Imagine you’re a young boy, perhaps a preteen or teen. Your sister asks your parents if she can go to the mall with a friend. You think nothing of it, because that’s what girls do—all the time. You go back to your video game.

Your parent’s drop her off at her friend’s house with strict instructions about communicating and getting home safely. The usual parent routine. You and your sister know that your parents care, sometimes you even think they go overboard.

Then your sister doesn’t come home on time. Your mom texts her, and your sister texts back that she’s okay, and she’ll be home soon. But she doesn’t come home soon. And she doesn’t come home unharmed.

It Can Happen to Anyone

This is a true story I recently heard at the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Global Summit in Washington DC. The story was told by the mother, and the message she wanted to share was, “it can happen to anyone.” The girl had a nice middle class family with highly involved parents, who had put protective measures in place.

She was only 15, and she was invited to the mall by a new friend. This friend (a girl of the same age) introduced her to a man who took her picture and put it on a site called backpage.com. Before she even realized what was happening to her, she was kidnapped, raped and videotaped. Her so called “friend” was complicit in these acts.

The worst thing is, it’s not an uncommon story. In this #metoo culture, girls and women are at high risk for becoming the victims of predatory behavior. It can happen to boys too, but girls and women are targeted more often.

She’s Your Sister

I started this story from the brother’s perspective because I wondered how he felt as he watched his parents become frantic about his missing sister. They called all her friends parents when she stopped texting back. Fortunately they had a tracker on their daughters phone and they became suspicious when her location was pinging all over the city. They called the police.

They found a phone number that their daughter was last in contact with. The mother called this out-of-state number and the man who answered said he didn’t know the girl, but he found her picture and phone number on backpage.com. The mother Google’d the website and was horrified to find a site advertising women for sexual favors. Her daughter’s listing said she was 21. At this point the FBI was called in.

I imagined her brother must have felt sick, angry, and helpless. How would you feel? I know how her parent’s felt. It’s a parent’s greatest nightmare.

It’s Your Family Too

We know these crimes have existed throughout history. We’re vaguely aware that they happen to other people, but we try not to think about it. News stories about missing children, and sex trafficking around the world are too depressing. We feel helpless to do anything, so we close down, we turn away.

But, you can’t escape sexual exploitation anymore. It’s everywhere because of the internet. Your phone, laptop, tablet or family computer are full of stranger danger. Your children are a click away from seeing, or getting involved with, the porn industry and sex trafficking. It doesn’t have to happen in person anymore, it can happen in your child’s bedroom while you’re in the living room watching TV.

Still, we don’t want to think about it. We hope it will never happen in our own family.

God is Our Parent and We Are One Family

She is your daughter, your sister, your mother, your aunt. Or it could be your brother. If you’re a person of faith then you know that we’re all related. The separateness we’ve built are false walls of protection that allow us to hide and shirk responsibility. These walls are crumbling now, you only imagine they exist.

The good news is, you can do something. We aren’t helpless to fight this battle anymore. Just as the internet has made the sex trade easier, faster and closer to home, it’s also made fighting it right at your fingertips. Thanks to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and hundreds of like minded organizations, you can participate in ending this scourge that plagues the human family.

Here’s how:

• Donate to the cause
• Subscribe to the website and follow latest activities
• Sign a petition when legal action is needed
• Learn how to contribute to the safety of your own community

Not Convinced?

Click image to watch video of victory.

Recently the NCOSE was able to get a major law revised that led to the shutdown of backpage.com and other sites like it. Through their “Dirty Dozen” list they’ve also influenced changes in major industries that have been complicit in the proliferation of hardcore porn. They are working to make our schools and libraries safe, as well as spreading awareness everywhere.

From what I experienced at the recent conference, all leaders and organizations linked to NCOSE care first and foremost about human dignity. They are creating a support network for people needing recovery services, and rehabilitation from sex trades. People of all nations, races, religions and even atheists are uniting together in the fight to reclaim culture and restore dignity.

But there’s a lot more work to do!

I attended this conference on behalf of High Noon (highnoon.org), an organization providing sexual integrity training and recovery from porn and unwanted sexual habits. But the conference was relevant to everyone because we are all family.

Don’t leave it to someone else to deal with these issues. For the sake of the world, your children and grandchildren, and your brothers and sisters everywhere, please get involved. The final battle is the battle for sexual dignity and the restoration of true love.

♥ ♥ ♥

Related: Last month WFWP did a webinar with Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of NCOSE. Watch it here:

Equipping and Protecting Youth in the Digital Hypersexualized World