Human Trafficking

Good Morning classes-

Human Trafficking is a serious problem in the world today.  Although it is difficult to discuss and research, we do need to be aware of the problem so that we can do something about it.  Please research the groups that Sarah Taylor listed in her presentation.  One of the groups is OATH; http://www.cooath.org

Please read the article below to familiarize yourself with the problems in Portland;

Police and federal agents have long described the Portland metropolitan area as a major hub for the sexual exploitation of underage girls.

Now they have numbers that appear to back them up.

At least 469 children in the Portland area were exploited as commercial sex workers from 2009 to 2013, nearly half of them connected to gangs that put them on the street, some of Oregon's top public officials reported Monday.

But those numbers, compiled by a team of researchers at Portland State University, still grossly underestimate the true numbers of exploited children, said Amanda Marshall, the U.S. attorney for Oregon who commissioned the study.

Law enforcement statistics couldn't begin to capture all the victims turned out by pimps. So researchers went to child-welfare agencies -- the state Department of Human Services child welfare section and the nonprofit Sexual Assault Resource Center -- to take a snapshot of the problem, said Marshall, whose lawyers tripled prosecutions of pimps in recent years.

"We've been very proactive," Marshall said, with 13 open criminal cases on the books. "But let me tell you, we could do three times more if we could just keep these kids safe and secure long enough to testify. So we're hoping this data will spur state leadership on this issue to take care of our kids and to send a strong message to our community that in Oregon, our kids are not for sale."

View full sizeAmanda MarshallBenjamin Brink/The Oregonian

PSU professor Christopher Carey and master's student Lena Teplitsky found that 96 percent of victims are female, nearly 3 percent are male and 1 percent are transgender.

Perhaps the most eye-popping statistic released during the news briefing at the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse was that 27 percent of the sexually exploited children were African American, a percentage nearly five times greater than the population of African Americans in Multnomah County. Forty percent of victims were white, and 5 percent Hispanic.

Nearly two out of three victims who are now assisted by the Sexual Assault Resource Center struggle with substance abuse.

Comparative data from other U.S. cities won't be available until other communities compile similar data from social service agencies, officials said.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said the numbers -- even without law enforcement data -- confirm what public officials have been saying for years.

"Now we have concrete proof that sex trafficking is not just going on in the dark corners of Asia," he said. "Sex trafficking is going on in our community."

Wyden said his confirmation came recently during a ride-along with police on Portland's 82nd Avenue, a stretch known for its prostitution. The experience gave him a startling look at the extent of sex trafficking, where women carried what he called "tools of the trade" -- including long knives -- simply to survive their nights on the streets.

The study showed that the average age of victims was 15.5 years when they were first referred to DHS and the Sexual Assault Resource Center. The youngest of them was 8 years old. Sixteen percent of all the victims have had a baby.

Nearly one in five has a family history of exploitation, and 11 percent were exploited by members of their own family.

Slightly more than 49 percent of victims have an affiliation with gangs, which have discovered that exploiting children for commercial sex acts is more lucrative than running drugs or guns, Marshall said.

-- Bryan Denson

Once you read the above, please list three to five things you can do individually to help raise awareness of the issue.  Is there anything that we can do as a school to fight this?  Are you safe in your actions?  Think about your daily operations…   How about when you travel?  

Please turn in the answers to these questions and anything you've picked up from any of the links Sarah provided.   Put into the dropbox by the END OF CLASS!!!!   

Affluenza?

Good Morning my wonderful, amazing and highly intelligent students!

Today we're going to look at a current event.  Please read below and write a one page response to the article and put it in your studentvue dropbox.

(CNN) -- To the families of the victims, Ethan Couch was a killer on the road, a drunken teenage driver who caused a crash that left four people dead.

To the defense, the youth is himself a victim -- of "affluenza," according to one psychologist -- the product of wealthy, privileged parents who never set limits for the boy.

To a judge, who sentenced Couch to 10 years' probation but no jail time, he's a defendant in need of treatment.

The decision disappointed prosecutors and stunned victims' family members, who say they feel that Couch got off too easy. Prosecutors had asked for the maximum of 20 years behind bars.

Boyles: Wife, daughter were givers

Dr. Drew: 'Affluenza' is ridiculous

DUI crash kills 4, teen gets probation

"Let's face it. ... There needs to be some justice here," Eric Boyles, who lost his wife and daughter, told CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" on Wednesday night.

"For 25 weeks, I've been going through a healing process. And so when the verdict came out, I mean, my immediate reaction is -- I'm back to week 1. We have accomplished nothing here. My healing process is out the window," he said.

Lawyers for Couch, 16, had argued that the teen's parents should share part of the blame for the crash because they never set limits for the boy and gave him everything he wanted.

According to CNN affiliate WFAA, a psychologist called by the defense described Couch as a product of "affluenza."

He reportedly testified that the teen's family felt wealth bought privilege, and that Couch's life could be turned around with one to two years of treatment and no contact with his parents.

Couch was sentenced by a juvenile court judge Tuesday. If he violates the terms of his probation, he could face up to 10 years of incarceration, according to a statement from the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office.

Judge Jean Boyd told the court she would not release Couch to his parents, but would work to find the teen a long-term treatment facility.

"There are absolutely no consequences for what occurred that day," said Boyles. "The primary message has to absolutely be that money and privilege can't buy justice in this country."

His wife, Hollie Boyles, and daughter, Shelby, left their home to help Breanna Mitchell, whose SUV had broken down. Brian Jennings, a youth pastor, was driving past and also stopped to help.

All four were killed when the teen's pickup plowed into the pedestrians. Couch's vehicle also struck a parked car, which then slid into another vehicle driving in the opposite direction.

Two people riding in the bed of the teen's pickup were tossed in the crash and severely injured.

One is no longer able to move or talk because of a brain injury, while the other suffered internal injuries and broken bones.

"There is nothing the judge could have done to lessen the suffering for any of those families," said defense attorney Scott Brown, CNN affiliate KTVT reported.

"(The judge) fashioned a sentence that is going to keep Ethan under the thumb of the justice system for the next 10 years," he said. "And if Ethan doesn't do what he's supposed to do, if he has one misstep at all, then this judge, or an adult judge when he's transferred, can then incarcerate him."

Earlier on the night of the accident, June 15, Couch and some friends had stolen beer from a local Walmart. Three hours after the crash, tests showed he had a blood alcohol content of 0.24, three times the legal limit, according to the district attorney's office.

"We are disappointed by the punishment assessed but have no power under the law to change or overturn it," said Assistant District Attorney Richard Alpert. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and we regret that this outcome has added to the pain and suffering they have endured."

It is very rare, but not impossible, for prosecutors to challenge the sentence on the ground that it was too lenient, CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin said.

"To give him a pass this time given the egregious nature of his conduct -- four deaths -- is just incomprehensible," she said.

It is unfair that other young defendants without the same wealth could end up in jail for a lot less, said Hostin, of CNN's "New Day" morning show.

"I think in terms of policy, this really flies in the face of our criminal justice system," she said. "There have to be consequences to actions, and that is what our system is about, even for juveniles."

1. What do you personally think of this decision?
2. What are the possible ramifications of this decision?
3. How would you feel as a family member with this decision?
4. Anything else you might feel/think?

***TURN INTO DROPBOX TODAY!!!

12.9.13-  Allergies, Asthma, Diabetes and Arthritis.  Lesson 3 Chapter 25.  Page 702.

Allergies!  Yikes.  It seems like we all have an allergy of sorts.  Do the following today!

• 1.  List the types of allergies that folks around you have in class
• Types friends have
• Types relatives have
• Write up a definition of allergies
• VOCAB:
• Allergy
• Histamines
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Autoimmune disease
• Arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Sarcoidosis
• ***Define the above in 15 minutes

Do the activity below.  This shouldn't take more than 15 minutes if you are working!  :)  Use your  own examples of when/how this happens with you or someone you know.  

With a partner in class:  Create a "flow chart" or poster that diagrams the sequence of steps in an allergic reaction.  

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12351611/KE-Flow-Chart-(blank)

This is due at the end of class today.  One paper turned in for two people.  You may work on this alone if you like, but it is DUE TODAY!   The Dropbox will lock at the end of today!  :)