SelahFreedom event L toR: Charles Oakley, Elizabeth Fisher, Glenn Weiss, and Asjha Jones | Photo credit: Mychal Watts
Elizabeth Fisher, CEO & Co-Founder of Selah Freedom, Stuns Star-Studded Crowd with Sex Trafficking Statistics
Elizabeth Fisher, CEO & co-founder of Selah Freedom and The Selah Way Foundation, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at a private event at Northern Trust to raise awareness of sex trafficking a day after 40 people were arrested ahead of the Super Bowl game in Atlanta. Speaking with Fisher were the Selah Freedom Ambassadors NFL Legend Tony Richardson and WNBA World Champion Asjha Joneson how Selah Freedom helps survivors by getting them into safe homes and working with law enforcement to ensure trafficking criminals end up behind bars. Notable guests included Super Bowl Champions Tyrone Keys and Matt Stover, NBA All-Stars Charles Oakley, and WNBA Rushia Brown. American Soccer Player Mark Bloom and Actor Nicholas Smoot. Miss Universe 2017 and Tim Tebow’s fiancée Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters and Afro-merge Artist Marenikae were also in attendance.
Elizabeth Fisher, Tony Richardson, and Asjha Jones | Photo credit: Mychal Watts
I am grateful for the support of Northern Trust and all of the athletes and guests who took the time out of their busy schedules to learn about the work we do at Selah Freedom and The Selah Way Foundation,” said Fisher. “I commend the Atlanta law enforcement for cracking down on trafficking and arresting 40 people just days before the big game. The unfortunate reality is, trafficking and exploitation happen every day in every state in every community.
Northern Trust strongly believes in the power of community-based actions to effect positive change for the good of our future generations which is one of the many reasons we were truly honored to host this event with Selah Freedom,” said Glenn Weiss, President, Wealth Management, Georgia Region at Northern Trust. “We share the same belief in the importance of eradicating sex trafficking and its exploitation and hope our efforts will make a difference.
Elizabeth Fisher
Elizabeth Fisher, CEO & Co-Founder of Selah Freedom | Photo credit: Mychal Watts
Sex Trafficking in the United States
Sex trafficking is a $32 billion organized crime industry in the United States, where 300,000 children are sold each year. One out of three girls and one out of five boys are sexually abused, and they are sold 15-40 times every 24 hours by their trafficker. The Super Bowl attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, mostly men, who arrive in the host city with money and time to spare. The influx of fans fosters the optimal breeding ground for pimps looking to boost their profits.
What are the signs of a victim/s of sex trafficking/exploitation?
- Signs of or history of emotional, sexual, or other physical abuse, sexually transmitted diseases
- The unexplainable appearance of expensive gifts, clothing, or other costly items
- Presence of an older boy/girlfriend
- Minor in the company of a controlling third party
- Lack of knowledge about a given community or whereabouts
- Bruising and injury signs of branding/tattoos
- Runaway/homeless
- Lying about age, giving false ID and/or no ID
- Well-rehearsed and/or inconsistent stories
Elizabeth Fisher tells us where the majority of girls/women are brought in from:
There are enough statistics that show that more than 300,000 of our own American children are taken into sex trafficking every year and that every two minutes, a child is sexually abused, in every zip code.
FACT: Most trafficking happens around large sporting events.
Since most trafficking happens around large sporting events, Selah Freedom will strive to take a stand at all the major events across the country i.e. World Series, NBA All-Star, US Open, etc.
Elizabeth Fisher on why she thinks more athletes are getting behind Selah Freedom and the cause:
I believe the athletes are taking time to learn about our work because many of them are fathers and protectors. They are seeing it through a new lens. Some realize that they have a family member or friend who has been sexually abused in some way. Once they hear about our work and the statistics of 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys being sexually abused, they find it disturbing and more so, that it happens right here in the U.S.
Statistics of sex trafficking/exploitation:
- 1 out of 3 girls and 1 out of 5 boys are sexually abused
- The average age of sexual abuse entering a child's life is 2-4 years old
- 300,000 American children are taken into sex trafficking every year
- Every two minutes, a child is sexually abused…in every zip code
- Sexual abuse is the root issue for 100% of the survivors Selah Freedom serves
- The average age of entry into sex trafficking is 12-14 years old
- Within 48 of leaving home, 80% of runaways are approached by a predator
- Victims can be sold 15-40 times every 24 hours, for an average of 7 years
- It takes 7-8 touchpoint with a victim before she is ready to step in to care
- Sex traffickers make an average of $250,000 annually off of each victim they sell
- Sex trafficking is a $32 BILLION industry in America, second only to drug trafficking
- Florida is in the top three states in the nation for sex trafficking
- Chicago is in the top five cities in the nation for sex trafficking
- Milwaukee has been deemed the “Harvard for Pimps”
How Victims Can Get Help
Selah Freedom literally saves lives. Don’t be afraid to reach out to them.
Call 1(888) 8-FREE-ME or email [email protected]
ABOUT SELAH FREEDOM
Selah Freedom is a national organization with the mission to end sex trafficking and bring freedom to the exploited through their four strong programs: Awareness, Prevention, Outreach, and Residential. Selah Freedom actively confronts the issue of sex trafficking and is being upheld as the model for how to effectively bring solutions to survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation.
ABOUT THE SELAH WAY FOUNDATION
The Selah Way Foundation is a global network of leading anti-sex trafficking service providers dedicated to eradicating this issue on a global scale. By locking arms with well-vetted, expert organizations in this movement, The Selah Way Foundation creates a solid system of care for survivors of sex trafficking. The Selah Way Foundation has three initiatives: Prevention, Protection, and Provision. These three initiatives will exponentially expand every year to eradicate sex trafficking on a global scale.
ABOUT NORTHERN TRUST WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Northern Trust Wealth Management offers holistic wealth management services for affluent individuals and families, family offices, foundations and endowments, and privately held businesses. It is recognized for its innovative technology, service excellence and depth of expertise and ranks among the top 10 U.S. wealth managers, with $278.6 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2018. The Northern Trust Company is an Equal Housing Lender. Member FDIC.
Source: Selah Freedom
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L to R: Tony Richardson, Autumn Murray, and Asjha Jones
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21 Comments. Leave new
I have seen an increasing number of mentions about sex trafficking. I hadn’t heard they were often related to large sporting events.
I didn’t know either until I discovered this information from Selah Freedom. Truly scary.
Wow! Those stats are scary. This is something that is always in the back of my mind, as a mom to small children. It’s great to see more celebs and athletes taking a stand against trafficking.
Yes, the numers are truly scary.
As the mother of three, this chills me to the bone. It’s frightening that it’s happening right in our backyard.
It really is. Thankfully organizations like Selah Freedom are helping to put an end to sex trafficking.
Elizabeth Fisher is very admirable! I hope I can meet her someday. I love her advocacies!
She truly is amazing. She is survivor as well and has put her efforts into putting an end to child abuse and sex trafficking.
This is really a serious number, and I was so shocked reading this. But good to know that even athletes are already aware of this.
Yes, I love the fact that atheletes are working with Selah Freedom to put an end to sex trafficking.
Those are some scary and insane stats! I just can’t wrap my head around why people would do such a thing. I think it’s wonderful to see more famous people getting involved in trying to rid the world of this madness.
Thank you for taking the time to read the article. Yes, the numbers are shocking.
This article was an eye opener. I had no clue so many children in the USA were being forced/abducted into sex trafficking. I admire the work this organization is doing to put an end to this horrific crime against children.
The numbers really are frightening.
300,000 children are sold each year in the United States alone?!!! Those statistics are absolutely alarming. Where are these children coming from? Are they kidnapped from abroad or within the US or both? I had no idea the situation was this bad… it’s so terrible.
The numbers are sickening. Hopefully, they can put an end to it.
Oh my goodness. That is just scary! I just cannot understand why some people would do such a horrible thing. It is good to know that there is help out there. I will help spread awareness and keep that number memorized. Please parents, keep an eye on your children. There is danger lurking everywhere!
It really is scary. I love Selah Freedom and their efforts to end sex trafficking.
What sad and shocking statistics to read. I hope that in bringing awareness, these numbers can decrease drastically as we aim for a world free of sex trafficking.
The statistics are shocking. I hope we can put an end to sex trafficking soon.
I certainly hope so. Thank you for taking the time to read.