There is a seldom talked about problem with young people, generally
adolescents although sometimes younger, sometimes much younger. Regrettably
and disgustingly, these young people are all too often sexually exploited.
The human body is a strange thing. Our, minds, according to neurologists do
not mature until about 21 years old. The body, at least the sexual aspects,
mature in the early teens. Your body is saying 'let's go' long before the mind
knows just where it is going. There in lies the problem.
Adolescence is a time when kids need special attention and care without
being smothered. That is a delicate balancing act and I do not envy parents of
teens. Often, such care is lacking, and even when the parents do everything they
know how, by their very nature, kids rebel. That is just the way things are.
Kids run away. Kids are thrown out. Kids may stay home but, when
unsupervised, they run loose. Always, there are those ready to take advantage.
This is not new by any means but, in our current bizare era, it happens more
frequently.
We used to live near Atlanta. Investigators there learned that a large
percentage of the area's prostitutes were underage. It seems that this is the
case in most urban areas. These young people are also exploited by the porn
industry. Do not think that this applies to just girls. Boys are also
targeted.
The kids, when out on the streets, have few options. They cannot get jobs and
panhandling is seldom lucrative enough to get by and there are always those who
will prey on the homeless young. Once involved in prostitution and/ot porn, it
is hard to get out. This is a National disgrace.
What can be done? First, parents, pay attention to your children. Just
listen to them. You are the parent; you need to be just that, not their buddy, their parent. Also, you may need
to curtail a few of your own activities when the kids are around. Watch your
alcohol consumption, your language and what you view on TV and the Internet.
For the kids who have left home, there have to be shelters, clean, safe
shelters and councilors to help them find a way out. They are kids, and kids
are not capable of raising themselves. If we stop wasting money on wars and
subsidizing industries that should stand or fail on their own, we would have
that money.
The other thing that can be done is to make enforcemenr of child
pornography and child prostitution laws a top priority. If the police do not
have the funds and manpower, find a way to get funds and hire more police. This
is an intolerable situation and if we allow a few dollars stop prevention of
these crimes, then we should be ashamed.
Finally, we need to learn a lesson from England. It seems that the death of
entertainer Jimmy Saville led to disclosures of his depraved sexual exploitation
of children. Those following the trail he left have learned that some
influential and important figures in English politics and entertainment have
many of the same habits he did. There have been several attempts to cut off
further investigations. Seemingly, these attempts to shut things up are failing
and hopefully English police will bring to justice the creeps who are hiding
behind important positions and friends. In much the same way, the Vatican
covered up child abuse by priests for many years and have, after much wailing
and gnashing of teeth, been forced to deal with the issue. American officials
have got to get a grip on this problem.
Will we? Maybe, maybe not. A disturbing phenomenon has
been going on for years in the entertainment industry. Young people are pushed
into performing acts that years ago would not have been allowed in public. They
are getting rich doing this, but their bosses are getting far richer. It seems
that this phenomenon has a pattern. The performer catches on in their teens,
grows in popularity, gets wilder and wilder, then burns out, gets used up and
tossed aside, often having a public meltdown. Think Brittany Spears or Miley
Cyrus. I am not a prude, not by a long shot, but what is acceptable for grown ups
is not acceptable for kids
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