“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” -Nelson Mandela
Today, we highlight another grant partner of The Dressember Foundation, Saving Innocence.
Did you know that the average age of entry into the commercial sex industry is 11-14 years old?
What about the fact that victims normally live an average of seven years after first being trafficked?
If a child runs away from home, two out of three will be approached by a trafficker within 48 hours.
Every year, at least 100,000 children are at risk for commercial sexual exploitation in the United States.
It used to be common for kids to be arrested for prostitution while the men paying for sex would go free. These kids would end up in juvenile detention for a while, and when they were released, they would end up back in a life of exploitation, where they would often end up getting arrested again.
Thousands, if not millions of children today are caught in this vicious cycle.
This is starting to change here in the United States.
Last year, the law in California changed so that children cannot be arrested for prostitution. Instead of being treated as criminals, these children will now rightfully be treated as victims.
Saving Innocence is an organization working 24/7 in Los Angeles County to rescue and rehabilitate these child victims of sex trafficking. Saving Innocence also provides training and technical assistance in eight other states.
Their vision is to:
End the commercial sexual exploitation of children and to restore the cultural values of innocence and human worth.
Saving Innocence has been advocating for these children since 2010, working to give them the support and resources they need to escape this cycle. Watch this video to hear more about how Saving Innocence got started.
“When these children have been so highly traumatized, we have to make sure that we are working really hard at building trust with them again. That’s no small feat because they don’t really trust anybody.”
-Amber Davies, Senior Director of Clinical Programs for Saving Innocence
How Saving Innocence Works
Beyond providing emotional support, Saving Innocence’s case workers advocate for victims in court as they testify against their traffickers. They empower victims to become survivors, to escape the exploitation permanently.
How You Can Help
As The Dressember Foundation partners with Saving Innocence, Dressember will contribute funds for these front line services to rescue and heal children who are being exploited for sex.
Donate today to support these survivors on their journey.
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