Last night I stumbled across the documentary Very Young Girls on Netflix. I quickly read the previews and decided to give it a shot. Very Young Girls, whose title reflects the fact that in the United States the average age of entry into prostitution is just thirteen. The film takes us into the work of a former sexually exploited youth-turned-activist named Rachel Lloyd, who started the New York City organization GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services) to help victimized young women escape their pimps and find another way of life.
I grew up in the South Bronx of New York City and knew about prostitution. Everyone knows that girls sell sex on Hunts Point but what I didn't know was that there were 13 year old girls out there on the track. My heart is broken after watching this documentary, truly heartbroken. The film started because of two brothers, Anthony & Chris Griffith, decided to become pimps. My jaw dropped when I saw them onscreen because I know them, we attended the same Catholic elementary school in Harlem and they were raised right across the street from me in the South Bronx. One would think that since they came from a good home with two parents and even a sister, how could they do this to other women? Anthony and Chris' daily activities are documented in videos they shot themselves in hope of landing their own reality-TV series. Anthony & Chris' film helped to get them both sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison. source
The silver lining in this story has to be the nonprofit organization, Gems. I definitely want to help those women back in my home town. I feel so sorry and distraught for them and what they have gone through. Many of the young women grew up in dysfunctional households with no male role model so when the 'Father figure' of a pimp was presented to them, made them feel loved and as if they had a family they were drawn into the lifestyle. Most of the women seemed to be under some type of mental spell, often referring to their pimps as their 'daddy' or 'my man' truly believing the fairytale bullshit fed to them in order to get them to stay.
Some of these women willingly got into the cars of the pimps after being sweet talked into having a relationship with a man twice their age and others were kidnapped right off the sidewalk. You may be wondering how in the world does one become subjected to such torment and why don't they just leave? If you consider for a moment anytime you were in a relationship with a man that you grew to love over time. He may have cheated on you, hit you, disrespected you, used you for sexual favors, material gifts to only have you wanting to leave and knowing you deserve better but you continue to stay, for whatever length of time, until you find the courage to say enough is enough. Something deep within you has to be lacking, broken, needing a void to be fulfilled in order to remain in situations like this. This is the same principle with these young women from broken homes looking for hope. Predators know how to pick those they prey upon. If you are already lacking of self esteem, a strong foundation & hope, any man that comes along, says you're pretty, sexy and in turn sells you a dream of a life time of happiness you just may fall victim to it.
WHAT ABOUT THE MEN? I'm also angry that the men buying the under aged prostitutes or prostitute's period aren't facing more serious ramifications. There would be no market for this type of transaction if there were no buyers. We need to increase the severity of crimes against women & children. Girls are NOT for sale! If you would like to get involved with GEMS check out their website and join the cause with me .
Like them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/girlsarenotforsale?sk=wall
