Shocking Journey

Nine weeks ago I got the opportunity to choose an organization to partner with for my Senior Capstone project thru PSU.  I knew right away that I wanted to partner with Hope82, a non-profit faith-based organization that is committed to helping victims of sex trafficking. 

 Thru this journey this is what I learned…  

• Portland is ranked #2 in the Country for the number of sex trafficked children and women. (FBI) 
• The average age of young girls being pulled into sex trafficking is between 12-14 years old.
• In 2010, Portland was named “Pornland” by Dan Rather in a television report that brought national awareness to sex trafficking in the Pacific NW
• 82^nd Avenue is a well known track where women are sold for sex acts.
• From 2009-2013 there were at least 469 children who were victims of sex trafficking in the Portland Metro area (CSEC Report, Portland State).
• Every 30 seconds another person becomes a victim of Human Trafficking. 
• Sex Trafficking is part of a greater problem known as Human Trafficking.  
• Human Trafficking is a multi-million dollar industry second only to Drug trafficking as the highest grossing criminal endeavor.
• Over 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year; 50% of them are children and 80% of them are women and girls (UN, US State Department).
• Trafficking includes: recruiting, transporting, selling, or buying of people.  Pimps trade and sell these girls for profit and demand them to make their quotas or they are beat and injured. 
•  Youths are recruited and lured into this lifestyle because they are easier to control and because of the high demand and value they have for being under age.  They then find it nearly impossible to escape once they are a part of this “life.”  

These cold hard facts are hard to ignore!  The saddest part is that this isn't an isolated incident or crime reserved for "seedy" parts of Portland.  No, human trafficking victims have been identified in cities, suburbs, and rural areas in all 50 states.  What I am learning is how widespread the lack of awareness really is.  There's so much to understand.  There's so much to do.  Where do we begin?  What can we do?