Girls Educational & Mentoring Services – Resource Very Young Girls Documentary Campus Discussion Guide Materials and Set-Up
Sign up sheet template for individuals to check into the event & subscribe to the GEMS monthly e-newsletter. E-mail a copy of the form to the Girls Are Not For Sale campaign coordinator, jenny@gems-girls.org or fax to 212-926-2969 (Attn: Jenny). The form is available here: http://councilofdaughters.ning.com/group/students/forum/attachment/download?id=3 489165%3AUploadedFile%3A12653 Very Young Girls DVD; TV or projector; laptop or DVD player Optional materials: o GEMS overview brochure; “CSEC and Domestic Trafficking Facts” 1 note card from GEMS. See available resource sheets on the GEMS Council of Daughters website: http://councilofdaughters.ning.com/notes
Introducing the film and Girls Educational & Mentoring Services (GEMS) (Note: The below sections will be helpful in your introduction of the film and GEMS’ mission and programming.) Very Young Girls is a documentary film focusing on the commercial sexual exploitation of girls in New York City as they are sold on the streets by pimps, and treated as adult criminals by police. The film follows barely-adolescent girls in real time, using intimate interviews, documenting their struggles and triumphs as they seek to exit the commercial sex industry. The film also uses startling footage shot by pimps themselves, giving a rare glimpse into how the cycle of exploitation begins for many women. The film identifies hope for these girls in the organization GEMS, a recovery agency founded and run by Rachel Lloyd, herself a survivor of sexual exploitation. GEMS’ mission is to empower girls and young women, ages 12-21, who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking to exit the commercial sex industry and develop to their full potential. GEMS is committed to ending commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of children by changing individual lives, transforming public perception, and revolutionizing the systems and policies that impact sexually exploited youth. Details on GEMS Programming:
1
Note: CSEC stands for “commercial sexual exploitation of children.”
GEMS supports and empowers young women and girls who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and provides a continuum of services including:
Youth-led Facility Outreach Court Advocacy and Alternatives to Incarceration Program Comprehensive Case Management Individual Counseling Education, Recreational and Therapeutic Groups Youth Employment and Leadership Training Transitional & Crisis Housing Referral Services
At GEMS, we use a holistic trauma-informed treatment model in our programs to address girls and young women’s complex needs throughout their transition and development. GEMS also provides customized training to law enforcement agencies, judges, legal professionals, and social service professionals, among others. The Girls Are Not For Sale Campaign The Girls Are Not For Sale campaign is GEMS’ national campaign to take concrete steps to end the commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of girls and young women in the US. From screening the documentary Very Young Girls in homes, campuses, and other communities to supporting public policies that aim to protect and provide services for commercially sexually exploited youth, you can make a powerful contribution to the Girls Are Not For Sale campaign. Our message: Girls should be celebrated, not sold. Girls Are Not For Sale! Please join us today!
Sign up at the GEMS Council of Daughters website at http://councilofdaughters.ning.com/. Individuals can create personal profiles, post events in your area, participate in groups and discussion forums, and network with fellow supporters across the country. You can also follow us on Twitter (@gemsgirls) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/girlsarenotforsale)
Facts About CSEC and Domestic Trafficking
Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children is sexual activity involving a child in exchange for something of value, or promise thereof, to the child or another person(s). The child is treated as a commercial and sexual object. CSEC is a form of violence against
children.
In New York City alone, there are an estimated 2,200 children victimized by commercial sexual exploitation annually (OCFS 2007 Prevalence Study).
The US Department of Justice estimates the most frequent age of entry into the commercial sex industry in the United States is 12-14 years old (www.usdoj.gov).
100,000 to 300,000 children are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation each year in the United States (Estes & Weiner, 2001).
An estimated 1.6 million children run away from home each year in the US. The average time it takes before a runaway is approached by a trafficker or solicitor is 48 hours (National Runaway Switchboard).
Follow Up Discussion Questions Once the viewing has ended, take a couple minutes and ask the audience to reflect on their initial feelings and responses to the film. Use the following sample discussion questions to help begin the dialogue. ACTIVITY: As you begin, ask the audience to formulate one action step they will commit to before leaving the event. (Tip: Bring index cards and allow people to write their action steps on the cards to be shared with the group and collected after the film.)
Reflection: Describe a particular scene or moment in the film you thought was moving or insightful. Why did this specific scene or moment affect you?
Language: After watching the film, why do you think there is a movement to use the term “commercially sexually exploited child” versus a term like “prostitute?”
Support/Family Life: In the film, one of the common issues that each of the girls faced before entering “the life” was an unstable home life. For example, in the film Dominique says: “There was a lot of fighting in my house. A lot of fist fights… and I was like I’m leavin’ but where am I goin’? I’m thirteen, where I am gonna go?” What role do you think the lack of familial support plays in keeping girls tied to their pimps?
Pimp Control: Many of the girls describe how their pimps physically and verbally abused them, yet they remained loyal to them and continued to stay in “the life.” In the film, Shaneiqua says: “When I did it, I felt like it was for him. My whole body just felt dead… I felt like at the time it was his body.” How do you think the pimps’ possessiveness keeps the girls in “the life?” How does this affect their emotional attachment to their pimps and what causes them to feel as though there are no other options but to stay in “the
life?”
Demand for Sex: Experts point out that the commercial sex industry is profitable because a demand for sex exists. What role does the demand for sex have in perpetuating the exploitation and trafficking of girls and young women in the US? Why do you think there is a greater demand for trafficking girls and young women?
Role of Media and Pop Culture: How do you think CSEC is promoted in pop culture and mainstream media? How do you think the normalization of sexualized girls and young women in the media affect how we view minors in the commercial sex industry? What can young men and women do to address the demand for sex? [Optional Background Reading: Read Rachel Lloyd’s article on pimp culture: http://www.thegrio.com/opinion/corporate-sponsored-pimping-plays-role-in-ushuman-trafficking.php]
Penalties for Johns: The film shows an NYPD Johns’ class, which is a lecture presentation for men who have been arrested for sexually exploiting underage girls. First time offenders are able to clear their police records if they attend this lecture. At one point in this particular segment, a gentleman raises his hand and asks, “How long before the break?” Does it seem that this method effectively deters johns from exploiting trafficked girls? What do you think might work?
Safe Harbor Laws: Since the film was produced, the Safe Harbor For Sexually Exploited Children Act was implemented in New York, which aims to protect and provide services for victims of sex trafficking, instead of treating them as criminals. If the Safe Harbor For Exploited Children Act was implemented in all 50 states, how do you think this would change how society perceives and addresses the commercial sexual exploitation of children? [Background Note: The Safe Harbor For Exploited Children Act is a New York State legislation passed in 2008 and went into effect as of April 1, 2010; the legislation aims at providing critical services for the rising number of youth who suffer sexual exploitation in New York State. It will ensure that exploited and trafficked children receive treatment, services and rehabilitation instead of incarceration. Prior to the passing of this law New York state like most other US states, sought to prosecute sexually exploited youth as hardened criminals. GEMS youth leadership and advocacy played a key component in the passing of this legislation. Following New York, there are now Safe Harbor laws in Connecticut, Illinois, and Washington. Read frequently asked questions about the Safe Harbor for Exploited Children Act: http://www.gems-girls.org/Safe%20Harbor%20Facts%20and%20FAQs.pdf.] *Petition through the Body Shop for Safe Harbor laws in every state in the US:
http://petition.thebodyshop-usa.com/sign-petition.php ACTIVITY: 1. Type or write all the “action step” ideas that the group has formulated 2. Have a follow up meeting or web exchange discussing how to improve the list as individuals and as a group. Determine individual and group actions. 3. E-mail the group one week later to remind them of their commitment on taking at least one action step, and ask for outcomes. 4. E-mail the list of ideas to the Girls Are Not For Sale campaign coordinator, jenny@gems-girls.org, as well as any additional outcomes. We want to share ideas on the GEMS Council of Daughters, facebook, and twitter! Ideas for Film & Discussion Follow Up *Please check out GEMS resources on campus and community activism for more ideas!
Text2give option: Individuals can make an immediate $10 donation to GEMS with their mobile phones. Help girls and young women who have survived commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking by texting "GEMS" to 85944 to donate $10. Once you receive a reply text, reply “YES” to confirm your donation.
Hold a fundraiser and spread awareness at the same time! Have a bake sale with CSEC and domestic trafficking facts on each item. Host a live music/poetry night, and donate the proceeds. The possibilities are endless!
Designate an “End CSEC & Domestic Trafficking day” for your student group to bring awareness to the rest of your campus. Collaborate with other student groups and professors. The Girls Are Not For Sale campaign coordinator can assist in your efforts to organize a campus-wide awareness day.
Advocate for a Safe Harbor laws in your home state and the state where your college is located. See above on-line petition from the Body Shop or formulate a letter writing campaign. The Girls Are Not For Sale campaign will help draft letters.
Are you a group of artists? Consider using your talents as artists, musicians, writers, etc. to raise awareness of CSEC. Be creative and seek out public spaces where you can develop a constructive dialogue on how to end the commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking of girls and young women in the US.
Visit Tools & Resources for more, available here: http://councilofdaughters.ning.com/notes