Very Young Girls-a documentary

The average age of a child entering prostitution in NYC is 13.

Most of these underage girls are sent to jail for prostitution instead of being provided with therapy, schooling and the proper medical care needed to help them after enduring the horrors of the illegal sex trade.

Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, 125th, Hunt’s Point, Jamaica Avenue all seem like normal NYC ‘hoods but how normal is it to see a thirteen-year old girl selling herself for money at the mercy of a pimp?

Sad but true, the documentary “Very Young Girls” profiles the teens who live this life, some who have reformed from it and others, for very different reasons, can’t seem to stay away. Highlighting different girls in the “game” at different stages of their lives, “Very Young Girls” let’s these young ladies tell their stories and follows Ms. Rachel Lloyd, founder of G.E.M.S. (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services), a grass-roots organization that helps girls transition from “the life” to real life: finishing school, obtaining job readiness skills, emotional support, etc. While there are success stories in the film, what will touch your heart are the girls who can’t stay away from the life and who are very aware of the reasons why, which is even more heart-breaking.

It is also upsetting to know that in America a double standard exists, which many times prevents these young girls from getting the help they need. To the government a girl from Brownsville, Brooklyn who is coaxed into selling her body and is abused is considered a “ho” and will serve jail time. On the other hand, when a foreign woman is brought to America and works as a prostitute it is considered “human trafficking” and there are laws in place to protect and provide treatment for the women under this circumstance.

Not only a social cause in need of dire attention, underage prostitution in America is very real and just wrong. “Very Young Girls” gives an insightful, uncut look at the forgotten girls on the front line of this very deadly peril of the streets.

View a trailer of the documentary and find out how you can help end sexual exploitation via the links below

http://www.thefledglingfund.org/media/girls/very-young-girls.html

www.gems-girls.org

http://covenanthouse.org/