Capitol Report
By State Representative, Leon D. Young
Leon D. Young
The Asha Project is back and opened for business. After a two-year hiatus caused, in large part, by the loss of a major funding source, the Asha Project hosted an open house at its Sherman Park location (3719 W. Center Street) this past Wednesday, May 17th.
For more than two decades, the Asha Project had provided vital services in Milwaukee for victims and survivors of domestic/sexual violence, sex trafficking victims, in custody/postincarceration, abusers/batters and families of victims/survivors, until the community-based organization was forced to curtail its operations in 2016.
It’s no secret that Milwaukee has a less than stellar reputation when it comes to incidences of human/sex trafficking. By definition, engaging a minor in a sexual act for money constitutes trafficking both under Wisconsin and federal law because minors are not legally able to give consent.
To further illustrate this point, Milwaukee has the dubious distinction of being dubbed the “the Harvard of pimp school” and Wisconsin continues to be a hub of human trafficking, according to FBI information. In 2015, Milwaukee tied with Las Vegas for the third highest number of young people rescued from commercial sexual exploitation dens. Moreover, over the past four years, Milwaukee has consistently ranked among the top five cities in the nation for the recovery of trafficked adolescents.
Some the biggest risk factors that contribute to individuals becoming susceptible to human trafficking include:
• Kids running away from home (runaways).
• High proportion of victims have suffered physical and sexual abuse before becoming involved in the sex trade.
• “Romeo Effect” is a romantic relationship in which a boyfriend entices his partner to leave home with him to become her pimp.
While most available data indicate that much of the young people being trafficked are girls, advocates are quick to say that boys are also affected, and that the traffickers include women as well as men.
We as a community should all be excited that the Asha Project is back making its presence known. The stigma of Milwaukee being a mecca for human/sexual trafficking can only be arrested if we, as a community, commit to assisting community-based organizations, like the Asha Project, in their vital mission.