[the_ad_placement id="header"]
NASWCANEWS.ORG
  • Commentary
    • Feature
    • Messages
    • Opinion
    • Letter To The Editor
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Events
    • Around the State
    • News
  • Action

    20Lobby Day – Day 1

    SANTA MONICA OFFICE FOR LEASE: Residential Environment Designed Especially for Mental Health Practitioners

    19th Annual Hall of Distinction. Sunday October 17, 2021 from 1-2:30pm.

    19th Annual Social Work Hall of Distinction

    In Memoriam

    In Memoriam: Rino Patti, 85, dean and professor emeritus

    NASW-CA Members Get A $35 Discount When Enrolling In Exam Prep Course from Therapist Development Center – Limited Supply!

    Submit Your Nominations: 2021 NASW-California Chapter’s Annual Social Worker Awards

    SF & Marin Units Hosting Social Work Month Celebration On March 30th

    Reminder: NASW-CA Offering Scholarships For Online CEUs For Social Workers Affected By Natural Disasters

    SAVE THE DATE: 2021 Statewide Membership Meeting On February 4th!

  • Education
    • Professional Development
  • Reports
    • Region A
    • Region B
    • Region C
    • Region D
    • Region E
    • Region F
    • Region G
    • Region H
    • Region I
    • Los Angeles Region Map
    • California Region Map
  • Ads
    • Classifieds
    • Display Ads
    • How to Advertise
  • Membership
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
  • Commentary
    • Feature
    • Messages
    • Opinion
    • Letter To The Editor
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Events
    • Around the State
    • News
  • Action

    20Lobby Day – Day 1

    SANTA MONICA OFFICE FOR LEASE: Residential Environment Designed Especially for Mental Health Practitioners

    19th Annual Hall of Distinction. Sunday October 17, 2021 from 1-2:30pm.

    19th Annual Social Work Hall of Distinction

    In Memoriam

    In Memoriam: Rino Patti, 85, dean and professor emeritus

    NASW-CA Members Get A $35 Discount When Enrolling In Exam Prep Course from Therapist Development Center – Limited Supply!

    Submit Your Nominations: 2021 NASW-California Chapter’s Annual Social Worker Awards

    SF & Marin Units Hosting Social Work Month Celebration On March 30th

    Reminder: NASW-CA Offering Scholarships For Online CEUs For Social Workers Affected By Natural Disasters

    SAVE THE DATE: 2021 Statewide Membership Meeting On February 4th!

  • Education
    • Professional Development
  • Reports
    • Region A
    • Region B
    • Region C
    • Region D
    • Region E
    • Region F
    • Region G
    • Region H
    • Region I
    • Los Angeles Region Map
    • California Region Map
  • Ads
    • Classifieds
    • Display Ads
    • How to Advertise
  • Membership
  • Videos
No Result
View All Result
NASWCANEWS.ORG
No Result
View All Result
Home Messages

From the President

by Staff
November 1, 2014
in Messages
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Presentation on Domestic Minor Sex TraffickingShirley Gentilini

By Shirley Gentilini, MSW, LCSW

In September, Michelle Talley, LCSW, Jolene Hui, LCSW, and I attended a meeting presented by Kim Biddle, MSW, and volunteers who work with child victims of human trafficking.  We learned that those in the sex trafficking industry recruit these young victims under the age of 18 to work as prostitutes.

The average age of those entering into the commercial sex industry in the U.S. is 12 years old. (U.S. Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section) and 80 percent to 90 percent of sexually exploited children have a history of child sexual abuse. The National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Throwaway Children (NISMART) estimate that 1.6 million children run away from home each year in the U.S. A pimp will recruit one in three teens within 48 hours of leaving home and becoming homeless (www.savinginnocence.org/about/the-problem/).

Kim Biddle, MSW, a USC graduate, is the founder and executive director of Saving Innocence.  Biddle’s vision is to end commercial sexual exploitation of children, restore their innocence, and enable them to feel worthy. Her agency works with local law enforcement, social services providers, and schools.

Saving Innocence provides intensive case management services, group therapy, crisis intervention, mentoring, survivor advocacy, and training.  It also includes other community-based agencies to ensure the needs of the youth are being addressed.

Kim informed us on ways a social worker assists the victims when they go to court. The social worker helps them prepare and practice their testimony when they come before the judge. The support of a social worker helps the client to overcome fear and intimidation from their pimp who will also be present.

To help these young victims, many resources are needed — safe housing, medical care, counseling, court advocacy, mentorship, education and jobs.

Representing NASW at this event, I learned what a valuable and necessary agency this is: an agency that could use more assistance. I asked what NASW could offer to the agency that provides such critical assistance to the young victims.

One way is to increase awareness about the sex human trafficking of young victims. You can visit their website at www.savinginnocence.org. You may want to become a volunteer in an area of your expertise or a counselor who helps prepare the young victims who go to court to defend themselves. Donations are always needed.

Domestic minor sex trafficking is a far greater problem than one could imagine. We are grateful that Kim Biddle and her staff are working on this. To increase awareness of sex trafficking, you may want to ask her to give a workshop at your unit/regional meeting. As we learn more, perhaps other social workers will join to help.

You may also want to learn more about the sexual exploitation of young victims and how you can help.  UCLA Professor Michelle Talley, LCSW, attended this meeting and is willing to share her knowledge around the issue of sexual exploitation of young victims. Professor Talley can be reached at talley@luskin.ucla.edu.

Staff
Website |  + postsBio
  • Staff
    https://naswcanews.org/author/staff/
    Job Posting: Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  • Staff
    https://naswcanews.org/author/staff/
    Job Posting: Mental Health Therapist (CA License)- Remote, Summers Off
  • Staff
    https://naswcanews.org/author/staff/
    DisAbilities Council Meeting on May 16
  • Staff
    https://naswcanews.org/author/staff/
    SLO Unit: EMDR in the Treatment of Psychological Trauma and How to Access EMDR in the Community (1 CEU) on April 25

Related Posts

Messages

April 9, 2025
Announcements

Addressing Racism, Bullying, Intimidation, and Anti-LGBTQ+ Behavior in the Social Work Profession

November 9, 2023
Messages

NASW-CA Executive Director Transition Message

January 11, 2023
Messages

Happy Pride Month, Social Workers

June 8, 2022
Messages

Dear Social Work Graduates: Take Risks.

May 24, 2022
Messages

Reflections & Visions Forward

October 4, 2022

National Sites:

NASW National Site
NASW Press
Social Workers Speak
NASW Blogs
Privacy Policy





Archives

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

© 2020 naswcanews - All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Commentary
    • Feature
    • Messages
    • Opinion
    • Letter To The Editor
  • News
    • Announcements
    • Events
    • Around the State
    • News
  • Action
  • Education
    • Professional Development
  • Reports
    • Region A
    • Region B
    • Region C
    • Region D
    • Region E
    • Region F
    • Region G
    • Region H
    • Region I
    • Los Angeles Region Map
    • California Region Map
  • Ads
    • Classifieds
    • Display Ads
    • How to Advertise
  • Membership
  • Videos
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.AcceptRead more