Lawrence Taylor & Terminology

I'm sure many of you have seen the coverage of 51-year-old former Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor all over the news in the past week. You may even have seen some of my TV commentary on the subject on Larry King Live (if you missed it, find the show link below in "Features").

 

If you missed the coverage altogether, here is a recap: basically Taylor was arrested for having sex with an underage child. Before you respond with “but she was a prostitute”  take a moment and think about what you are saying.  Even if a child is receiving money for sex and the features of prostitution exist the reality is that this type of sexual abuse is still exploitation. 

We all know that language and terminology matters.  Nowhere is that more true than in the area of the exploitation of children. (Recall my Huffington Post article discussing human trafficking as Problem of Language).  So here is today’s lesson: children can NOT be prostitutes.  They can be prostituted (by adults) but they can not be prostitutes. The difference in language is critical. And in order to make positive steps to protect children it is time we get our terms straight.

Taylor's attorney, of course, asserts: "My client did not have consensual sex with anyone." But this young girl describes the evening and how Rasheed Davis, her pimp, brutally beat her and forced her to have sex with Taylor. She shares in graphic detail how the condom got stuck in her during the act.?This case is an example of how child abuse, sexual exploitation, and human trafficking is misunderstood in this country. It is happening here in the U.S. everyday!   Sex trafficking is the second biggest criminal business in this country, next to drugs.

In Taylor’s case we have the alleged victimization of a child, who was  apparently exploited and sold for sex. This cannot possibly be her fault. She is not a prostitute - she is a victim. The kid cannot even rent car, vote, lease an apartment, sign a  contract, let alone have a chosen career of prostitution. 

Ronald Monestime from NY Examiner.com said it well, so I will quote: "in a case of this magnitude, or any case for that matter involving a celebrity, every single detail must be examined from a purely objective point of view. This means that every discrepancy must be looked at with a scrutinizing eye.  The justice system as well as the court of public opinion owes that to the accuser and the accused. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world."?

 

So people lets start with scrutinizing our language.  Terminology that accurately depicts these children as victims will lead to their identification by first responders as victims of domestic minor sex trafficking – prostituted children.

 

We certainly don't live in a perfect world. We live in a world where former NFL hall-of-famers can and do have sex with children forced by others to have sex for money-- prostitutes and try to not go to jail for their acts (I'm not naming any names here). We'll see how this all plays out! Pun intended.

Crimes Against Children’s Conference

I just spent four days in Dallas at the Crimes Against Children’s Conference where 4,000 people (mainly law enforcement, prosecutors, and social workers) gathered together to work towards bettering our system and society on behalf of children.  The energy and the people were phenomenal.

But what struck me so forcefully was the need to network, connect, and lean on our colleagues.  Despite the fact that we are in an economic crisis, professionals, advocates, and others should get together and meet to share ideas , to brainstorm, to vent….to grow. I have found that you can always find someone you can connect with, regardless of the makeup of a group.

In addition to the educational benefits at seminars, there is another, more important benefit: getting to know your colleagues and hang out with them, both professionally and person.  There is tremendous gain for everyone when you take the time to get to know the people around you.

In a time where we achieve most of our connectedness via digital devices—computers, pda’s and cell phones, I suggest we get out of our offices, off our chairs, and away from our computer screens to get out and meet people.  Whether an author, advocate, lawyer, entertainer, a business person, or a parent—all of us need the support of others.   Whether you have a conference or seminar to go to or not, create opportunities to meet people.  Make coffee dates and lunch plans and connect with people.  There are amazing people out there doing amazing things and you should know about them!