DiaBLOGues
Children of the Dark Moon
November 28th, 2010Children of the Dark Moon
The Reality of Sexually Exploited and Trafficked Youth
By: Phyllis Hampton
President & Executive Director
Joyful Orange Productions, Inc.
Imagine being a young girl of 11 in a small Mexican village. Since you were three years old, you have faced the night knowing that your stepfather probably will molest you – and maybe not only once. He often returns multiple times. As that 11-year-old girl, the terror of expecting another night in agony and physical pain is overwhelming. Thoughts of ending your life follow every encounter you spend in the hellish isolation of betrayal and exploitation. You finally get the courage to talk with your 17-year-old cousin who lives two houses from you. He tells you that he might be able to help, but it will take time. Your hopes rise! Perhaps there is a way out of the nightly misery that defines your life.
Some time passes, and finally your older cousin offers to take you to the big city to a family that will pay you to clean, cook and watch after their small children. You jump at the chance, and in a few days, you are on your way. At last, you think, you will be free from your never-ending nightmare! You will be safe.
It doesn’t take long, however, to realize that you are not safe. When you arrive, instead of the work and freedom you expect, you are drugged, mass raped and physically beaten… and trafficked. Within a few days, you are piled in the back of a tightly tarped farm truck with 20 other young girls and taken across the border to California. (Only much later do you find out where you are taken.) You are given to another set of “handlers,” and again raped and physically assaulted to reinforce their power and control over you.
Within 24 hours, you find yourself at a “station,” which is a small tent that has been erected in a field being worked by migrant farm workers. Your handlers collect money while you stay on your back “servicing” perhaps 20 or more farm workers a day. You are hot, starving, nude and dirty. You get enough water and food to stay alive, and you plead for drugs to numb the pain.
This is one young girl’s story. In the world of sexual exploitation and trafficking, there are thousands more. The situations vary, but the destruction of the children’s fragile bodies and minds, and the desecration to their spirits are the same. If these youngsters live to adulthood, they likely have suffered serious physical internal, head, and skeletal injuries. They experience a significantly higher rate of AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, tuberculosis and permanent damage to their reproductive systems. They are far more likely to have suicidal tendencies and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, and personality and dissociative disorders. When their usefulness is used up, they usually are discarded to live in fear, poverty, degradation and humiliation.
“Human trafficking,” as defined by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of power of a position of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation. 80% of international trafficking victims are female, with 50% under age 18. Also, per NCADV, trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes in many forms including: forcing victims into prostitution; subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude; compelling victims to commit sex acts for pornography, and deceiving victims into debt bondage. Approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation.
No area of civilization is unaffected by trafficking and sexual exploitation. The U.S. Department of State conservatively estimates that 600,000 – 800,000 women, men and children are trafficked across international borders each year. As for the United States – the yearly estimate is 40,000 – 50,000. It bears repeating that 50% are under age 18.
The U. S. also has a large number domestically trafficked youth. Domestic trafficking of children in our country largely involves domestic traffickers, or pimps, that coerce vulnerable runaway and homeless youth to enter the commercial sex industry by manipulative recruitment. These children are then used in street-based prostitution, brothels, escort services, outcall services, strip clubs, and pornography. In the U.S., the average age of entry into prostitution is 12-13 years old. Many of these youngsters fled homes where they were sexually or physically abused.
The devastation to youth victimized in domestic trafficking is no less than that of those trafficked internationally. Both are subjected to the same inhumane tactics used by their “handlers” to maintain complete and lasting control of their victims.
Helping children caught in both domestic and international trafficking is difficult for many reasons:
- Both international and domestic trafficking are closely associated with organized crime, and serious security risks are involved in providing shelter for victims. (It is estimated that $9.5 billion is generated through all trafficking activities.)
- Victims are extremely reluctant to seek help because they fear harm to themselves or their families. Those unsuccessful in escaping often suffer extreme physical and/or sexual violence, and sometimes death.
- Those trafficked usually fear law enforcement. In the case of international trafficking, it is common that the authorities have received large payoffs. For those trafficked into the U.S., going to the authorities may be far safer than in most countries, but many victims lack knowledge of our legal system and available services. They often fear deportation.
- Because traffickers usually move their victims every 15-30 days and limit their contact with the outside world, victims generally are unable to develop a network of social contacts or gather resources necessary to escape. Language barriers often further isolate victims.
- When victims of trafficking do come forward, there are few services in place to help them. In the U.S., there are reportedly only 44 spaces to specifically house and treat trafficked youth.
Eradicating cruelty to our youngsters must be humanity’s highest priority. Every child deserves our protection, especially from the unconscionable violations of sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Any solution begins with awareness of the problem, no matter how painful or distasteful the facts. In the United States, we don’t have the abject poverty that fuels trafficking in many other countries. However, we do have breakdowns in our family and community structures that dis-empower children. Conservative estimates are that two out of ten boys and girls in our country are sexually abused.
Recent studies show that 40% to 67% of domestically trafficked women and children reported being sexually abused in childhood. Childhood physical abuse and sexual exploitation create deep physical and psychological scars that affect the entire lifetime of any child. Sexual abuse and exploitation is the most effective way to break down a youngster’s inviolable nature, making him or her prey for exploitive predators.
The more we are aware of the problem, the more quickly we, both individually and collectively, will find solutions. To assist a youngster before more catastrophic circumstances can occur frequently is the greatest success.
If you believe a child is at risk in her or his family or community, reports about abuse in all States can be made by calling Childhelp (800-4-A-Child) or the local child protective service agencies. To report suspected trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888. This is a multilingual hotline sponsored by Polaris, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending world slavery and trafficking.
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Phyllis Hampton is founder, president and executive director of Joyful Orange Productions, Inc., a 501(c)3 children-focused charitable organization. Joyful Orange’s Dark Moon Project is committed to helping sexually exploited and trafficked children and working toward defining and eradicating the social epidemic that is its root cause. For more information, visit the website of Joyful Orange: www.joyfulorange.org. To contact the author, email: joyfulorangeproductions@gmail.com.
DiaBLOGue VI – A Case for Burying Common Sense
October 29th, 2010A Case for burying COMMON SENSE
By: Phyllis Hampton
October 29, 2010
If we heroes are going to positively impact humanity, we have to consider that perhaps it might be time for “Common Sense” to give way to its first cousin, “Good Sense,” who has been waiting patiently in the wings.
At whatever station we inhabit as a hero – the US of us (diaBLOGue V), the Firestarter (diaBLOGue III), and/or the Hero-At-Large (diaBLOGue II), it will serve us to make the distinction between Common Sense and Good Sense. For most in mass consciousness, these Sense cousins are the same, but for the diaBLOGue hero, there is an important subtle difference.
My perspective of the phrase Common Sense is that it implies those certain reactions to situations that are “commonly” agreed upon to keep the individual safe and comfortable. Viewed in a broader light, Common Sense doesn’t really allow for exceptional thought and action. In actuality, it can keep one stifled and stuck. If Common Sense has impressed upon you that you will only feel safe when you don’t talk to strangers, what kind of expansive opportunities are then available to you? Or if it dictates to you that you must stay in a job that is making you physically or emotionally ill because you believe only it provides you with superfluous things you think you need, what is the trade off? What kind of impacting and growthful experiences could you have instead, when you find yourself in a moment that is pregnant with new opportunities to go beyond the limiting box offered by “Common Sense?”
In considering the “good” of Good Sense, we must explore a more heroically based meaning of that word that goes beyond common assumptions. These notions might include: don’t say bad words; don’t be aggressive; don’t disappoint anyone; do nice things and please others; behave in a perfect manner; don’t hurt anyone’s feelings; etc. “Good,” in the heroic context, means being authentically helpful, both to you and to another or others. Good Sense has many of the sensible qualities of Common Sense, but without its blanket assumptions. Good Sense does require of heroes to be kind, have appropriate manners and to not be reckless, but also allows for wise exception. This is another way of saying that Good Sense inherently includes the ability to make uncommon decisions by discerning what is truly healthy and helpful. Good Sense goes beyond the safety and comfort at all costs offered by Common Sense and is guided instead by more altruistic motives.
It is time for us to observe and appropriately challenge those perceptions and conceptions of Common Sense that have unconsciously controlled much of our thinking and actions. Instead, all heroes are urged to be guided by Good Sense. Their heroic stations in humanity necessitate surpassing Common Senses’ isolating self-centered comfort and safety concerns at all costs.
Good Sense includes the understanding that the welfare of other living beings and things must be considered as a matter of course. The fragile balance of humanity depends upon it.
© Joyful Orange Productions, Inc. 2010
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diaBLOGue V – What the World Needs Now is US
July 22nd, 2010What the world needs now is US.
by: Phyllis Hampton
July 22, 2010
In previous diaBLOGue’s, we talked about outstanding individuals, or authentic heroes, who step out of the limiting boundaries of mass consciousness to bring back knowledge, wisdom and action that will help humanity and do what is necessary to grow and evolve. These heroes have the courage and presence of self to take risks,often acting alone to benefit others. I would like to introduce another heroic group – those of us who comprise the US of us. These individuals could be the most courageous of all. Who makes up this group? Those of US who actively and consciously participate in humanity as one of humanity. We listen to the messages of the heroes. From these we learn, contemplate, evaluate, discern, act, and grow our knowledge and wisdom. By doing all of these things, we elevate our families, cultures and world.
In our complex intellectual Western societies, not even the most competent and intelligent can be proficiently knowledgeable in every field. Not everyone has to (or can) master the physical sciences of the body and cosmos. Not everyone has to (or can) understand the categories of study relating to the psyche. Not everyone has to (or can) understand the energetic dynamics involved when we enter relationships and form groups. So the US comes in when we discerningly blend and utilize what we offer individually with what is offered by others.
The manner in which we individually and collectively come together defines the nature of humanness and humanity. Many social scientists have tried to define this very basic but illusive standard. Some say human nature is selfish and competitive, but perhaps this is more a condition described as “inhumane.” Others perceive our basic nature in humane and humanitarian terms. Perhaps human nature is both, neither or either. If this is a truth, we can choose our nature of humanness, and therefore impact the nature of humanity.
Actually, it appears that our moment of choice has arrived. Right now in our world, the consequences that are the result of humanity’s rather cavalier and selfish, i.e., “inhumane,” way of life are alarming. To name a prevalent few: an oil spill that threatens not only the life and well-being of many species, but of our own; wars fought in the name of “God” that are killing “God’s” children; great numbers of children, women and men exploited and enslaved in sex trafficking and labor situations; large areas experiencing drought and famine, and the decimation of life by ravaging diseases. The list goes on and on.
Cracks are extremely obvious in the “everyone for himself” viewpoint. If we have no water, no one drinks. Diseases unleashed do not discriminate. The next child to be destroyed might be one that you love.
Destructive acts to life, our race and our planet ultimately devastate us all.
The US of us grasps these truths and understands that what we do for another, we do for ourselves. This does not come from a religious, political, or other indoctrinating group perspective. It is absolutely scientific and pragmatic in origin. Either we embrace being a member of US, or we go down with the ship.
We don’t have to be a scientist, leader, doctor, philanthropist, or, what we commonly think of as “pillars of society.” The US of us is the great equalizer of the status perspective. All professions, all services, all knowledge that serve the betterment of humanity in this empirical fashion are equally important. Nor do we have to be clannish about it – every decision to come from the US perspective in everyday life is making a difference and adding to the power of US and what that power can yield – healing, balance, value and growth for all of US.
diaBLOGue IV – The Hero’s Greatest Tool
December 20th, 2009
by: Phyllis Hampton
December 20, 2009
What is the hero’s greatest tool? It is objectivity.
Perhaps you might instead have guessed the answer was compassion, caring, righteous anger, or some other propelling state of heart or mind. These conditions are necessary in order to initiate into the action step of a hero’s journey, but they are not tools. You cannot learn or purchase caring or a passion to want to make life better for others. You somehow have to arrive at this point in your destiny, and deep compassion and caring define this point.
My personal thought is that there are many heroes among us, but most have no idea how to proceed in order to be successful. Instead of these individuals becoming heroes that facilitate growth and expansion, there are a lot of frustrated righteous martyrs out there, and humanity misses out on their message, their compassionate acts, their knowledge, and their wisdom.
So how does a hero go about making use of his/her FIRE, or the superhuman power that compassion and caring offer, in order to fulfill a heroic humanitarian role? Developing objectivity can help. Often would-be heroes have preconceived notions about what is “right,” or how knowledge, wisdom or a heroic act should be received by others. It is important to consider that being passionate or intelligent does not automatically make one “right,” and assuming so can easily create a fiasco. This energetic equation looks like this:
FIRE (compassionate energetic power) + unchallenged subjective beliefs = debacle.
If the hero-type blames the outer world for the failure, then the hero quickly becomes martyr-like and usually goes down with his cause. Radical activists rarely have the impact they seek. Heroism and martyrdom (lower case) are not the same things. With objectivity in the equation, it instead looks like this:
FIRE (Compassionate energetic power) + wise objectivity = steady gain.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Are you a hero that can entertain the thought that your reasoning or your beliefs and assumptions may be in error or in need of refining?
- Can you be flexible in your expectations?
- Do you realize that change cannot be forced and it often takes time? And to be an agent of change does not necessarily mean you do it alone?
- Are you willing to listen, observe and make adjustments until the greatest growth and expansion is realized?
We are in desperate need of true heroes! Objectivity can assist those who have the potential to reach the apex of the hero’s journey and offer humanity a little more freedom and lessen its stagnation.
diaBLOGue III – The Firestarter Hero
November 7th, 2009by: Phyllis Hampton
In the previous diaBLOGues, we’ve briefly looked at different types of heroes:
The Explorer – one who travels outside of society’s “box” to bring back to it vital (not necessarily comfortable) enlightening knowledge and wisdom.
The Builder – one who successfully implements needed (not necessarily comfortable) changes into society.
The Hero-at-Large – one who is always taking the opportunity to expand centeredness and dissipate the thick cloud of fear, especially the fear of change.
Are you a fire starter? If so, there aren’t many of you. Authentic fire starter heroes appear to be born to it, and rarely live long, comfortable lives. They seem to have burning destinies to complete. Napoleon, an obvious fire starter, said of his fate:
“I feel myself driven towards an end that I do not know. As soon as I have reached it, as soon as I shall become unnecessary, an atom will suffice to shatter me. Until then, all the forces of mankind can do nothing to stop me. “
This is the essence of fire starters. They in some way change the trajectory of, or the stagnation of, humanity. Their success depends upon neither fearing nor courting death, neither desiring nor repelling societal acceptance or accolades.
In times such as these, all heroes are required – all need to step up. Heroes, if working together, can work in an exponential way and perhaps lessen the impact of what many see as the unfolding of humanity’s dark karma. The hero continues to work to bring humanity into balance with the universal laws. Physics has shown us that these greater laws are uncompromising, and it is humanity and not them that must change.
In truth, there is no hierarchy in heroism. A hero is a hero, whether explorer, builder, hero-at-large, or fire starter. What makes them successful, however, is that they step up to their fate and their greater work, however that needs to happen. And when they do, humanity wins.
The next set of diaBLOGues will address what heroes need to know. Until then…
diaBLOGue 2 – The Hero-At-Large
June 26th, 2009In Diablogue 1, I introduced how Joyful Orange Productions and its Operation:Joy defines the hero/explorer. Essentially, the explorer part of this archetype explores the greater fields and brings forth innovation in sciences, social issues and philosophical “reachings” that will keep humanity evolving toward these greater fields. The hero brings back and delivers his wisdom and knowledge to society in an understandable, helpful form. What are the greater fields? They are the supreme laws of nature… of the cosmos… of the ultimate order. In them we find inner peace, joy, harmony, openness, great balance and beauty, and penetrating wisdom.
You are correct if you’re thinking that deep down, all humans yearn for these greater fields. Then you might ask, “Why then aren’t they more a part of our individual lives, relationships, families, communities and societies? The answer is that in the human, there is also a fear of change and apprehension of the new, or of change. In fact, this fear has become epidemic in today’s world, and it blocks the metaphorical rays of the supreme laws of nature from penetrating.
As we addressed in Diablogue 1, a society is able to continue with enlightening evolution by reducing fear and expanding joy. The great fields are always beaming down on our world, but we have to do our part to reduce the thick cloud created by fear (and other related negative emotions) so that these fields can penetrate. This is where the hero-at-large has an important role to play.
Hero(s)-at-large are always working on the cloud. They are always taking the opportunity to expand the joy that somehow infiltrates. Direct actons that are dense cloud “dissipators” are forgiveness, compassion, kindness, sharing, helpfulness, and acceptance. These are not routine actions in mass consciousness. Its norm is always a readiness to exact revenge and even the score; about hoarding because of the fear of not having enough; about competition and gaining supremacy to gain the greatest accolades and biggest piece of the pie.
Anytime you do not follow the routine actions and reactions prevalent in mass consciousness, you create a conduit for the greater fields to penetrate through the cloud and help to dissipate it for the greater good of all.
Therefore the hero-at-large’s work is always in the moment. Is there an opportunity to forgive, to accept, to share, to help and be kind in this moment? The hero is always ready to rise above mass consciousness. He or she is always ready to emulate the greater fields and therefore be their emissary. What is in it for the hero-at-large? He or she invites, and therefore enjoys, greater inner peace, joy, harmony, openness, balance and beauty, and penetrating wisdom. One of the great laws will be at work: What you do for another, you also do for yourself.
diaBLOGue I – CALLING ALL HEROES
March 8th, 2009Calling all Heroes!
This is Joyful Orange’s first diablogue (philosophical dialogue meets technological blog)! Our diablogues are intended to impart ponderings so that our diabloguers might have an opportunity to look at themselves and their world with more expanded and wiser vision. Why? Joyful Orange Productions, Inc. is about bettering the world for you, me, and especially children. Any group or culture needs its explorers and heroes to go outside the group’s comfort zone – its boundaries and borders – to bring back knowledge and information that would better it in some way.
It is Joyful Orange’s belief that we need to call out to these (you) sociological, philosophical, psychological, metaphysical and scientific hero and explorer types to help humanity enlarge its box a bit so we all win, especially those who inherit what we bequeath: our children.
We aren’t saying that the box is bad and therefore must go! Every group needs a system in which to operate. If you don’t have a system, you have chaos. Essentially, chaos doesn’t grow or change things systematically. It rather clears the field, like an earthquake or flood. You must then start over, and often without the benefit of expanded learning and wisdom. If these two things have not been garnered, chances are very high the new system will have the same faulty foundational structures as the old one, and will ultimately meet the same catastrophic end.
So how do we do this? Firstly, we educate ourselves on the situation, the social consciousness, and the box. (Stay tuned!) Secondly, and maybe most importantly, we study ourselves and the roles of explorer and hero. What pieces do we have to offer our people that will expand its box – that will benefit humanity and create nurturing grounds for children? How can our knowledge and wisdom best be delivered so that it can be bring growth to our groups and societies?
One extremely important thing that I have learned about hero- and explorer-dom is that proving that someone or something is right and someone or something else is wrong is never helpful! Nor is adopting the savior archetype. Both of these perspectives are essentially self-serving, and we know that heroes and explorers are not that. They have the welfare of others at heart. The authentic heroes and explorers know that as they help their people, they benefit. They know that we are all a part of the whole – the builders, the doctors, the teachers, the wise men, the scientists, the explorers, the writers and poets, the artists, and the explorers and heroes… and when we do not work together for the benefit of all, we are not creating expansion, which is the environment for enlightening evolution and the basis of joy.
What is the work of all who are a part of the whole?
Essentially, it is to reduce fear and expand joy. At this time, most groups and societies are not working together for the sake of the totality, but we can begin to create a movement to return to this power functioning.
How?
➢ We sit at the round table and invite others to join us. We operate according to the inclusive rules and continue to strive for greater knowledge and awareness of our selves, our world and our universe.
➢ We retrain ourselves into the authentic roles and rules of the hero and explorer.
➢ And, most importantly, we be patient and non-harshly judgmental with ourselves and others. We didn’t get into this pickle overnight, and we won’t get out of it overnight.
But we begin – Every great movement has a beginning…. If you don’t have a beginning, you don’t have movement.
I personally want to welcome aboard all those who are forming this foundation of great change! Please share your comments and check out our webpage frequently for new offerings: www.joyfulorange.org.
And thank you for your assistance.
Phyllis Hampton
President & Executive Director
Joyful Orange Productions, Inc.