuse. I had three kids by the time I was 19.”

Erica was trafficked for the next eight years.

“There was no question in my mind. It was money. I had no value, no worth. I had no reason to say no. I had my daughter and was homeless. I thought my body was only for other people’s pleasure.”

Erica remembers being kidnapped, drugged, raped and even held hostage a few times. Afterwards, she was blamed and shamed by her traffickers. All of these experiences, Erica says, are normal and frequent among women being sexually exploited and sold in Northern Nevada. At age 22, Erica felt worthless and tried to kill herself and ended up in a local hospital.

“I looked out the window and saw a mom at a park playing with her kids. I thought, ‘Why can’t I just be normal like that?’”

A year later, Erica got on her knees and prayed, surrendering everything to God. She said He spoke to her and told her he had the power to help her change. Up until this moment, Erica says she spent her entire life feeling restless, anxious and hateful toward the world. Through God, Erica says she has learned how to be a good mom again.

Erica was hired by Awaken in 2019 to work as the Drop-in Center coordinator in order to help heal other women and help them escape from a life of sex trafficking.

“I am very grateful. It feels so good. I don’t have to come here and change who I am. I’ve never met a more supportive group of people in my life.”

She said this is truly her dream job and a privilege she doesn’t take lightly.

“Sometimes it’s heartbreaking when they don’t want help yet or they aren’t ready. But I couldn’t work anywhere else.”

Angela’s Story

Mon, 08 May 2023 17:25:34 GMT

Angela's Story

Five years ago, Angela says she would have done just about anything for a hit of crystal meth. Even if a man only had five dollars to give her, she says she was desperate enough that she’d take it anyway. Her addictions were an endless cycle.

“My pimp would beat me up and force me to make money for him. I had to do drugs to stay awake long enough to make the money he needed. And I had to make money to buy the drugs. He controlled my habit. He controlled everything.”

Angela’s childhood was extremely hard. She was surrounded by drug addiction, alcohol abuse and prostitution from a young age. And when she was just 19, she was devastated when she found her mother’s dead body on their living room couch.

“I tried to resuscitate her, but I couldn’t. She was already cold. My mom’s death really rocked me.”

Later that year, Angela went to jail for the first time for prostitution. When she got out, she was evicted from her apartment and became homeless, spending the next ten years of her life in and out of shelters and motels on Reno’s downtown Fourth Street corridor. Angela’s life was controlled by one man—her pimp—and he owned several other women besides her. She said he took the money she made, beat her up constantly, and destroyed her things if she didn’t do exactly what he wanted. It wasn’t until her trafficker went to prison that she found Awaken and finally opened herself up to a new life path.

“Without Awaken, I don’t know where I would be. They are so supportive and loving and kind and understanding. My story is real: the good, the bad and the ugly. They were able to see me right where I am, to pull me out from shame and hiding.”

While 34-year-old Angela is now five years sober and living in her own apartment with a cat and a car of her own, her past drug abuse has irreversibly impacted her health. She now lives with severe congestive heart failure and pulmonary artery hypertension. It takes ten different medications just to enable Angela to walk, talk and breathe. When she got sober, it was mostly because she was far too sick to continue her destructive lifestyle.

“I’ve been sick for three years. I have a heart pump and a CPAP machine. Some days are better than others, but sometimes I feel like I just want to die. At Awaken, I go to therapy and groups to keep focused and stay positive. I feel encouraged by seeing other girls come in and change their lives around. That’s what makes life worthwhile for me.”

Angela now works as a mentor and advocate at the Awaken Drop-In Center, where she helps connect other trafficking victims with resources to help them escape from their captivity. She says she owes her life to Awaken, and she is proud to share her story with other women who are suffering and stuck in the cycle of human trafficking.

“It feels so good to know that my story matters. I’m so happy to be where I am. I want to be clean. I want to be at Awaken. The other women have to want it too. I like to show them, ‘look what I can do.’ I want to give them hope and encouragement and strength.”

The Key to Ending Sex-Trafficking

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:10:09 GMT

Governments and citizens around the world are debating: Should Prostitution be Legal. When the purchase of sex, brothel keeping, and pimping are made legal the demand for commercial sex increases, causing a rise in sex trafficking.

Won by One: Ted Talk

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:05:33 GMT

Won by One: Ending the Game of Sex-Trafficking

In the game of trafficking, who are the key players, what are the recruitment tactics that traffickers often use, and how can we end the game? Through a real life look at trafficking, Jen Robinson outlines the inner workings and common misconceptions through the story of one brave survivor. Jen holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Nevada, Reno. She and Melissa Holland co-founded Awaken in 2011. Jen is currently co-chairperson of the Prevention committee on the State of Nevada’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Coalition. Jen enjoys building strong, trust-filled relationships with the women and children Awaken serves. She is dedicated and passionate, and truly believes she will see commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking eradicated in northern Nevada and around the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Is Prostitution a Choice?

Sun, 29 Jan 2023 19:21:23 GMT

What are CSE and Sex Trafficking?

Many organizations, including federal agencies such as the FBI , recognize sex trafficking as modern-day slavery.

Nevada’s had a legalized sex trade for 48 years and its illegal sex trade is the largest in the country — 63 percent larger than the next largest state. A 2013 study in the European Journal of Law and Economics compared data from countries that had legalized prostitution versus those that hadn’t. It found that sex trafficking is “most prevalent in countries where prostitution is legalized.” Sex buyers in Nevada are notoriously unconcerned with accessing sex legally or illegally — and many don’t know the difference. Women and children have paid the price for Nevada’s laws and 71% of those sold for sex in Nevada are at risk of having been trafficked.

The entire practice of sex buying has become normalized in Nevada; the community has become groomed. Traffickers come to Nevada to recruit women and children for the sex trade and have even bragged that this is the easiest state in which to recruit because the laws have done much of the work for them. When prostitution is a legal business and viewed as “a job like any other” then it gets the same access and opportunities as any other business. Pimps run for office, go into high schools for career day, work as coaches for high school girls track teams. Awaken has worked with survivors from every high school in the Reno/Sparks area. No school is safe when the demand for sex is high and legal.

The legal sex trade gives permission for the dehumanization of women -which spirals into further negative consequences. Nevada consistently ranks first in the nation for domestic violence fatalities, third in the nation for rape/sexual assault; and fourth in the nation for the women to be murdered by men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) indicates that 48.1 percent of the women living in Nevada have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner. Studies show that 71 percent of prostituted women are physically assaulted on the job; 68 percent experience post-traumatic stress at the same levels as combat veterans and victims of torture; and 89 percent wish to escape prostitution. In 2017, the Violence Policy Center ranked Nevada second across the nation in the rate of women murdered by men, after analyzing 2015 homicide data. Black women are affected at disproportionate rates. According to the study, men murdered black women at more than twice the rate of white women.

Is Prostitution a Job?

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 19:13:39 GMT

Is Prostitution a Job?

Some say prostitution is just a job—but the statistics and stories of prostituted women paint a very different picture. Share this video and help tell the world prostitution is not a job.

Should Prostitution be Legal?

Tue, 24 Jan 2023 19:17:33 GMT

Should Prostitution be Legal?

Nevada is Not Safe for Women

Mon, 23 Jan 2023 19:25:46 GMT

Nevada is Not Safe for Women

Survivor of sex trafficking, Rebekah Charleston, together with other survivors of sexual exploitation and violence have released a blistering video denouncing Nevada for legal prostitution—a legal framework which fuels sexual exploitation and violence.

This video comes following Charleston’s federal lawsuit to end legal brothels after she was sex trafficked in two of them.

The video was released in association with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Valiant Hearts, Awaken, Exodus Cry, and World Without Exploitation.

What is Sex Trafficking?

Tue, 26 Jul 2022 23:03:42 GMT

What is Sex Trafficking?

The 2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act defines sex trafficking as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not obtained 18 years of age.
Child Sex Trafficking – When a child (under 18 years of age) is induced to perform a commercial sex act, proving force, fraud, or coercion against their pimp is not necessary for the offense to be characterized as human trafficking. There are no exceptions to this rule: no cultural or socioeconomic rationalizations should prevent the rescue of children from sexual servitude. The use of children in the commercial sex trade is prohibited both under U.S. law and by statute in most countries around the world. Sex trafficking has devastating consequences for minors, including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and even death.
Prostitution is a sexual act in exchange for money or anything of value (drugs, shelter, etc.)
Pimp/Trafficker/Facilitator refers to the person(s) using force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sexual exploitation and collaborators who benefit financially.
Many organizations, including federal agencies such as the FBI , recognize sex trafficking as modern-day slavery.

Statistics

Adjusted for population, Nevada’s commercial sex market is by far the largest of any state.

At least 5,016 individuals are sold for sex in an average month in Nevada. Nevada’s number of prostituted persons per capita is 63% larger than the next largest state of New York, and more than twice as many as in California.
Legalized prostitution appears to have done nothing to stem victimization within the illicit sex trade — the data in the study show that prostituted persons in the illegal trade around licensed brothels are at a similar risk of having been trafficked as those in areas without legal brothels.

More than 13% of Nevada prostituted persons are advertised under the age of 21.

More than 1 out of every 10 prostituted persons in Nevada is too young to buy alcohol. These young individuals are almost twice as likely to “travel” while being prostituted compared to those who are 21 and older.
Many prostituted persons are advertised for their youth, regardless of their stated age. For example, phrases like “fresh meat,” “brand new” and “daddy’s little girl” are all used to connote the youth of sex workers.

Youth is an important characteristic sought by sex buyers in Nevada.

Evidence of the importance of youth to sex buyers in Nevada comes from the advertised prices of young prostituted persons. The data show higher prices are charged for younger females in Nevada.
The data put Nevada in the top ten states in the country in terms of youth of prostituted persons.

This study was commissioned by Awaken and research was funded by the Nebraska Women’s Foundation of Omaha. Study design, data collection, and analyses were devised and implemented independently by HTI. Several outside reviewers gave commendations of the report. The research team retained full and exclusive authority in deciding whether and how to respond to comments from outside reviewers, and as such is fully and solely responsible for the report’s findings and interpretations.

UPDATE APRIL 2018:

“Backpage.com and affiliated websites have been seized as part of an enforcement action by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, with analytical assistance from the Joint Regional Intelligence Center.”

Global Statistics

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that more than 40 million people around the world were victims of modern slavery in 2016.
At any given time in 2016, 4.8 million people were victims of forced sexual exploitation . On average, they are held for 23.4 months in their situation before escaping or being freed. The vast majority are women and girls. Children represent more than 20% of the victims.
ILO estimates that annual profits per victim of sexual exploitation is $21,800 .
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) notes that children make up almost a third of all human trafficking victims worldwide and women and girls comprise 71 percent of human trafficking victims.
UNODC estimates the total market value of illicit human trafficking at 32 billion US dollars .

National Statistics

More than 31,600 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the last eight years. The Hotline receives an average of 100 calls per day.
One out of every three adolescents on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home according to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children.
The National Runaway Switchboard estimates that on any given night there are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth living unsupervised on the streets, in abandoned buildings, with friends, or with strangers. Homeless youth are at a higher risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, substance abuse, and death.
In 2016, an estimated one out of six endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims. Of those, 86 percent were in the care of social services or foster care when they ran.
Several studies have found that 50 to 72 percent of women in street prostitution have experienced severe violence at the hands of buyers, pimps/traffickers, and police officers.
A report from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Urban Institute found that pimps surveyed from eight major U.S. cities cited making anywhere between $5,000 to $32,833 per week .

To learn more about what CSE and sex trafficking look like in Nevada, please download the full report.

Sex Trafficking Indicators

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 23:23:11 GMT

Sex-Trafficking Red Flags:

Recruitment Methods:

Helpful Definitions

Sex Trafficking: The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not obtained 18 years of age (2015 Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act).

Child Sex Trafficking: When a child (under 18 years of age) is induced to perform a commercial sex act, proving force, fraud, or coercion against their pimp is not necessary for the offense to be characterized as human trafficking. There are no exceptions to this rule: no cultural or socioeconomic rationalizations should prevent the rescue of children from sexual servitude. The use of children in the commercial sex trade is prohibited both under U.S. law and by statute in most countries around the world. Sex trafficking has devastating consequences for minors, including long-lasting physical and psychological trauma, disease (including HIV/AIDS), drug addiction, unwanted pregnancy, malnutrition, social ostracism, and even death.

Prostitution: A sexual act in exchange for money or anything of value (drugs, shelter, etc.)

Pimp/Trafficker/Facilitator: The person(s) using force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sexual exploitation and collaborators who benefit financially.

Situations

Has history of sexual abuse, neglect or domestic violence.
Has family background in commercial sex.
Is displaced by social or natural disaster.
Is part of an undocumented, stateless, or ostracized group.
Is experiencing poverty or family economic strain.
Is experiencing unstable or inconsistent family conditions (i.e., parental absence or neglect, substance abuse, physical/sexual/emotional abuse, multiple foster homes).
Is running away or is a truant.
Has low self-esteem or self-worth.
Is experimenting with risky sexual behaviors or drugs.

Locations

Strip clubs, bars, exotic dance clubs, adult bookstores, modeling studios, or massage parlors.
Pornography, online ads, chat services, or sexual services publicized on the Internet or in newspapers.
Escort services, dating services, or prostitution.
The streets (i.e. "tracks").

Conditions

Is not free to leave or come and go as he/she wishes; unable to leave home or place of work; or cannot leave the premises unless escorted.
Is under 18 years old and performs commercial sex acts.
Is in the commercial sex industry and has a pimp/manager.
Is unpaid, paid very little, or paid only through tips.
Owes a large debt and is unable to pay it off.
Was recruited through false promises concerning the nature and conditions of his/her work.
Works and/or lives in locations with high security measures (e.g. opaque windows, boarded up windows, bars on the insides of windows, barbed wire inside of fences, locked doors, isolated location, security cameras, etc.).
Lives at the same premises as the brothel, work site, or employer or are driven between quarters and "work" by a guard.
Has a trafficker who may act as a translator or insist on being present and/or translating; may be unable to speak for oneself or share one’s own information; information is provided by someone accompanying the individual; or may seem to adhere to scripted or rehearsed responses in social interaction.
Lives with multiple people in cramped space.
Has large amounts of cash and condoms, customer logbook or receipt book ("trick book"), spare rooms, or constant traffic of men at his/her home or work location.
Has sudden presence of an older boyfriend or is excessively monitored or controlled by parents, a supposed guardian, older partner, or ‘sponsor’ who claims to provide for their upbringing and needs.
Has few or no personal possessions; is not in control of his/her own money; has no financial records or bank account; appears destitute/lacks personal possessions; or lacks private space.
Is not in control of his/her own identification documents (ID or passport) or employer is holding identity documents.
Checks into hotels/motels with older males, and refers to those males as boyfriend or “daddy” which is often street slang for pimp.
Is frequently moved by a trafficker.
Has poor living conditions.
Is unable to speak with other individuals alone.
Has stopped attending school (if child).

Symptoms

Is detached or (suddenly) isolated from the majority of family members, friends, community organizations, or houses of worship.
Has had a sudden or dramatic change in behavior.
Is unable to give answers about schedule or living and work locations/conditions.
Has numerous inconsistencies in his/her story or contradictory personal information (age, place of birth, family life).
Experiences noticeable change in dress, jewelry, hair or nails without explainable source of income.
Shows signs of physical or sexual abuse, physical restraint, injuries from beatings or weapons, confinement, or torture (bruises, cuts, burns, cigarette burns, submissiveness, broken bones, scarring, malnourishment, or untreated medical problems); appears fearful, jumpy, anxious, depressed, overly submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid or avoids eye contact, especially after bringing up law enforcement; lacks health care; is dehydrated; or has poor personal hygiene.
Suffers from substance abuse problems (alcohol and/or drugs), shock and denial, post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, sleep or eating disorders, sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis, hepatitis, reproductive health problems, pelvic pain and injuries from sexual assault or forced abortions, urinary tract infections, or untreated chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, or cardiovascular disease.
Carries multiple hotel key cards, lots of money, sharp objects (weapons).
Has a tattoo with a name that is not his/her own or that he/she is reluctant to explain or has tattoos/ branding on the neck and/or lower back.
Has claims of just visiting and inability to clarify where he/she is staying/address, lack of knowledge of whereabouts; does not know what city he/she is in; has a loss of sense of time or space; or has limited knowledge about how to get around in a community.
Has evidence of being controlled either physically or psychologically.
Develops general feelings of helplessness, shame, guilt, self-blame, and humiliation; has become emotionally numb, detached, and disassociated from physical and psychological trauma and displays a “flat affect”; experiences “trauma bonding” with the trafficker; positively identifies with the trafficker and believes that, despite repeated abuse, the trafficker is a loving boyfriend, spouse, or parent; or suffers from verbal or psychological abuse designed to intimidate, degrade and frighten the individual

Nevada's Trafficking Statistics

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 22:50:17 GMT

“In truth, generating valid, reliable, and current data is challenging. The sex industry in the U.S. is, for the most part, illegal. Those who buy and those who sell their bodies for sexual exploitation are often reluctant to admit to their behavior, and thus difficult to reach with normal research methods such as random sampling surveys. This makes it quite difficult to ascertain answers to even the most basic questions, such as “What is the scope of the sex trade? How many people in this country are trafficked for sexual exploitation?” “How many people are buying sex?”…Utilizing only reputable data, being willing to say “we don’t know” when we don’t, and funding more and better research are the only ways we can overcome this fundamental problem.”

— What We Know About Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, and Sexual Exploitation in the U.S.

Nevada's State and Local Statistics

Most of Nevada’s 3 million residents live in either one of two counties — Washoe in northern Nevada with 15 percent of the state’s population and Clark in the south with 72 percent of residents. Prostitution is illegal in Washoe County, but it borders four counties — Churchill, Humboldt, Lyon, and Storey — where prostitution is legal, and those as young as eighteen years old can legally be purchased for sex in a brothel. The demand for commercial sex crosses county borders. In Nevada, where prostitution is legal, the following statistics reveal a high demand for the trafficking of women and children:

Nevada ranks number one in the nation (adjusted for population) for rates of women and children in the sex trade. In Nevada, over 5,000 women and girls are being sold for sex illegally online at any point in time, 1,500 of which are northern Nevada. Based on this data and Awaken’s own work, it is estimated 300 children are sold in this region at any given point in time.
“Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (e.g., commercial sexual exploitation of minors) is the most common form of trafficking seen in Nevada,” according to the VOCA Needs Assessment Gaps Analysis.
Nevada ranks in the top 10 in the nation for human trafficking cases reported (the most common form of trafficking in Nevada is sex trafficking).
In 2017, Nevada ranked first per capita in the nation for prostitution and commercialized vice arrests for minors under 18.
Nevada had the highest rate of prostitution and commercialized vice arrests for all ages in 2017.
Nevada ranked second for number of commercial sex act offenses in the FBI Human Trafficking Data Collection Report for 2018.
Nevada ranks 7th in number of human trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, despite being one of the least populous states in the nation. In 2018, Nevada ranked third in the nation for forcible rape.

Women in Reno Experience Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Mapping Commercial Sex Advertising around Reno, NV

Nevada’s Online Commercial Sex Trade

Adjusted for population, Nevada’s commercial sex market is by far the largest of any state.

At least 5,016 individuals are sold for sex in an average month in Nevada. Nevada’s number of prostituted persons per capita is 63% larger than the next largest state of New York, and more than twice as many as in California.
Legalized prostitution appears to have done nothing to stem victimization within the illicit sex trade — the data in the study show that prostituted persons in the illegal trade around licensed brothels are at a similar risk of having been trafficked as those in areas without legal brothels.

More than 13% of Nevada prostituted persons are advertised under the age of 21.

More than 1 out of every 10 prostituted persons in Nevada is too young to buy alcohol. These young individuals are almost twice as likely to “travel” while being prostituted compared to those who are 21 and older.
Many prostituted persons are advertised for their youth, regardless of their stated age. For example, phrases like “fresh meat,” “brand new” and “daddy’s little girl” are all used to connote the youth of sex workers.

Youth is an important characteristic sought by sex buyers in Nevada.

Evidence of the importance of youth to sex buyers in Nevada comes from the advertised prices of young prostituted persons. The data show higher prices are charged for younger females in Nevada.
The data put Nevada in the top ten states in the country in terms of youth of prostituted persons.

UPDATE APRIL 2018:

Global Statistics

T he International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that more than 40 million people around the world were victims of modern slavery in 2016.
At any given time in 2016, 4.8 million people were victims of forced sexual exploitation . On average, they are held for 23.4 months in their situation before escaping or being freed. The vast majority are women and girls. Children represent more than 20% of the victims.
ILO estimates that annual profits per victim of sexual exploitation is $21,800 .
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) notes that children make up almost a third of all human trafficking victims worldwide and women and girls comprise 71 percent of human trafficking victims.
UNODC estimates the total market value of illicit human trafficking at 32 billion US dollars .

National Statistics

More than 31,600 total cases of human trafficking have been reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the last eight years. The Hotline receives an average of 100 calls per day.
One out of every three adolescents on the street will be lured toward prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home according to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children.
The National Runaway Switchboard estimates that on any given night there are approximately 1.3 million homeless youth living unsupervised on the streets, in abandoned buildings, with friends, or with strangers. Homeless youth are at a higher risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, substance abuse, and death.
In 2016, an estimated one out of six endangered runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were likely child sex trafficking victims. Of those, 86 percent were in the care of social services or foster care when they ran.
Several studies have found that 50 to 72 percent of women in street prostitution have experienced severe violence at the hands of buyers, pimps/traffickers, and police officers.
A report from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Urban Institute found that pimps surveyed from eight major U.S. cities cited making anywhere between $5,000 to $32,833 per week .

To learn more about what CSE and sex trafficking look like in Nevada, please download the full report.

Awaken Celebrates Juneteenth

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 23:51:00 GMT

Awaken recognizes, honors and celebrates Juneteenth, celebrating the commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. We also realize the work is far from over. Sadly, we have an up-close look at how women and girls of color are still targeted as victims in the commercial sex trade both nationally and in our own community.

The commercial sex trade, also known as Modern Day Slavery is highly gendered, causing a disproportionate amount of harm to women and girls. Modern day slavery also has strong racial biases disproportionally subjecting minority women and girls to sexual and physical violence and acts of racism.

BLACK GIRLS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AT-RISK

Studies report that Black girls become trafficked at younger ages compared to their racial counterparts. They are more likely to experience poverty, and consequently more likely to be disconnected from schools and other community supports. According to the FBI, Black children comprise 53% of all juvenile prostitution arrests—more than any other racial group.

Even in communities where a small percentage of the population is Black, Black girls are disproportionately trafficked. At Awaken, 48% of our participants report as a woman or girl of color: 13% or our participants identify as Black. However, in Washoe County just 2.8% of the population reports as Black. This discrepancy shows just how disproportionate women and girls of color are being targeted for sexual exploitation in our community.

One participant who wishes to remain anonymous, was brave enough to describe the racism and exploitation she experienced as a woman of color inside one of Nevada’s brothels. “I was humiliated when a staff member at the brothel told me to go to my room when certain racist men would enter the brothel so they wouldn’t have to see me. I can’t count the number of times I was called a big nigger. One client told me I was an old black horse that needed to be put down. Once a brothel staff member told me he wanted me to dress up like a slave and do a photo shoot with a man dressed in KKK attire standing above me. I faced racism like this on a regular basis during my 10 years on and off in the brothels.”

Awaken stands in solidarity with women and girls of color, recognizing the harms that have been coming to them for generations, and unfortunately continue to come to them in the form of Modern Day Slavery right here in our own community. At Awaken, we stand against racism and we stand against hate. We believe everyone deserves to be free, especially from Modern Day Slavery.

The post Awaken Celebrates Juneteenth appeared first on Awaken .

Fighting the Good Fight Together in Love

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 23:48:00 GMT

We Need to Discuss the Intersection of Racism and Human Trafficking

By Dr. Brook Parker-Bello, founder and CEO of More Too Life, Inc and Freelance writer and More Too Life Volunteer Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer.

Both here in the United States and all over the world, human trafficking is a violent issue of trauma and exploitation. But on a macro level, it’s a product of racial and economic injustice too. This unequal power dynamic exerted by the trafficker to control a victim is no different than the sociopolitical systems created to marginalize certain races and skin colors or the poor. In fact, there’s a reason that human trafficking is also known to some as modern day enslavement—because the sale and perceived ownership or control over the lives of human beings has not been abolished. When we use the term abolished, we mean it has not been completely or systemically erased from the hearts of many, and this has profound, negative effects on our culture.

It’s worth noting that in the era post-slavery, paramours’ rights existed, whereby a non-Black male violator could take or even pull a female of Color—child or adult—out of their home or anywhere else and violate her without any just or true legal recourse. As a woman of faith I understand all too well that darkness is done by all. However, scriptures or beliefs from most world religions or ways of life believe in fighting against all injustice and that will remain urgent as it relates to the growing number of violated and trafficked children and adults around the world, whether it be labor or sex.

Today, as we relate this to all forms of human trafficking, it’s clear that slavery has been repackaged in a more covert, insidious way. Although innocent, free human beings of all racial or ethnic groups are trafficked, research shows that people in Black, Indigenous, Asian or Latinx communities are more vulnerable to exploitation. The U.S., where racism has been entrenched for 400 years, is no exception. While the USA is my favorite place and there is immense greatness here, we do have challenges and bigotry must be abolished so that empathy can prevail.

UCLA Law Review writes, “Race intersects with other forms of subordination—gender, class and age—to push people of color disproportionately into prostitution and keep them trapped in the commercial sex industry…Moreover, today’s anti-trafficking movement has failed to understand and address the racial contours of domestic sex trafficking in the United States and even perpetuates the racial myths that undermine the proper identification of minority youth as sex trafficking victims.”

Do I believe this assertion is true? Not entirely; however, there are many victims—in particular, boys and girls of Color, and White children too—who are locked in juvenile detention centers and commitment programs all over the U.S. for crimes related to being trafficked. Many of these youth have suffered histories of sexual violence which has attacked and deluged their souls. This unfair treatment can lead to enormous collateral damage. Children must be believed, supported, and allowed the carefully orchestrated time and space to heal in loving and empowering homes where they can discover their true identities.

Because systemic injustices affect people of Color and the poor— thereby all people, as well as the uneducated—at higher rates than others, many women and children of marginalized demographics are coerced into human trafficking as a result of the desperate circumstances around them. Foster care placement, homeless or runaway crises, economic disparities, undocumented immigration, unequal academic resources, food insecurity, broken or separated families, mass incarceration, physical and sexual violence, or drug addictions can all make someone vulnerable to being trafficked.

And it’s no coincidence that people of color and those in poverty are often subjected to these issues—most, if not all, of which are outside their control. In many cases, these under-resourced communities are a direct funnel into the bondage of traffickers. Even worse, these marginalized victims of human trafficking are often at an increased risk for what sociologists and criminal justice reform activists call the “Abuse to Prison Pipeline.”

The Washington D.C. based nonprofit Rights4Girls reveals that “child sex trafficking victims are viewed as perpetrators in many jurisdictions, causing them to be arrested and incarcerated for prostitution and other offenses related to their exploitation…Girls still account for 78% of juvenile prostitution arrests. Black children are arrested for prostitution more than any other racial group, comprising 52% of all juvenile arrests for prostitution…Victims of child sex trafficking, [as stated, can also] be arrested on ‘masking charges,’ or offenses they commit as a direct result of their exploitation.” These might include substance abuse, loitering, or status offenses like truancy, curfew violations and running away. It’s a failure of the system that these arrestable misdemeanors are also frequent indications of human trafficking.

In addition to the criminalized view of Black and Brown people in courts of law, the media is also responsible for disseminating harmful biases and stereotypes against these races. One common example is the hyper-sexualization of women and girls of Color in television, music, film and other areas of mainstream culture. Because marginalized bodies are so often commodified and objectified in Western media, this can make it difficult for society at large to see them as victims of a non-consenting power differential.

This moment in America’s public consciousness is both historic and long-overdue. For the first time post the Civil Rights Era, all eyes and ears of this nation are tuned into the collective racial traumas inflicted on the communities of Color, and thus, the whole of humanity. An unprecedented number of our White brothers and sisters have started to recognize the institutional racism which has existed at the core of some U.S. systems since colonizers arrived on this soil. The experiences, voices and interests of marginalized races are being lifted which is a positive stride in the direction of equality—but the injustices of human trafficking must be part of this wider conversation.

Based on statistics released by the Polaris Project in 2018, out of the U.S. human trafficking victims identified and rescued by this organization in that year alone, an estimated 5,413 were Latinx, Black, Asian or multi-ethnic, while 989 were Caucasian. Once again, this is not to dispute the fact that White individuals are trafficked, and we care for them and love all but as the data shows, it does affect people of Color at a much higher rate of incidence.

On its own, human trafficking is an enormous violation of basic freedom and dignity. But when intersected with centuries of racial trauma and other discrimination, the result is an unfathomable atrocity on the mind, soul and body of each marginalized victim. So just as economic status discrimination, racism or bigotry plays an active role in human trafficking, racial justice also needs to inform how this exploitation is combatted and how victims are empowered to heal. To that end, More Too Life, an Open Doors Outreach Network Provider, is tirelessly committed to protect vulnerable communities from the threat of human trafficking on the frontlines, while providing safety, restoration, mentorship, housing, mental health support and education to those impacted by this modern slavery. Our mission for over 15 years now has been to eradicate human trafficking on a local, national and even global scope. We do this holistically—through innovation and technology—with the services, resources and opportunities below:

Coming Home Online Case Management System and Mobile Application

Another measure of ensuring access to trauma-informed and applied victim services, which protects the safety and confidentiality of victims, is our development and utilization of the revolutionary Coming Home online system and mobile application. Coming Home is a dedicated life mentoring and anti-human trafficking tool which can be accessed through the link https://ComingHome.app .

To date, Coming Home is the nation’s only secure interactive application with an integrated online case management system that provides More Too Life’s partners, mentees and human trafficking victims a reliable means to receive life coaching and mentoring. Coming Home facilitates real-time chatting, journaling, offline mentoring and other resources to serve as a learning companion to clients, mentees, survivors, youth mentees and others.

Additional features, such as video communication and location-based alerts, are currently in preparation for launch. Users can access the intuitive eLearning library, find resources across the U.S., and report a crime in over 200 countries through connected national hotlines. Users can also call 911 directly from the application and utilize the camouflage feature for privacy. Coming Home also enables mentees to report potential trafficking behavior. This online system provides a strong and safe bridge of connection to form relationships, send reminders of appointments, overcome challenges or pursue goals, and communicate in a meaningful way.

Coming Home provides vital safety features for at-risk individuals, victims, service providers and law enforcement such as location-based services, geo-fencing and tip reporting and a chameleon screen for user protection. Availability of this innovative resource enables a safer, balanced, and more sustainable lifestyle for mentees, victims, youth and young adults, or even at-risk violators. In the persistent fight to end human trafficking, creation of the Coming Home Online System and Application has further empowered More Too Life to create a world free of exploitation. Moreover, with the rapid changes in virtual interaction, it addresses the need for a digital tool to accommodate service gaps both in Florida and across the globe. We invite you to join us in this crusade to make the rescue, healing and prevention of human trafficking more equitable for those of every race and color. Liberty and justice for all exists for the survivors of human trafficking too, so it’s time we unite to restore these unalienable rights to anyone who has suffered the abuse and subjugation of a trafficker. Enslavement is a continuous reality in this world—but we can come together to abolish it at the systemic, ideological roots where racial divides still persist. To learn more about how you can become a warrior for justice and human rights, visit MoreTooLife.org .

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Won by One: Ending the Game of Sex Trafficking

Mon, 30 Mar 2020 22:37:00 GMT

Jen Robinson | TEDxUniversityofNevada

We are so excited to share with you a TEDx talk by Awaken’s Co-founder, Jen Robinson. We ask you to take 13 minutes and watch this amazing, informative talk about the realities of sex trafficking and how you can make a difference in the life of one person. Who is your one?

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Nevada Is Not Safe For Women

Mon, 30 Dec 2019 23:15:00 GMT

For the first time in three years, opportunities for women around the world, in terms of education, health and politics, have closed in on those afforded to men, according to a new report released on Monday by the World Economic Forum.

At the top of the list is Iceland. Iceland, for 11 years in a row, is elevating women by closing their gender gaps. Coincidentally, Iceland is also a country I’ve been paying attention to for many years, and not just because it’s on my bucket list to visit. Iceland has been on my radar for a very different reason: their laws on human rights issues, specifically those that establish a culture free from the sexual exploitation of women.

In Iceland, prostitution is not illegal, but buying sex or profiting from prostitution is. In other words, their law decriminalizes all those who are prostituted, provides supportive services to help them exit, and makes buying people for sex a criminal offense, in order to reduce the demand that drives sex trafficking. In fact, 4 of the top 10 countries (Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Ireland) who have closed the gender gap, have this law on prostitution! That’s why it’s called the equality model. It recognizes that the person purchasing sex has an economic advantage. The sex buyer uses money, power and privilege to extract sex from someone with less money, power and privilege. “Prostitution is, in reality, very simple. It is sex between two people- between one who wants it and one who doesn’t. Since desire is absent, payment takes its place.” -Kajsa Ekis Ekman

The disparity between Iceland and Nevada couldn’t be further apart. In Nevada, it is lawful to both buy and sell sex, and one consequence of this is that Nevada has become a breeding ground for sex trafficking: Nevada’s illegal sex trade is the highest of any other state in our country. It is 63 percent larger than the next highest state. Sadly, the data also reveals that Nevada is in the top 10 states in the country for trafficked youth. The traffickers brag that recruiting in Nevada is the easiest because the laws have done half the work for them.

And those aren’t the only consequences: women in Nevada are sold, raped, beaten, assaulted, kidnapped and murdered at levels high above the national average: Nevada consistently ranks first in the nation for domestic violence fatalities, third in the nation for rape/sexual assault; fourth in the nation for women to be murdered by men. According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) almost half of the women (48.1%) living in Nevada have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner.

When prostitution is legitimized, then the entire practice of exploitation is normalized; when prostitution is viewed as “a job like any other,” it then gets the same access and opportunities as any other business. Pimps can run for office. A current county commissioner and pimp even came up with an event called “ Hunt a Ho ” where men with paintball guns get to run around the desert hunting women who work for him.

In other words, the entire community inadvertently becomes groomed. In RGJ’s recent podcast series called The City , a Reno strip club owner was portrayed as a misunderstood good guy, and a victim to be empathized with. This man owns 3 strip clubs, and is a local high school track coach.

Let me repeat myself: when prostitution is legitimized, the entire community inadvertently becomes groomed and does things like allow strip club owners to coach high school girls’ sports, and then portrays his sad childhood of being bullied as his excuse to exploit others.

The City’s portrayal of this poor powerful strip club owner, reminds me of the recent Harvey Weinstein interview where he stated he “ feels like a forgotten man ” and deserves a “ pat on the back when it comes to women .” Weinstein’s lawyer recently asked the judge for mercy on his $45 million dollar lawsuit because it is just “ too much to bear .”

The culture in Nevada accepting pimps as politicians and strip club owners into high school positions of authority is no different than Prince Andrew not regretting his relationship with child trafficker and rapists Jeffery Epstein because it proved “ actually very useful .” But useful to who Nevada?

In Iceland, strip shows themselves are illegal. In fact, the promotion of nudity to attract customers to a particular venue or event, private dancing, and the fraternization of clients are also illegal. And their laws on consent are clear. Consent must be clearly and voluntarily expressed. The consent burden is on the accused – rather than the court focusing on whether the victim said ‘no’ or tried to fight back, the accused will have to prove the other person consented. By comparison, Nevada’s culture seems to be more interested in finding empathy for predators.

Nevada would do right by re-examining this culture of exploitation, and how it infects our sense of intimacy: if a man tries to have sex with a woman who doesn’t want to have sex with him, we call that sexual harassment. If he goes further and has sex with her anyway, we call that rape. However, in Nevada, if he uses money to convince her to have sex with him, it seems to confuse everyone. The money the sex buyer leaves behind represents his privilege to pay to rebrand his act of rape and call it consent. Iceland is clear in their understanding of consent. His money would never serve as evidence of consent. That payment only provides the sex buyer with the narrative that he did not harm her. He even gets to think she liked it.

Allowing men to buy sex only aligns with his fantasy. It is not the reality of the survivor. The sex buyer and the community are then groomed to believe he didn’t cause any real harm and our law protects his fantasy. This only further perpetuates inequality. We as a society must end our blind loyalty to the sex buyers, the Weinstein’s, the Epstein’s, strip club and brothel owners and learn to stand for equality in our community.

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The Community Gave How Much?!

Fri, 13 Dec 2019 19:01:00 GMT

The Awaken Banquet was a huge success thanks to you!

With your support, we’ve witnessed hundreds of lives changed, women and children healed, and a community begin to unite. Together we’ve accomplished so much. This year at the Awaken Banquet you blew us away by helping us raise over $340,000 ! Victims who once wondered if their lives mattered to anyone discovered there are people like you, who do care about them.

In case you missed the banquet, you can watch Jen share the story of one brave youth that was exploited, along with Awaken’s 2020 plan to open up a specialized holistic educational and restorative school for youth who have been trafficked. You can also watch my banquet talk where I share about the parallels of our community breaking our silence while a survivor breaks hers. I also share additional 2020 initiatives to increase our services by creating programs specific to the women we work with. These programs will offer a continuum of services that range in therapeutic opportunities so that many more women will have access to the perfect level of care they need.

The women and children we work with come to us having experienced the darkest side of humanity. Your contribution makes our work possible. The fight to end exploitation in our community is not easy, but because of you, it’s also not ours to fight alone. You can help us stop this abuse and succeed in our 2020 initiatives by donating before the end of the year . Your contribution will help victims and get us closer to achieving our vision of one day ending the prostitution and trafficking of women and children in our community. Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,
Melissa Holland
Co-Founder and Executive Director

GIVE

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Fifty-five Nevada Survivors Tell D.C. Not to Fully Decriminalize Prostitution

Thu, 31 Oct 2019 23:21:00 GMT

Today 55 survivors, all whom had been sold and exploited in Nevada unified their voices to tell the Washington D.C. City Council they wholeheartedly disagree with fully decriminalizing the sex trade. Their words below describe the horrendous results of having lived and been exploited in a state where a legal sex trade exists.

Dear Chairman Allen and Members of the Committee:

We, the undersigned are survivors of the commercial sex trade in the state of Nevada. We have written this letter in opposition to the Community Safety and Health Amendment Act of 2019. Nevada is the one place in the country that has implemented something similar to what D.C. is proposing to do; however, what Washington, D.C. aims to do with decriminalization is actually worse than legalization. Many in our state also believed legalizing prostitution would help make it safer. That has not been the case for survivors of the legal sex trade. Nevada’s legal prostitution has rolled out the red carpet for sex buyers from all over the world. Traffickers use many avenues to sell their victims, including legal brothels. For many of us, that meant being trafficked into and out of Nevada. For others, it meant we were groomed into prostitution simply by being raised in a state where it’s legal.

We hope that our lived experiences and voices will be taken into consideration coming from a state where the buying and selling of sex has become normalized. The women who have shared their experiences here represent many others in the legal sex trade who are not yet free to speak their minds. We fully understand the unintended consequences when the buying of sex is normalized and prostitution is treated like a job. The verbal, physical and sexual abuse is always minimized as a result of legalization. Numerous studies show that between 70 and 90 percent of children and women who end up in the commercial sex trade were sexually abused prior to entry. There is no other industry that is dependent upon a regular supply of victims of trauma and abuse. Prostitution is not like any other “job”; this experience is often times full of violence, trauma and pain and not one that the women or children can simply walk away from without serious danger.

Many of us couldn’t keep count of how many times we were assaulted and too scared to fight back. To cope with the rapes, physical assaults, verbal degradation and the humiliation of prostitution, the majority of us abused drugs. Treating prostitution as a job like any other only leads the “customer” to believe he is always right and can get away with any fantasy he desires. Sexual assault is only one of those fantasies. For those of us of color, it was fantasies of racism. We can’t count the number of times we were called a racial slur. Racism from sex buyers is commonplace. Many of our sisters have committed suicide from the trauma we endure in prostitution. Decriminalization will only make this worse.

Many supporters of the bill testified about harsh treatment by law enforcement. Let’s put serious effort and funding into training law enforcement officers to respectfully help the victims, add accountability measures for those who act out of line and violate women and children and punish the criminals: the pimps and buyers.

We ask that you listen to survivors; pimping and buying sex are behaviors that should not be encouraged or tolerated. The premise of decriminalization and legalization is wrong. Legalization has given men who buy sex permission to be degrading, harmful and violent to women. Full decriminalization does not make prostitution safer. Being bought for sex is not harmful because its’ illegal, it is illegal because it’s harmful. We know firsthand the life-long trauma that occurs from being bought and sold for sex. We urge the committee not to pass the cleverly disguised Community Health and Safety Act of 2019.

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What Does All This Mean? Series

Mon, 19 Aug 2019 20:49:00 GMT

Article Two: What Exactly Is Coercion And Why Does It Seem To Be Working?

By Shontell Brewer

It seems every time we open our internet browser we find a news article about someone new being arrested for human trafficking and abuse. Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein who was accused of hiring minors as masseuses and other roles, 308 unnamed offenders responsible for sexually abusing children online, attorney Alan Dershowitz accused of partaking in Epstein’s parties and bad mouthing victims, Gigi Mitchell who trafficked an 11-year-old in Las Vegas, and R. Kelly who is facing charges on child pornography and trafficking, to name a few in the last several weeks. We recently gave you the introduction to this series that will unveil a deeper understanding of these current cases. This week, we are working to explain some of the terminology found in the laws and used by the courts that surround these news events.

One of the buzz words in these trafficking cases is “coercion.” I want to explain what it means and why accused parties seem to throw that word around like it’s a leg to stand on.

Essentially, these traffickers and abusers are using the age old “I didn’t do it” defense. They don’t mean they didn’t commit the crime. There’s been a little too much evidence for them to claim that. What they mean is, “I didn’t coerce her. She wanted it.”

There’s just one big problem with this argument.

If you pay money for sex, it’s coercion.

If you offer food to a starving person in exchange for sex, it’s coercion.

If you pay rent for or give a home to a homeless runaway in exchange for sex, it’s coercion.

If you threaten harm to someone or their family unless that person has sex with you, it’s coercion.

If you are a billionaire and you have your assistant collect some women and children and have them waiting at your house to massage you and do other things in exchange for money, it’s coercion (and sexual assault in the case of the child.)

If you are a belligerent attorney who has defended some of the worst rapist and abusers, and you hire a girl to massage you in exchange for money and her reputation, it’s coercion.

If you offer anything on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to someone who is lacking that thing in exchange for sex, it’s coercion.

These things alone are not a problem. But they become damaging when a person is told, “You can have this (fill in the blank item) if you have sex with me/him.”

So saying, “I won’t pay you money/give you food/keep you safe unless you give me sex in return” is clearly coercion. Why does anyone seem to be falling for coercive tactics? This strategy works because traffickers focus on vulnerability in people. People like Epstein and his cronies know that they have very little to be worried about as long as they pick the right girls.

It’s easy to see why someone would agree to sell themselves for sex when we use this lens. If you’re literally starving, what you will do for food comes with the desperation of being fed. It’s even easier to understand why so many women agree to any of this when we realize saying no means going without having that need met and often threats of violence toward them or their family members.

This understanding is the cultural shift you can help bring about. As you speak about these cases at the water cooler and on back porches over dinner, take this new understanding of coercion and pass it along. Speak to the men, women, and children who are marginalized and help them move from unseen and vulnerable to seen, heard, and safe. When the opportunities present themselves, vote to increase the penalty for pedophiles when they buy a child for sex. Use your vote to bring healthy change and protection for the vulnerable.

Bringing light and understanding to the idea of what coercion is and why it’s not a justification for the behaviors we are seeing in the news is the best form of partnership you can make with us right now. Teaching others in your circles gives us the reach we do not have on our own.

Looking for more ways to get involved? Contact us at AwakenReno.org

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Here’s Why Nevada Is Not Safe for Women

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 23:02:00 GMT

Written by Melissa Holland and Laila Mickelwait

Forty-eight years ago prostitution was legalized in Nevada and as a result, Nevada has developed into a breeding ground for sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

In fact, Nevada has the highest rate of prostitution in the country—its illegal sex trade is 63% higher than the next highest state . It also ranks in the top 10 states for trafficked and exploited youth.

None of this is surprising because research has shown that legal prostitution increases the demand for prostitution and thus increases the market for sex. As a result, there is a significant increase in instances of human trafficking.

For example, in 2012 researchers Seo-Young Cho, Axel Dreher, and Eric Neumayer published their findings in World Development establishing that “The scale effect of legalized prostitution leads to an expansion of the prostitution market, increasing human trafficking… On average, countries where prostitution is legal experience larger reported human trafficking inflows.”

In 2005, another study ¹ on 11 European Union countries, requested by the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, found that stricter prostitution laws seem to produce fewer human trafficking victims .

Furthermore, case studies published by researchers Niklas Jakobsson and Andreas Kotsadam ² support the connection between criminalizing buying sex and reduced human trafficking. Jakobsson and Kotsadam found that sex trafficking is least prevalent in countries where prostitution is illegal and most prevalent in countries where prostitution is legalized.

Nevada is the only state in the US where legal prostitution exists and because of this, the entire state has a reputation for being a safe haven for pimps, traffickers, and sex buyers. As such, legalized prostitution in Nevada has created an enabling environment for sexual exploitation to flourish. In Nevada alone, there is a demand for over 20,000 innocent women and children sold online every year.

In order to abolish sex trafficking, we must eliminate the demand for prostitution. The demand elimination strategy is the only way to put pimps and traffickers out of business and protect the rights of women and children to attain a life free from exploitation.

Women in prostitution shouldn’t be arrested, they should be offered services to help them escape prostitution, heal, and live a life of dignity. Sex buyers, pimps, and traffickers should be arrested and their crimes should be felony-level offenses.

As Nevada trafficking survivor Rebekah Charleston articulates, “To put it candidly, we must stop any system that condones buying human beings for sex . It’s an injustice against our sisters, our friends, our neighbors, and our daughters.”

Legal prostitution in Nevada has brought severe harm to the women and girls who’ve been pulled into prostitution over the last 48 years.

One of the largest studies conducted on prostitution, published in the Journal of Trauma Practice, surveyed 854 prostituted women in nine countries. It concluded that 63% of women in prostitution were raped , 71% were physically assaulted , and 68% met the criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder in the same range as treatment-seeking combat veterans and victims of state-organized torture. ³

It’s time to end the toxic prostitution industry in Nevada. It has to stop. Now. Until it does, Nevada is a haven for exploiters and Nevada is not safe for women.

Please support ending legalized sexual exploitation in Nevada and specifically ask the governor and attorney general of Nevada to withdraw their opposition to the lawsuit that would effectively abolish legalized prostitution in the state. Go to prostitutionharms.com to find out how you can take action today.

Footnotes
1. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2005/360488/IPOL-JOIN_ET%282005%29360488_EN.pdf
2. The Law and Economics of International Sex Slavery: Prostitution Laws and Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation
Niklas Jakobsson and Andreas Kotsadam No 458, Working Papers in Economics from University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics
3. Farley, Melissa et al. (2003). “Prostitution and Trafficking in Nine Countries: An Update on Violence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” Journal of Trauma Practice, Vol. 2, No. 3/4: 33-74; and Farley, Melissa. ed. 2003. Prostitution, Trafficking, and Traumatic Stress. Haworth Press, New York. ; Ramsay, R. et. al. 1993. “Psychiatric morbidity in survivors of organized state violence including torture.” British Journal of Psychiatry. 162:55-59.

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What Does All This Mean? Series

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 23:57:00 GMT

Article One: A Simple Breakdown of the Jeffrey Epstein Case

By Shontell Brewer

In a recent interview with Yasmin Vafa of Rights4Girls, interviewer Lisa Desjardins of PBS NewsHour posed a thought. “I’m wondering how much of this is in plain sight, the problem of child trafficking. How much of this is a cultural kind of ignorance or a shrugging off of a serious problem?” If the recent Jeffrey Epstein case is any indicator of typical then I would say nearly all of it. Much of America is still choosing to normalize or overlook behaviors that lead to child sex trafficking and to traffickers getting away with it.

It isn’t that we don’t know child sex trafficking is happening. It’s happening right here in our America. We have survivor’s stories and statistics and specialized government task forces and non-profits popping up everywhere trying to bring about change.

The problem America is facing is they know children are being sold for sex and not enough is being done to stop it. Instead we get a former prosecutor trying to justify the lenient plea bargain he offered to alleged child rapist, Jeffrey Epstein. We get Epstein’s attorneys defending his actions saying this isn’t considered child sex trafficking because there was no coercion or violence. And we get stories breaking into the news saying Epstein wired money as a possible bribe “to influence individuals” not to testify against him if it came to a trial. These individuals are two people who have been named as co-conspirators in his trafficking scheme. And we get media and lawyers analyzing words to see if these kids were sexually trafficked or just sexually abused. What a fleece.

Everyone involved here has normalized illegality and crazy on a level that attempts to make us forget that over a dozen children (this number is growing as new evidence comes forward) were repeatedly sexually assaulted and will be forever changed from the little girls they had the right to be. They will never get that opportunity back.

As horrendous as this case is, the charges brought against billionaire Jeffrey Epstein have opened lines of dialogue between everyday Americans. We are all beginning to ask questions and seek clarifications. We hope to shed some light on reoccurring subtopics in this case and in general understanding of how child sex trafficking happens in the United States.

This blog series will cover topics such as

Our hope is that you feel better informed as you either follow Epstein’s story and/or find ways to bring small changes (which lead to big changes) in your own community. Maybe we decide to join forces as humans who share this planet and care about the future of our children. Maybe we take on Thorn ’s motto “we won’t stop until every child, can just be a kid.” No matter what we do, we do something.

The post What Does All This Mean? Series appeared first on Awaken .

Ignorance Is Bliss?

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 23:47:00 GMT

By Shontell Brewer

Your Words Could Bring An End To Sex Trafficking, Or Perpetuate It

One of the simplest ways we can prevent child sex trafficking is held in the power of our tongue. Every day, we can be listening deeper to the words we use and the misconceptions we perpetuate that we’ve brought with us from our own homes and backgrounds. We have the ability to shift our words to align with where we want our culture to go instead of remaining stuck in a cycle of inadvertently valuing boys over girls. We have all played a part in this.

Before you start throwing your lettuce at me, let me clarify. I am not saying you are a woman hater. I am saying our world has subtly normalized the idea of “men over women” for centuries, and I am merely suggesting that each of us has the responsibility to do a check in. Sometimes, even small words cause a rudder to get off course.

Recently, Jim Gaffigan posted a tweet for national hot dog day. He’s often a pretty funny guy, but once I began taking stock of the words my husband and I allowed in our house, I realized funny is subjective. Now that I know better, I am uncomfortable with so much (or any) of Gaffigan’s humor being at the expense of women in the sex industry. The meme he tweeted read, “Hot dogs are like strippers. No one wants to know the backstory.” His caption was, “Ignorance is bliss.”

Alan Dershowitz, accused of having sex with minors, is currently using this “ignorance is bliss” strategy to distance himself from any illegalities that may or may not have happened on Jeffrey Epstein’s island. An island that has been named repeatedly as a place where Epstein was trafficking girls 14-16 of age for him and his business friends. It seems this “don’t ask, don’t tell” strategy is common.

In fact, many people (men and women) who have been caught trafficking children plead the same case. “I didn’t know she was a minor.” And maybe that’s true. Maybe none of them knew. And maybe these children were threatened not to tell their age.

Why threaten them? The johns know enough to know these aren’t women they are sleeping with. The girls certainly know their own age. But the laws are written so the charge for raping a child is one thing. If you didn’t know she was a child, it’s a much lesser charge altogether. In Nevada, a man can sexually assault a child, and if he claims he doesn’t know she’s a child, he gets a year probation. That’s because Nevada has this crime categorized as a class E felony. That’s a year probation for your first offense, and 1-4 years for subsequent charges. I guess ignorance is bliss.

But, how about them hotdogs? I do love a good hotdog over a baseball game. And, I fully agree with the sentiment that whatever these hotdogs are made of is something I probably don’t want to fully know about. I’d likely never eat them again. But, if I am reading this right, Gaffigan is comparing a woman to a hot dog. A mishmash of meat we don’t want to know closely because it’s secretly disgusting if we know more.

What’s worse is this statement almost pleads my case more than his. According to the Human Trafficking Hotline, “Victims of sex trafficking are frequently recruited to work in strip clubs across the United States. Women, men, and minors may be recruited to work in strip clubs as hostesses, servers, or dancers, but then are required to provide commercial sex to customers,” ( humantraffickinghotline.org ). An article at With Two Wings’ blog further clarifies that, “Although many may think that women working in adult entertainment do it because they want to, researchers have noted that 70% of females who are trafficked are trafficked into the commercial industry, which included porn, strip clubs, and massage parlors in the United States,” ( withtwowings.org ).

So, maybe some people don’t want to know all that. People want to be able to frequent strip clubs guilt-free not knowing that the “entertainment” they are watching is actually a sexual assault crime of a minor or a woman who was trafficked by her own mother while in her teens. They don’t want to know that out of the ten females on the stage, seven of them have not chosen to be there, and some only wish they could go back to being the little girls they ought to be.

I don’t think bliss is what comes from ignorance. Ignorance comes from ignorance. Stagnancy comes from ignorance. Complacency comes from ignorance. Perpetuated abuse comes from ignorance.

And now that you are no longer ignorant of this information, what will you do with it? Will you take stock in your own vocabulary and jokes? Maybe you could schedule a family meeting and use this new information to reestablish expectations and be part of the cultural shift we need with our words. Talk to your teachers, your pastors, your boss and create grassroots initiatives to create this small but mighty cultural change. Or maybe you could find a place to volunteer to help the women and children who want out of this life? It’s all your choice. But please do something.

Let’s choose together that we don’t want ignorance to prevail because it feels easier to us. Author Belinda Bauman once said, “You can’t solve the world’s problems with sympathy.” Sympathy keeps all of this at arm’s length and requires no change on our part. Instead, choose something even as small as changing up your words and see what a difference you can make.

For more opportunities to help, find us at AwakenReno.org

The post Ignorance Is Bliss? appeared first on Awaken .

An Interview with Awaken Interns

Fri, 24 May 2019 19:05:00 GMT

As the school year has come to an end, Awaken has said goodbye to six of our spring interns and welcomed four new summer interns! These students are a vital part of the Awaken team, and every semester it’s tough to say goodbye. Both staff and clients become close to them. During the spring semester, most of our interns have not only had the opportunity to work at the office and with clients in our Drop In Center, but also with our house staff and residents.

During their last week at Awaken, we asked each intern a few questions about their experiences working at Awaken. We hope this interview helps you understand a bit more about our internship program, and also helps you see Awaken through a new perspective.

What has been the best part of your internship at Awaken?

Interaction with the women.

Interacting and helping each client that comes into Awaken. It also has been rewarding to see the progress within many of the clients.

The friendships I have formed with the clients who currently live at the house have been the best part. They may be in recovery, but they are the strongest women I have ever met. They often greet me with a smile, and enjoy teasing me about the fact that I struggle to shuffle cards whenever they have me join them in a card game. They have shown me that strength and healing comes in many forms.

What has been the most challenging part?

Not being able to have the answer to everything and not being able to have enough community resources for these women.

Finding free time to complete my internship.

Friendships I have formed with the clients. I want to see them succeed and continue on their path to recovery, but I have learned that there is only so much I can do for them and I pray that they can learn from their mistakes when they fall. They have opened up to me about their past, and although it is hard to hear at times and breaks my heart, I can only hope it helps them heal from their past.

What have you learned during your internship?

I have learned many things from my internship. Two main learning opportunities I was able to gain was conflict and empathy skills working with the different clients. There were many cases where empathy was needed when listening to client’s stories but there was also conflict that arose, so being able to handle those situations was a great learning opportunity.

I learned to stay flexible and enjoy every minute.

I learned to take time to make sure I am okay at the end of the day. There is nothing wrong with taking a break from the world, and practicing self-care constantly and consistently. I was taught that in the business of helping, I need to prioritize not only the client’s mental health, but mine as well.

What advice would you give to new interns just starting at Awaken?

I’d say do research on sexual trafficking in the United States and also Reno. It is important to be aware of this issue and educated on it to help better your experience as an intern.

We cannot save or rescue people, just do your best to help people understand their value. Make every interaction count and be genuine.

Thank you to all of our interns! We so appreciate you! We hope that your experiences at Awaken continue to drive your heart to serve others and make a positive change in the world.

The post An Interview with Awaken Interns appeared first on Awaken .

Want To Help Me Put an End to Child Pornography?

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 18:32:00 GMT

Awaken is excited to have guest blogger, Shontell Brewer, join us this month. Shontell is a speaker, teacher, and part of Awaken’s prevention team. To view more of her writings, listen to her podcast, or book her as a speaker for your next event, check out her website .

I asked my 5 ^th graders if they’ve ever been approached online by a stranger or someone who seemed inappropriate. Twenty-four out of 26 of them raised their hands with stories that would cause many of us to grab our babies and head for a commune.

One ten-year-old boy shared that a lady sent him a nude picture on FortNite. Asked if he wanted to have a private chat. The boy next to him said a teenaged girl sent him a text and asked if he wanted to smoke pot with her. Or other things. One girl confessed that she has had many older boys message her on an app called Kik. Does she want to hang out IRL-In real life? These stories went on for an hour. Then, I asked the biggest question hoping the rumors I heard about this next stat were false.

“If you feel comfortable, raise your hand if you have ever been asked to send a nude photo of yourself or had one sent to you.” And ever true to the FBI’s current statics, 80% of my students raised their hands.

I thought for sure these stories would be too much for ten-year-olds, but the only two who seemed surprised by any of it were the two who don’t have phones. The only two who have not been exposed to these potential predators.

Where is all this taking place? You can read up on my article on what parents need to know about the basics of trafficking here . But it’s time we stop believing this is a 3 ^rd world country problem—a poor people problem—and start living like we care what happens to our kids.

With child pornography increasing 10,000% since 2004 (yah that’s the real statistic) there is a good chance your family is affected. Don’t worry! There’s a new bright light emerging.

My circle of folks may be different than yours since I work in education and trafficking prevention, but you’ve likely noticed celebrities wrapped up in this topic. Some not so great, but others are putting their money and time where their mouth is.

Have you heard of Thorn ? It’s an organization co-founded by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. They have figured out where the crux of child pornography and predators camp out and they’ve become “dedicated to building technology to defend children from sexual abuse…” Sound impossible? Well they’ve done it. All they need now is for companies who allow online spaces for user-generated materials to buy in.

What’s a user-generated material site? Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Burn Note, Line, Tinder, Blendr, KiK messenger, Yik Yak, FortNite, Reddit, and Tik Tok (formerly Musical.ly). Incidentally, these are some of the top named sites for sextortion as well. It means users get to post what they want. They simply check a box that they are old enough and safe enough, and then they post what they want until they get caught. And here is the problem. Who is out there catching them? In the past it’s been no one or only a few people who stumble upon the problem. It’s a short-lived fix because they just change their username, and keep going. But not anymore.

Thorn’s new software Safer “provides a solution to help companies ensure their platforms are not enabling the viral spread of,” child pornography and other abusive content. Not only are they working with law enforcement and Homeland Security, they work with groups such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Twitter, and Facebook. Thorn is committed to “build[ing] technology to defend children from sexual abuse.” This is music to my ears that have frankly heard too much even within the four walls of my elementary school classroom.

So, what can we do to get Safer into the hands of every online interface? A few things. First, visit your app store and rate these apps and websites that are being used for child sexual abuse. Give them the stars they deserve, sure, but be sure to leave them a note that reminds them they are part of the equation. These app owners have a responsibility to protect our kids, too. Ask them to look into Thorn’s product and care enough to make a difference in this multi-billion-dollar operation. Yes, multi-billion. To the tune of 150 billion dollars a year according to humantraffickingcenter.org.

Second, tell people about this software and what Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore are doing to bring light to families who are victims of child sextortion and abuse. This is as simple as sharing this post or bringing it up in conversation with your friends.

And finally, like every good campaign will tell you GO BUY THE SHIRT . I’ve already purchased two, and I encourage you to do the same. It’s the best $25 you will ever spend.

As a nation we’ve tried doing nothing. We’ve tried pretending this doesn’t exist. We have even gone so far as to pretend it will never happen to our kids. But the data doesn’t lie. These abusers need to be taken down, and I for one am going to do everything I can to be part of it.

Sources: These quotes are found either in my classroom or on the Thorn website.

The post Want To Help Me Put an End to Child Pornography? appeared first on Awaken .

Nevada Sued for State Sanctioned Sex Trafficking

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 18:48:00 GMT

Rebekah Charleston, a friend and ally of Awaken was once sex trafficked into Nevada’s legal brothels. Last week, Rebekah filed suit against Nevada seeking repeal of its prostitution laws on constitutional grounds, as well as relief for all individuals sexually exploited or trafficked as a result of legal prostitution in Nevada. For those who attended Awaken’s Banquet in 2018, you heard the courage behind Rebekah’s story. Awaken stands with and applauds Rebekah for her courage in challenging the powerful and influential interests behind Nevada’s sexploitation industry.

Ms. Charleston’s suit against Nevada comes just after Nevada was named to the 2019 Dirty Dozen List , a project of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation which identifies 12 leading mainstream facilitators of sexual exploitation. Nevada is the first-ever state to receive the ignominious distinction of placement on this List.

TAKE ACTION

Follow this link to send your support on this issue to the Nevada Legislature. As well to add your name to the petition to end legal sex trafficking in Nevada, click here.

Continued Reading: 2019 Dirty Dozen List – Nevada

Nevada is the only state in America with legalized brothel prostitution, in select counties. As of February 2018 , there were at least 21 brothels active in Nevada.

While some may claim that legalization provides better regulation and increased safety – the truth is that sexual violence, racism, and socioeconomic disadvantages are inextricable from the prostitution experience.

Nevertheless, nearly 81% of the voters in Lyon County, Nevada voted to keep brothels legal in 2018. This made 81% of Lyon County citizens complicit in the sex trade, and therefore complicit in the sexual exploitation (and even sex trafficking) of countless women.

Even when it is legalized, it is impossible to disentangle exploitation from prostitution.

One woman who survived being prostituted in two legal brothels in Nevada stated :

“We did not have the “independent contractor” freedom to turn down buyers. Management required us to line up when someone arrived at the brothel. Once picked from the lineup, we would bring the sex buyer back to our room where he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with us… The violent-natured men I encountered in legal brothels are no different than the men buying sex on the streets. I cannot count the number of times I physically fought with men in the brothels and how many times I have been raped because I was too scared to fight back.”

Research confirms that the vast majority of those in prostitution (whether legalized, unregulated, or criminalized) experience both the constant threat of and high rates of, sexual violence and even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Legalized Prostitution in Nevada has led to an increase (not decrease) in the state’s illegal sex trade.

In fact, Nevada has the highest rates of an illegal sex trade in the country, adjusted for population. It is 63% higher than the next highest state of New York and double that of Florida.

This dismantles the myth that legalizing prostitution will decrease unregulated prostitution or sex trafficking. Wherever prostitution is legal, the demand for commercial sex skyrockets, which provides a great incentive to pimps and sex traffickers to push more women into the marketplace to sell.

Further, a recent audit of Nevada legal brothels in Lyon County found that 30% of the women had red flags for being sex trafficking victims.

Instead of legalizing and embracing sexual exploitation, prostitution policies should work to combat demand (highly penalizing and reducing sex buyer behavior) and should offer social services and job training opportunities to the women engaged in prostitution to help them exit the industry.

Anyone involved in prostitution can find resources to aid them in exiting the sex trade at www.sextradesurvivorresources.com .

The post Nevada Sued for State Sanctioned Sex Trafficking appeared first on Awaken .

Identifying Sex Trafficking Victims and Perpetrators

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 09:52:00 GMT

Many people don’t fully understand what sex trafficking is, and with all the misconceptions about it, it can be very hard to identify victims and traffickers. There is no specific stereotype or trait to look for when it comes to trying to identify perpetrators or victims of these crimes. For instance, many don’t suspect women to be sex traffickers, when oftentimes a woman is the one running these teams of sex traffickers. Although there are no characteristics or physical traits to victims and perpetrators, there are a few things that you should look out for in case you spot a vulnerable victim and a trafficker that might take advantage of their vulnerability. Let’s take a look.

Victims

The majority of victims of sex trafficking are young girls that had previously fled violent or abusive situations. This can be anyone. Victims don’t necessarily have to be female, either, though the majority of them are. If someone looks vulnerable, they might be susceptible to traffickers and their abuse. Anyone can fall prey to sex trafficking, but most of the time, it will be someone who is defenseless and in a situation where they are left vulnerable. Traffickers will do their research on these people before approaching them. In order to identify whether or not a victim is being trafficked, you will want to look at those who are vulnerable because of mental or physical disability, homelessness, poverty, violence, and substance abuse. Traffickers will prey on anyone who hopes for a better life and has nowhere else to go. When it comes to the ages of these victims, pre-teen or adolescent girls are more susceptible to sex traffickers, but that does not mean that other ages or sexes are not as vulnerable. These pimps will often frequent schools, malls, parks, bus stops, and even group homes. If you see someone younger who shows signs of physical abuse, has unexplained absences, displays sexualized behavior, dresses inappropriately, is depressed, is distracted, wears expensive clothes, has a lot of money, is branded with a tattoo, has an older boyfriend, and constantly talks about parties, they might be a victim of sex trafficking.

Traffickers

These victims are targeted and picked up by traffickers who coerce them into performing sex acts in return for food and shelter. Some traffickers will recruit these victims by getting friendly with them at malls. According to evidence, traffickers will use drugs, force, or emotional and financial tactics in order to lure in and control their victims. They will often try to form strong bonds with these girls by claiming that they love or need them, saying that these sex acts will allow a good future with the trafficker. Some may even promise marriage as well as other emotional bonds that these young women have never felt in their lives in order to lure them in. Some traffickers will resort to physical and sexual abuse in order to keep these youths under their control. Others might use drugs or alcohol while taking all their forms of identity so that these victims have nowhere to go but them. Some victims manage to escape their captors only to come back because they don’t have anyone to go to. Traffickers will often prey on runaway or at-risk youth, and they are good at manipulating, deceiving, and controlling child victims.

This type of abuse doesn’t have to be as prominent as it is today. For more information regarding sex trafficking in Reno , get in touch with us today to learn more about how you can make a difference.

The post Identifying Sex Trafficking Victims and Perpetrators appeared first on Awaken .

The Truth About Prostitution Laws In Nevada

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 11:16:00 GMT

Unlike many other states, the laws in Nevada permit some forms of prostitution in certain counties if regulations are followed. Here are five things that you may not know about prostitution laws in Nevada.

1 – Prostitution Is Legal In Some Counties

Just because prostitution can be legal in Nevada does not mean it is legal in all counties. The prostitution laws in the state of Nevada comes with a number of requirements which need to be met before it can be considered legal. Prostitution is only legal in licensed brothels and condoms must be used. Prostitutes must be tested regularly for STIs and only counties with a population fewer than 700,000 are legally allowed to have sex workers. This means that in popular tourist locations like Las Vegas, prostitution is illegal since the population there exceeds 700,000. Other counties where prostitution is illegal includes Douglas County, Eureka County, and Pershing County.

2 – There Are Health Regulations That Have To Be Followed

As previously mentioned, sex workers need to have monthly medical examinations and be tested for diseases like HIV, syphilis, and other STIs. It is the responsibility of the sex worker to demonstrate to the Nevada state that they have passed their medical tests and are free from sexually transmitted diseases; otherwise, they will not be able to work legally as prostitutes.

3- There Are License Applications And Background Checks

To ensure there are no criminal affiliations with brothel businesses, a thorough background check is carried out on the people managing the brothel and where the source of money originates from. This is to prevent criminals from laundering money or using illegal funds to invest in this type of business. Only when the Nevada state is satisfied with the background checks are the brothels then given a license.

4 – Escorts Are Legal In Las Vegas

Escorts can obtain a legal license to work in Las Vegas. The legal definition of their work is someone hired to accompany others in a private or public setting. However, escorts are not allowed to advertise or offer sexual services. Moreover, they cannot engage in sexual activities with their customers for money. If caught, both the worker and client can be legally prosecuted.

5 – These Laws Help, To An Extent

Although the legalization of prostitution in some counties of Nevada has meant that it is safer for both sex workers and clients due to strict regulations, there are still some issues with how the law affects certain groups. For example, prostitution is only legal when a brothel hires you. This means sex workers who are rejected from brothels cannot legally work as prostitutes. This rule will affect mainly male and transgender workers, restricting their ability to work legally.

Furthermore, the medical examinations and license registration expenses can be too expensive for vulnerable groups meaning they have no other option but to work illegally in more dangerous and unregulated areas.

With the rise of these issues, human rights organizations are calling on the state to decriminalize all sex works as this will help protect both the clients and the workers. Nevertheless, compared to other states, Nevada is further ahead with its sex work regulations and is an example of how changing the law can benefit both the state and sex workers.

The laws regarding prostitution vary from place to place. It’s important for you to know when it is considered acceptable and when it isn’t so that both you and your partner are protected. For more information regarding prostitution in Nevada , get in touch with us today.

The post The Truth About Prostitution Laws In Nevada appeared first on Awaken .

The Different Types Of Modern Day Slavery

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 08:20:00 GMT

When we talk about slavery, most people will think of an outlawed practiced that no longer exists in modern day society. However, this is not the case. Many vulnerable people are made to work in harsh conditions with little pay and no way of escape right under our noses. Despite it being illegal in most countries, slavery can come in many different forms, and it is not always clear when someone is a victim of this crime. This article will explain to you some of the different types of slavery that can be found today.

Human trafficking is the trade of individuals to use them for forced labor or sexual slavery. Whatever the job, trafficked individuals are exploited and forced to submit to the wishes of a person or an organized criminal gang. However a person gets into such a situation, they will be considered trafficked by the law, even if they were not physically transported anywhere. Human trafficking can occur within a country or across international borders. In any shape or form, it is a serious crime that violates someone’s human rights and is one of the fastest growing activities for international criminals.

Adult Sex Trafficking

Adult victims of sex trafficking are coerced to work as sex workers like prostitutes to earn money for the gang that is exploiting them. Women are particularly vulnerable to being victims of sex trafficking and very often, these victims have no means of escape as their possessions and passports are taken away. Gangs will use threats, force, and other manipulative techniques to make the victim work for them. They often have very elaborate plans to cover up their tracks, but if they are caught, whether they are found to be involved with the aid of sex trafficking or indirectly financing it, they can be punished for sex trafficking crimes.

Some forms of coercion are more subtle such as a “debt” that the victim must pay off before they are allowed to leave. As a result, it might seem like the victim is consenting to work as a prostitute. However, this is not the case. These debts usually require the victim to work for many years, and even when they manage to pay it off, criminal gangs will add to their sum or use other methods of keeping their victims as slaves for much longer.

Child Sex Trafficking

Young children are another group vulnerable to sex trafficking. Just like adult sex trafficking, these children will be recruited and coerced into becoming sex workers. Any individual under 18 years of age is considered a child and cultural or socio-economic reasons are not valid to justify the prostitution of victims. Fortunately, child sex trafficking is illegal in many countries around the world and in many developed countries, these laws are enforced strictly. There are many negative consequences of sex trafficking on child victims including the development of sexually transmitted diseases, psychological trauma, drug addiction, and pregnancy. It is also unlikely that they will receive medical attention for any of these. As a result, many victims of child sex trafficking pass away as a result.

Forced Labor

The exploitation of an individual for illegal work while receiving little-to-no pay is still a prevalent problem around the world. Ethnic minorities, migrants, and refugees are especially vulnerable as traffickers take advantage of their desperate situation. Through physical threats, deception, and psychological manipulation, victims will be made to work long hours on often manually intensive jobs. With no healthcare or safety regulations to protect them, many victims of forced labor will suffer from work-related injuries, only to still be forced to work again the next day.

Forced Child Labor

Forced begging, strenuous physical jobs, and high-risk work are some of the ways children are exploited. These children are often found to be treated like slaves and are forced to live in slave-like conditions. With no option to leave or fear of repercussions, the child is forced to remain with the traffickers and carry on doing the work they require. Strict criminal punishment is needed to deter criminals, and when the child is rescued, proper education and rehabilitation are necessary to ensure they do not fall back into the hands of traffickers.

Indebted Labour

When a person has debt with criminal organizations and has no means of payment, they may be forced to work for the gangs to pay off the acquired debt. Victims are often tricked into getting debt with the most common way of being the promise of work in another country. In some South Asian countries, family members can inherit debt, and it is they who will have to pay it off. With high-interest rates and low pay for their work, victims often end up working for decades before the debt is finally paid off. With threats of violence or deportation, victims will refuse to go to the police and remain working as slaves for the gangs.

Human trafficking doesn’t have to be as prominent as it is today. For more information regarding human trafficking in Reno, NV , get in touch with us today to learn more about how you can make a difference.

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What You Can Do to Help Combat Human Trafficking

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 11:21:00 GMT

Human trafficking is not an issue that should be taken lightly, and it isn’t something that can only be handled by the authorities. Anyone can contribute to helping to fight against human trafficking, including:

Organizations

Businesses can play a part by providing jobs, internships, training programs, and other opportunities to trafficking victims.

College Students

Students can join forces by joining or establishing a university club to raise awareness regarding the issue of human trafficking in the local community. Just choosing a topic relating to human trafficking on one of their papers can make a difference! Students can also call for human trafficking to have a bigger part in university curricula to raise more awareness.

Health Care Professionals

Health care providers should be more aware and observant when it comes to pinpointing signs of human trafficking victims. With the help from anti-trafficking organizations, you can help the victims by offering them low-cost or free services.

Reporters

Nothing is more powerful than the power of the media when it comes to shaping perceptions and raising awareness. There are a lot of ways people in the media industry can do to shed some light on human trafficking, especially those who are journalists or reporters. For example, journalists can write more articles about the impact of human trafficking on victims and survivors.

Lawyers

Attorneys can provide human trafficking victims legal services that they need, especially issues regarding their immigration status.

These are only a few examples of how people across sectors can help to fight against human trafficking. Below are some of the most effective things that anyone, including you, can do to help:

1. You should become aware of the indicators of human trafficking so that you can identify a potential victim when you see one. There are human trafficking awareness training programs that are available for everyone to participate in.

2. If you live in the United States and you are convinced that someone may be a trafficking victim, do not hesitate to report your suspicions to the authorities. Call 911 or the 24-hour National Human Trafficking Hotline line at 1-888-373-7888.

3. Be more conscious of your slavery footprint. If possible, before you go out and buy new clothes, check that they are not the product of human trafficking. You can check out the Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor for more information. You can also encourage businesses to take some action to look into possible signs of human trafficking in their supply chains.

4. Volunteer and join anti-trafficking movements in your local community.

5. Arrange a meeting or write to your local, state, and federal government officials to show them that the issue of human trafficking should not be tolerated and more actions need to be taken. Also, ask them what they are doing right now to combat the problem.

6. Host an event in your local community to watch and analyze films that address human trafficking. You can also watch a documentary about sex trafficking, child slavery, and many other topics that will shed light on the issue. Check out CNN’s Freedom Project for more information about different kinds of human trafficking in different countries.

7. Organize a fundraiser and give all the proceeds to an anti-trafficking organization.

8. Speak with your local schools to include modern slavery in their curricula so that students and teachers will be more conscious of the matter. This is very important as students are often the targets of human traffickers.

9. Make sure that you’re always informed and up-to-date about the current news of human trafficking by setting up a web alert.

10. Partner up with your local religious community to help put a stop to human trafficking by spreading awareness.

You may think that you can’t do much against human trafficking, but that isn’t true. Even you can make a difference just by raising awareness and showing victims that you’re willing to help. Imagine – if you were in their shoes, you would need all the support you could get, wouldn’t you?

The effort to change the world has to start with us taking notice of these issues and coming together to solve them. For more information regarding human trafficking in Nevada , get in touch with us today to learn more about what you can do to be a part of the movement to better our society and the rest of the world.

The post What You Can Do to Help Combat Human Trafficking appeared first on Awaken .

Why We Should be Concerned About Human Trafficking

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 12:58:00 GMT

Human rights are something that everyone should have, and when it’s violated, it’s a crime against humanity. Human trafficking is a massive violation of human rights, as the perpetrators are holding a human being in captivity and forcing them to work against their will. Everybody should do what they can to eradicate this issue from modern society. We are responsible for the advancement of our race as a whole, and the people who take advantage of those who can’t fight back should be put to justice.

Why should I care about human trafficking?

Most people may not think much about this issue, as we often see it as irrelevant to our everyday life. However, you have to keep in mind that while it may not be a reality for you, it may very well be the reality of many people around the world. Imagine if somebody you knew was kidnapped from their home and forced to work against their own volition. It’s a horrible thought, and it shouldn’t happen to anyone. As our society becomes increasingly interconnected, we have eyes and ears around every corner of the world; thus, it’s our responsibility as humans to take care of those in need.

Who are the primary victims of human trafficking?

Minors and young women are often the prime targets for human traffickers. These individuals usually don’t have the means or the power to protect themselves, which means that they can be taken by force quite easily. They could be sold to brothels, forced into child labor, or made to become a part of organized crime.

Where is this happening?

You may think that human trafficking only happens in third-world countries around the world, but the problem is closer to use in the West than we think. We drink coffee, wear jewelry, and eat chocolate every day, and the industries that produce these goods are where slavery and child labor run rampant. What’s more is that many prostitutes in the US are taken from their homes in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and other less fortunate regions in the world. Although we may not see it every day, we are often unknowingly a part of it.

What can we do to help?

Human trafficking is a problem that’s talked about in the media from time to time, but actions against it are few and far between. Most of the time, the inaction is due to the lack of awareness and understanding of the scale of the problem. Either the general public doesn’t know about it or doesn’t know what to do about it, which is why it’s important to spread awareness about this issue so that people can take actions against these cruel crimes. In many cases, the problems are tied to the prominent figures in politics, police, and military – the organizations that have immense power over the population. This is another reason why people refuse to speak up, as there can be direct consequences to our actions. As citizens of the world, we have an obligation to keep track of the movements and actions of those who are sitting at the helms of our countries.

The post Why We Should be Concerned About Human Trafficking appeared first on Awaken .

Reconnect with Yoga: Awaken’s Class to Help Survivors Reconnect to their Bodies

Wed, 02 Jan 2019 20:25:00 GMT

By Katie Patterson

Awaken hosted its 7th annual banquet last November. ^[1] In attendance were powerful speakers with heart-wrenching testimonies and firsthand experiences about the traumatic and devastating effects sex-trafficking has on women’s and children’s mind, body, and soul. Rebecca Charleston, sex-traffic survivor and guest speaker, shared her personal testimony and briefly addressed the issue of dissociation, a need for victims to ‘disconnect’ from their traumatic circumstances. Rebekah asked the audience,

Can you image having sex with someone you don’t want to have sex with? You can’t show the disgust on your face because you’ll blow the call. If you blow the call, you don’t get the money. If you don’t get the money, you go home to your pimp, you get beat.

When you think about having to keep a straight face when forced to have sex with a disgusting man or client. It is no wonder your body and brain would disconnect from the traumatic abuse, especially one that reoccurs. One of Awaken’s many goals is providing a safe environment for women and children to reconnect with their bodies. One Awaken program that helps survivors physically reconnect to their bodies is yoga. Awaken’s yoga class has been taught at the Drop-In Center for more than two years with roughly five to seven women and young girls attending. I asked if I could join one of their classes, and Amanda Fischer, Awaken employee and house case manager, was kind enough to let me.

Amanda has been doing yoga for 10 years and teaching for four years. Her yoga training is unique in that she took classes with a focus on how to teach yoga to sexual assault survivors. I have attended many yoga classes, but this one was different. I walked into the class, yoga mats were already on the floor, the room’s temperature was perfect, not too hot or too cold, and the calm, quiet atmosphere was a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Amanda asked the class to lay on their backs, breathe deep, relax, and listen to the sound of air filling up our lungs as we in-and-exhale. She then asked the class to put their hands on their stomach and feel our bodies expand and collapse with air. We stayed like that for a little while, really focusing on deep, whole breaths, and allowing the busy day’s stress to disappear. Amanda then asked the class to move their hands from their stomach to their ribs IF we were comfortable to do so . As I laid there, hands on my ribs, I wondered how self-touch might not be comfortable for all people, maybe it was a ‘touch’ they did not want to re-experience. Amanda then instructed the class to place both their hands over their hearts IF we were comfortable doing so . I had never attended a yoga session where the instructor gave the class a choice to position their hands on their bodies; at the end of class I asked Amanda about this. She said what was taken from these women was their choice, their permission, and their consent. “I always try to give these women what they did not have: a choice to be touched.”

One survivor in the class had participated with Awaken’s yoga program for the entire two years it had been taught. Obtaining her permission to ask a few questions, I inquired as to why she started taking the class. She laughed and said, “to exercise.” She also said she joined the class to see what her body was capable of. I asked her why she stuck with it for the last two years. She said it helps her relax in a safe environment and helps her ‘reconnect’ with her body, a feat she wasn’t sure she knew how to do. She said when she is in the class she does not have to be at home thinking. When asked about the benefits of this yoga class, the student said, “Getting to know myself better in a positive way.” She said touching can be uncomfortable but Awaken is a safe environment. “It is a safe touch. It is not sexual,” she said.

After the class, I also felt re-connected to my body and jokingly said “I need to do this every week.” I paused because I know how true it is. How much more for these women and children who have had their bodies vandalized, victimized, raped, beaten, used, and abused? It is so good that Awaken has these programs and classes to help women learn how to love their bodies and learn how to reconnect mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. For ways to get involved with Awaken, check out their website . As well, a shout out and BIG thank you to the “ Give Back Yoga Foundation ” for donating 10 yoga mats. Your donation will make a difference in the lives of women and children for years to come; with hope, this is an encouraging word for all readers that a simple act of love will go a LONG way.

^[1] If you were unable to attend the banquet, follow this link to watch a recording of it. If you do not have an hour to spare, please read this recap of the evening’s speakers and survivor testimony.

^[2] Henderson, S. (2013). Information for Survivors of Sexual Violence Dissociation [Scholarly project]. Retrieved December 26, 2018, from https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/publications/RCS-supportresources-dissociation.pdf

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“I thought about running, but thought if I did, I would be instantly murdered.”

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 20:07:00 GMT

“ Boys growing up in our culture today are socialized with a sense of entitlement to women’s bodies …address the issue of male demand and solve the issue of prostitution.” – Benji Nolo

“A lot of people think sex traffic victims are going to come running out screaming ‘Help me! Help me! I am being hurt, and I need your help,’ but that is the opposite of how these women come out.” -Rebekah Charleston

Two of many hard-hitting quotes from this year’s annual Awaken banquet that was another successful display of valiant hearts coming together to make change happen. Filling the banquet room this year were powerful testimonies, local business owners, sex-trafficked survivors, local senators and politicians, and the men and women dedicated to the cause of ending the demand for women’s and children’s bodies.

Melissa Holland and Jen Robinson, co-founders of Awaken, spoke at the banquet and presented shocking numbers “38,” Melissa said. That was the number of minors (girls as young as 11 to age 18) Awaken provided services to in 2018. “ELEVEN YEARS OLD,” Jen said. Let that number sink in. She was a girl still in elementary school, a confirmed victim, whose aunt pimped her out for drugs. These young girls are local. Every single school in Reno and Sparks are affected. It doesn’t matter the reputation of the schools or the socioeconomic status of the neighborhoods, and it is not just girls. Young boys are being trafficked as well.

After Melissa spoke, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto got up and addressed the crowd, mentioning she was sharing a table with (former) Senator Dean Heller. Senator Cortez Masto’s speech was brief and to the point: abuse and objectification of women and children locally and globally is an issue that needs attention and needs to be addressed.

“Boys growing up in our culture today are socialized with a sense of entitlement to women’s bodies,” Benji loudly and passionately exclaimed,“and when you think about this issue, you should not think about it through the lens that is pitched and promoted to you through mass media.” The message we are told is that prostitutes are this ‘subclass’ of women, like a different species, who live for sex and the advancement of men’s every sexual desire. The media, brothel owners, those who are pro-legalization paint this picture of empowerment, sexual independence, and wealth these women have. This is not the truth of prostitution. It is a deception, a lie, and a myth. “Prostitution is a construct of male demand,” Benji said. To end prostitution, we must address the issue of male demand. Only then will we see the implosion of this multi-billion-dollar system of violence and exploitation of women’s and children’s bodies.

Benji finished his speech with a story about his own experiences. He and his film crew went to South America to investigate a string of bars said to be prostituting out underage girls. They had been at this one bar for a while and had not seen anything, so they were getting ready to leave; just then, across the room, he saw this little girl. “She couldn’t have been older than 12 years old, 4’10” and about 80lbs,” he said. At that moment, Benji looked over and saw this heavy set western man 6’5 or 6’6 and 280lbs. “He was just a giant of a man, and just as I see her, he sees her,” he said. The western man made a beeline for this girl and so did Benji who got to her just a moment before the other man did. He asked her “How much for your time?”

He buys her , and he and the crew, not sure what to do next, take this young girl for a walk. As they are walking around the area, they noticed that her pimps are keeping a close eye on them, likely nervous that he did not take her to a motel room. As time was coming to an end, they wanted to save her. They wanted to take her out of the wretchedly painful life she was in and protect her from the men who would hurt, rape, and use her for their own sickening desires. With no time left, he asked “Can I pray for you?” This little girl began to cry. “Tears are just pouring down her face,” he said. She just kept repeating, “You’re an angel.” She said it was her first night. She was scared, and did not want to be there, and thought God had sent Benji there just for her.

“That was it,” Benji said. The time was up, and she turned and went back into the bar. In that moment, he realized two things: (1) the ability he had to bring about change in another person’s life (2) the sad reality that this girl is one of many. There are millions of women and children being raped, used, silenced, and forced into sex slavery. “What was needed in that community was someone to resolve in their heart to help,” Benji said. “What was needed was one person to answer the call for all, to disrupt the system that made it possible for her to be in the bar.”

“I grew up in a fairly normal family,” Rebekah said. She was the youngest of six, and her parents have been married for 55 years. Rebekah was born in Dallas, attended church, went to school, and had a normal life, until her oldest brother committed suicide. “Our family tried to recover,” she said. Rebekah coped by acting out. At age 14, she snuck out of a church lock in and was raped. “That one moment filled me with blame, disgust, and guilt because I knew I had done something wrong.” Rebekah didn’t tell anyone and started using drugs to cope with the rape. At the age of 17, she ran away from home.

She bounced around for a while, staying with anyone she could and stealing food, until she met this guy. She thought he was cute, and she moved in with him. One night she found herself in the backseat of his car. She thought they were going to rob a store or something, but he had much different plans. Rebekah was told to walk up and down the street and ask people if they wanted to have sex with her. She was told exactly what to say and how much money to charge them. “I had no idea what to do,” she said. “I thought about running, but thought if I did, I would be instantly murdered.” That one day turned into 10 years of Rebekah’s life. Instead of sitting in a geometry class like most 17-year-old girls, she was being marched back and forth of a sleazy motel, buying condoms at the front desk, and being forced into a life she NEVER wanted. “Nobody asked if I was okay. Nobody said you look too young to be here.” They knew what was happening in that motel, but nobody did a thing. Rebekah was not able to get away until the federal authorities got involved and arrested her. She wound up spending 13 months in federal prison because she was too afraid to tell on her trafficker. He got arrested on the same charges, and that is when Rebekah knew she had time to safely get away.

“A lot of people think sex traffic victims are going to come running out screaming ‘Help me! Help me! I am being hurt, and I need your help,’” Rebekah said. That is the opposite of how these women come out. Victims blame themselves for the situations they end up in. “One of the hardest things for victims of human trafficking to do is to self identify as a victim,” Rebekah said. “Because telling yourself you just made really bad choices and got what you deserved is easier to swallow than saying that 17-year-old girl who met that 37-year-old man was manipulated and controlled and brainwashed.” Rebekah (like most women in the life) was violently forced into this life. She never woke up one day and decided to be a prostitute or woke up and decided “I want to take my clothes off for money.”

After Rebekah’s trafficker was locked up, she found out she was pregnant. She was DETERMINED to give her son a much different and better life than she had, but she had no money. Her trafficker had put $750,000 of debt in her name; unsure where to turn, she called her parents in Texas. They said if she could make it there, she would have a place to stay rent free.

Rebekah moved back to Texas and started from nowhere. She went back to school and graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and is currently working on dual masters at UTA. She has trained tens-of-thousands of police forces, social workers, and medical staff on signs of trafficking and mentality of traffickers and victims. She is the Executive Director of Valiant Hearts , a mother, and advocate for victims of human trafficking. She is passionate about this issue and has been a bright light in a sea of darkness for many women.

Rebekah said it took a community of support to wrap around her and help her escape, heal, and recover. She was blown away to discover there are people in the world who care about people like ‘her.’ People who would stand in the gap for her and for other women and children in similar situations. Rebekah said she had to include God in her recovery. She had tried to recover on her own, but in her own strength she could not. It was only with God’s help she could fully heal, recover, and start a new life.

“Organizations like Awaken HAVE TO be around to help victims become whole again,” Rebekah said. She thought herself lucky that she had parents to call, but there are many women and children who have nobody. Children whose family, like the 11-year-old girl being pimped out by her aunt, that put them in the horrific situation. Who is standing in the gap for these women?

Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry (bringing in around $150 billion worldwide), only surpassed by the drug trade, and growing immensely. Those being sex-trafficked are forced into it. These are women and young girls and boys who become the objects of male desire. Awaken, Valiant Hearts, Exodus Cry, and A21, are some nonprofit organizations whose mission is to end this growing, billion-dollar industry, but we need more, more people and nonprofits who will stand in the gap for these women. More people who are aware and informed about the nature of trafficking. More people who will disrupt the system that makes it possible for 12-year-old girls to be pimped out in South American bars. More people who will not look at these women, strippers, prostitutes, and traffic victims, like a subclass of sex-crazed species who deserve what they got. More people who will speak truth to lies and speak light into darkness. More people who can create change and do .

Nobody deserves to be used and objectified. Every single person is worthy of dignity, love, and respect. If we do not stand in the gap for these women and children, who will? Certainly not their traffickers, mass media, or those profiting from their exploitation. If we do not speak for the 11 and 12-year olds who have no voice, who will? By reading this post you’re already more informed, and you might not think so, but you ARE ABLE to create change. For more ways to help, click here . There are options on Awaken’s website to KNOW the facts, to get involved, and to donate. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you for all the ways in which you are going to help. You CAN BE the life-changing difference in someone’s life, and by changing the life of one, you alter the course of generations to come. Thank you.

If you were not able to attend the conference, a few videos were shared. Follow the links below to watch.

Should Prostitution Be Legal?

https://www.facebook.com/awakeninc/videos/713658285683404/

Some say Prostitution is a job like any other. But is it?

https://www.facebook.com/awakeninc/videos/298910224266468/

Is Prostitution a Choice ?

https://www.facebook.com/awakeninc/videos/175238273367073/

As well, below is a link to the banquet; you can listen to the speakers.

Awaken Banquet 2018

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A Survivor Speaks out about Human Trafficking in the Brothels

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 21:22:00 GMT

One survivor shared with us her experience in Lyon County’s legal brothels:

Today is International Day of the Girl. In honor of this day, we would love to share with you the story of one brave survivor. Rebekah Charleston, an incredibly courageous survivor published an op-ed today sharing her experience in the Nevada brothels.

“My trafficker would send his victims, including myself to work in the brothels as a form of punishment…We did not have the ‘independent contractor’ freedom to turn down buyers. Management required us to line up when someone arrived at the brothel. Once picked from the lineup, we would bring the sex buyer back to our room where he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with us…

There are countless other women who, just like me, are being trafficked inside Nevada’s legal brothels. You will not see those women in the media, being interviewed or writing op-eds. You will not hear their stories. These women would face life-threatening consequences if they spoke up. But I know their stories. I was one of those women and I am now able to speak out on behalf of the many others still trafficked on the inside.”

Rebekah is not alone. Possible acts of human trafficking were discovered last week in a Law Enforcement raid in Lyon County’s brothels. Sheriff Al McNeil called the discovery of possible human trafficking “extremely alarming.” Additionally , the raid showed violations in practices including U.S. immigration law violations, foreign country human trafficking indicators, fraudulent statements, issuance of work cards prior to completing criminal history background checks and inability to validate out-of-state and other foreign national documents to determine identity.

There is currently a ballot initiative in Lyon County (YesOnLC1) to end legal prostitution and put an end to the heinous crimes taking place inside the brothels. Trafficking and prostitution are simply two different entry points to the same place.” Rachel Moran, Survivor. To learn more about these efforts visit here .

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House of Healing

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 17:24:00 GMT

Post by Katie Patterson

Awaken is opening the first restorative home in Northern Nevada that will help women who have been exploited for commercial sex heal from, process, and overcome the industry’s negative and traumatic effects. At Awaken’s 2017 banquet, Melissa Holland, co-founder of Awaken, addressed the desperate need of a housing option for women coming out of the life. A generous couple in attendance at the banquet heard the call, believed in the need, and gave Awaken just that: A house!

Why is the need for restorative housing so great? Awaken’s first-hand experience, backed by various studies, revealed that transitional housing is among the top needs for survivors; yet, state-by-state, across the nation, there are fewer than 40 specialized programs for these women. There are transitional housing options, but not ones that specialize in CSE. The need for specialized care is so significant because the treatment of a battered woman is not going to be the same needed for a woman who has been sexually abused and exploited since she was 11. Soon, Northern Nevada will be one of the few communities to offer a house of healing.

“We want to give women the skills they need, educational experience, and therapeutic components to make it in the next phase of life,” Jen Robinson, co-founder of Awaken, said. “It is a definite need.” The alternative is out of state housing or straight to the streets survival.

The house will be a rent-free sanctuary for up to five girls, all who are out of the life, 30 days sober, and at least 18 years old. Ground rules and details are still being worked out, but there will be house initiatives to help women heal and gain independence. There will be: life skills and recreation groups, assigned chores, individual and group therapy, family meals, grocery store runs, education on volunteer and job opportunities, curfew, and up to 24 months of time to help these women process, heal, and grow.

From the vision of Awaken to the amazing generosity of the homeowners to the local support of Reno’s community, this home is being built with love, intentionality and hope .

Along with the homeowners’ extreme generosity, the general contractor, interior decorator, landscape architect , and many Awaken supporters have banded together to donate time, talent s , materials, and resources. If you are interested in donating to this project, please go to www.awakenreno.org/donate . For our house registry, just click here . For all other inquiries about donations or volunteer opportunities, please reach out to info@awakenreno.org .

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Hot August Nights – A Local Car Show & Trafficking Attraction

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 19:20:00 GMT

Post by Katie Patterson

For thousands of people, Hot August Nights is a stroll down memory lane, an opportunity to reminisce in the nostalgia of cherry red Corvettes, ’69 Mustangs, teal Chevys with cream interiors, and the golden era of design. Having not been to the event, I was excited when two of my coworkers invited me to walk the streets of downtown Reno and check it out.

Now, I am not much of a car person, but I did enjoy a blast from the past: these classic cars were a sight to see with their enormous trunks, vinyl roofs, crank windows, and goofy air conditioning contraptions on the side of the car; even better than the cars were the proud owners sitting and standing near their ‘baby,’ eagerly waiting to answer any and all questions that an onlooker might have. Time flew by, and we had to get back to work. Heading down Virginia a sobering thought crossed my mind, “How many people, locals or tourists, know about the sex trafficking that would be taking place at this year’s event?”

Illegal commercial sex accompanies most large-scale events, especially ones that are male-dominated. At last year’s event, police did a ‘sting’ operation to target these illegal activities, and nine women were cited for soliciting prostitution. ^[1] This year five arrests and five citations were issued for prostitution related charges. ^[2] While these numbers prove that men are paying for sex illegally, they do not reveal to what extent and whether these women are being trafficked. Albeit, Creighton University was commissioned to do a human trafficking study and found Nevada has the highest rate of illegal commercial sex in the nation, 63% higher than its neighboring states. ^[3] Data supports the fact that when prostitution is legal, such as Nevada’s brothels, trafficking increases; the illegal activity is masked by the legal activity. ^[4]

As we neared Liberty, I glanced pass work to the Wild Orchid, a local strip club in downtown Reno, and another thought crossed my mind: we “Ooh” and “Aah” at these cars. We objectify them, pay money to see them and to enjoy their classic beauty. We do the same to these women. We “Ooh” and “Aah.” We judge and objectify. We pay money to see, enjoy, and experience their beauty. We marvel at the beauty of a nice car, call it ‘baby’ and invest in it, but to what extent do we value the car more than the woman? Superficially we may treat these cars in a similar fashion as we treat these women, but a very stark difference exists: one gets life from its engine, the other from her heart.

To Note: I want to thank Ashley Ingle, Josh Patterson and Cassie Michaels for reviewing and providing much needed feedback. As well, so many questions came up while writing, such as: Why did the prostitutes get cited and not the men? Can we change our attitudes/misconceptions and laws so both parties are held responsible? If a prostitute has a pimp, is she now considered trafficked because she is no longer working on her own volition? How do these women end up here, and do they (as many seem to believe) want to be in this life? Future blogs will research and dive deeper into these questions. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider.

^[1] Guevara, A. (2017, August 15). Behind the Scenes: Hot August Nights Prostitution Sting. Retrieved August 23, 2018, from http://www.ktvn.com/story/36141281/behind-the-scenes-hot-august-nights-prostitution-sting

^[2] Ventura, I. (2018, August 12). Reno Police reports final statistics for Hot August Nights 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2018, from https://mynews4.com/news/local/reno-police-reports-final-statistics-for-hot-august-nights-2018

^[3] ECpodcast. (2018, June 22). Awaken Media Sex | Human Trafficking Reno. Retrieved August 23, 2018, from episode 56 features Melissa Holland, Founder and Executive Director of Awaken.

^[4] Harvard Law School. (2014, June 12). “Does Legalized Prostitution Increase Human Trafficking?” Retrieved August 30, 2018, from https://orgs.law.harvard.edu/lids/2014/06/12/does-legalized-prostitution-increase-human-trafficking/

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Honey Badger – Poem by Vanessa Dunn

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 21:56:00 GMT

To complete my final blog post as an Awaken intern, I wrote a poem dedicated to survivors of sexual exploitation. I chose the honey badger because of their internal strength and perseverance. This is the same strength that I see in survivors at Awaken.

An Ode to a Survivor

People question why the honey badger is so fierce

what if I told you that it was because she has spent her entire life

fighting off predators like the lions and leopards that relentlessly threaten her existence?

and that her thick skin and coarse fur is what comes from protecting her body for far too long

See, from the ripe age of birth, the honey badger has had no choice but to be gallant

tricked and taunted by cobras as they slide across the desert floor

but her valiance protects her from venom

So, when you encounter a honey badger be aware and approach her carefully

as the honey badger does not trust easily,

she has been wounded by those threatened by her vigor

but make no mistake and do not pity the honey badger

for the honey badger is the most fearless animal in the wild

her sharp fangs acting as her guard

biting deep down as her wounds,

fresh from the stings of killer bees

her notable resilience

like a spring tulip

for she is a survivor.

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Celebration Nights at Awaken

Wed, 30 May 2018 18:34:00 GMT

Celebration nights are one way the Awaken staff honors their community. On April 20th, 2018, I had the privilege of experiencing one of these events first-hand.

As 5:30 approached, guests began to arrive one by one. I started to notice familiar faces, some mentors some clients, and some volunteers. I sat down and observed smiles and squeals as I watched a volunteer connect with a client and share memories of Easter dinner. As everyone began to settle in, I was asked by a client if I could hold her infant baby. I felt honored to be asked, and held her beautiful baby girl in my arms. I became so intrigued by her tiny little toes and fingers, and her gleaming smile. She snuggled with me and we stared at each other as we sat in the big comfy green chair by the television. She tried to close her eyes to sleep, but I could tell that just like me, she didn’t want to miss out on any of the excitement.

Eventually we all joined one another to form a circle in the living room area. I looked at all the faces united together, some young and some old. We had a new survivor join us whom I had never met, she was tall and full life. She gleamed as people welcomed her to the community and introduced themselves. She was assigned the job of lighting the candle that set on the glass table. This is a tradition that we begin every celebration night with, recognizing the survivors that are not yet home. Following this, another client read a passage out of the book, Find Your Way Home, an anthology compiled of powerful pieces written by survivors. She fought back tears as she read the words; we all felt how connected she was to herself and her emotions in that moment. I teared up too as I held her baby girl. I felt empowered to just be in her presence.

We concluded with closing statements and passed out cards. One card recognized a client’s birthday, while another recognized a new job and another celebrating three months of sobriety. We then made the transition to dinner. An Awaken volunteer brought us delicious sliced steak, bread rolls and an Asian fusion salad to eat, as we all connected over what has happened since we last met. Some of us mingled in the kitchen near the food, and some mingled in the living area. Laughter and story-telling filled the space. I observed as a survivor and a case manager had a staring contest and fought back giggles as they tried to both keep from blinking.

One mentor states:

“I’m a new mentor. It’s an amazing time to come together and celebrate the uniqueness of everyone”

While one survivor said,

“This is a reminder that I’m not alone. Awaken is a foundation where I was able to rebuild my life.

A woman came in to offer free massages. I had seen her at previous celebration nights before. The clients and volunteers waited eagerly for their turns.

The celebration ended with delicious orange flavored cupcake topped with tangerines, donated by another volunteer. Cupcakes are the way we end celebration nights.

Leaving Awaken that night I felt extremely touched to be welcomed into such a such a sacred space filled with women with such unity and love.

By Vanessa Dunn – Awaken Intern

This May, Vanessa is studying abroad in South Africa with Sierra Nevada College. However, she is looking forward to June’s celebration event and to reconnecting with her friends at Awaken!

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Staff Spotlight – Jen Robinson

Wed, 02 May 2018 21:18:00 GMT

Awaken is filled with warriors. One of those is Co-Founder, Jen Robinson, whose tremendous compassion for her clients shines as she discusses her work. Executive Director and fellow Co-Founder, Melissa Holland, states:

One thing that stands out about Jen, is the way the women are so drawn to her. It’s because of who she is, not what she does. Jen is incredibly welcoming and warm and trusts easily, she cares day in and day out whether she is on the clock or not.

Jen has filled several roles over the past seven years at Awaken. Today, she serves as the youth intervention director, running the agency’s prevention program and serving as a case manager to 18youth ranging in age from 11 to 18-years-old.

Jen, a Reno native, met Melissa at a Bible study. As Jen began to learn more about the issue of commercial sexual exploitation from Melissa she felt called to stand up for the survivors of commercial sex trafficking in the Reno-Tahoe area. Jen began providing rides to victims, and as time went on she realized that they not only needed food, but clothing as well. The two women began to develop traction and awareness within the community. Jen, by nature a caring and genuine person, realized that she had a moral obligation to establish Awaken as an organization. She used her degree in management and marketing, along with her business knowledge to procure a business license.

One of Jen’s favorite things about the job is watching the clients laugh and interact with one another. “Jen’s heart for her girls is truly inspiring, she goes above and beyond her duties. The girls feel so comfortable with her,” says Kasia, the program director for Awaken.

Jen loves working with the girls, hearing their stories and watching them overcome, saying:

I think being invited into the most sacred and personal parts of their life is the most rewarding. In December I was asked by one of the girls to be in the delivery room when she gave birth to her first child and I was asked to be the one to cut her umbilical cord. It’s an honor and a privilege, and the fact that she would trust me enough to allow me into that room and into her life means the world to me.

There are struggles that come with the job. When asked about the challenges of working within Awaken, I felt the sincerity and raw emotion from Jen as she shared that “personal choice” was one of her biggest challenges.

The relationship between the staff and the clients is very real. So, when clients struggle and make choices that I wouldn’t necessarily make for them, it’s really hard. To see them fall is difficult, and to see them run back can be heartbreaking. I know I take it hard, so I do what I need to do for me personally to take care of myself.

Jen is blessed to have a strong support group of friends, in addition to three goddaughters that light up her world. She looks to Jesus and the Church for added love and encouragement. Some of Jen’s favorite group activities include going to Fly High and rock climbing, “I love watching them push past their fears, make goals and achieve them.” Jen’s biggest dream for Awaken is getting a whole cul-de-sac for community living, “…where together we can equip one another to come into our true identity and take steps toward independence and freedom.”

Jen has changed the lives of clients, students, and the community. Through her passion for changing the culture surrounding commercial sexual exploitation, she has built a strong foundation for prevention and awareness and built timeless relationships with the clients she holds so dear. There is no better reward than putting your heart into something and creating joy.

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Awaken’s Stance on FOSTA-SESTA

Fri, 13 Apr 2018 21:36:00 GMT

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The Awaken Warriors

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 22:00:00 GMT

My name is Vanessa Dunn (that’s me holding the sign) and I am a Senior at Sierra Nevada College in Incline currently studying International Studies and Humanities. For my service-learning project, I chose to work within Awaken, after learning of the disturbing trend of commercial sexual exploitation cases in the Reno and Lake Tahoe area. Interning for Awaken has widened my perspective on the topic of gender inequality throughout our world and, has fueled me to continue to further my education on combating commercial sexual exploitation while advocating for survivors.

The drop-in center kitchen where we help rebuild lives over shared meals.

As I walk up the gray carpeted stairs to the Awaken drop-in center, I am overwhelmed by the loving climate created by staff. The living room holds a comfy oversized couch, used often to unite one another over shared stories from the week, or to give rest to weary clients. The kitchen holds an overstocked refrigerator filled with tasty favorites, providing sustenance to clients. The door to the fridge is covered with photos of Awaken clients enjoying weekly activities within their community. The bathroom holds a hot shower where clients can bathe, find feminine hygiene products, and fresh undergarments. The walls hold colorful, vibrant paintings of flowers, inspirational quotes and themed decorations for the month. And at the center of it all, a burning candle symbolic of the survivors who are not yet home.

Clients do arts and crafts on their path toward healing.

The clients at Awaken are fierce, brave, ambitious, and most importantly, they are survivors. I have witnessed the beaming smiles of clients as they share their accomplishments and their tears and anger as they reflect on their past. I’m humbled by their immense courage as they face obstacles ahead. I have heard the heart wrenching stories of abuse, rape, fear, and slander and witnessed the agony it has caused within them.

The clients at Awaken refuse to be broken and are proving to themselves and others that they are not defined by their past upsets . At Awaken, clients create new and meaningful relationships with others, and often work to clear their records of charges that prevent them from securing a reliable job. In workshops, they practice interview skills and create resumes to prepare for future employment. I have observed their transformations as they strive to become their highest and most authentic selves. Awaken provides a sanctuary for this to happen.

The staff at Awaken consists of twelve women who dedicate their lives to empower victims of sex trafficking. Founded by Melissa Holland and Jen Robinson in 2011, Awaken is a community that truly understands how love can foster healing. The non-profit promotes awareness through education and helps to embolden clients by providing resources and support. Awaken has spearheaded a student-friendly curriculum to help educate youth on the topic of commercial sexual exploitation and the warning signs. I am deeply moved by the efforts of Awaken staff and volunteers as they fight to end sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in our community. I find reassurance in the fact that these women are the leading warriors of this fight, the fight for freedom.

The work of Awaken would not be possible without the support of our community. They need our help in fighting this human rights violation and empowering survivors. If you are interested in learning more about this organization or volunteering for Awaken, you can contact volunteer coordinator, Stephanie Sherman at ssherman@awakenreno.org . I look forward to sharing my next blog post that will highlight Awaken’s monthly celebration nights!

Stay tuned.

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Prayer Night – Feb 22, 2017

Tue, 07 Feb 2017 17:55:00 GMT

When: February 22, 6:30pm
Where: New Life Christian
601 Spokane St, Reno, NV 89512

Awaken Prayer Nights are to bring people together to corporately pray for women and children being commercially sexually exploited. Awaken invite’s you to join us to pray for this cause. We anxiously await seeing God set these women and children free and northern Nevada restored back to the Lord! Please join us for the special evening to serve those held in sexual slavery by praying for them!

RSVP: Let us know you’re coming by joining our Facebook Event !

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Awaken & Acts 4 Prayer 5-Year Celebration

Sun, 12 Jun 2016 15:55:00 GMT

Come join us for an incredible evening as we celebrate 5 years of Awaken and Acts 4 Prayer Nights! A special Unity Worship Band will be leading us in worship; also joining us will be Pastors Brent Brooks , Dan Frank , Steve Bond & John McKendricks .

RSVP on Facebook

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2nd Annual Awaken Golf Challenge

Sun, 03 Apr 2016 17:19:00 GMT

Enjoy a leisurely day of golf with your friends, and do it for a cause! Become a part of the solution and unite with us to end sex trafficking! Our goal of raising $50,000 will directly support Awaken in providing housing resources to those utilizing Awaken’s services. providing a safe, clean, inviting place to live is crucial in restoring the lives of Awaken’s clients.

How it works :

Entry Includes:

To register as a golfer/team or to donate please visit: classy.org/GolfForAwaken

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Awaken Prayer Night – May 1

Sat, 02 Apr 2016 16:25:00 GMT

When: May 1, 6-8pm
Where: Hope City Church
6135 Lakeside Dr, Unit 137, Reno, Nevada 89511

RSVP: Let us know you’re coming by joining our Facebook Event !

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UNR Women’s Basketball

Tue, 05 Jan 2016 04:18:00 GMT

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New Drop-In Center!

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 16:19:00 GMT

Happy New Year from Awaken

Awaken has had an incredible year! On top of the $3,500 in presents that went to 20 women and 10 children for Christmas we are also moved into the Awaken Drop-in Center! Reno Christian Fellowship and its church family made a $50,000 contribution as part of its two-year JUMP initiative to allow us the startup funds to open the Drop-in Center. We are in a soft opening right now, but hope to soon be fully staffed and have our hours of operations up and running!

The statistics are scary for Reno in regard to the young women and youth in this community involved in prostitution and human trafficking. For the majority that want to escape, it’s a challenging path. We are opening the drop-in center in downtown Reno because we believe being downtown, where the heart of the exploitation takes place, will allow us to have the greatest impact. The center will be a place where girls can escape what is happening to them, become a part of a healthy community that loves them well.

Last night we hosted our first exercise class and tonight we will ring in the new year with dinner and games!

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Merry Christmas from everyone at Awaken!

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:24:00 GMT

Awaken has had an incredible year and a wonderful Christmas season with our staff and the women and children we serve. This year our team of mentors and staff opened up their homes to the girls and together we made gingerbread houses, decorated cookies, opened presents and shared meals. We have some of the most generous people investing in these girls and their families. This year churches and community members donated over $3,500 in presents that went to 20 women and 10 children!

All of the girls we serve were so blessed by your kindness! Jen and I received a text last night saying, “I’m overwhelmed by the generosity tonight. I feel like I was on the Oprah Christmas Special!”

We wish we could show you all of their beautiful faces. The girls really wanted to show you how much fun we had at this year’s Christmas events!

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Giving Tuesday

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 04:28:00 GMT

Know what you’re giving to on this Giving Tuesday!

Awaken is blessed to be expanding in opportunities to house these young women. This is always an area that has needed development and over the next two years, we are committed to seeing more Awaken housing opportunities happen for these young women. We invite you to help us reach our goals of obtaining a safe house, transitional housing and emergency housing for these women.

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Bear With Me

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 06:07:00 GMT

I am at work today. I am a working mom. I am a 5 ^th grade public school teacher and the children’s pastor at my church. These titles are both new to me. I have a schedule and responsibilities and people who depend on me for things to run smoothly. I don’t mind change really, but coming in as the new girl, I am more hesitant to jump in and switch everything up. I don’t want to be known as the pot stirrer man. I want to come in and be known as the girl who fixed the things that were inefficient and made great the things that were good. Also, I want my uniform to involve a cape.

After thinking it through with the brain God assigned me, I figured the best way to do my job is through love. If my goal as an educator is to love others, and my goal as a children’s pastor is to love others, and my goal as someone who shares an office with others is to love, and my goal in every relationship is to love first, I am golden. Jesus said so.

He came into a situation where everyone was on the defense because they didn’t understand what he was about. And when they realized what he was about, most people were convinced he was going about it all the wrong way. My work is nothing compared to what Jesus came to accomplish, but the approach has to be the same. Love God, Love others.

On the surface, it looks differently in each situation, but not really. It means being full of grace for each person no matter their status in our eyes. Removing our expectations and only having the conviction that God is going to be glorified in our every word, step, and thought.

Really it looks like what Paul talked about in Galatians, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s Jesus’ LAW that we bear with one another. When I start my day and ask my coworkers to bear with me while I get familiar with our rules and procedures and policies, I am actually asking them to carry my burdens and mistakes until I can stand on my own. Then, I have to do it back. I have to bear with them while we are learning to work together.

In other situations, it acts differently, but it is the same. Team mom? Bearing with your parents and realizing that there are more important things in the big picture than bringing snack on time. Mentoring girls who sometimes make the same mistake and then hit “replay for days” (who doesn’t?) In ministry at church or at a fundraiser for a great cause? Sometimes moms need to show up late because their child or children needed some real face time before rushing off to church. Bearing with them in grace. Covering their responsibilities WITH A SMILE. Ooh, that last part is often the part where I stumble.

I left Costco the other day, and as I approached the light at the top of a pretty steep hill, I saw a big brother riding beside his younger brother on their bikes. They looked to be about eight and 12. Big Brother had his hand on Little Brother’s back, pushing him as he struggled to make it up the hill. It was at the height of the hottest part of the day, and he was literally bearing this physical burden. Their bikes had to be very close to one another, which implies a level of trust between the two of them, not just one way. The best part? They were both laughing. Big Brother was smiling and happy to help.

I want to be this kid when I grow up. I want to bear with others and smile while I walk along side them or fill in or carry their burdens. I want to pour out so much grace that I catch myself laughing as I serve alongside others. This won’t be easy, but if a 12 year old can set this example, just maybe I can make some steps in the right direction.

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Look Who’s Talking

Sat, 23 May 2015 16:47:00 GMT

After an amazing weekend with Francine, Francine Rivers we are encouraged and excited about all of you coming along side us to put an end to trafficking in Reno, Nevada. Wouldn’t it be great if we showed up one day, and we were no longer needed? If suddenly Awaken had to change their outreach plan because the sex-industry was obliterated?

We trust God to bless our efforts. And, we are grateful to anyone who puts the word out. Mrs. Rivers took time and shared her heart on her blog. If you missed her at Redeeming Love: The Conference, or you just didn’t get enough of her, you can check out what she is saying about us here.

FRANCINE RIVERS’ BLOG

Sign up to receive our newsletter to stay in the loop of other upcoming events and updates on our ongoing efforts to raise funds to purchase a safe house for girls in the industry. Thank you for partnering with us.

Be Blessed and Be a Blessing!

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-S

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Within Reach

Mon, 04 May 2015 23:11:00 GMT

Ever notice Christians have a checklist along their progression of time: get saved, serve some people, join a Bible study, volunteer with a ministry, go on a mission trip, maybe go to Bible college, get married, join the young married couples small group, have babies, volunteer in the nursery, have more babies, join M.O.P.s, teach Sunday school, lead a Bible study, go to women’s retreat, join a prayer group, and. And. And.

Sometimes being a Christian woman is just all too predictable. I saw myself plotting points on an imaginary plane, and I was bored out of my mind. Is this mediocrity what God set before me? Is this what he meant when he said he planned for me, “life to the fullest”? It all seemed so meh.

When I read through stories in the Old Testament, I was struck by these testimonies that would even bring a wide-glazed-eye to people in Hollywood. You know the one I mean? Shock and awe. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t plan to add drama and sin to my life for the sake of excitement. What I want is a story that leaves a wake and points to Jesus. But I was going about it all wrong.

I realized I made everything cookie cutter. That life was NOT what God asked of me. I was putting one foot in front of the other in an order that seemed to make logical sense. Sure, God wants me to be in a Bible study. I’ll sign up to bring treats, and I will write my leader an encouraging note. These are totally noble activities. Right? Wait. I know! I’ll go on a mission trip and serve people even if I am uncomfortable. Clearly God wants me jumping out there and sharing his love. I don’t even need to ASK if this is God’s will; he said love, so I am going to love the people in this world. My children and my husband will just have to figure out how to live without me while I go serve God. Or, maybe I am missing the point of all of this. Maybe what I see as Busy Acts of Nobility (B.A.N?) are not what God wants for me.

We are not called to be noble. We are called to love others as much as we love ourselves. Bible studies, mission trips, M.O.P.s groups, small groups, a Christ loving spouse, women’s retreat and. And. And.

Even if these end up being God’s will for you, these were never meant to be the focus. Each of these experiences was intended to get us within reach.

HIS reach.

If our gaze is down or even centered at our own flawed eyelevel, that means we have taken our eyes from his; we are no longer standing resolute on who Christ is and his true calling on our life. Talk about missing opportunities.

I lose track of who needs love most when I change my focus to the noble acts. I have trouble discerning which words to tuck away and which ones to shout from the rooftops. I lack discernment, and I find myself running in circles hoping to hear from God.

What does a girl need to do to be within God’s reach? How about prayer?

Yep.

How about accountability from godly men and women?

Yes.

What if I started reading my Bible so regularly it hurt when I missed a morning?

Heck yes.

What if I got on my knees, turned off all of my electronic devices, and sought the face of Jesus with my hands stretched high just hoping to brush the hem of his garment? What if my very life depended upon that touch?

Oh that I could even grasp how much I need all of those things in my life. Then. THEN I would feel what it’s like to be within his reach.

God isn’t looking for well spoken, politically correct leaders. He is looking for someone willing to stand. Stand on his promises. Stand for others. Stand for his glory. Stand within His reach.

Where are you? Are you within his reach? It’s not too late. It’s never too late.

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Attacking Sex Trafficking at the Root: Guest Post by Alex Mosher

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 04:40:00 GMT

Decreasing the Demand in our Everyday Lives

Anyone who knows basic economics knows that if the demand increases then the supply has to increase. Heck, anyone with common sense can understand this.

So how can we decrease the demand for sex trafficking in our everyday lives? How can we decrease the number of women, men and children who are being forced or coerced into sex slavery?

Well let me tell you.

It’s true that there are women and men who aren’t being forced into selling sex. However, a majority of the individuals the Reno Police Department runs into are.

Sergeant Ron Chalmers of the RPD, who heads the Regional Street Enforcement Team, said that as many as 80 to 90 percent of the prostitutes they come into contact with are actually being exploited. This means they are making little if any money because they’re turning it in to a pimp at the end of the night.

The act of buying sex is also something that our society has deemed acceptable. It is not a biological need as some people would like to claim. Sure sexual intimacy is innate in us, but buying sex from strangers is not, especially when many of them are modern-day slaves.

Like I said, buying sex is a societal concept that we’ve turned into a norm and we justify it by treating women as objects. So what are some simple ways we can stop justifying the buying of women?

All right, I’m going to say something unpopular but it needs to be said; stop watching porn.

“As evidenced by one experiment…desensitization to the sexual objectification of women can occur quickly through repeated exposure to pornography,” according to the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology.

Even though we would all like to believe that every woman we see in porn enjoys being there, Jenna Jameson can attest that this is rarely the case. The world’s most famous and successful “porn star,” stated in her autobiography, “ The job of a porn star is not a calling – or even an option – for most women.”

So let’s stop supporting it.

The last way we can decrease the demand for sex trafficking is by ceasing to support legal prostitution . According to the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, since Victoria, Australia legalized prostitution, “Trafficking has increased to supply the new brothels.”

An investigative report by Victoria’s Age newspaper in 1999 found that the largest growth in the sex industry since legalizing prostitution was in the illegal division. The over 100 unlicensed brothels outnumbered the “legitimate” sex establishments in 1999 and had tripled in 12 months.

Therefore legalizing prostitution didn’t serve its purpose as it was supposed to, “minimize harm,” and the explosion of illegal brothels only increased the demand for sex slaves.

On the flip side of the coin, according to the American Bar Association, since Sweden criminalized prostitution and raised penalties for sex traffickers and buyers, “The National Criminal Investigation Department has received signals from Europol and national police forces in other European countries that Sweden no longer is an attractive market for traffickers.”

Bottom line? We can decrease the number of women and children who are being forced into the sex industry by refusing to buy sex and refusing to justify the buying of sex. Prostitution, legal or illegal, and pornography are not victimless and only increase the need for modern-day slaves.

Alex Mosher is a third-year journalism student at the University of Nevada. She loves writing and is passionate about serving the people in the city of Reno, Nevada. When she can do that with writing through exposing issues, it’s a win-win!

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1st Annual Golf Fundraiser

Sat, 04 Apr 2015 02:00:00 GMT

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Awaken is looking for individual (golfers) and community donors to participate in a Day-of-Golf Fundraiser at Somersett Golf & Country Club on Monday, June 8, 2015 to benefit the purchase of the first Safe House in Northern Nevada for survivors of commercial sexual exploitation.

The Day-of-Golf Pledge Event is no ordinary golf fundraiser! As an individual, you will need to raise the minimum suggested sponsor pledges of $2,000, or $20 per hole.

Each golfer is challenged to solicit pledges for each hole played. This collected $2,000 includes entry into all events, a marathon of golf at Somersett, riding cart, breakfast, lunch, dinner and marathon player incentives.

There will be an awards presentation, special speaker, and dinner directly after golf at the Sunset Grille formally known as 19th Hole.

Now you probably want to know more about the safe house, right? God has not just provided one house, but two! They stand on 20 acres of incredible land off the beaten path. The first house is 3500 sq. ft. and the second is 4000 sq. ft. The homes can house up to 6 girls each and all of this is included for only a purchase price of $250,000!!! As soon as God sends the resource we can move in! This is why the Day-of-Golf Fundraiser is so beneficial to Awaken. This fundraiser will help us to purchase this property and bring girls to a home of safety and restoration!

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Miracles Are Afoot

Thu, 12 Mar 2015 04:54:00 GMT

There’s so much business about us. Some people are in the car business. I am in the teaching business. I know a guy in the singing business. My kids are in everyone’s business. We visit people in the doctor and dentist business. But none of that compares to God’s business. He dabbles in miracles. Well, more than dabbles. Frankly, it’s a miracle we get to wake up every morning, breathe deeply when we desire, and sit in the sunshine. That’s all because God deemed it a good day for miracles.

Corrie Ten Boom lived in a crazy and chaotic time. She believed God is who he says he is. And when she was sent to a Nazi concentration camp for harboring Jews behind her bookshelf in a make shift closet, she knew for sure she believed in miracles. After being traded into this new camp, Ravensbruck, she and her sister stood in line with countless others to be processed. The welcome wagon. This included being stripped of their blanket and pillow, forced to strip to nothing to be sure they weren’t smuggling anything in, and sent in to shower one group at a time.

Ten Boom knew she needed a miracle for she had a Bible tied in a pouch around her neck. It was miraculous that she managed to hang on to this precious book through her previous camp, and to lose it now would be devastating. As the guard approached, stopping at each woman to thoroughly search their bodies, Corrie prayed fervently. The guard halted- intrusive. Invading. The guard frisked the woman to her left and her sister to her right but simply walked right past Corrie Ten Boom. Right past her Bible. Right past evidence that would surely have cost her life.

Corrie Ten Boom wasn’t magical. She was audacious. She lived like she believed God is mighty. She hung a Bible around her neck and prayed that God would bring a miracle.

We are seeing that same audacity in everyday people volunteering with Awaken. Artists are stepping up and using their gift of creativity. College journalism majors are writing articles of awareness. Men are joining a movement that stands for women’s freedom rather than contributing to their captivity. Small church women’s groups are volunteering their hands to assemble gifts and flyers and help with not so menial tasks for upcoming events. Teenagers are standing up in their high schools and saying, “We aren’t going to take it.” Mothers are praying quietly in their bedrooms. Mothers are taking to the streets and praying boldly in the face of evil. One teenage boy spent a Tuesday night writing notes of encouragement to girls in the industry.

In a world so focus on the business about us, people across Reno and Sparks, Nevada, from every background, are awakening their hearts and opening their eyes to say, “We believe in miracles. Use me, Lord.” And while they may face hardships, they also face a fundamental truth. God is in the miracle business .

<3 Does this seem like an outreach you could be part of? Do you feel called to the front lines with our team of Corrie Ten Booms? Would it change your mind if I said there are so many seemingly small jobs that make our hands more successful? It’s OK to start small. Jesus suggested beginning with faith the size of a mustard seed. Contact us through our GET INVOLVED tab to find the perfect volunteer opportunity for you. Stand on your chair and give a little shout; you may be amazed who joins you.

-S.

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What Would Ms. Manners Say?

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 07:17:00 GMT

I realized, today, that I posted an update on this here blog and forgot to properly introduce myself. Ms. Manners would probably call me rude. I’ll say I just felt like we were old friends, and I overlooked it. But, to keep up the ideal of manners, I will take a minute to do this all the right way.

Here is a quick insight into who I am:

My name is Shontell Brewer, and I live in the heart of the city of Reno, Nevada. There are seven of us holed up in a tiny little house: my husband and our five kiddos. By day, I teach elementary school. By night, I write here and here and wrangle my brood of very cool kids. I also am the children’s ministry leader at my church.

As a whole, we are a family about community. Weekends we can be found outside, dipping our toes in the Truckee River, or catching up on our favorite movies. And coffee? Forget about it. Coffee is my love language. After Jesus, it’s what gets me moving each day.

I was seven when God told me I was to be a teacher. I am so grateful for His direction! I am also grateful to partner with a group like Awaken and see the different faces my role as teacher can take! For now, it means spending time with you good people through blogging and hopefully bringing a little nonsense for you to mull over in your day.

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Blessings,

-S.

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We Are Redeemed: Yes, You.

Sat, 31 Jan 2015 19:55:00 GMT

If we were brave enough, we would all remain standing if someone called the sinners to the stage. Thank goodness it doesn’t work that way; it should never have to work that way. There’s no display for the ones who have sinned. Or maybe there is, only we call it every single person we look at, including the mirror.

But thank goodness it doesn’t work like that. Do you know why? It’s summed up in two simple words.

REDEEMING LOVE.

God is ready to cover you in His redeeming love; all you have to do is show up (and maybe bring a friend or two) and receive it. Awaken is hosting our first ever women’s conference, and you, yes you, are invited.

Here’s the skinny:

Redeeming Love: The Conference

May 1 & 2, 2015

Francine Rivers and other dynamic women in our community will come together for two days to empower women in leadership and women on mission! You are promised the sweetest redemption from a God who has plans to fill you up, so you can pour out to those you serve. Who doesn’t love that? But it’s hard to let in God’s true redeeming love,

It’s the only way. Because you can’t pour out what you have not received. So, decide to be filled, decide to receive, and decide to gather your community of leaders and world changers to attend Redeeming Love: The Conference.

More information coming soon. In the meantime, save the date.

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Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Reno

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 03:54:00 GMT

The post Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Reno appeared first on Awaken .

January 20th Awaken Awareness Exhibit

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 19:48:00 GMT

When: 5-7pm, January 20, 2015

Where: 435 Spokane St in Reno, “Awaken Center”

Awaken will be displaying artwork from local photographers who are helping raise awareness about human trafficking. Come explore local artistic talent, take a tour of the new Awaken Center and learn more about Awaken’s plans for 2015. Refreshments will be provided.

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Awaken on the Move!

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 22:06:00 GMT

God has answered our prayer and provided a space for this to happen. The new home of Awaken will be one block away from two strip clubs, directly across the street from the Lucky Motel and a block away from Diamonds Casino. This is a hot spot for trafficking, prostitution, and commercial sexual exploitation and it is exactly where we want to be.

Thanks to the larger office space and increased rooms, Awaken will be able to continue offering case management, counseling services, trainings, and outreach while also offering weekly restoration groups, individual and group counseling, support groups and Bible studies all out of this central space. We pray this space will become a welcoming and inviting place for us to also reach women in the strip clubs to come for prayer, support, meals, and relationship.

What is even more amazing about this property is that for the last few years it has been part of the Nevada House of Prayer, which means this property has been covered in prayer, making it a great launch site for what God has next for Awaken and the Reno community. We envision this space as a place for dedicated prayer and worship around the issue of sex trafficking in our region, and a place where churches unite on this issue.

We are grateful for this new opportunity to increase and expand our efforts and to make an even greater impact in our community. Thanks to those who made it happen. We will be renovating this month, then decorating and furnishing with hopes to have a grand opening by the end of this year! Stay tuned as we announce our opening celebration date!

There are many ways you can be a part of the growth of Awaken. As we move into this new space we will be in need of furniture, carpet, paint, decor etc. If you would like to help us with this exciting move please contact us!

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January 11th Out of the Darkness and Into the Light

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:47:00 GMT

Where: Downtown Reno

When: January 11th at 3:00pm

On January 11th, 2015 Awaken will partner with the Junior League of Reno to host an event to bring awareness to sex trafficking in Nevada. We will turn off the Reno Arch to symbolize the darkness this issue has brought into our state. Community leaders will address sex trafficking and highlight JLR’s proposed state bill. At the conclusion, the Reno Arch will be relit, as we stand united as a community no longer ‘in the dark.’

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January 7th Prayer Night

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:46:00 GMT

Where: Sparks Christian Fellowship

When: January 7th at 7:00pm

Awaken Prayer Nights are to bring people together to corporately pray for women and children being sex trafficked and exploited. Awaken invite’s you to join us Wednesday January 7th at Sparks Christian Fellowship to pray for this cause. We anxiously await seeing God set these women and children free from slavery and this place restored back to the Lord! As Isaiah 61 states, let this be the year of the Lords favor as we proclaim liberty to the captives!

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Myths and Facts about Nevada Legal Prostitution

Sun, 31 Aug 2014 19:52:00 GMT

What does legalization of prostitution mean?

Legal prostitution is state-sponsored prostitution. Legal prostitution means that the state of Nevada legally permits the buying and selling of women in prostitution. Nevada’s counties collect taxes from the sales of women to men who buy them (johns or tricks).

In Nevada legal prostitution, the counties are the pimps, collecting taxes. In legal prostitution the john is welcomed as a legitimate consumer. Since we know that prostitution always harms women, the legalized buying and selling women is in effect the promotion of and profiting from women’s poverty, childhood sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation.

Similar in effect to legal prostitution, decriminalized prostitution is even more extreme.
It means that all laws regarding prostitution would be removed. In other words, buying a woman would be the social and legal equivalent to buying toilet paper. Prostitution in all its forms – street, brothel, escort, massage – would be legally permitted. Pimps and traffickers the world over would become Nevada’s new businessmen, Johns would be welcomed consumers.

Regardless of its legal status, prostitution is extremely harmful to those in it.

Legalization of prostitution does not decrease the physical and the emotional safety of women in prostitution. Wherever legal prostitution exists, nearby illegal prostitution increases.

There is no way to make prostitution “a little bit better” any more than it is possible to make domestic violence “a little bit better.” Prostitution is a profoundly harmful institution. Who does it harm the most? The woman who is prostituting is hurt the worst. She is hurt psychologically as well as physically. There is scientific evidence for this.

Should we arrest women in prostitution? No .

Almost all women in prostitution are there as a last resort, they don’t “choose” prostitution the way someone chooses a career as an x-ray technician.

81% of the women in the Nevada legal brothels prostitution urgently want to escape it. For information about the Nevada legal brothels based on research supported by the US State Department Office of Trafficking in Persons, please obtain Prostitution & Trafficking in Nevada: Making the Connections which can be ordered from amazon.com . All proceeds from the book go to Prostitution Research & Education, a 20 year-old nonprofit organization.

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Let’s focus on the real predators: the johns who assume that they are entitled to buy women for sex. These are the perpetrators of sexual exploitation and abuse who should be arrested, not the women who are bought.

Let’s shut down the legal brothels and instead offer women, men and children in prostitution real choices.

Women tell us that they need stable housing, social services, medical treatment, and job training in order to get out of prostitution. That’s what they should receive – not more restrictive coercion in the legal brothels which many women describe as “little prisons.”

Myths and Facts about Nevada Legal Prostitution

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Reno officials working to stop sex trafficking (USA Today)

Sun, 21 Jul 2013 21:38:00 GMT

View this article from USA Today

RENO — An increasing number of the young women who walk Fourth Street in Reno looking for customers — local men and visitors to the city’s major events — began working as prostitutes while in their teens . They are manipulated by men who control every aspect of their lives, said Reno Police Sgt. Ron Chalmers, one of the leaders of an effort to stop sex trafficking in Northern Nevada.

Sex trafficking — the act of forcing a woman into prostitution — is on the rise in the Reno area. The exploitation happens every day in hotels, casinos and in the front seats of cars — called “car dates.” Pimps use intimidation and violence to make the girls work for them and then turn over the money they make.

Some girls are branded — or tattooed — with their pimp’s name, a number or with the name of their group. For many, the relationship with their pimp is the closest thing to family they’ve ever had. Others are forced to perform while their children are held ransom, usually at gunpoint.

A steady increase of sex trafficking in Northern Nevada has sparked an effort by local, state and federal agencies to try to save the exploited girls and prosecute their pimps. Many of those involved with the problem see a shift in the way these cases are handled, and they hope changes in the law will help stop the victimization of the girls.

Melissa Holland, founder of Awaken Inc. , a Reno-based non-profit group that supports victims of sex trafficking, said she worked with 40 exploited women in 2012 and 25 so far in 2013.

Girls as young as 11 are being exploited, said Carla Higginbotham, an assistant U.S. attorney in Reno who specializes in prosecuting juvenile sex trafficking cases. Chalmers said the average age of the girls who enter “the life” is 14.

“They can be local kids or children who are brought into Nevada from other states for the purpose of selling their bodies,” said Higginbotham. “These children are either coerced or, in many instances, forced through violence or threats, to engage in this conduct.”

A bill passed by the Nevada Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Brian Sandoval in June toughened penalties for pimps and created new opportunities for the treatment of victims. The next step will be a change in the public’s perception of the crime as well as the prostitute’s perception of herself and her predicament, experts say.

Tiffany Short, an FBI victim-witness specialist in Reno who works as a counselor for these women, said things can begin to change for the better as the community learns the depth of this problem.

“People are acknowledging that youth and adults are being sexually exploited in our city, on our streets, in our hotels, and our community is standing up to say this is not OK, and we need to meet the needs of the exploited and prevent this from happening,” she said.

Numbers increasing

Since 2002, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies have rescued about 100 children identified as possible victims of juvenile sex trafficking in Northern Nevada, Higginbotham said. That number does not include the adult women being trafficked, which experts say would be impossible to produce because many women don’t acknowledge that they are under the control of a pimp.

“The number of children recovered each year has steadily risen,” she said. “However, we believe that these figures significantly under-represent the problem in our area.”

Chalmers heads the Reno Police Department Street Enforcement Team, or SET, that focuses on these types of crimes. As a detective about 10 years ago, the women arrested in undercover prostitution investigations were generally in their 30s to 40s who were drug addicts, he said.

But today, the prostitution demographics are completely different, he said.

They’re much younger than they used to be, he said. The average age of the girls rescued in 2012 was 20 to 21 years old, he said. Police make contact with 16- and 17-year-old girls on a regular basis, he said. Some are as young as 12.

“A significant number of what we see, 80 to 90%, are being exploited — forced into the lifestyle,” Chalmers said.

The branding, or tattooing, of prostitutes — one of the more disturbing trends — reveals sex trafficking for what it really is, he said, which is modern-day slavery.

New punishments

The Nevada Legislature during the 2013 session passed a measure that redefined the crime of pandering. It made human trafficking a serious offense that carries tougher penalties.

Some victims have reported that their pimps moved from selling drugs to selling humans because the punishment was less significant, Short said.

The passage of Assembly Bill 67 will help law enforcement, Chalmers said.

The new law, which went into effect July 1, made trafficking an adult a category B felony that carries a three-to-10-year sentence. Exploitation of a child is now a category A felony that carries a maximum life sentence. Parole eligibility for those cases depends on how young the victim is.

The crime is much more prominent in Las Vegas, where Clark County (Nev.) District Judge William Voy hears these cases every Wednesday. About 2,230 children were saved from sex trafficking in Las Vegas since 1994, officials said.

“Many of these girls are chronic runaways, and they need special supervision,” said Voy. “I can’t detain them, so with this population, we need some way to hold them. They don’t see us as helpful. Sometimes the pimp is the only one who has paid attention to them.”

Voy said one solution to the detention problem is building safe houses for the girls. If they have a place to go and can learn about other options, they won’t have to return to the pimp, he said.

Those types of homes are available in Sacramento, Calif., but there are no safe houses in Reno. For that reason, Awaken Inc. has been raising money through private donations and a grant to build a transitional home for sex-trafficking victims in Reno, Holland said.

“A transitional home for adults will fill a huge need of having a safe place for adult victims until other placement arrangements can be made,” Short said. “Currently in Nevada, to my knowledge, we do not have a placement that specializes in the treatment of minor victims of sex trafficking.”

Making the victims safe is the first priority, Short said.

“Many of our survivors are hungry, have had little sleep and also benefit from medical care,” she said. But through education and training, many in the community are responding and raising awareness, so there is hope, she said.

Help for Victims

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Organizations working to stop and raise awareness of sex trafficking:

Polaris Project: www.polarisproject.org

Project Stay Gold: www.projectstaygold.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters: www.bbbs.org

End Child Prostitution and Trafficking: www.ecpatusa.org

The post Reno officials working to stop sex trafficking (USA Today) appeared first on Awaken .

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What is Sex Trafficking?

What is Sex Trafficking?

Statistics

Adjusted for population, Nevada’s commercial sex market is by far the largest of any state.

More than 13% of Nevada prostituted persons are advertised under the age of 21.

Youth is an important characteristic sought by sex buyers in Nevada.

Global Statistics

National Statistics

Sex Trafficking Indicators

Helpful Definitions

Prostitution: A sexual act in exchange for money or anything of value (drugs, shelter, etc.)

Pimp/Trafficker/Facilitator: The person(s) using force, fraud, or coercion for commercial sexual exploitation and collaborators who benefit financially.

Situations

Locations

Conditions

Symptoms

Nevada's Trafficking Statistics

Nevada's State and Local Statistics

Women in Reno Experience Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Mapping Commercial Sex Advertising around Reno, NV

Nevada’s Online Commercial Sex Trade

Adjusted for population, Nevada’s commercial sex market is by far the largest of any state.

More than 13% of Nevada prostituted persons are advertised under the age of 21.

Youth is an important characteristic sought by sex buyers in Nevada.

Global Statistics

National Statistics

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Nevada Sued for State Sanctioned Sex Trafficking

TAKE ACTION

Even when it is legalized, it is impossible to disentangle exploitation from prostitution.

Legalized Prostitution in Nevada has led to an increase (not decrease) in the state’s illegal sex trade.

Mary 's Story