“Committed to ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation by raising awareness through the media and grassroots mobilization, education, advocacy and policy.” 
 

WARNING: This newsletter may be disturbing because it’s true. 

Dear Warrior:

The National Runaway Safeline reports that between 1.6 million and 2.8 million youth run away each year in the United States. 1 in 7 kids between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away at some point. This is an American youth crisis.                        

November is National Runaway Prevention Month

Let’s Discuss
 

What defines a runaway? A child or a teenager who has left their parents or legal guardians without permission. A runaway is usually unhappy at home and most runaways have families that are desperate to find them.
 
However, there are also kids that suffer abuse at home. This is often at the core of why they hit the streets. A much more serious runaway is a teenager who hitchhikes to a city and lives on the street or in a shelter. These children are highly vulnerable and can experience homelessness almost immediately at unimaginable rates when they are missing.  
                    

Let’s Shine A Light
 

There are many reasons why kids and teens decide to leave home, but it is rarely an easy decision. Kids reach a breaking point. They believe that they have no other option. They can’t live in their situation for one more day. They can’t face their homelife, physical or sexual abuse, family conflict, lack of parental or guardian care, mental health issues, disability, substance abuse, to be with a friend or romantic partner, gang activity, school bullying, stress, loneliness, hunger or even online enticement. Kids often romanticize life on their own.

The National Runaway Safeline shared a few statistics on why children run away:

• 47% of children experience conflicts with parents or guardians at home.
• 34% of runaways experienced sexual abuse at home (80% of those girls). 
• 43% of teens reported physical abuse as one of the main reasons they left home. 

Episodic vs. Chronic Running Away

• Episodic: this type of running away doesn’t follow a specific pattern, but rather is triggered by a specific event or episode that causes a teen to leave their home. If a child or teen is abused, they could leave after a particularly bad event. They may feel they have to leave after coming out as gay or transgender to their parents or to avoid problems at school. 
• Chronic: youth who participate in chronic running away do it as a form of manipulation. They will run away if they don’t get what they want or as a way to draw attention to themselves from a parent. You might hear the phrase, “If you don’t do it, I’ll run away,” in order to threaten the parents. Teens who run away chronically more often have a place to run to, like another relative’s house or a friend’s or significant other’s house. 

 
Many runaways are between the ages of 10-14. At these ages, they haven't learned to take care of themselves and lack the ability to find housing and other basic needs. Runaway kids can easily get involved in dangerous crimes much more often than kids who live at home. Kids who live on the streets often have to steal to meet basic needs. Many take drugs or alcohol to get through the day because they become so depressed and feel that no one cares about them. They may be vulnerable to assault, rape, sex trafficking and/or even murder. Living on the streets also exposes you to the elements. Freezing temperatures or scorching heat can be physically dangerous. Sadly, many teens who run away end up engaging in prostitution or drug-dealing because they've become desperate for food or a place to stay. The predators are waiting. Kids are easily persuaded in such a vulnerable state to engage in all of these risky behaviors because they are desperate to survive.

 

 So what are we to do?

Education and communication are key to understanding why so many kids are running away. One of the main reasons why kids run away is because they don’t have good problem-solving skills.

James Lehman, MSW – “Running away is an “either/or” kind of solution; it’s a product of black-and-white thinking. Kids run away because they don’t want to face something, and that includes emotions they don’t want to deal with. The adolescent who runs away has run out of problem-solving skills. And leaving home—along with everything that is overwhelming them—seems to solve their immediate problems.”
 
We must as parents and caregivers from an early age teach problem-solving skills, critical thinking, create an atmosphere of acceptance, check in with our children frequently, create a family set of rules, create a family digital partnership, respond to threats appropriately and act as if any child can run away at any time. Kids run away from problems they can’t handle. We know that the past few years with the disruption in our daily lives due to a worldwide pandemic with forced school closures, disruption of social lives and increased time spent online with digital devices, it has been tough on our youth. We have a well-documented youth mental health crisis in the United States. This should be mandatory for all parents and guardians.

What about the kids that feel they can never go home? They do not have a loving and supportive homelife or anyone that cares. They are abused. They are moved place to place. There may not be a home. We must all take care of these children, too. Kids must know that there is help out there. We have to share more on a grassroots level and get the resources into the hands of schools, community centers, places of worship, transportation hubs, public restrooms, more PSAs– wherever a desperate child might hear or turn seeking help. It’s 2022. Most kids have a phone or access to other digital devices. Let’s flood online with positive available information and resources. Let us be leaders and take a bit of comfort knowing that truly vulnerable kids will have a chance of seeing or even seeking online resources if they are going to run away or even think about it. At least they can be armed with resources and know where they can safely go. Let us make this part of overall education for our kids and be aware that any child or teen can easily run away. It’s time to openly and honestly discuss this youth crisis. It’s time to #BeAWarrior
 

Please share this newsletter with family and friends.

 Engage. Educate. Empower ourselves and our children.

Take Action. November 2022. Educate. The best source for you to learn more and/or to share with kids is the National Runaway Safeline. (NRS) They are there to listen. They are there to help. You are not alone. Trained staff available 24/7 with the support of the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). NRS operates the federally funded National Communication System for Runaway and Homeless Youth Program, to ensure that youth in crisis and those experiencing homelessness can reach out for assistance when needed. 

Take Action. All Year Long. Know what resources are available for both youth and adults. There is help from service providers, prevention education, how to get involved, timely blogs, local and national events, volunteer opportunities. There is something that everyone can do to #ProtectOurChildren and make resources available for kids to learn more.
 

Take Action. November 10. Wear Green Day. Talk about runaway and homeless kids. Spread Awareness. Participate. Join the movement and be part of the month long campaign #ShineALight The experiences of runaway and homeless youth often remain invisible. This is an opportunity to spotlight the resources available to support youth in crisis throughout the nation. As part of the campaign, individuals, organizations and communities across the nation are encouraged to work together to prevent youth homelessness.

#NRPM2022! Click here to get updates on this years events and activities by registering as an NRPM Partner.

Learn More at 1800RUNAWAY.org/nrpm

Take Action. 2022. We need all of you. We cannot do this alone. Grassroots involvement is the only way the Warriors can envision making a true difference in the protection of our precious children. Here is additional information and resources about endangered kids from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and research from Chapin Hill at the University of Chicago  Learn more. #BeAWarrior
 

                                                      

                                                
 

Wherever the kids are . . . so are the predators.

                                             

                 If we help one child a day, then we have done our job. 

                                                    


                                              

                            
                                                        

                                          

                                          BE A WARRIOR!

Sound the Alarm. November 7. Teens are being misdiagnosed with mental health disorders because they're 'choosing TikTok over therapists', experts warn American teens are diagnosing themselves with rare mental health disorders based on poor medical advice from TikTok, therapists warn. They report that the problem exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when kids turned to social media for comfort instead of mental health services or their peers. It comes just days after a report found that the app was proliferating poor diet and nutrition advice that could spark eating disorders and self-esteem issues.  
 

Parental Advisory. November 6. TikTok in China versus the United States. “It’s almost like [Chinese company Bytedance] recognize[s] that technology’s influencing kids’ development, and they make their domestic version a spinach TikTok, while they ship the opium version to the rest of the world,” says Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, Please watch interview on 60 Minutes.
                          

Just Announced. November 3. TikTok promotes ‘toxic’ diet culture, ‘glorifies’ weight loss: study Scientists found that most diet advice on the platform came from young, white female influencers — not experts. These influencers went viral for being attractive or charismatic, but have no credentials to be giving “nutrition” advice, the study said.

“We didn’t see any expert voices in this conversation,” Dr. Lizzy Pope, an associate professor in the Nutrition and Food Sciences Department at the University of Vermont who led the study.

 Washington, D.C. Nov. 9-10. There’s still time to sign up for FREE and join the online global #CESESummit2022! Sponsored by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation Register here and look for the Warriors presentation given this morning about what else? How to Become Your Own Warrior and Build Your Brand.

In the News. November 6. Iowa teen who killed rapist escapes from probation center Iowa authorities say an 18-year-old sex trafficking victim who pleaded guilty to killing a man she said raped her escaped from a women’s center where she was serving her probation sentence. A probation violation report said Pieper Lewis was seen walking out of the women’s center early Friday, and her GPS monitor was later cut off.

A warrant was issued for Lewis’ arrest and the probation report asked for her deferred judgment to be revoked. She could face up to 20 years in prison for killing 37-year-old Zachary Brooks in 2020.
 

Good News. Nov. 2. The Report Cards on Child and Youth Sex Trafficking are Out. The results are shocking. Take a look. See how your state is doing. Why good news? These shocking statistics should push all Warriors harder to take action and contact their legislators immediately. Demand that they do a better job of protecting our children. Remember, they work for us.

Justice. November 5. Indiana police arrest 20 suspects in child sex sting operation The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Franklin Police Department executed the operation over 72 hours. Investigators posed as minors and agreed to meet the suspects at a specified location, where the suspects believed they would be participating in sexual activity with an underage child.

“We want parents to be very diligent in knowing what their children are doing and who they are speaking with on the internet. The number of online apps and what can be discussed is very alarming. Almost everyone carries a smartphone which makes it so easy to access these sites,” the press release read.

 Tech Talk. November 7. Our good friends at Gabb Wireless shared this most important story – Beware of dangerous social media trends targeting kids, parents told Experts in the UAE have once again expressed their concern over viral social media trends that could seriously harm children. Parents should watch out for their kids' involvement in "unusual activities", they said, following the emergence of TikTok videos that encourage the youth to try the so-called 'blackout challenge'. This particular challenge – which has been in the global spotlight since last year – dares kids to hold their breath until they pass out. In 2021, two girls in the US died after taking part in it, prompting parents to sue the platform.

"Parents need to set boundaries about Internet usage. They should also have an open dialogue and honest conversations with children about Internet safety," said Dr. Nada Omer Mohamed Elbashir, a psychiatrist at Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi.

The Warriors will never stop raising awareness about the harms caused from TikTok.

Media Microscope.  November 6. Lynn’s Warriors Joins Global TNT Radio Network. Join us live every Saturday 2PM ET – 3PM ET for breaking news, updates, facts, resources, take actions expert guests and more about child predation because “there is a war on for our children in the United States and around the globe.” Take a listen to our inaugural program with legal and media analyst LIONEL discussing why our government won’t do more to protect our children online. #Section230CDA 
 

Warrior Reality. Today and Every Day. Missed Opportunities: Youth Homelessness in America: National Estimates The first in a series of Research-to-Impact briefs by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago on understanding and addressing youth homelessness. The study captures youth homelessness broadly, including sleeping on the streets, in shelters, running away, being kicked out, and couch surfing. Overall, findings show one in 10 young adults ages 18-25, and at least one in 30 adolescents ages 13-17, experience some form of homelessness unaccompanied by a parent or guardian over the course of a year. As a nation, we are missing opportunities to ensure that all young people can reach their full potential and contribute to stronger communities and economies around our country.

 Warrior Spotlight. NYC November 3. Inspiring evening at the French Consulate for the launch of digital safety App-Elles to help girls and women victims of violence. It is now available around the world! Thrilled to be with colleagues from New Yorkers for the Equality Model, Taine Bien-Aimé, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Shandra Wowuruntu, Mentari USA

Warrior Thanks. NYC November 7. U.N. adopts an historic resolution to make November 18^th World Day for the Prevention of, and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence Thank you to the First Lady of Sierra Leone for sponsoring this critical and crucial important step to recognizing survivors and protecting children around the globe. It was an honor to be in attendance on this most momentous day. 









“This is a monumental day for our movement, there is no issue more critical than the protection of children from child predation and exploitation, and the World Day” said Lynn Shaw, Founder of Lynn’s Warriors
                          

Mark Your Calendar. November 30^th is the deadline! Vote Susie Vybiral for 2022 L'Oreal Woman of Worth. A true WARRIOR! She is the Founder and CEO of Room Redux, an international nonprofit organization that transforms the rooms and lives of children who have faced physical and/or sexual abuse. This is done anonymously and in one day. These room transformations by Room Redux give children a fresh start, while changing the trajectory of their lives and breaking the cycles of abuse. Meet Susie here!


            
November 10. #WearGreenDay to raise awareness about National Runaway Prevention Month. Please share available resources with and for parents, guardians, kids and educators. #ShineALight campaign 2022 #NRPM 24/7/365 1800RUNAWAY
       

DO YOU KNOW WHAT SEXTORTION IS? The practice of extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activites.

 

We can’t do this alone. We need everyone. 

Have a Family Safety Emergency Plan in Place. “Children who become separated from their loved ones during and following a disaster are at an increased risk of trauma. Coping with anxiety and stress are much more difficult in the absence of those who know the child’s individual needs. Children separated from their parents or legal guardians are more vulnerable to maltreatment, abuse, abduction, and sexual exploitation. “ – NCMEC   

ENGAGE EDUCATE EMPOWER

NOVEMBER RECOMMENDED READING
 

A necessary read. Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness And Violence by Alex Berenson. In “a brilliant antidote to all the…false narratives about pot” (American Thinker), an award-winning author and former New York Times reporter reveals the link between teenage marijuana use and mental illness and a hidden epidemic of violence caused by the drug—facts the media have ignored as the United States rushes to legalize cannabis. Click on the book cover.

                                                     

 

                                      

                 


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                                                                 WARNING!                             

     WARNING! Be on the lookout for rainbow-colored fentanyl.         
Talk to your kids.

“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States.”

RELEASED NOVEMBER 1, 2022 BY SHARED HOPE INTERNATIONAL. Every year, Report Cards on Child & Youth Sex Trafficking are released to update anti-trafficking stakeholders, state legislators and activists on each state’s status related to legislative efforts addressing child and youth sex trafficking. Learn more. Take action. 

NEW YORK STATE CALL TO ACTION 2022 – NEW YORKERS FOR THE EQUALITY MODEL. Join our movement to protect vulnerable people but hold responsible pimps, traffickers, sex buyers and any third party that causes harm. Do you want a brothel next door? NO. Learn more about the bipartisan Sex Trade Survivors Justice and Equality Act. #ProtectPeopleNotPimps

                  

Federal Call to Action 2022  — Three Kids' Internet Safety Bills You Need to Know Watch and listen to advocate Jan Edwards, Paving the Way Foundation, and tech policy expert Rick Lane, IGGY Ventures, and Lynn Shaw discuss why we must all engage, educate and empower ourselves and our children about today’s dangerous digital landscape, enforce privacy settings and why we must urge Congress to pass these three bills immediately. The best solutions right now to #ProtectKidsOnline 


                         

                     

                       

                                                     
                                                                                                                                                    

                                        

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                             COMMUNITY CREATES CHANGE

 

Take Action. Warrior Workshops emphasize that communication is key and supplies the tools and resources to accomplish this. Lynn’s Warriors educates children, teens, parents, teachers, trusted adults, healthcare professionals, law enforcement, community leaders and businesses and places of worship about the escalating impact of the Internet and protection from predators lurking online and in real time. Lynn’s Warriors focuses on and offers education and training about human trafficking and sexual exploitation. The emphasis and challenges are for everyone to become a Warrior in their own homes and communities. Lynn’s Warriors are essential, critical and now available to you and your community. Here we come, NY, CT, NJ and the entire United States! Stay tuned. Please learn more  

Lynn’s Warriors is at the forefront of raising awareness and mobilizing and coordinating community, state and national advocates, elected officials, representatives and leaders to work in a comprehensive and integrated approach to best address the issues and work at ending the demand that confronts our most  vulnerable and precious citizens. Lynn’s Warriors utilizes a coordinated synergy to educate about all forms of digital predation, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), sextortion and all forms of human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Learn more about becoming a Warrior and why Warrior Workshops are needed in your community. For more information Email Lynn. 

Please use these helpful hashtags on your social media platforms to raise awareness about human trafficking and sexual exploitation issues and initiatives:   

#RunawayPreventionMonth
#ShineALight
#Nov18WorldDay
#NativeAmericanHeritageMonth
#CommunicateWithKids
#ProtectChildrenOnline
#RealTimeSafety
#EngageEducateEmpower
#MissingKids
#SupportSurvivors
#ListenToSurvivors
#WarriorWednesdayRadio
And always #LynnsWarriors 

BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR OUR CHILDREN

 Warrior Wednesday WVOX 11-09-2022 welcomes author Dr. Susan Linn to discuss her critical and crucial new book Who’s Raising the Kids?: Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children Make sure to listen to my 11-02-2022 interview with Mom & Activist Charlotte Laws and how she helped take down the #MostHatedManOnTheInternet. Buckle up! Only on Lynn’s Warriors WVOX Radio. Join us every Wednesday from 3-4PM ET 1460AMNY WVOX App WVOX.com = Across the Universe!
 

The holidays are right around the corner. Please review our Official Lynn's Warriors merchandise site with proceeds going to help human trafficking victims and survivors reclaim their lives through economic empowerment and support Lynn's Warriors through AmazonSmile. 

And don't forget to listen to Lynn's Warriors on WVOX Wednesdays at 3PM ET and always follow Lynn’s Warriors for current news and updates about our mission to end human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Please tune in to the Lynn's Warriors YouTube Channel and subscribe. 

HELP FUND THE FIGHT AND KEEP THE SURVIVOR VOICE FRONT AND CENTER. Your Lynn’s Warriors donation supports the mission of stopping human trafficking and promoting sexual exploitation education as well as helping survivors reclaim their lives through purpose and providing financial support.

The time is now.
Healing.
We must protect our vulnerable children.
We can do this.
We must do this.
We are #Warriors