The Child Sex Trade in America

by Lisa Cunningham, Director of Communications

In recent years, there has been a lot of attention in the media about the global commercial sex trade. But while many of us have heard that the problem exists in several parts of the world, few of us know that it’s also happening in our neighborhoods, right under our noses.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 300,000 American children fall victim to commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) each year. Disturbingly, many of these children are younger than 12 years old.

Children who have run away or have been thrown away from their homes are especially vulnerable to CSEC. In addition, the internet has made it especially easy for predators to find and lure unsuspecting children. In fact, experts say, many are lured, raped, and sold into the commercial sex trade within 48-72 hours after running away or being lured by a child predator.

But what is most disturbing is that oftentimes, the very children who are victimized by this crime are also the ones who are criminalized: young girls are regularly arrested for the crime of prostitution, while the real criminals continue to prowl the streets for more victims.

Fortunately, there’s hope. One organization, Living Water for Girls, provides refuge and rehabilitation services for girls between the ages of 12 and 17 who were victims of CSEC. To learn more about the organization and how you can help to protect our children from commercial sexual exploitation, visit their website, livingwaterforgirls.org.

Remember, this crime isn’t just happening overseas. It’s happening right outside our front door.

Protect Your Child from Predators

by Lisa Cunningham, Director of Communications

We recently ran an article to raise awareness about the horrendous crime of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). The problem is very real in Atlanta, and yes, it does exist in our neighborhoods.

An estimated 300,000 children are lured by child predators each year, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Because we at Pop-A-Lock Atlanta are passionate about the care and protection of our children, we would like to take this opportunity to stress the importance of making sure your children know what to do if and when they are faced with a questionable situation involving an adult they don’t know.

Here is just a few ways you can help keep your children safe:

• First and foremost, teach children to trust their first instinct. If something doesn’t seem right, it isn’t.
• Make sure your children, even preschoolers, know their home address and phone number. Make sure they also know your first and last name and how to contact you at all times.
• Teach children to recognize and avoid tactics which predators commonly use to lure children: asking for directions, pretending to have been sent by you to pick them up, offering money for a favor, or inviting them to view, pet, or help find a runaway animal.
• Monitor your children’s internet/social networking usage. The internet has made it increasingly easy for predators to scout out and lure victims.
• Talk to your children and know their friends. Keep the lines of communication open and make it your business to know what is going on in their lives, at school, and with their friends.

This is not a perfect list, and you can’t be with your children all the time. But following these basic tips and making sure your children know what scenarios and people to avoid will help keep them safe and help give you peace of mind.

For more regular, timely, safety-related tips and updates, remember to subscribe to our blog.

Do Convicted Sex Offenders Live in Your Neighborhood?

By Lisa Cunningham, Director of Communications

It seems you can’t turn on the news these days without reading about adults being arrested for and charged with child pornography.

At Pop-A-Lock Atlanta, we have a special heart for children, and we believe our greatest responsibility is helping to protect them.

That’s why we’re pleased to share with you a website we’ve discovered, Family Watchdog. This website is dedicated to helping locate and identify convicted sex offenders to keep children safe. Simply enter your address or the location you’d like to scan for offenders, and Family Watchdog will let you know if there are registered offenders in your area. And best of all, it’s FREE.

Please share the Family Watchdog website with other parents you know, and if you found this post helpful, remember to subscribe to this blog for regular, timely safety tips and updates.