stART2end Trafficking Art Competition #start2endnow

Contact us at [email protected] © 2015 youthSpark. All Rights Reserved. youthSpark, Inc. A 501(c)(3) organization.

1

Dear colleagues and friends, This is an exciting time in our state’s efforts to fight human trafficking, particularly the trafficking of youth. It is often hard to believe teens are exploited in our own backyard, but it happens. In the past few years alone, Georgia identified over 1,000 victims of child trafficking. So, why is it an exciting time? My answer is founded on hope; we finally have enough Georgians who know and care about this issue, meaning we have the resources to bring the trafficking of Georgia’s youth to an end. At youthSpark, we believe there is a critical voice missing from the public dialogue—the voice of youth. Our goal is to amplify their voices because it is their peers who are bought and sold as products. In the truest sense this is their social justice issue. To that end, youthSpark is empowering teens, and adults who work with them, to reduce the trafficking of children through education and activism—an important and necessary step in stopping human trafficking in our state. Certainly trafficking can be a sensitive topic, but sheltering young people from this issue prevents them from being informed and knowledgeable. We support introducing this topic to youth in a safe, teenfriendly format. This means educating youth on the proper terminology and issues surrounding trafficking, without being graphic or inappropriate. Importantly, it also means giving youth an opportunity to engage creatively on a persistent social problem through activism. stART2end now is an art competition created by two of our teen interns from metro Atlanta high schools. The competition involves using art in a safe, but bold, way to raise awareness about and engage youth on this issue. The attached package has been designed for use in a variety of settings, including schools, faith-based groups, and other youth-serving organizations. We look forward to your participation in the competition. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly. Thank you for all you do for our youth! Sincerely,

Alex Trouteaud, Ph.D. Executive Director [email protected]

2

RESOURCES 1.

LEARN THE ISSUE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

2.

ENGAGE YOUR SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . .

7

3.

START2END ART COMPETITION . . . . .

8

3

LEARN THE ISSUE Human trafficking may seem like a scary or uncomfortable subject but educating yourself and others is an empowering way to stay safe and help end this problem affecting girls and boys your age. The U.S. Department of State estimates that approximately 300,000 youth are at risk for commercial sex trafficking.i While you may have seen trafficking portrayed in movies or TV, these images are not always accurate. We encourage you to have an open discussion with your family or school group on what you learn here and visit the youthSpark Trafficking Resource Hub. This can help you educate others and keep those in your school or community safe. After learning about the issue, enter our stART2end trafficking art competition to raise awareness among your peers!

What is commercial sex trafficking? Many terms are used to refer to the human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation of children. To be a successful youth advocate, it is very important to learn appropriate terms and language. Remember, no adult should ever ask a young person to have sex for food, money, or a place to stay. Even in situations where the young person seems to willingly participate, he or she is the victim and the trafficker is taking advantage (or exploiting) that young person. •

1

Human Trafficking: This is an umbrella term that refers to the exploitation of a person for labor or sexual servitude. Trafficking can be considered domestic (happening here in the United States) or international. Children, teens, or adults can be trafficked. When the person is under the age of 18 it does not matter if someone used force or lied to them, it is always considered exploitation and they should never be treated as a criminal.1

Review the What’s the Difference Chart to understand types of trafficking.

4

•

Child sex trafficking/commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC): CSEC falls under the umbrella of human trafficking and refers to the sexual exploitation or trafficking of minors. A person has engaged in CSEC if they “recruit, harbor, transport, provide or obtain a child under age 18” to engage in a commercial sexual act. o FACT: Victims of commercial sexual exploitation can be referred to as being in “the life” or in the sex trade. The average age of entry into “the life” is between 12-14 years of age.

•

Survival sex: Survival sex is considered to be any sexual act exchanged for an extreme need, including trading sex for food, money, or shelter. Survival sex is by nature sexual exploitation. Being in extreme need for food, money, or shelter places the victim in a desperate situation, in which their ability to refuse trading sex for money is diminished. o FACT: Movement across country or state lines is not required for someone to be a trafficking victim.

•

Prostitute vs. Prostituted: We do not advocate the use of term “child prostitute” to refer to victims of child sex trafficking. The term prostitute has many negative connotations that tend to blame the victim, such as implying the person made a bad choice, or purposefully chose to be in the life. The term child prostitute does not offer any context for how a person comes to be victimized by trafficking, such as being hungry or being kicked out of one’s home.2 Further, it minimizes the inequality and power imbalance between the youth and the adult. This is why we prefer using the term CSEC or sex trafficking to help convey that children are not legally or socially able to “choose” to have sex for money. This language also exposes how sex trafficking is a social issue that needs attention and cultural accountability. o FACT: Children cannot make the decision to sell themselves for sex. Their minds are not developed enough to make that decision. Consider the reasons there are age limits on driving or voting.

2

Refer to the Language

& Sensitivity T-Chart (p.11) for a deeper explanation.

5

Where does trafficking happen? Whether you live in the city or a rural area, trafficking may be happening in your area— it may just look different. Although it can occur in a variety of contexts, vulnerable youth are often at the most risk. Many trafficked youth are also experiencing poverty, sexual, gender, or racial discrimination, or may have experienced some form of child abuse or neglect. There is a misconception that trafficking only occurs on the streets under the control of a “pimp.” However, the presence of a “pimp” is not necessary for commercial sexual exploitation to occur, and in many cases, there may be no pimp. Increasingly, young people are approached or lured online in social media spaces by someone pretending to be a friend or peer. o FACT: Within the first 48 hours of a child running away from home, 1 in 3 will be approached or lured by someone seeking to exploit them.

What does sex trafficking look like? Many victims of trafficking experience some of the same issues but each victim’s journey is different. In fact, it may be likely to change over time. For example, a youth may initially be coerced or recruited by a stranger or someone one that they already know. In other cases, rather under the direction of someone else, some youth may trade sex independently to survive. For some, the sex trade may be his or hers only means of survival. For others, it may be the result of coercion by a peer or adult. Regardless, no adult should ever ask you to have sex for food, money, or shelter. o FACT: Many victims form some type of bond with their exploiter or may experience Stockholm syndrome.

What does a victim look like? There is no singular victim profile. It can happen to anyone regardless of race, sexuality, location, or gender. There is a misconception that only girls are trafficked.

6

However, it happens to boys too. In fact, because of gender norms, it may be more difficult for boys to tell someone. Victims should never be ashamed. It is not their fault. Ever. Sometimes those who have been trafficked may not self-identify as victims. This makes it difficult to help those who may be in need. However, this does not mean that he or she does not need help. If you think someone you know needs help, you should reach out to a trusted adult. Another barrier to helping victims is that there is no singular victim profile. Despite this, there are some similarities worth noting. Remember, these warning signs or red flags do not mean that exploitation is happening. A victim may experience several of these or none at all. • • • • • • • • • • •

Having a marginalized sexual, gender, or racial identity Experiencing social and familial discrimination or rejection Lack of stability in the home Familial poverty Repeat runaway history A history of physical or sexual abuse Emotional or mental trauma Exposure to (or witness to) violence or drug abuse the home An obligation or desire to help family make ends meet Peer, family, or media influences Lack of adequate employment opportunities

A primary driver of youth engaging in survival sex is homelessness.iiResearch has found that between 10% and 50% of runaway and homeless youth have engaged in survival sex.iii

What about LGBTQ youth? Disproportionately, homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.iv LGBTQ youth are seven times as likely as heterosexual youth to have engaged in survival sex.v Transgender youth are 8 times more likely than cisgender youth to engage in survival sex.

7

LGBTQ youth who engaged in survival sex have reported similar experiences around a few issues.vi Notably, they reported facing social and familial discrimination or rejection. They were also likely to first enter the sex trade through a peer network. LGBTQ youth are also more likely to have peers who engage in survival sex than heterosexual youth. LGBTQ youth are also more likely to face institutional barriers, such as housing discrimination, gender-affirming health care, food security, or livable wages, making the need to engage in survival sex greater. LGBTQ youth are also less likely to find safe spaces that are supportive of their sexual or gender identity, and are more likely to experience violence by families, peers, strangers, police officers, or exploiters.

Do people want to leave the sex trade? The majority of youth want to stop trading sex immediately or in the near future.vii A major barrier to leaving the sex trade is finding meaningful economic opportunities.viii A second barrier is social support. GSAs can provide a starting place to build social support for sexually exploited youth. *Refer to Get Help Now Chart

8

ENGAGE YOUR SCHOOL WITH ART There are many ways to engage your school and community around the issue of sex trafficking. We suggest discussing these issues with a club or class to decompress what you have learned. Then get creative by participating in our 2015 stART2end Trafficking art competition. 1. Have your class or a club host a roundtable and discuss the issue of commercial sex trafficking. This discussion does not have to be heavy or burdensome. If you are unsure how to lead this discussion, we have some ideas below, or a fourpage discussion guide we can send you (email [email protected]). o Discussion ideas: § How have your views on trafficking changed since learning about the issue? § What steps can we take to keep our friends and ourselves safer? § How has social media blurred behavioral boundaries? In other words, do you feel more comfortable saying or doing certain things online that you do not feel comfortable saying or doing in person? Where is the line between appropriate and inappropriate behavior? § What should you do if someone tries to blackmail or make you do something you are uncomfortable with? § How can we support victims without blaming them? § What does it mean to have a positive body image? § Do you have an adult in your life that you feel comfortable telling your problems to? (If you do not, there are advocates at Georgia Cares who are available 404-602-0068).

•

Engage students on the issue of commercial sexual exploitation with creativity! Have your school participate in the 2015 stART2end Trafficking art competition. The competition will run from October 1, 2015 to December 15, 2015. Submit art within three categories: public service announcements, social media awareness, and victim support & allies. We will select three winners ($100 prizes), one from each category, on January 1, 2016.

9

2015 stART2end Trafficking Competition #start2endnow When: The competition will run from October 1st through December 15th. Winners will be announced on January 1, 2016. Begin announcing the campaign at your school in August and September. Download our poster series and post around your school. Seek creative ways to engage other students e.g. encourage your art teacher to incentivize students with extra credit or an assignment. Where: Text start2end to 313131 to learn about commercial exploitation. Then officially enter by submitting your art at http://www.youth-spark.org/start2endnow/. Share your art with others using #start2endnow. In order to enter the contest you must agree to the rules.ix What: We encourage a diverse range of submissions, such as paintings, drawings, photography, poems, music, mixed-media, essays, short film, etc. Trafficking art does have to be “dark” or “heavy.” Consider incorporating themes of awareness, strength, hope, renewal, friendship, or surviving. Get creative! Submission Categories: There will be three submission theme categories. Your art project should align under one of following. • Public Service Announcements • Social Media Awareness • Victim Support & Ally Prizes: One winner will be selected from each category and will receive $100, and recognition at youthSpark’s annual gala January 28, 2016 during anti-trafficking month. Winners will be announced January 1, 2016. Good to know: • Title your work and identify which category you are entering. • All work will be featured in an online gallery. • Multiple submissions are welcome.

10

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Language & Sensitivity T-Chart

11

REFERENCES & OFFICIAL RULES

i

Department of State. 2010. Trafficking in Persons Report, 10th Edition. Washington, DC: Department of

State. ii

Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2013. Confronting Commercial Sexual

Exploitation and Sex Trafficking of Minors in the United States. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences. iii

Weber, A.E., Boivin, J., Haley, N., and Roy, E. 2004. Predictors of Initiation into Prostitution Among

Female Street Youths. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine. 81(4): 584-95. Tyler, K.A. 2009. Risk Factors for Trading Sex Among Homeless Young Adults. Archives of Sex Behavior, 38:290-97. Haley, N., Roy, E., Leclerc, P., Boudreau, J., and Boivin, J. 2004. HIV Risk Profile of Male Street Youth Involved in Survival Sex. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 80:526-30. Halcon, L., and Lifson, A. 2004. Prevalence and Predictors of Sexual Risks Among Homeless Youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 33(1):71-80. iv

Dank, M., Yahner, J., Madden, K., Banueleos, I., Yu, L., Ritchey, A., Mora, M., and Conner, B. 2015.

Surviving the Streets of New York. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. v

Freeman, L., and Hamilton, D. 2008. A Count of Homeless Youth in New York City: 2007. New York:

Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services. vi

Dank, M., Yahner, J., Madden, K., Banueleos, I., Yu, L., Ritchey, A., Mora, M., and Conner, B. 2015.

Surviving the Streets of New York. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. vii

Dank, M., Yahner, J., Madden, K., Banueleos, I., Yu, L., Ritchey, A., Mora, M., and Conner, B. 2015.

Surviving the Streets of New York. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. viii

Curtis, R., Terry, K., Dank, M., Dombrowski, K., Khan, B., Muslim, A., Labirola, M., and Rempel, M.

2008. The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in New York City. New York, NY: Center for Court Innovation.

12

ix

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. VALID IN THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ONLY. ENTRY IN THIS CONTEST CONSTITUTES YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES. The 2015 stART to END Trafficking Social Media Art Campaign (the “Contest”) is designed to encourage eligible U.S. high school students (“Entrant(s)” or “You”) to use their creativity to create art aimed at increasing awareness of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Judges will choose the winning entries, and prizes will be awarded in accordance with these Official Rules (the “Rules”). 1. BINDING AGREEMENT: In order to enter the Contest, you must agree to the Rules. Therefore, please read these Rules prior to entry to ensure you understand and agree. You agree that submission of an entry in the Contest constitutes agreement to these Rules. You may not submit an entry to the Contest and are not eligible to receive the prizes described in these Rules unless you agree to these Rules. These Rules form a binding legal agreement between you and youthSpark with respect to the Contest. 2. ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible to enter the Contest, an Entrant must: (a) be a U.S. citizen or permanent U.S. legal resident (i.e. must be able to show proof of legal permanent residence, for example, a “green card”); (b) be enrolled in a private or public elementary or secondary school (grades K-12) or a home school (grades K-12) in the United States (collectively, “U.S. School(s)”); and (c) have obtained a parent’s or legal guardian’s prior permission. Minors who enter must have the written consent of a parent or legal guardian in order to be eligible to receive any prizes, as described in Section 8 of these Rules. Contest is void in Puerto Rico, U.S. territories and possessions, outside of the U.S., and where prohibited by law. 3.

SPONSOR: The Contest is sponsored by youthSpark (“youthSpark” or “Sponsor”), a 501c(3) organization with principal place of operation at 395 Pryor Street Suite 2117, Atlanta, Georgia 30312.

4. CONTEST PERIOD: The Contest begins on October 1, 2015 12 AM Eastern Time (ET) Zone in the United States and ends on December 15, 2015 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) Zone in the United States (“Contest Period”). All dates are subject to change. 5. HOW TO ENTER: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. To Enter the Contest text start2endnow to 313131. Review the literature provided and create your art. You may submit your art two ways. Post on Instagram with #start2endnow or email to [email protected].

13

MORE THAN ONE ENTRY PER ENTRANT IS ALLOWED. To be considered for the contest, entries must be: (i) complete as determined by youthSpark; (ii) received by December 15, 2015 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET); and (iii) in English (unless otherwise specified). Any submission not meeting the aforementioned criteria will be disqualified. youthSpark accepts no responsibility for submissions lost or delayed, howsoever caused.

6. ART CRITERIA: The art submitted must meet the following criteria (“Art Requirements”). • They must not be derogatory, offensive, threatening, defamatory, disparaging, libelous or contain any content that is slanderous, discriminatory in any way, or that promotes hatred or harm against any group or person, or otherwise does not comply with the theme and spirit of the Contest. • They must not contain content, material or any element that is unlawful, or otherwise in violation of or contrary to all applicable federal, state, or local laws and regulation including the laws or regulations in any state where the Art and supporting statement are created. • They must not contain any content, material or element that displays any third party advertising, slogan, logo, trademark or otherwise indicates a sponsorship or endorsement by a third party, commercial entity or that is not within the spirit of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion. • They must be original, unpublished works that does not contain, incorporate or otherwise use any content, material or element that is owned by a third party or entity. • They cannot contain any content, element, or material that violates a third party’s publicity, privacy or intellectual property rights. • The Art is not the subject of any actual or threatened litigation or claim. • The Entrant does not include any disparaging remarks relating to the Sponsor or a third party. During the Contest Period, the Sponsor, its agents and/or the Judges (defined below) will be evaluating the Art and supporting statements to ensure that they meet the Art Requirements. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Entrant who submits Art and supporting statements that does not meet the Art Requirements. Incomplete entries or entries not complying with these Rules are subject to disqualification. 7. JUDGING: Each Art will be evaluated and scored based on the following “Criteria”: (i) artistic merit - drawing skills and use of color; (ii) creativity and originality - considering the representation of the Contest theme “Ending the commercial sexual exploitation of children;” (iii) communication of the Contest theme in both the Art and supporting title and context; (iv) adherence to the Art Requirements and these Rules. youthSpark will appoint a panel of three to help manage and judge submissions. By entering, all participants agree to receive phone calls and/or emails from the youthSpark panel. Submissions will be divided into three “Submission Categories” for judging:

14

• • •

Public Service Announcements Social Media Awareness Victim Support & Ally

Using the above Criteria, the panel will select one winner from each submission criteria, and an honorable mention. Notification of Winner and Honorable Mentions: Winners will be notified via email on or before January 1, 2015. Winners will be personally recognized at our Annual Gala event on January 28, 2015 during Trafficking Awareness Month. Becoming a finalist is subject to validation and verification of eligibility and compliance with all the terms and conditions set forth in these Rules. If a potential finalist or winner is disqualified for any reason, the Art that received Honorable Mention will be chosen as the potential finalist or winner. The potential finalist(s) and winner(s) will be selected and notified by telephone and/or email, at Sponsor’s discretion. If a potential finalist/winner does not respond to the notification attempt within three (3) days from the first notification attempt, then such potential finalist/winner may be disqualified and an alternate potential finalist/winner will be selected from among all eligible entries received based on the judging Criteria described herein. Except where prohibited by law, each potential state finalist/winner may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and Publicity Release and provide any additional information that may be required by Sponsor. If required, potential finalists/winners must return all such required documents via fax (or as otherwise instructed) within forty-eight (48) hours and via U.S. Mail within seven (7) days following attempted notification or such potential finalist/winner will be deemed to have forfeited the prize and another potential finalist/winner may be selected based on the judging Criteria described herein. All notification requirements, as well as other requirements within these Rules, will be strictly enforced. Determinations of Judges are final and binding. 8. PRIZES: The three winners will all receive $100 prize and are invited to be formally recognized at our Annual Gala event on January 28, 2015. 9. GENERAL CONDITIONS: All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. youthSpark reserves the right to disqualify any Entrant from the Contest if, in youthSpark’s sole discretion, it reasonably believes that the Entrant has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, deception, or other unfair playing practices or annoys, abuses, threatens or harasses any other entrants, youthSpark, or the Judges. 10. PRIVACY: Entrants agree and acknowledge that entries may be posted in an online gallery with the Entrant’s name and school.

11. WINNER’S LIST: You may request a list of winners after January 15th, 2015, by contacting the panel at [email protected]. 15