Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. – Jeremiah 17:14
Thirteen-year-old Abby* had big dreams. Maybe they seemed out of reach for now: money was tight, and she lived in a small Missouri town with her single mom. But Abby earned good grades and had several close friends; she had decided she was going somewhere.
Fast forward to freshman year of high school. Everything was down: Abby’s school attendance, her grades, her friendships, and her happiness. She kept shrugging off the school counselor’s questions until an English teacher kept Abby after class to tell her what a skilled and insightful writer she was. Caught off guard, Abby broke down in tears, and little by little, she opened up. While her mom worked late hours, her mom’s boyfriend forced her to have sex with his “friends” multiple times a night, almost every night of the week. Unsure what to do, Abby kept the secret. She was afraid her mom wouldn’t believe her, or worse, they would end up homeless without the boyfriend’s money.
A neighbor once told me, “This could never happen here.” If only that were true! Tragically, approximately 100,000 children are victims of sexual exploitation right here in the United States every year. Trafficking of children makes roughly $99 billion annually, more than Nike, Home Depot, and Target combined. Reports estimate that 3,500 Missourians are being advertised on commercial sex websites at any given time. The sad truth is that sex trafficking is happening—and it is likely happening right in front of you.
While it’s easy to feel helpless in the face of such evil, learning to spot the signs of trafficking makes it harder for criminals to hide their evil deeds. There’s a lot ordinary people can do to help protect children and respond to suspicions of abuse.
So what happened to Abby? Thanks to the intervention of school personal and Children’s Division, Abby was placed in the Anti-Trafficking Services program through MBCH, where she had a private room and the support of a loving staff well-trained in trauma-informed care. Between individual therapy, family therapy with her mom, and youth group, Abby had plenty of safe places to begin healing.
Back in school, Abby found her voice again as she performed on stage with the choir. She had friends; she had value, and she knew it now. Just before she returned to live with her mom, who was no longer with the trafficker, Abby gave her life to Jesus. MBCH staff connected her with a church in her community, where she and her mom still regularly attend. Abby was finally back on track.
MBCH Children and Family Ministries would love to partner with you and your school, church, or community by providing training on how to recognize signs of sexual abuse and protect both children and your organization. Our goal is to provide safe places for youth and to educate people about how they can help push back against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. For more information, call David Burch at 417-380-1082.
*Name has been changed to protect confidentiality.