From sexual violation to child prostitution

Lois Lee, PhD, Founder & President of Children of the NIght, explains how children that are sexually abused are often susceptible to becoming child prostitutes because they have had their sexual dignity stolen from them
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From sexual violation to child prostitution

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I know that sometimes we see a middle-classed child involved in prostitution and it gets more play in the media because for some perculiar reason we think that that child's entitled to a better level of care than a child who was born in a crack house. But we're not looking at all of the facts. I'm telling you that children and young people who enter prostitution have had their sexual dignity taken away from them. I know of cases where sports stars and high schools who had college scholarships have been raped by the track team or the football team, and they couldn't tell anybody, or they wouldn't tell anybody because they were afraid they'd be blamed. Their parents took them to therapists who wouldn't break confidentiality. I'm telling you as a parent, if your child has some change in drastic behavior, have your child screened for sexual abuse. We need to look at sexual abuse and treat that just like we'd treat a broken arm. We need to get rid of our bigotry and our fear of sexuality. Children who have been sexually abused, young people who have had their sexual dignity taken from them are very vulnerable to prostitution. They may not want to tell you about the sexual abuse, because that may be dad's best friend. It may be the driver that you hired for the house. It may be the coach, it may be the housekeeper. And maybe another family member. We have to take heed to the fact that our children are vulnerable sexually, they need to know that they can talk to us, and they need to know that we won't blame them. Without that, they don't stand a chance. They will never heal from the kinds of things that are going to happen to them. when they act out the sexual abuse. And god forbid, should they ever enter prostitution.

Lois Lee, PhD, Founder & President of Children of the NIght, explains how children that are sexually abused are often susceptible to becoming child prostitutes because they have had their sexual dignity stolen from them

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Lois Lee, PhD, JD

Founder & President Children of the Night

Dr. Lois Lee is a pioneer and trailblazer in rescuing America’s sex trafficked children right here in the United States.  She is the founder and president of Children of the Night and has rescued over 10,000 children from prostitution—that is more children than all of the other sex trafficking organizations combined. Since 1979 she has raised more than $40 million in private donations to support her groundbreaking programs. Diplomats come from all over the world to observe Lee's ground-breaking work at the Children of the Night home. Dr. Lee has received countless awards for her humanitarian work, most notably the prestigious President's Volunteer Action Award, presented to her by President Ronald Reagan at the White House in 1984, and permanent memorial portrait at the Frederick Douglas Museum honors her 1994 National Caring Award. Her life story was portrayed in a CBS Movie of the Week “Children of the Night” in 1985 and she was profiled on CBS “60 Minutes” in 1987. Dr. Lee was lauded by singer/songwriter Richard Marx in his song "Children of the Night," which appeared on his 1989 Repeat Offender album.

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