Love Reigns Corporation

01/11/2024

You may have noticed fewer posts from us. As more survivors come to us for assistance, we have had less bandwidth for social media. This is a good thing 💜

We need volunteers! Social media, car rides, grantwriting, networking, fundraising, and the list goes on. If you’re reading this message, we could probably use your help! Send us an email to volunteer: [email protected]

Thanks for all your wonderful support. It’s pretty clear that 2024 is going to be a busy year for Love Reigns💪🏽

01/09/2024

Signs of Sexual Abuse in Young Children

It is not enough to just be concerned. We must act! Do not assume someone else will help.

The sad truth is that family members and caregivers are the most common perpetrators of s*xual exploitation in early childhood. This means the child's first line of defense is already compromised. It is so important that teachers, community members, caregivers, and medical professionals be able to recognize the signs of abuse and ACT! Many indicators of s*xual exploitation in young children are non-specific and can also be signs of non-s*xual abuse or neglect. Regardless, we must be eager to pay attention, ask questions, and respond.

Children who have been s*xually abused or exploited may have adult knowledge that is inappropriate for their age. This may manifest as inappropriate jokes and hypers*xualized behavior.

Abusers who are caregivers will often limit, refuse, or delay the child's medical care for fear that someone will see signs of abuse. Repeated or untreated injuries can be a sign of abuse.

Children may demonstrate a wide range of behaviors when they don't have the words to ask for help. Withdrawn behavior, sleep disturbances, unexplainable panic, late bedwetting, frequent genitourinary infections, emotional distress, and frequent episodes of rage may all be signs of abuse in children.

Abusers will often threaten a child with harm if they don't keep their abuse a secret. When questioned, an abused child may become frightened, stop responding, or explain that they can't answer a question because, "it's a secret."

When a child makes an outcry for help, it needs to be taken seriously. If the accused abuser is a caregiver or family member, insist that the child be assigned an advocate and be given the opportunity to be interviewed by law enforcement without family members present.

It is not enough to just be concerned. We must act. Do not assume someone else will contact 9-1-1. Check your employer's protocols for suspected child abuse. If they don't require reporting to law enforcement and/or CPS, advocate for that change!

01/04/2024

Trigger Warning: Vague examples of coercion and trafficking.

Hollywood mostly depicts just one method of trafficking, so it can be difficult to help new advocates recognize different trafficking scenarios. This is why we use the terms "Closed Method" and "Open Method" to help new advocates recognize trafficking beyond Hollywood depictions. For simplicity, we are using the word "victim" to describe someone who is actively being exploited. This is not intended to remove the autonomy or strength of any person enduring or overcoming commercial s*xual exploitation.

In Closed Method trafficking, a victim is sold only to specific buyers or offenders. These traffickers often pander to pedophiles, but that's not always the case and victims may be adult. This method is typically protected by a lot of secrecy.

In Open Method trafficking, victims can be sold to anyone. This method is frequently mislabeled as "prostitution". Victims of Open Method trafficking are often expected to solicit their own exploitation, but this isn't always the case.

Raising awareness can be heavy and uncomfortable, but it is necessary to increase recognition.

01/03/2024

⏱2-Minute Read: January is National Trafficking Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Month and we'll be posting all month about specific awareness and prevention measures that we can ALL take to protect vulnerable members of every community.💜

Let's look at some of the top vulnerabilities or risk factors.

1. Lack of family support - Family is supposed to be our closest protector, but 45% of survivors say their first trafficker was a family member or caregiver. From personal experience, we have noticed that many exploited young people have been partially raised by someone that isn't their parent. There's a lot to unpack there. For now, just know that a lack of family support is a huge vulnerability to exploitation, and that can mean a breakdown in family structure or having a dangerous family member.

2. Isolation - Have you ever felt alone in a group of people? That sounds like emotional isolation. This is primarily a vulnerability for children and young adults. Someone that feels neglected, mistreated, or unaccepted will naturally seek love. Predators specifically look for emotionally isolated young people so they can build a relationship for exploitation.

3. Financial hardship - A person of any age who is struggling to make ends meet is vulnerable to being exploited in exchange for the promise of shelter or stability.

4. Ethnicity - In cases where ethnicity is known, 74% of s*x trafficking survivors in America are Black, Hispanic, or Asian. This is a perfect example of how systemic racism has made Black, Hispanic, and Asian people more likely to experience isolation and financial hardship. It is reflected back to us in s*x trafficking statistics. That being said, there is no ethnicity that is safe from exploitation. We see victims and survivors from every demographic.

5. Gender - Women and girls are significantly more vulnerable to trafficking. This is obvious. A lesser-known gender vulnerability is that people who identify as a gender different from the gender they were assigned at birth are also at a higher risk of being exploited or trafficked. Similar to ethnicity, this reflects that people who have gender identity questions may experience a higher level of isolation and financial hardship. That being said, there is no gender that is safe from exploitation. We see victims and survivors from all genders and gender orientations.

6. Substance abuse - For people of all ages, substance abuse remains a vulnerability to exploitation and trafficking. It is well-known that people look to substances for comfort when they are feeling isolated or dealing with traumatic experiences. Substance abuse that transforms into addiction can cause financial hardship. It can also align individuals with drug providers that are involved with organized criminal activity, like trafficking. That being said, most of the exploited individuals we encounter do not exhibit signs of addiction.

You're a champ if you read all of this. We'll break it down into bite size pieces over the next month, but this is a decently comprehensive look at the vulnerabilities to s*x trafficking and we LOVE YOU for committing to advocacy education.

01/02/2024

Welcome to 2024! Before we launch into Human Trafficking Prevention Month, here are some brief highlights of 2023 💜

The end-of-year newsletter will go out this week. If you'd like to sign up, you can send us your e-mail in a direct message, e-mail us at [email protected], or subscribe at the bottom of our website: www.lovereignstx.org

We look forward to a year of growth with new opportunities to disrupt s*x trafficking and help provide freedom from exploitation.

12/28/2023

12/22/2023

Today's Friday Fact is just a reminder to be gentle and kind with yourself. The holidays are difficult for many people.

For people who have been abused or exploited by family, these can be especially challenging times.

If you would like to talk to someone, you can message us. We are here. ❤️

12/15/2023

Welcome to Friday💗! Today we elevate survivor experiences to bring attention to an issue that is often overlooked: bank accounts.

Tr@ffickers know their financial activity may lead to restricted access to bank accounts, credit cards, and "bad" credit. To avoid these consequences, traffickers force victims to apply for credit cards and open bank accounts in their own names, shifting the consequences to the exploited individual.

This quoted survivor was blacklisted from having a bank account without a joint owner. Unfortunately, most survivors don't have someone that is willing to be a joint owner.

We currently work with a survivor that has this problem. She is unable to have a bank account because of financial exploitation that occurred during her s*xual exploitation. Many employers do not cut checks and instead require direct deposit into a bank account or payment loaded onto a visa-type gift card. Not all financial services will allow money orders to be purchased for rent with gift cards. Not all ATMs accept these gift cards, but when they do, there are fees. This survivor has no one to vouch for her on a bank account, so she is forced to rely on very high interest pay-day loans to pay everyday bills and rent.

It's a sn*******ng issue! From an outsider's perspective, it may look like reckless spending, but when we get to the root cause -- these problems are often rooted in the aftermath of exploitation.

Bringing attention to these issues is the only way to raise awareness of the lasting effects of exploitation.

12/08/2023

You should follow us on Instagram, cause this is ridiculous in a group of 500+!

We are on Insta!

12/08/2023

Welcome to Friday 💜 Today we bring attention to “Branding”. We see branding tattoos all the time. They may be anywhere on the body, but traffickers often require them to be on a highly visible place like the face, throat, or hands.

Common symbols seen in branding tattoos are crowns, roses, names, moneybags, gorillas, and “property of” tattoos. 👑🌹💰💵🦍©️

What impact does this have on a survivor?

First impressions. Much of the public will draw unfair conclusions about a survivor based on a highly visible tattoo. This can be a major barrier to employment. A survivor we are assisting is currently struggling with this problem.

Identity. Branding tattoos can reinforce the groomed identity. It is a constant reminder of that chapter of their life and may be a source of shame or embarrassment.

It is rare that we meet a survivor who doesn’t have a branding tattoo. We are grateful for businesses that offer free cover-up tattoos or tattoo removal, if that is what a survivor desires, but these services are few and far between.

If you are someone that hires people, please keep this in mind during the hiring process. 💜

12/01/2023

🚨UPDATE 12/02/2023: THANK YOU! We were able to fully cover this survivor's eviction balance in just over 24 hours. What a testament to the power of small groups and compassionate hearts. We love you for making this possible.

There are many opportunities on Naomi's* horizon. This starts with the security of safe housing. Your support has allowed Naomi to feel safe enough to hope. She is looking forward to job interviews next week, beginning counseling services, and applying for scholarships. We will be with her every step of the way and your support means you are at every step, too. This is community.

Thank you so much for providing community and safety to this survivor.
__________

🚨URGENT NEED: Can you help a survivor of s*xual exploitation? Share or tag please. One of the survivors we have known for almost two years has fallen on hard times after losing her job. She will be evicted from her apartment on 12/4 if she cannot settle her rent balance with the court system. Her balance is $932. She has a son. She is kind, humble, grateful, and scared to be homeless.

She has been steadily working a 9-5 job while saving for nursing school. She does not have family that can help house her. We have exhausted our financial support. She has applied for housing assistance, but the wait is 2+ years. We have helped her apply to other assistance programs, but they take several weeks before they can assist. She has applied for unemployment but is waiting.

She has a job interview in two weeks. We will be by her side no matter what to help her become financially independent.

Can you please help? Please consider donating, tagging a friend, or sharing.

UPDATE 12/02/2023: THANK YOU! We were able to fully cover this survivor's evi… Love Reigns Corporation needs your support for Urgent Help - Survivor Eviction