If you’re a mom in a middle class neighborhood with good schools and green manicured lawns, you probably don’t have great fear your child will turn to prostitution or be living on the streets.
And you may have read the past 3 posts and feel pretty confident in your ability to protect your children but there is more at stake than our kids.
What do we know about the cycle of abuse?
Abused children are more prone to alcoholism, depression, suicidal behavior, prostitution, pornography, drug abuse, and domestic violence. In other words, abused children often carry the emotional scars into adulthood that then fester into lifestyle choices which have at their core, shame and instability. While men tend to gravitate towards aggression, violence, suicidal behavior, pornography, and becoming an abuser both sexually or physically, women tend toward prostitution, eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, and abusive relationships. The others correlate evenly.
Those lifestyle choices have a measure of instability and lack of accountability. When children are then born into these situations, and grow up in this environment, the chance for abuse escalates. This opens doors for predators to easily step in and manipulate children who are not getting the parental involvement or attention needed to keep them insulated and because their own parents are unable or unaware of their need to advocate for their child, the abuse continues.
Not every child goes to sleep tucked in with loving parents protecting their innocence.
Many children have no advocate at all.
The unprotected child is at a great disadvantage in this world.
There is an epidemic of children growing up fatherless with no example of someone to protect and care for them. There is an epidemic of women left trying their best to hold their family together. There is an epidemic of men shirking their responsibilities and contributing to the fatherless generation. There is an epidemic of children growing up without any positive influence in their lives from neglect, absence, or abuse.
Predators know this.
Predators know that a child who is lonely, insecure, and dealing with issues of abandonment will be easier to manipulate than a child firmly rooted in a protective home. Many of the children prostituting themselves got their start on that road by abusers who made them feel loved or valuable, only to pimp them out and abuse them more.
If that were my daughter or son, I’d want someone to care.
Why are we born with advantages? Why did I grow up in a loving home while others are born into pain from their first breath? I don’t believe God granted me this life to live blindly accepting his gifts without realizing the burden He has for the lost children. I want to think that those who have been loved much are loved so we can break the cycle. Being an adult survivor of child sexual abuse has given me a unique insight into the lies we so often believe and into the journey of healing and grace we are invited to in Christ. I don’t want it to be for nothing.
A difference can be made.
We sponsor children in Africa because, while I love the thought of adoption and it’s a great choice and calling for many people, it’s not a reality for us at this time. So, I want to give our sponsored children a chance to stay in their homes, to grow up with their siblings, to be raised by their parents, to worship in their churches, and be educated in their country.
I want to give those children a chance to be what God has called them to and a small step towards prevention can negate the eventual need for them to be adopted. If we help keep their mothers alive through innovations in health care, education, and sustainable income generation, we are allowing them a chance to raise their children with the dignity they deserve. And a community can then thrive and a new cycle begins.
The same is true in the states. Partnering with organizations whose goal is prevention can lessen the chances of abuse for at risk children by providing parenting skills, counseling for substance abuse, counseling for sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, and job placement and education for their parents. This enables parents to overcome their demons as they raise their children. God has uniquely gifted people in His body for every good thing. There are counselors and accountants, educators, and the elderly, homemakers and hairstylists. Each one with a unique contribution in our communities.
Mentoring projects that provide at risk children with responsible, loving adults in a supervised and watchful environment can be the saving grace for a child who would otherwise be susceptible to gangs, drugs, abuse, homelessness, prostitution, crime, and lack of education. Many inner city churches have formed after school programs and facilities to foster mentoring relationships with at risk youth. But these kids are not just in the cities, they’re everywhere.
It is ironic that the very thing that predators hope for, a chance to isolate and take advantage of a child, can be the greatest opening for the love and grace of God to penetrate a child’s heart if that hole is first breached by a loving adult who can share the gospel.
What the devil means for evil, God can use for good.
There is a war on the innocent hearts of the upcoming generations. There is a gap to be filled.
There are predators and protectors. We are responsible to care for the generations to come, not just in our home, but everywhere.
For more information about mentoring visit
For more information about at-risk youth and sex trafficking visit
For those local readers in or around Central Oregon, the Justice Film Circle will be presenting their first movie, Rape for Profit. I saw this movie while at The Justice Conference and I sat gut checked throughout it. It is for mature audiences only but well worth coming out to see. See you there?
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Rape For Profit – Theatrical Trailer from RapeForProfitFilm on Vimeo.
This is exactly why we have decided to foster.