London and Prague 05

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 12:58 am

Dates are approximate, but will be close if not what's listed. I will be spending five months in Europe this year interning with two different organizations and conducting research on my studies comparing issues of Human Trafficking between Europe and the United States. Of course, I would be quite happy to see people. The dates are a ways off, but I thought I would throw them out there for now.

U.S., through May 9th.
England (London), May 9th - July 9th.
U.S., July 9th - September 1st.
Czech Republic (Prague), Sept. 1st - Nov. 30th.
U.S. after Dec. 1st

DarkMage · Post by **DarkMage** » Tue Jan 25, 2005 1:13 am

I don't live there but I'd love to hear more about your studies.

MissTeja · Post by **MissTeja** » Wed Jan 26, 2005 1:57 pm

Um, well - I'm working on finishing my Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. My thesis is going to be a comparative study between (emphasis on Eastern) European and American systems of dealing with the commercial sexual exploitation (primarily trafficking issues) of children (age 15 and below). According to the United Nations, each year, approximately 1.2 million children are trafficked. They are sold into slavery and sweatshop-type work, but more often, child pornography, prostitution, and crime. For instance, The price of a girl trafficked to Italy can be between $2,500 and $4,000, with up to $10,000 being paid if she is a virgin. In the United States, children are primarily brought from Asian and South American nations.

It's a big trade with big money and not enough criminal accountability. While there is more research being done as of late, it's an area that needs to be firmly addressed and dealt with much more so than is being done currently. I want to examine the detrimental effects these issues cause, learn more about the perpetrator demand for certain types victims, and compare the differences in the ways each of the systems handle the cases they are faced with - as well as in what ways they are seeking out perpetrators. In order for the criminal justice system to better address the issue of child trafficking, they need more scholarly basis to form a foundation to investigate. With my time in the United States, England, and the Czech Republic this year, I hope to formulate a thesis that may contribute some knowledge to the field, while at the same time give me some more specific direction as to where I want to make my career.