Rethink Resources

I’m trying something new today - a way for more people to participate in this blog. It’s just three questions. What would you like to tell people about yourself? What do you wish adults would do differently or better to support youth in the sex trade? What kinds of skills and strengths do you think youth in the sex trade have? Jessica and I have known each other for a long time and we met when I was directing the Young Women’s Empowerment Project (YWEP) in Chicago. Here’s a picture of Jessica that’s she sent along too.

Ok, well I really don’t even know how I could word my thoughts lately. Call it a block, and faze. It could be from the stress that I hide. But I am going to take a plunge.

I am Jessica B, my friends call me Casper, my clients call me B******. I am about to be 28 years old soon. Still really don’t know what I am going to do with my life, but I feel that I will soon, so we can leave that alone..lol. I have many choices for what I can do, its just all about when I will proceed. I am currently trying to kick myself to write my book, but I just cant seem to “get it out.”

I have been in the sex trade for a very long time….. I have done it by choice, and by force and neither way is a very settling feeling, but I will say this I have learned allot, and I truly don’t regret any day for if I had not been there I would not be the person that I am today. But I DO NOT WISH MY EXPERIENCES ON NO ONE ELSE especially a CHILD, and with meeting Claudine and being able to not only encounter other girls and woman who have done what I have done, seen what I have seen, and experienced what I have and more… I now feel like I have a meaning in life.

YWEP has been the best to me.. I have experienced great things and don’t even know how to explain them, from every workshop, to one on one encounters. I been able to interact with other people from all over the place been able to speak about my experiences hear about other experiences and found ways to make myself better and to help other women be able to do the same. I mean it is a feeling that always makes me feel so good to know that they are out there and they are always ready to accept you for who you really are, and help you be the beautiful woman that you can be and more…

My main concern with adults when it comes to youth in the sex trade is how they go about dealing with the situation as they would put it.. 1 I feel people don’t take out enough time to see whats really going on the youth, they are quick to either just throw them in jail or a institution and forget that the person exists. They stereotype the person like they are nothing, name calling, abuse, etc. whats really the deal? They don’t care how the youth feel.

Adults really need to take time, see whats really going on, place her some where she can be safe, give her the resources to become somebody, don’t put the girl in jail. If the law says that we can’t make a legal decision until we are 18 then they need to provide other ways to help the youth then just putting them away. Take more time finding the source, its not like the girl woke up one day and said I think ill trade sex for something today! It came from somewhere, an adult that is providing a way, isn’t that the crime at hand?

Youth in the trade have numerous skills and strengths, so many that I really don’t think I can name all of them lol….We are creative, open minded, great listeners, we have great communication skills, we can survive through anything, we are strong, willing to learn, we are girls and woman that are trying to make something of our lives so we can become something because we are not nothing!!!!!!

Now that you’ve read what Jessica had to say, maybe you’d like to contribute yourself! Just answer three questions: What would you like to tell people about yourself? What do you wish adults would do differently or better to support youth in the sex trade? What kinds of skills and strengths do you think youth in the sex trade have? You can send a picture too if you want. Just email me at claudine@rethinkresources.net.