#MakeitZero: Ending Child Sex Trafficking in Atlanta and the US

When someone mentions sex trafficking, there’s very little part of me that thinks it’s a problem America needs to think about, especially not Atlanta, Georgia, where I live, but I’m wrong.  Very wrong.

In fact, Atlanta’s underground commercial sex problem is a very big one, with a large market for street prostitution, according to studies on sex trafficking and sex work in U.S. cities.

According to The Urban Institute, Atlanta far outshadows most other cities around the country when it comes to the illegal sex trade.  Some say the popularity for street prostitution could be due to the major highways running through it, coupled with demand from the suburbs.

Pimps bring in more than 32-thousand dollars on average each week, compared to 12-thousand in Dallas or 17-grand in Miami.  The price increases as the age of the prostitute decreases.  Many times, those young girls—and boys– are recruited into the business by pimps who seek out vulnerable children at the local mall.

There are people trying to put an end to this.  Not just in Atlanta, but around the US, where 100-thousand children are trafficked for sex each year.

The ‘Make it Zero’ campaign goal from Wellspring Living is to end the problem: to have zero victims of sex trafficking.  Forced prostitution is the biggest problem of sex trafficking.  At a recent luncheon on the issue, we were told one investigator talked with a girl who was forced to have sex 40 times in one day.  She couldn’t stand when the day was done.  The FBI and GBI are training law enforcement to look for the signs for the victims so that they can help victims who might otherwise go unnoticed.  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is also involved.  Web sites where predators connect with the pimps are being monitored.  And in this day and age, even YouTube videos are being screened as pimps turn to this popular video channel to advertise to their clientele.

You can help, too, by going to Make it Zero and contributing to the cause.  There are ways to get involved, from contributing money to spending your time with the organization.  There’s even an action kit you can download on the Wellspring site.

I know I struggle looking at my own child knowing what other children are going through—each and every day.  I’m willing to #MakeitZero.  Are you?