Image via WikipediaMonday, Dec. 6, 2010Hundreds of thousands of American youth at risk each year: nonprofit
Montgomery County activists seeking to curb human trafficking hope that young people will play a prominent role in their efforts.
Saturday in Sandy Spring, about 100 teenagers from county high schools and middle schools attended a workshop on human trafficking. A portion of the workshop focused on how teens can use social media to become modern-day abolitionists. Speakers told attendees about the benefits of starting anti-human trafficking groups on Facebook and the importance of communicating with local, state and federal legislators.
"Children are primarily the victim of what we see [of human trafficking]," said Laura Anderson Wright, executive director of the George and Georgianna Campbell Sandy Spring Slave Museum. "The first step to eradicating anything is to educate the next generation."
According to the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization that works to combat trafficking, between 244,000 and 325,000 American youth are at risk of sex trafficking each year.
Workshop attendees said it was informative.
"I'm glad they took the time to educate us," said Max Rolon, 19 of Brookeville. "I knew a bit about [human trafficking] but not about the extent of it."
Montgomery County Police first recognized human trafficking as an emerging crime in 2006, according to police spokeswoman Lucille Baur.
"It can be a difficult crime to investigate because the victims of human tracking have been physically or psychologically coerced into prostitution," she said. "Sometimes they're told they'll be deported if they report that they've been victimized. Sometimes they are threatened with harm to other family members."
That's where activists hope teens will be able to help, according to Paulette Walker Campbell, president of the Montgomery County chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., one of the workshop's organizers. Jack and Jill of America is an African-American organization of mothers that works with children to encourage future leaders.
"The whole idea is to educate the teenagers on slavery, past and present," Campbell said. "We are always seeking opportunities to open our children's eyes to the world outside of them."
Attendee Mark Torres, 17, of Brookeville, took something from the workshop.
"I learned that nowadays, it's worse and worse with kids and prostitutes on the street," he said. "I know people are running away from home but this is not the way."
nnourmohammadi@gazette.net
Sandy Spring workshop teaches teens about dangers of human trafficking
Related articles
No comments:
Post a Comment