This week is Sexually Exploited Minors Awareness Week in Alameda County. While this is certainly no cause for celebration, it is an opportunity for us take notice of a pervasive issue in many of our communities. Many of us who pass young women offering to sell their bodies on street corners think of them as “prostitutes,” never once considering that these are children–some as young as 10 years old–who are being violently exploited and victimized. Sexually exploited youth can be runaways, homeless, children in the custody of foster care and juvenile justice systems, and children living at home.

Not too long ago, I remember talking to a group of young women in detention about my novel, which focuses on prostitution, and a young woman stood up to tell me about her experiences. “See, I’m a ho,” she said. “That’s what I do.” I looked at her and she couldn’t have been more than 11 years old. I wanted to interrupt her and say, “No! You’re a 5th grader! You’re a young woman!” But instead, I honored her space to complete her thought. She opened my eyes to the fact that many young women like her are falling deep into the cracks, never able to fully rally the support of a community that is all too comfortable with scoffing at their abuse or judging their victimization. This has to stop. Our children, our society, and our future depend on us to pay attention.

This Thursday, April 24, 2008 the Alameda County Interagency Children’s Policy Council, in partnership with the Sexually Exploited Minors Provider Network and KPFA Hard Knock Radio will be sponsoring a Sexually Exploited Minors Townhall Meeting. If you can, please attend. If you can’t attend–listen in. While this townhall meeting is taking place in Oakland, the issue affects every community in this nation. We all have a vested interest in ensuring that our children are safe!

SEM Towhall Meeting
Youth Uprising Center
8711 MacArthur Blvd.
Oakland, CA
3pm - 6pm

For more information, contact Zandra Washington at (510) 618-3458 or at Zandra.Washington@acgov.org

Other Resources:

Center for Young Women’s Development

Elevate Hope Foundation

Interagency Children’s Policy Council of Alameda County

Youth Justice Institute

Children of the Night

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