“Committed to ending modern-day slavery 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:

February is often known for being a month dedicated to and all about love. Do we really ever talk about love? We should. It should not just be about romantic relationships. We must also learn to emphasize the love of self and others. Love gives us the assurance that we are not alone in this world. Everyone is worthy of love.
 

What is Love?
 

Love. We can define it in many ways. Love helps us with a sense of belonging. 

• An intense feeling of deep affection.
• A great interest and pleasure in something.
• Like and enjoy something very much.  
• A feeling that helps one grow and succeed.

Let’s Learn More

 
Love is a basic human need. I think we can all agree. Our world needs more love and compassion in 2023. Things are askew. There are many types of love. There is romantic love, love between a parent and child, brothers and sisters or love given by a person to another person such as a friend or even a pet. Love of money. Love of job. The list goes on and on. It basically comes down to the fact that everyone inevitably either loves someone or something.
 
“Love and belonging are part of Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This pyramid was created based on Abraham Maslow's view of what humans need in order to grow and finally meet "self-actualization". Once one's physiological needs such as breathing, water, food, etc. and the feeling of security and safety are met, a person needs to feel love and belonging in order to grow. I think this is much because of the drive love gives us in order to reach the next levels of esteem and then to be content with our lives.  
 

Love and Human Trafficking

 
Love in the wrong hands is a powerful weapon of exploitation. According to Polaris, it is the most common weapon used in sex trafficking. Enslavement of another human being.
 
“Contrary to popular misconceptions, sex trafficking rarely begins with kidnapping by a stranger. Instead, sex traffickers groom their victims by using love – romantic love, friendship and familial love – to manipulate them into cooperating in their own exploitation.”
 
Love Bombing – A partner, typically male but not exclusively, showers the other person with constant attention, affection, compliments and flattery. This creates an atmosphere where she feels like she’s met her soul mate, no one else matters and she is loved. The reality is the person doing the love bombing is creating or manipulating the environment to look like he’s the perfect or partner. He gains the upper-hand in the relationship. Exploitation of some form usually follows.
 
Familial Trafficking – This often overlooked form of exploitation must be discussed much more. It is the hidden process of exchanging a family member for goods, substances, rent, services, money or status within the community. Familial trafficking does not just include a parent selling their children.

There have been cases documented of grandparents trafficking grandchildren, aunts and uncles trafficking their nieces and nephews, cousins selling other cousins, and brothers and sisters trafficking siblings, which means that familial trafficking does not fit in one mold. Not bound by social class, ethnicity or demographics, familial trafficking often starts at a much younger age than other forms of trafficking. (e.g., commercial sexual exploitation, labor trafficking, and domestic servitude).

Furthermore, there are typically generational patterns presented within familial trafficking cases—which means there are typically multiple layers of polyvictimization and oppression that are seen upon escape and recovery. Many victims of familial trafficking view this as some form of love for their family because they don’t know any better. Sadly, they are victims.
 
Let us focus this February on love of ourselves, our families, friends and those who need an extra dose of love. Love gives us the reassurance that we will be cared for and helped in times of need and given support to achieve goals. Studies show by helping others, we also help ourselves. Let us learn more about victims of human trafficking and exploitation. How can we help them? We must listen to survivors. We must support survivors. We must learn how to intervene and protect our vulnerable youth and all people by sharing the survivor voice. We must vet our information and share truths and facts. We can all do something. We must do something. We must become #WarriorsOfLove during this month of February. We must show love.

"If we are open, connected and our intention is pure, we will always be protected by love and in service be better to others and never be harmed.” — Lynn Shaw, Founder & Executive Director of Lynn's Warriors 

                   Engage. Educate. Empower ourselves and our children. 

                                     So What Are We to Do?
                                 Community Creates Change

Take Action. Know facts. Love and Trafficking Love in the wrong hands is a powerful weapon of exploitation. Indeed, it is the most common weapon used in sex trafficking operations. Contrary to popular misconceptions, sex trafficking rarely begins with kidnapping by a stranger. Instead, sex traffickers groom their victims by using love – romantic love, friendship and familial love – to manipulate them into cooperating in their own exploitation.

Take Action. Ways to Show Support and Love to a Human Trafficking Victim Victims experience more pain and trauma than some of us will ever experience. So how do we love them well and show them that we care about them? Here are ways you can support a human trafficking victim and get involved in your community.

Take Action. Use your voice and the Lynn’s Warriors Tool Kit to contact your elected representatives. Ask them what they are doing to support human trafficking survivors and holding sex buyers accountable in your community? Resources, legislation, laws enforced, compassion and love are needed to protect people, not pimps and traffickers.
 

Please share this newsletter with family and friends.

                 
                                There is help. There is hope. 

Please always check on your loved ones and friends who might be in need of someone to talk to and care. Find more resources at 988 Lifeline.

                                         

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

                                   

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

                                               


                                        


                                  

                                          

                                         BE A WARRIOR!

                 

Gabb Wireless – Technology has countless benefits and allowing children to use safe technology in moderation can help them learn phone etiquette and media literacy skills. However, too much of anything can be harmful. By taking the steps to balance tech in their lives, kids have more time to be kids and learn healthy tech habits.

                   

Sound the Alarm. February. Bark Updates and Explains: Drug Slang Emojis: Here’s What Every Parent Needs to Know Every generation has its own drug slang, and the terms and shorthand change with every passing decade. For Gen Z, it’s a little different. Kids today talk about drugs in a way that adds a new twist, using a language they’re fluent in — emojis. These emojis can look like ordinary, harmless symbols, which means parents may easily overlook them. Look! And then talk with your kids.

Just Announced. January 30. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warns 13 is far too young for children to sign up to social media sites, and says they should be banned from the likes of TikTok and Instagram until they're 16, 17 or 18 to avoid a 'distorted' sense of self in their developmental years. His warning came following the release of a study that suggested teenagers on social media will likely become 'hypersensitive' to criticism as adults.

Washington DC. Courtney’s House was founded in 2008 by Tina Frundt. A survivor of domestic sex trafficking herself, Tina is relentless in her fight to protect children from sexual exploitation and the devastation that comes from it. They fearlessly search for children who are being forced into prostitution on the streets, in brothels, strip clubs, private homes and hotels. Courtney’s House embraces the rescued children and brings them into a safe environment where they and their families can heal, recover and develop hopeful, dignified and influential lives. Please learn more and find out how you can support.
 

In the News. January 26. WARNING Biden's FCC nominee Gigi Sohn sits on board of nonprofit that wants to uphold online sex work and that honored an OnlyFans dominatrix who boasts about urinating on faces She is a proud member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation that is designed to protect free speech online. that cracks down on sex trafficking in 2017, claiming it would 'censor' sex work. 

Good News. January 30. Arrest made in sex trafficking of teen girl who disappeared at Mavs game 33-year-old Emanuel Cartagena arrested and charged with the sexual assault of a child. The Texas girl told her parents she was lured into a parking garage where she was raped before being driven away. She wouldn’t be found for ten days. Her parents, with the help of a private investigator, tracked her to a hotel in Oklahoma City where she was being trafficked.

Education. January 27. What is School Choice and Why We Need It. School choice allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs —whether that’s to a public school, private school, charter school, home school or any other learning environment families choose. A child or teen happy in their school environment is less vulnerable, therefore more protected from falling victim to predation. Groundbreaking legislation passed in Iowa on January 24! #SweepingAmerica

Medical. January 3. Regions in the brain of children linked to reward and punishment are overactive Is social media creating a generation of thin-skinned Americans? Children who are constantly on Instagram and Snapchat become 'hypersensitive' to criticism as adults, study suggests According to the researchers, 78 percent of 13 to 17-year-olds report checking their devices at least hourly each day. A further 46 per cent say they check them 'almost constantly'.       

 Tech Talk. January 29. Will the Metaverse Be Entertaining? Ask South Korea In a vast studio outside Seoul, technicians huddled in front of monitors, watching cartoon K-pop singers — at least one of whom had a tail — dance in front of a psychedelic backdrop. A woman with fairy wings fluttered by. Some say, this the future of entertainment in the metaverse, brought to you by South Korea, the world’s testing ground for all things technological. Beware.

Media Microscope. January 23. Walt’s Disenchanted Kingdom is now available for FREE! The Catholic League says they did this documentary on Disney “So that the public can learn how the most family-friendly institution in the country has departed from its ways. Its forays into social and sexual engineering must be enough to make Walt Disney turn over in his grave.”

Warrior Reality. February is Teen Dating Violence and Awareness Month. #TDVAM Dating violence is more common than you may think, especially among teens and young adults: 1 in 3 U.S. teens will experience physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from someone they’re in a relationship with before they become adults. And nearly half (43%) of U.S. college women report experiencing violent or abusive dating behaviors.

Each February, young adults and their loved ones across the nation raise awareness about the issue of teen dating violence through this annual, month-long effort that focuses on advocacy and education to stop dating abuse before it starts. Learn more at Love Is Respect. 2023 is #BeAboutIt

Warrior Spotlight. 

Warrior Thanks. 

Mark Your Calendar. February 27. The Warriors are proud to be a part of New Yorkers for the Equality Model. Join us for this upcoming discussion about an overview of prostitution legislation from around the world. It’s FREE. Learn more. Truths, facts about the sex trade and why the Equality Model is much-needed to protect vulnerable people.

                                             

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

                          

                                                  ENGAGE EDUCATE EMPOWER

FEBRUARY RECOMMENDED READING 
 

An intimate, practical guide to helping adolescents avoid or escape abusive dating relationships, including steps toward recovery, healing, and forgiveness.
 

Childhood and adolescence are full of firsts:
First steps.
First day of kindergarten.
First recital or sporting event.
First date.

We cherish these milestones, but unexpected, subtle influences can throw life off course instead of allowing children to grow in healthy, fulfilling ways.

In It Doesn’t Start with a Punch, abuse survivor and thriver Dee Dee Said shows how easily adolescents can become involved in an abusive relationship. Offering readers an intimate lens into her first dating relationship, which soon became abusive, Dee Dee explores how abuse can start subtly and grow, imparting deep wounds with long-lasting effects.

                                       

CLICK ON COVER 

                                                       

                                          

                                                                    WARNING!  

                                             
                        

The number of young kids who ate marijuana-laced candy rose sharply over five years, putting many in hospital, according to the latest study warning against America's experiment with legal pot.

Between 2017 and 2021, US poison control centers witnessed a 14-fold increase in calls about youngsters who got their hands on cannabis edibles, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics.

Though many of the children experienced only minor symptoms, like excessive sleepiness, researchers say nearly a quarter ended up in hospital and warn about the emergence of a new household safety hazard.

JUST RELEASED. Eyes on the Future: Survivor-Partnered Research in the National Survivor Study Learning from Survivors and With Survivors The study is the largest and most significant effort to date to learn directly from survivors of sex and labor trafficking about what they have experienced and what they need to heal. Survivors themselves designed and implemented the survey as full partners in the project. The result is anti-trafficking research that focuses on survivors’ futures as much as their past and reveals concrete pathways for action.

ISSUED 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.  

              

                         

           

 
                

                                                     
                                                                                                                                       

                                    
 

                      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:   

#LoveIsRespect
#TeenDatingViolenceAwarenessMonth
#EmpowerOurYouth
#CommunicateWithKids
#ProtectChildrenOnline
#RealTimeSafety
#EqualityModel
#EngageEducateEmpower
#MissingKids
#WarriorWednesdayRadio
#WarriorSaturdayRadio
And always #LynnsWarriors 

 02-01-2023 welcomes Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League. Join us for an in-depth discussion about their newly released documentary, Walt’s Disenchanted Kingdom. Our culture is in crisis. Why is once family-friendly brand Disney part of this? Make sure to listen to my 01-25-2023 chat with Chris Salcedo from Newsmax. He joined us to talk about what’s happening in America: border issues, school choice and more. Our favorite Wonder Girls USA returned to share with us and our listeners all of their great initiatives and how they empower each other and their peers during January, Human Trafficking Awareness Month. Two must-listens. 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!
 

                  
                                                     CLICK ON IMAGES ABOVE

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