Feb 03

Prosecution of Human Trafficking Offenders in the United States

Prosecuting human trafficking offenders in the United States is a difficult task at best as public policy does not always support the criminal justice system.  Over the past ten years the United States implemented strong public policy measures to address human trafficking and implemented sentencing guidelines to punish traffickers.  Prosecution is what I would call the strong arm of the law, or the enforcement behind the law.  The only way to deter a group from trafficking is by punishment or prosecution for crimes committed.  It is estimated that somewhere between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the U.S. every year.  Only 103 prosecutions were delivered in the U.S. in 2010, which is extremely low compared to the number of human trafficking incidents that exist.

To examine prosecution and its ineffectiveness on human trafficking we have to look at the criminal justice system and where that system is flawed.  The United States has shown tremendous leadership and growth in developing counter human trafficking laws, however there are some problems as well.   In the U.S. each state is sovereign and has its own court system that is separate from the federal court system.  This means that if a perpetrator is convicted for human trafficking in an individual state court that delivers a lower sentence they could serve their time and be released only to commit the crime again.  In the U.S. we also have a law called double jeopardy which means that someone cannot be prosecuted for the same crime twice.  Someone being prosecuted in state court for human trafficking cannot also be prosecuted in federal court for the same crime.

No wonder there are so few prosecutions against human traffickers in the United States, there are too many loopholes.  To date, there is no mainstreamed process of prosecution with regards to alleged offenders in the U.S.  For many decades there has been public policy in just about every state that addresses sex crimes which includes prostitution.  Over the past decade many states have also adopted sex trafficking as a crime and have implemented harsh punishments and sentencing guidelines.  However, just recently more states have realized that in order to address human trafficking issues in totality they have to implement laws addressing slave labor and domestic servitude as a human trafficking crime.    Some states are even beginning to take a look at possible organ harvesting as a human trafficking crime, depending on the circumstances.

It will undoubtedly be a long time before the U.S. has a mainstream one track effort to address human trafficking crimes for prosecution; however most states are on the right track.  Through awareness of all aspects of human trafficking public policy can begin to take shape in each state that will allow prosecuting these crimes to become much easier.  Prosecutors can only utilize what the law gives them as tools to pursue justice.  Law makers need the public to continue to open their eyes and make them aware of the seriousness of human trafficking and why this issue is imperative to our country’s growth in criminal justice public policy.

We as U.S. citizens can play a part in shaping public policy by continuing to push for new laws which address human trafficking in our own individual state of residence. It is our responsibility as American citizens to address this issue in our own capacity by creating awareness in our communities, informing our policy makers of possible public policy change, and supporting our criminal justice and legislative systems by voting for positive change.  If you would like to do your part you can track human trafficking public policy and legislative activities and get involved by clicking here.  Perhaps through a united voice we can all do our part to help change public policy in the United States and give prosecutors the tools they need to punish human trafficking offenders.


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Feb 03

Sistema alimentario en peligro

La seguridad alimentaria es un tema que ha siempre interesado y preocupado a economistas, agrónomos y políticos. Desde 1800, algunos economistas predijeron la escasez alimentaria (la teoría de Malthus), que causaría hambrunas y muertes ya que la producción agrícola no sería suficiente. Aunque la teoría resultó ser equivocada, hoy en día es importante reconsiderar la teoría de Malthus. Podemos aprender de la teoría se la interpretamos con un nuevo punto de vista. La forma actual en que producimos nuestros alimentos es frágil y no tiene una red de apoyo. Nuestro sistema agrícola se ha vuelto un sistema global, y se enfrenta a tres grandes desafíos.

1) El agua:

El uso del agua en agricultura representa las tres cuartas partes del uso total de agua dulce. Aún suponiendo este uso se hace de la manera mas eficiente posible, la humanidad todavía necesita por lo menos un 17% más de agua dulce para satisfacer todas las necesidades alimentarias. De acuerdo a la Organización Mundial del Agua:

La tasa mundial de consumo de agua se duplica cada 20 años, superando por dos veces la tasa de crecimiento de la población. Con la persistencia de la sequía regional, la creciente migración  de población a ciudades costeras, y el agua necesaria para el crecimiento industrial, se proyecta que la demanda de agua en 2025 será superior a la oferta en un 56%.

Estas son estadísticas alarmantes. Sin ni siquiera considerar los problemas que traerá el cambio climático, el aumento de la población provocará un aumento radical en la demanda de agua. El único problema es que a diferencia de los alimentos, el agua no puede ser producida o sustituida con facilidad (como se podría reemplazar, por ejemplo, el maíz con el frijol). Mientras los gobiernos, industrias y consumidores no se vuelvan más responsables, el problema del agua no se resolverá. El individuo estadounidense promedio utiliza 100 a 176 galones de agua por día, en cambio, la familia africana promedio utiliza cinco galones de agua por día. Y mientras no resolvamos el problema del agua, la seguridad alimentaria no se obtendrá. Y como la historia ha demostrado una y otra vez, serán los más desafortunados y pobres los que van a sufrir las consecuencias de la escasez y hambrunas.

2) El aumento de los precios del petróleo:

Nuestro sistema alimentario es dependiente del petróleo en todas las etapas de su producción. Cultivamos nuestros granos y vegetales gracias al uso de fertilizantes y pesticidas derivados del petróleo. Los agricultores de todo el mundo (sobretodo en el mundo desarrollado) están adictos a la eficiencia de los fertilizantes y pesticidas, por lo tanto el petróleo. Una vez que la comida se cultiva y recoge, la elaboración y envasado también requiere grandes cantidades de energía. Por ejemplo, utilizamos plástico para envasar y conservar la mayor parte de nuestros alimentos. El transporte de nuestros alimentos también requiere de mucho petróleo (aunque no es el problema más grande). Es evidente que el aumento de los precios del petróleo cambiará la economía agroalimentaria. Las ventajas económicas que tienen las grandes empresas agrícolas pueden ser detenidas por los precios del petróleo.

3) El cambio climático:

Por último, pero no el menos importante, esta el cambio climático. Este parece ser la amenaza más obvia para la agricultura. Este provocará un cambio considerable en los patrones del clima, temperaturas y ciclos de agua. Esto provocará cambios importantes en la producción agrícola. Algunos lugares se volverán más fértiles, otros menos. Pero la pregunta importante es: cómo se llevarán a cabo estas transiciones? Habrá migraciones imprevistas, cambios en la producción agrícola y cambios en los precios. La transición necesaria de la agricultura traerá, sin duda, más inseguridad al sistema de producción de alimentos.

Tal vez Malthus tenía razón al predecir la escasez de alimentos. Tal vez haya subestimado la ingenuidad humana, pero hizo bien en considerar las limitaciones de la Tierra. Al contrario de sus predicciones, la volatilidad alimentaria no se deberá a la escasez de tierra, del tamaño de la población, o de baja productividad. Nuestro sistema alimentario actual es un sistema muy frágil porque depende de los mercados de los precios del petróleo, sobre el uso de recursos escasos frente a la creciente demanda (como el petróleo y el agua). Es un sistema amenazado por los cambios causados por el aumento de las temperaturas del clima.

Los alimentos no deberían de ser tratados como una mercancía, ya que es una necesidad básica para la vida. Como ciudadanos del mundo, tenemos que encontrar la manera de mejorar nuestro sistema alimentario. Tenemos que disminuir nuestra dependencia del petróleo (comprar alimentos más frescos y más locales, orgánicos), consumir agua de forma responsable y apoyar a los afectados por los impactos del cambio climático.

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Feb 02

A Corny Problem

You might not think it, but I bet that almost everyone reading this will make use of corn today. I’m not necessarily talking about chowing down on a buttered corn on the cob. Corn is a component of about 25% of groceries from the supermarket. It is also a major component in almost all fast food products, and has recently become a major player in our nation’s energy markets.

To say the least, the U.S. has learned to rely heavily on corn to power everything from our bodies to our cars. Even the cattle that are used for beef consumption and milk production are fed a daily regime of corn. Yes, the chickens and pigs, and just about all other animals that we eat are also fed corn. We all know the famous adage, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” However, this is exactly what our nation is doing. Oh yeah, eggs too are closely connected to corn.

The U.S. has, and continues to put all of its eggs in one basket. Corn is planted on over 80 million acres of land here in the U.S. Corn also makes up 96.7% of feed grains, meaning just about every farm-bred animal in this country is fed corn. The U.S. continues to promote the harvesting of this commodity with government subsidies and mandates. Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the U.S. government requires that by 2012 7.5 billion gallons of biofuel – usually ethanol – will need to be mixed with our gasoline in order to reduce the carbon monoxide content and increase the octane rating. Much of our ethanol is produced from corn. Furthermore, the Farm Bill Act allocates an enormous amount of subsidies to growers of corn.

So what does this all mean for our nation’s economic system? Overdependence on a single commodity leads to vulnerability. Since so much of our life depends on corn, if the supply of corn was unexpectedly reduced for any reason our nation could be in serious trouble.

We all remember the Irish Potato Famine. The Irish people relied too heavily on a single crop, the potato, and when potato blight hit their crops leaving them with very little food, millions died of starvation and their economic system was shattered. People will say that the potato blight was the cause of the famine and the resulting problems. Wrong, the cause was the country’s overdependence on potatoes. While I do Continue reading

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Feb 02

Egypt’s Soccer Riots Create Uncertainty

Two weeks ago I wrote about a burgeoning responsible tourism initiative in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and how it could benefit the Bedouin community and Egypt as a whole.  Today, while I was on the elliptical (which I do about once every month or so… I like to stay healthy.) I happened to flip to CNN just in time to catch a much more disheartening story on Egypt: the soccer riots. You can watch the exact clip I saw here at CNN.com.  If you haven’t heard about the riots already and don’t want to watch the clip, let me bring you up to speed.

On Wednesday evening (Egypt is 7 hours ahead of Eastern time, for reference) there was a soccer match between Port Said’s Al-Masry team and Cairo’s Al-Ahly team at a stadium in Port Said.  Tensions were high throughout the game, with Al-Masry fans throwing bottles and rocks at players, and after Port Said won 3-1 a riot broke out in the stands.  73 people died and hundreds were injured as fans bashed each other with rocks and chairs, and many people fell to their deaths from the bleachers.  Police refused to open the gates to the stadium, trapping Al-Ahly fans inside, and there was no security to stop the destruction.

It is possible that this was simply a soccer riot that got out of hand—I’m sure we’ve all heard news coverage of similarly violent soccer riots—but many believe (myself included) that this is something more to the story.  This is the most serious act of violence not directly linked to the revolt since the beginning of the Arab Spring, and so presents a challenge to the interim government.  The government will hold an emergency session in Parliament on Thursday to discuss the incident, showing that they realize this was more than just an over-zealous group of rioters who went too far.

This incident highlights the deteriorating security situation in Egypt, which just last year was run as a police state.  If the interim government cannot respond quickly and decisively to this event and get control over the security of the country it is possible that Egypt will descend once again into chaos.  Al-Ahly fans have already vowed revenge against the Al-Masry fans who started the violence, asking why a winning team would attack and kill others and swearing not to let it go.  Hundreds of angry fans have already gathered outside the Al-Ahly club’s headquarters, with protesters chanting “Down with military rule; leave it to civilian rule.”  Clearly, this situation could escalate quickly if the government does not do something to fill the security vacuum.  If this is a referendum of sorts against the interim government, however, then increasing security would do little to appease the angry fans.

Soccer fans were, after all, major players during the revolution.  Protesters turned to young soccer fans to help them organize demonstrations, since the fans had experience with unruly mobs and police, and soccer fans have had leading roles in many protests.  When Mubarak was being tried soccer fans stood outside the courthouse and shouted slogans against the security agencies, warning of a “new revolution.”   So hopefully you can see how this riot could tip the scales and cause conditions to deteriorate, since soccer fans were some of the main players during the revolution and may have very strong feelings about the government and the security agencies.  We’ll have to wait for more information, though, before any serious predictions can be made.  It’s still unclear whether politics fueled the clashes and whether there was a Mubarak element.  All we know now is that there is a lot of unrest, a lot of anger, and hundreds of wounded and killed citizens.

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Feb 02

What Kind of “Change” Are Companies Really Trying to Make?

Imagine today you woke up and decided, “I’m going to start a business.”  Whether you have an MBA or half a year of college under your belt, there are certain steps you realize you’ll need to take to see your vision come to life.  First, you’ll need a business proposal, a financial plan, investors, permits and licensing, a location, employees, tax registration, a name, and, oh, did I mention a humanitarian aid organization you’d like to partner with.  There is a new age of entrepreneurship arising in the twenty-first century.  Start-up companies can no longer cut it with cool designs or catchy advertising.  A huge market has emerged for businesses that can prove to their customers that priorities are shifting, offering room for goodwill in a business world where profit is typically the number one value.  But, is the business model really changing? Or has the concept of corporate social responsibility and the effectiveness of donation based promotions just trickled down to the small and medium sized enterprise sector; in essence, keeping profitability the peak priority?

To explore this question we should probably first take a hard look at ourselves.  As consumers, do we really know why we chose the products we chose? If presented with two similar products with identical value, which do we chose?  Studies are releasing information about the psychology of our decisions.  When offered two products, one with a monetary discount and one with a promise of donation to a charitable organization, we chose charity.  This isn’t necessarily because we’re selfless; on the contrary, we actually receive an additional psychological benefit from the product other than its face value when we buy into the donation promotion.  We receive the value of the product and the value of feeling good about ourselves.  Research shows that when we receive two separate and distinct benefits from a product we are more likely to purchase it1.  80% of people say they would switch to a brand that supports a cause rather than offers a discount if it is of equal price and quality2!

Producers have tapped into this psychologically driven purchasing decision for the last two decades.  While in 1990 the annual amount of money used for donation-based promotion was $100 million, in 2009 this annual number rose to $1.5 billion.  Corporate social responsibility is no longer being employed as a short-term image-boost.  Instead companies are tying in partnerships with non-profits and charitable organizations to their long-term business strategies3.

Large corporate organizations are known to offer charitable donations and services.  A significant amount of controversy surrounds the charitable actions of these companies.  As we can now understand, promises of charitable donations to customers provide a huge competitive advantage over other companies, begging the question, do these companies really stand behind their causes or is their main concern still financial gains?  Additionally, corporations’ target certain regions to receive the benefits of their donations.  The social benefits these regions receive from the corporations’ partner non-profits tend to aim at building the community economically.  This presents an ethical dilemma such that these corporations are priming growing markets for future sale of their own products.  It seems difficult (at least for me) to imagine a truly altruistic mega-corporation, and it seems hard to look past their need to be competitive in massive markets.  But I wonder what happens when the model of donation based promotions is applied in the realm of small, start-up businesses.  Can the businesses belonging to the new movement of philanthropy truly back-up their commitment to charity?

The most recognizable company in this movement is TOMS.  TOMS is a shoe (and now sunglass) producing company that has created a model of giving which is gradually being mimicked across the U.S.  With the motto “one for one”, TOMS takes the donation promotion model to an extreme by promising that for every pair of shoes it sells, one pair will be donated to a person in need. Another new company using this model is Warby Parker.  They offer affordable prescription glasses by cutting out the middlemen, and they have adopted a version of “one for one” called “buy a pair, give a pair”.  Warby Parker donates one pair of prescription glasses for every pair bought.

TOMS and Warby Parker partner with well-renowned non-profits and NGOs, such as Continue reading

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Feb 01

A Solution We Can See

We observe our environment through all of our senses. Right now, as I feel the keys on my keyboard fall under the pressure of my fingers, I also watch the screen as the letters appear in front of me. I can hear the faint noise of the cars passing outside, and taste the spearmint gum as it rolls against my tongue. The popcorn my roommate just made fills the air with its distinctive smell. For most of us, this scene I just described is nothing out of the ordinary. We are fortunate enough to have all five of our senses in good working order. Our brain processes all of this information in an instant, and we go about our normal activities without giving much thought to the complex tasks our body is effortlessly performing.

For many people throughout the world, one or more of their five senses is damaged, impaired, or simply does not work. One of the most common impairments is that of vision. Most of us that experience vision impairment see an optometrist and walk away with a new pair of glasses or contact lenses. However, for millions of people in this world that suffer from visual impairment, solving their problem is not so easy.

Let’s take a look at some statistics: About 1.3 billion people worldwide could benefit from corrective lenses. 90% of the world’s visually impaired live in developing countries.

Vision is one of the most valuable traits that we as humans possess. Poor sight can hinder our daily lives to an incredibly large extent. Some people have such poor eyesight that they cannot drive, cannot work, and have serious issues when trying to complete simple tasks. For every 8,000 people in the developed world there is about one optometrist. In certain developing countries this statistic changes drastically. For example, in Mali there is one optometrist for every 8,000,000 people.

Luckily, this issue is gaining some awareness, and actions to combat the problem have begun. However, I believe that the current approach to publicizing the issue needs to be adjusted in order to secure more funding from the pubic. Joshua Silver is the inventor of the self-adjustable eyeglasses and the Director of the Centre for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW). These glasses allow for the wearer to adjust the lenses to the desired prescription without the help of an optometrist. The glasses utilize liquid pressure to control the focus of the lens. Fortunately, this design is relatively affordable and might just be the solution to the developing world’s vision problem.

Helping to eradicate the world’s eyesight problem are numerous organizations, but perhaps the two most eminent are Global Vision 2020 (GV2020) and the CVDW.  Both of these organizations make use of Silver’s invention, and both make it their goal to have 1 billion people’s vision fixed by 2020.  Both also recognize that the glasses need to be even more affordable, and that we need to find an effective way to distribute the glasses.

As of 2009, only 30,000 self-adjustable glasses had been distributed worldwide. These organizations are helping to create distribution networks throughout the developing world in order to increase this number. Currently, a single pair of these glasses costs around $19. This might not seem like much, but to those living in developing countries, $19 can take weeks to earn. As far as reducing the costs of the glasses is concerned, Joshua Silver himself acknowledges that more research must be done. In order for more research to be accomplished, funding and donations are needed.

I agree with GV2020 and CVDW that more funding is needed. For this specific issue, money is paramount to solving the problem. I think the best potential source of funding is the general public. The public needs to not only be made aware that the issue exists, but also understand how important it really is. The current approach to publicizing the issue is inadequate.

Currently, most of these organizations emphasize the huge number of people in need of glasses. To me, they should instead focus more heavily on two closely intertwined issues that result from poor vision and the lack of glasses. First, highlight the serious problems that arise from having poor vision. For example, many people in the developing world are unable to work because of their poor eyesight. Second, make connections between these problems and other social issues. Organizations should show connections between eyesight and poverty, eyesight and hunger, eyesight and education, etc. Then, people will start to listen. Once the public realizes the importance of this issue, they will be more likely to donate money.

Luke Richner is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on global health issues, energy markets, and economic development. He is a senior at Duke University, completing his final semester. 
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Feb 01

Land of the Free – Strengthening Gay Activism

The United States has enacted numerous laws that protect its citizen’s right to choose. People may disagree with another’s choice, but that does not matter because they still have rights. The Freedom of Religion, for example, allows Americans to worship whichever God they choose, disbarring any repercussions.

Imagine if, as an American, you were only allowed to practice one religion- Buddhism, perhaps, even though you had grown up learning about and praying to God and Jesus. You feel a strong connection to the teachings of Jesus and the miracles you were told he performed; you live your life by him. What would you do? Would you still worship your own God, and what would happen if you did? The consequences are endless. You might be antagonized, segregated, refused assistance in public places, have your property vandalized, or worse, killed. All of these things and more could happen to you simply because you wish to make your own choice regarding the God you worship.

Now, picture falling deeply and unendingly in love with someone, only to be told that you cannot marry them. You’re committed to this person, you will care for them through thick and thin, but someone you have never seen before is preventing you from making the promise of marriage. Would that bother you?

Same-sex marriage is only just becoming legal in some states. In most, however, the law prevents it. The law says that marriage is strictly between one man and one woman. It does not, however, say that religion is between one man and Jesus, or one man and Allah. If our freedom to make choices is not harmful to others, if it is for our own personal benefit, why does it matter? If I were to marry my girlfriend, would I be ending your heterosexual marriage? I would hope not.

Some readers might be skeptical of what I’m saying. The fight for marriage rights should be based on the fact that Continue reading

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Jan 31

Prescription Drug Abuse: A Side Effect of the U.S. Recession

Starting in 2007 we had the worst recession in U.S. history and the only economic event that has ever been worse was the depression.  People were losing their homes due to being upside down on their mortgages.  Unemployment sky rocketed to over 10% for the nation.  Suicides and episodes of domestic violence increased.  Unfortunately drug abuse increased too and is still increasing, especially prescription drug abuse.  In fact we have reached epidemic proportions.

Have you ever had a toothache, sprained your ankle or had a broken bone?  What did your doctor prescribe you?  Was it possibly Vicodin or Percocet?  Or maybe it was just Tylenol 3.  None of these drugs are a problem unless you become addicted to them.  That is exactly what has been happening in the U.S. during the economic recession.  People are abusing prescription drugs to deal with their heartaches and headaches.  When they lose their jobs, homes, or even break up their marriages they are turning to the bottle to numb the pain, and I don’t mean whiskey.  Truth be told that OxyContin abuse is on the rise and has increased more than 300% in some states during the recession.  Florida has one of the worst prescription drug abuse problems in the nation.  It is estimated that approximately seven people die each day in the state of Florida due to prescription drug overdose.

The problem in Florida is the same everywhere in the nation where prescription drug abuse is on the rise.  It’s all about accessibility, supply and demand.  The problem is Continue reading

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Jan 31

The Super Bowl and the Increase of Sex Trafficking

This week many people here in the US are going to be gearing up for the big Super Bowl game this weekend. With team rivalry flourishing between the New England Patriots and New York Giants, the game will be played out on Sunday in Indianapolis and thousands will be both in attendance or watch it on television. While this game will have no political fallback and amount to very little besides scores of drunken fans and elevated (or deflated) team sprit; Indianapolis has had to make important amendments to a few laws in the buildup to the big day. Most notably, I am speaking of enacting harsher penalties for sex traffickers.

Last year, with the game held in Texas, the Attorney General Greg Abbott discussed this issue stating, “The Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events in the United States”. With the big game drawing people and business seekers from across the US, it is no wonder that traffickers and pimps will also follow the demand.

Building upon Regina’s article from last month, Indianapolis has taken some important steps in preparation for the game. To date, Indianapolis police and church groups have begun training service employees such as hotel workers, as well as taxi drivers in identifying what potential victims of sex traffickers may look like. Similarly, Governor Mitch Daniels has signed a bill to enact tougher penalties for sex traffickers who are caught, hoping it will be a deterrent for pimps thinking of bringing their workers down to Indianapolis.

Recently, the sex trade has been in the headlines with a number of arrests being made from prostitution being pegged to Backpage.com.  Petitions on Change.org have asked people to sign in an effort to keep Backpage from advertising underage sex workers. Bringing attention to the ease of online prostitution, police and law enforcement are now using this as yet another tool to identify trafficked children and their pimps.

One man who was involved in pressing Texas to amend it’s sex trafficking laws after last year’s Super Bowl has just written a follow up report about what has been done with the continued momentum one year after the football game. Bob Price writes about his first hand experience in accompanying police on raids to health spas and what impact it is having in Texas. While he applauds the department’s work thus far in addressing such prostitution rings, Price concedes that much more still needs to be done.

As the game looms nearer, on the ground teams are already hard at work to raise awareness about these issues. One unique campaign is being run by an outreach program called S.O.A.P. (Save Our Adolescence from Prostitution). This organization identifies cheap motels where prostitution is more likely to take place, and talks with managers and owners about what to expect around high risk sporting events. Additionally, they offer to leave free bars of soap for the rooms with the National Human Trafficking hotline printed on them for the when the girls use the bathroom. To hear more about the founder Theresa Flores of S.O.A.P.’s story, you can watch her TED talk here.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where the sex industry is one of the most lucrative businesses to be involved with, coming only second to the arms industry. Additionally, it is unfortunate to report that it is so prevalent in the United States; which is against the commonly held notion that it is a predominantly third world phenomenon.

This weekend I think it will be important for the Super Bowl fans to be a bit more aware of the underside of what this event brings. While I am sure that there will be many bar patrons here in New York who will not register the magnitude of what is taking place below the surface, hopefully the more informed will take a moment of reflection on this problem. While I will inevitably be the wet blanket that will bring this up at our gathering, I think a moment of reality will be necessary in a day consisting of drinking and gouging on chips.

–Katherine Peterson is a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group focused on theories of development, globalization, and political ramifications of development work. Follow her on Twitter @ktp907
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Jan 30

The Consequences of Bullying: Saving LGBT Youth

Phillip Parker grew up in Tennessee with a loving family and a supportive group of friends. He was upbeat and energetic throughout most of his childhood, and was respected by many. He was also openly gay. Unfortunately, with his confidence in being out of the closet came the consequence of bullying. To a number of teens at Phillip’s school, being gay was perceived to be a choice, and a wrong one at that. Therefore, each of these youth felt that it was their right to put Phillip in his place; it was their job to bully him for being different.

As the physical, verbal, and emotional abuse continued, it was difficult for Phillip to remain strong in his own skin. He knew that being gay was not a path that he had chosen; it was not up to him. But after being broken down relentlessly every day that he went to school, Phillip found it hard to even breathe anymore. Why were his classmates beating him, telling him that he was wrong, or convincing him that he was bound for hell? With the weight on his chest too heavy, Phillip decided to take his life at the age of 14.

The devastating fact is that this was not a one-time incident. A simple Google search of “gay teen suicide” is enough to show you how many kids end their lives each year because of bullying at school. In fact, LGBT youth are four times more likely to commit suicide than one of their heterosexual peers. The intolerance and ignorance shown at school to youth of all ages is disgusting, and needs to be ended. The question is “how?”

Upon researching methods for ending suicide among LGBT youth, I came across a number of ideas and opinions. One hot topic that intrigued me was whether the legalization of gay marriage will result in a decrease of gay teen suicides. Firm believers claim that homophobes have “blood on their hands”; those in strong opposition insist that the straightforward facts and statistics on LGBT teen suicide rates are somehow misleading.  After seriously considering both sides, I surprised myself by the conclusion I made; I do not think that legalizing gay marriage will end suicide among LGBT youth. It’s almost hard for me to type that, being such a strong supporter of gay rights. While I do think that legalizing gay marriage would eventually have positive effects on our youth issues, I believe that taking other steps first would provide a quicker solution.

My reasons for not picking gay marriage as the fixer for LGBT suicide rates are based on American history. In 1865, the 13th amendment that ended slavery in the United States was passed by the House of Representatives. In 2012, prejudice against blacks still exists. In 1920, the nineteenth amendment gave women the right to vote, making them seemingly equal. In 2012, women in the US earn roughly .77 cents for every dollar a man earns. Freedom and equality is what we preach, but why? The years and years that it has taken us to get this far are enough to prove that passing a law does not necessarily fix a problem.

Lessons of tolerance are crucial for our country to eventually reflect our “values.” I think that in order to change opinions about LGBT peoples and reduce the teen suicide rate among them, the minds of our youth need to be opened. The approach that I would like to suggest taking should come from the school systems and have two different aspects. Education on tolerance and bullying should be one part, and the availability of counseling for LGBT youth should be the other.

Bullying alone should be addressed in schools, regardless of whether or not it is targeted at LGBT youth. Programs like “Safe School Ambassadors” provide youth with a two day training class that teaches them how to prevent bullying. The kids learn through videos, reading, and role-playing how to find real solutions to bullying and what to do when it happens to them or someone they know. To date, the program has successfully trained over 60,000 students and 5,000 adults. While addressing tolerance of sexual orientation in these lessons would be most beneficial, bringing that topic into schools is hardly held in high regards. Even so, the inclusion of a program like this in schools across the country has the potential to greatly decrease LGBT teen suicide rates.

Counseling for students is available at schools, but being educated and able to address LGBT teen issues in schools is often not. Whether a depressed or suicidal student is being victimized at home or at school, they need someone to turn to without having to ask. Often, these youth feel afraid to go to their parents, their friends don’t understand them, and so they are left with no one. With a counselor readily available to talk to and console these youth, I believe that suicide rates would drop.

Tolerance has to be taken to the next level in schools. Our children are our future, and their thoughts and ideas will reflect our country’s molding values.Teachers and administrators cannot stand by any longer while the number of gay teen suicides rises each month. Education on bullying and providing LGBT youth with someone to lean on is what we should focus on in order to put an end to the growing number of suicides.

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