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"The first time I
read about sex trafficking was when I purchased
the magazine Marie Claire. The article in that
issue was moving and heart wrenching... I (also)
read the article in the New York Times called
"Girls Next Door" and I am ashamed to say that
I had no idea that sex trafficking was happening
in regular neighborhoods. I would like to help
and support your organization in anyway."
- Hannah Roberts
(advocate and supporter)
YAP
International strongly opposes and advocates for
the prevention and elimination of the Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) within
the United States and around the world. CSEC includes
the use of children in prostitution, pornography,
and trafficking for sexual purposes.
No one is certain how many children are impacted,
but worldwide estimates are in the millions. In
the United States, as many as 300,000 children
are believed to be involved in CSEC each year.
This involves the sexual, physical, and psychological
abuse of children and youth by adults who exploit
and profit from them. Sex trafficking of children
constitutes nothing more than modern-day slavery.
Our primary efforts on this issue are raising
public awareness, working on strategies to prevent
children's involvement in sexual exploitation,
encouraging government agencies and law enforcement
to focus on child sex exploiters and commercial
interests in sexual exploitation, and supporting
youth who have been commercially sexually exploited
in their efforts to develop healthy adult lives.
•
Actively participated in meetings of the U.S.
Campaign Against CSEC; former steering committee
member, and former fiscal sponsor of the Campaign
during its first two years.
•
Served on the International Initiative Against
Sexual Trafficking (IIAST).
•
Served as a leader in the successful effort for
United States ratification of the U.N Optional
Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution
and Child Pornography
•
Assisted in developing T-Visa reauthorization
guidelines for the U.S. Attorney General’s
Office in 2002.
•
Served as a leader in urging action by state and
national level leaders to support the successful
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and
2003 reauthorization, which have since been made
law.
•
Co-sponsored and coordinated the “Breaking
the Silence” Summit through the U.S. Campaign
Against CSEC, with 30 former CSEC youth from throughout
the United States (Washington, DC).
•
Presented sessions on CSEC to American University;
the American Psychological Association; the U.S.
Campaign Against CSEC, Congressional Fellows,
and the Religious Action Center.
•
Consulted with the U.S. Department of Labor; U.S.
Department of State Office of Trafficking; the
American Psychological Association; two documentary
teams producing (1) the Violence of Light, and
(2) a currently unnamed film; a novelist;
numerous media sources; and others.
• Participated in the 2003 Office of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency Prevention videoconference
"Working Together to Stop the Prostitution
of Children.”
•
Created a new curriculum and support materials
on CSEC for use in high schools.
•
Developed a new user-friendly website with information
on the issue of CSEC.
•
Continue to increase attention and financial support
for the issue of CSEC.
To increase public awareness of CSEC, YAP International
has sought to enhance support for U.S.-based non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) with expertise in working
with prostituted and trafficked children. Our
first step was organizing a consultation of these
organizations to share ideas and concerns, and
to develop national advocacy goals on CSEC with
advice and assistance from various NGOs. One outcome
was the creation of the U.S. Campaign Against
CSEC (San Francisco, 2001).
YAP International helped coordinate the U.S. Campaign
Against CSEC throughout its early development.
The goals central to the Campaign are to: develop
a national plan to stop CSEC, increase public
concern about CSEC, promote coordinated and effective
law enforcement, increase services for sexually
exploited youth, strengthen penalties for adults
who recruit and use children for sex and pornography,
and promote youth participation in advocacy efforts
against CSEC.
ECPAT International, a lead organization working
against CSEC, hosted the International Young People's
Participation Project (IYPPP) Conference in the
Philippines in 2000. YAP International was pleased
to be selected by ECPAT to recruit, train, and
coordinate youth delegates from the United States
to represent the nation and the youth participants
in anti-CSEC workshops held in four states. YAP
International also assisted the youth in preparing
a national report for U.S. government officials
and the NGO community.
© copyright - Youth
Advocate Program International 2003-04
Last updated 7/8/2004
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