Fight Human Trafficking in the USA: A Community Awareness Initiative

Child Sex Trafficking is Happening Before Your Eyes

Be Part of the Solution. 
Recognize the tactics and report traffickers.
Children's lives depend on it.

Any child can become a victim of sex trafficking. Potential victims can be saved by members of the community who recognize the warning signs and report.

You will be guided towards concrete solutions that members of the community can take part in–to help combat child sex trafficking.

Human trafficking is a multi-billion-dollar business. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), 1 in 7 missing children in the U.S. are likely a victim of sex trafficking. Also, NCMEC reports that the average age of the victims in their 2025 cases dealing with sex trafficking is between 12 and 14 years old–meaning middle school-aged children. And disturbingly, but important to know, “in 2025, NCMEC received more than 113,500 reports of possible child sex trafficking, a 323% increase from 2024.” For more information, click here.

“Human trafficking is the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise, valued to be an estimate $32 billion-a year global industry. … Sex trafficking can and does take place in EVERY COMMUNITY, no matter the cultural make up, the affluence, or the location of a community.”

United States Attorney’s Office – District of Rhode Island

To end the sale of children, community members need to partner with law enforcement through vigilance & reporting.

WHAT IS CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING?

Under U.S. Code §1591, any person under the age of 18 who engages in commercial sex is considered a victim of trafficking.

Federal law prohibits sex trafficking of a child (meaning, any individual under the age of 18)—which covers:

Enticing, recruiting, harboring (providing shelter), advertising, patronizing, transporting, providing, obtaining, maintaining, or soliciting by any means to cause a minor to engage in a commercial sex act or benefiting (financially or by receiving anything of value) from participating in the actions listed, regardless of whether coercion, means of force, threats of force, fraud, or a combination was used to have caused a minor or will cause a minor to engage in a commercial sex act. 18. U.S. Code §1591.

  • Commercial Sex Act: “ANY SEX ACT on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.” 18 U.S.C. §1591(e)(3).
  • Receiving Anything of Value: Under case law, it has been established that “‘the thing of value’ need not have a monetary or financial component.” United States v. Raniere, 55 F.4th 354, 362 (2d Cir 2022). Therefore, a sexual/nude picture or video of a minor can constitute “the thing of value” as well as intangible things that have subjective value to the person receiving it.
If you identify the signs of human trafficking, report to the National Human Trafficking Hotline: call 888-373-7888 or text 233733 (you may do so anonymously and an expert will guide you). Remember, the victim might be threatened into denying the abuse. Receiving a sexual or nude picture of a minor constitutes as sex trafficking.
The Community Can Combat Sex Trafficking Through Reporting:
Reporting may be done anonymously.
National Human Trafficking Hotline (24-hours a day): Call 888-373-7888 or text 233733
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (24 hours a day): Call 1-800-843-5678

If you see an inappropriate conversation online involving a minor, report it.
Minors cannot legally consent to engage in sex trafficking,
regardless of what they have done or said.
Remember, the victim might be threatened into denying the abuse.

WAYS TO REPORT & AVAILABLE HELP

If you think a child is in immediate danger, or you work in a hotel/motel and suspect a crime will be committed against a child, CALL 911.

To be guided by experts or to report pieces of information, contact:

Hear from the survivors themselves speak about how they were children who were surrounded by people– teachers, coaches, and other students– yet no one cared enough to persist in offering help, even though the signs were there. https://www.missingkids.org/blog/2024/child-sex-trafficking-know-the-signs

Save the numbers. Report. Save a life.

According to the Department of Homeland Security’s “Blue Campaign: One Voice. One Mission. End Human Trafficking,” one should ask the following questions to be able to identify and report human trafficking:

  • Does the minor appear disconnected from family, friends, community, or houses of worship?
  • Does the minor show sudden or dramatic changes in behavior, such as unexplained absences from school, a drop in school performance, or lack of interest in age-appropriate activities?
  • Does the person suddenly have more material possessions (e.g., jewelry, purses, clothing, cell phones, or large sums of cash)?
  • Has the minor run away from home or lack stable housing?
  • Is a juvenile engaged in commercial sex acts?
  • Is the person disoriented or confused, or showing signs of mental or physical abuse (e.g., bruises)?
  • Does the minor have bruises in various stages of healing?
  • Does the minor show signs of having been denied food, water, sleep or medical care?
  • Is the minor often in the company of someone who seems to be in control of the situation, e.g., where they go or who they talk to?
  • Does the minor appear to be coached on what to say?
  • Does the minor act fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid, or dissociated/”checked out”?
  • Does the minor have tattoos or scars that would indicate branding by a trafficker?
  • Does the minor have a “romantic partner” who is noticeably older?
  • Does the minor seem to engage in high-risk behaviors even at the apparent expense of safety and or consequences?
  • Does the minor seem restricted from contacting their family, legal guardian, or friends?
  • Has the minor stopped attending or showing interest in the youth activities or extracurriculars they normally attended?
  • Has the minor stopped showing interest in future plans (e.g., no longer having a desire to attend college)?
  • Does the minor claim to be completely financially covered and independent at a young age?
  • Does the minor appear not to have the freedom to quit their job?

For more information from DHS about the ins and outs of human trafficking, click here.

WAYS TRAFFICKERS GET TO CHILDREN

VIDEO GAMES & SOCIAL MEDIA APPS

Traffickers have easy access to children through VIDEO GAMES and SOCIAL MEDIA APPS.

Take a look at the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Blue Campaign videos, called Carter’s Story, highlighting how a middle-school boy in a two-parent household with apparent stability can go from innocently playing video games to becoming a victim of sex trafficking.

  • To view Carter’s Story–Part I, click here.
  • To view Cater’s Story–Part II, click here.
  • FBI warns parents about child predators using video games in a KAT3 top news report: To view, click here.

Problem:

Traffickers are using video games, social media apps, and any online chat opportunity as well as taking advantage of the lack of surveillance (in the name of “privacy”) by those responsible for minors, to groom and extract information from children.

Traffickers coerce children online into thinking they are “a friend who listens.” The information the child gives them about their school, other locations, fights with parents, and eventually indecent pictures is all gathered to be used against the child at some point through blackmail or threats of violence to the child’s family members in exchange for sexual acts, including more intimate photos.

To minors, it’s an innocent way to bond with people or get attention, but to traffickers, minors are just naive targets who think they are in control of the interaction.

Take a look at the Department of Homeland Security’s Blue Campaign videos, called Mia’s Story, showing how an American teenager can get trapped in sex trafficking after engaging in an interaction she thought was “innocent” and “genuine” through a social media app. The animation videos also address the common misconceptions about child sex trafficking.

  • To view Mia’s Story–Part I, click here.
  • To view Mia’s Story (The Teacher)–Part II, click here.
  • To view Mia’s Story (The Parent)–Part III, click here.
  • To view Mia’s Story (The Friends)–Part IV, click here.

Minors using social media become targets of traffickers who pretend to be romantically interested in them, with the ultimate goal of using them for sex commerce. These traffickers, who pretend to be potential romantic partners, are called “Romeos” or “Lover Boy Traffickers.”

The dangers of online chatting with strangers are highlighted in a FRONTLINE PBS documentary that shows the investigation into the abduction of an American teenager named Kat, who was sex trafficked by a man she met online. To view the documentary, click here.

Potential Solutions:

  • Becoming attentive to the activities a child engages in, online or through video games.
  • Installing parental control software to monitor and log activities of phones (app usage, location tracking, web browsing, and call/text logs).
  • Beware of features on smartphones that allow hiding apps. For example, some smartphones have a hide apps option, and unless the child’s parent specifically clicks on “show hidden apps,” the prohibited/hidden apps on the child’s phone will not show.
  • Beware of minors using vault apps to hide apps. These vault apps hide pictures, conversations, and unauthorized social media apps. Check for duplicate apps installed on the child’s phone, e.g., two calculator apps. A parent or guardian can go to the App Store of the minor’s phone and type “hide photos,” “vault app,” or “secret app.” When you do that search, if you see a button labeled “open” next to a specific app, then that means the minor already has the app. If you tap on the button “open,” it will take you to the app itself.
  • Beware of the company of minors, since their “acquaintances/friends” can encourage interactions with dangerous people or grant them access to the technology/apps their parents/guardians have prohibited. This scenario is highlighted in the story of Mary McDowell, a survivor of child sex trafficking, who shares how a combination of a lack of parental surveillance and the bad influence of a “friend” led her to trust and communicate with someone who would later become her trafficker. To view her story, click here.
  • Educate minors on (1) the common tactics of traffickers so they recognize what is happening when they become a target, (2) the available help, such as NCMEC and the National Human Trafficking Hotline, and (3) the lies traffickers tell child victims, such as getting in trouble for “consenting” to engage in sexual acts, when in reality the law addresses this problem by highlighting that minors cannot legally consent to engage in a commercial sex act. Minors might be more forthcoming about disclosing abuse if they understand that the law protects them and addresses psychological coercion. Trying to prevent a picture or embarrassing information from being shared, preventing potential physical or economic harm to family members, or protecting a sibling from sexual abuse—are just some of the ways psychological coercion is used against children who seem to the community to be “free from harm” and “safe.” To see these scenarios play out, watch this under four-minute video from the Blue Campaign of DHS. To view the video, click here.
  • Be a safe adult the child can confide in—whether they are experiencing abuse, facing threats, or are aware of minors being harmed. As a trusted adult, you can help protect a child by reporting the information you receive to the appropriate authorities.
  • Become informed and inform others about the common signs of a child victim: unexplained large amounts of cash, prepaid cards, hotel keys, multiple cell phones, the child is not in possession of his or her ID, signs of having a coached response to your questions, tattoos or branding the child does not want to speak about, children who abruptly disconnect from their family and friends, many unexplained school absences, or have a close association with an overly controlling adult. For more information, click here to watch the “Child Sex Trafficking Indicators” video by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
www.nicoleshapirowriter.com/report-human-trafficking
If you suspect a child is in immediate danger, call 911. If you see potential trafficking indicators but are not sure, or if you see something concerning online involving someone who looks to be a minor, report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline by calling 888-373-7888
or texting 233733.

FAMILIAL SEX TRAFFICKING

Although it’s important to make minors aware of the danger of a stranger approaching them, children are more likely to be trafficked by someone they trust than by strangers.

The video by The Office of the Attorney General of Texas, titled Be the One in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, showcases the many different ways human sex trafficking occurs in the United States, including the following real-life stories:

  1. a high school student from an upper-middle-class neighborhood who was saved from familial sex trafficking because of an administrator’s reporting
  2. the grooming of a 12-year-old girl into prostitution by a 33-year-old woman who was running a brothel in a quiet neighborhood—and to whom the child was introduced by her mother
  3. the story of a woman who was sold at the age of 13 to her trafficker by her mother and, after ten years, was rescued by her caring neighbor who insisted on offering help
  4. some of the tactics teens use to hide social media apps in their phones

To get informed about what’s happening in the U.S. and view the video, click here.

Many traffickers get away with continuing the abuse because people in the community do not reach out to the victim or give up after offering help a couple of times.

Children as young as kindergarten age are trafficked by their own family members.

According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2021 fact sheet named “Navigating the Unique Complexities in Familial Trafficking,” by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, “… familial trafficking, which is unique and just beginning to be understood in the field, is difficult to identify because it takes place within family networks and victimizes children, many of whom are under 12 years of age, who may not realize they are victims. Because of this, the indicators for familial trafficking are different than indicators for other types of trafficking. In these cases, the trafficker may begin grooming the victim at an early age, using their close proximity to take advantage of the child’s developmental stage and inability to verbally express concerns or safety issues. One study estimates that the trafficker is a family member in about 31 percent of child sex trafficking cases. In these cases, the child’s inherent loyalty to and reliance on the family structure make familial trafficking difficult to identify and challenging to prosecute.”

As Jennisue Jessen, a survivor of familial trafficking by her grandfather, discloses in the informational video by the U.S. Department of Education called “Session 1: What Schools Can Look For and Need to Know About Human Trafficking,” people unsuspected her trafficker/grandfather could be abusive because she came from a middle-class, well-respected family in her community. Her testimony highlights the importance of erasing the myths we have about sex trafficking because they can make community members miss signs of child trafficking. In her situation, the adults in Jennisue’s life, such as her teachers, overlooked that it was uncommon for such a young girl in her community to have a diamond ring and fur coats. Jennisue explains the importance of building dialogue and connection with a child who is potentially a victim of trafficking because it gives the child the opportunity to disclose private information to a trusted adult. Through reporting, experts in trafficking would have been able to analyze her case, investigate whether she was a child-victim of trafficking, and potentially offer her help. Click here to see the video and Jennisue’s testimony at 20:30.

Most traffickers happen to be people the child victim knows, making it more difficult for the child to believe people will come to their rescue or have good intent when asking questions. They have been coached to lie or be punished through rape, physical beatings, or have their own family members suffer the consequences of not obeying.

DHS’s Blue Campaign video, “Familial Trafficking May be Happening Right Outside Your Door: Full PSA,” demonstrates how an athletic teenage boy from a “safe neighborhood” could be trafficked by a family member. To access the video, click here.

Be especially alert during the FIFA World Cup season, since many children could be sold by family members to incoming tourists. The danger of men and women traffickers, including familial traffickers, is discussed in a KHOU11 2026 news report. The report includes the testimony of a survivor of familial child sex trafficking at the age of 10. To view the KHOU11 human trafficking warning report and Houston’s mayor’s 2026 message to traffickers, click here.

Student Recruiters

DHS: “Teachers, coaches, and other school staff must always be vigilant of any suspicious activities they may see at their schools, including those from both students and other adults. Peer-to-peer recruitment is just one example. This is when traffickers coerce or force their victims or other students into recruiting their peers with potential promises of payment or reward (i.e., a ‘finder’s fee’), better status or position, or less abuse and better treatment.” Blue Campaign’s 2025 Human Trafficking Response Guide for School Resource Officers, p. 5.

Student-recruiters could also be working with adult traffickers as members of a criminal association to lure future sex trafficking victims by pretending to be their “friends” or potential “romantic partners.” These “Romeos” use many tactics, but a common one is to use explicit pictures of the victim against them for exploitation.

If you are a minor and just realized that your friend is likely a victim of sex trafficking, report the abuse to a trusted adult and contact the professionals ready to help at the National Human Trafficking Hotline:

Call 888-373-7888 or text 233733 to report (anonymously, if preferred) and speak with experts who can guide you through the process.

WAYS TO HELP VICTIMS AND COMBAT CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING

Listen to the survivors of child sex trafficking: they are informing us of what we could do for children now that the adults surrounding them did not do for them then.

  1. Educate minors and adults on trafficking tactics and indicators: Keep the community alert by combating the assumption that children who live in “safe neighborhoods” could not be victims of sex trafficking, especially by a family member.
  2. Make yourself an available and safe adult that a child can come to and disclose if they have ever been hurt by someone. Let the child know that you want to help. Due to psychological and age factors, the child might have a bond with the abuser. It’s important to be careful with words so that the abused child feels comfortable disclosing information, which can then be relayed to law enforcement.
  3. Beware and make others in the community aware that many traffickers know the child victim and their family, often portraying themselves as harmless and trustworthy members of the community. They may later introduce sexual topics to the child, which can progress to sexual contact or explicit photography.
  4. Beware of excessive traffic going to a private residence. It could be a sign of trafficking, as shown in the PSA and training video “Be the One in the Fight Against Human Trafficking,” produced by the Texas Attorney General’s Office. To view it, click here.
  5. Truckers or anyone frequenting truck stops could be of great help. Take a look at the Department of Homeland Security’s “Human Trafficking Truck Stop Animated Video“ to see how community members can be heroes for children who are trafficked by reporting the signs/indicators. Click the embedded link in the title to watch it.
  6. Be watchful in hotels and motels: some hotel/motel staff partake in these horrible crimes. As a member of the community, you can help end sex trafficking of children by refusing to stay in hotels that do not (1) require annual training for their staff on the red flags of human trafficking or (2) have a system in place for staff to report suspected human trafficking.
  7. You can help law enforcement by downloading the TraffickCam app, which was created to aid law enforcement in tracking the places where sex-trafficked children have been advertised. The only thing you need to do is take detailed pictures of all the hotel rooms you use when you travel. Your personal information is not requested, only pictures and details of the hotel and room. These pictures are shared with law enforcement, who may then compare them with images connected to missing children and trafficking investigations. Detailed pictures of the walls, floors, lamps, pillows, and other identifiable items of the room may assist professionals in locating children, aid with prosecutorial evidence, and highlight the location of a crime. And yes, traffickers do use the expensive hotels you would not imagine are involved. Click here, to watch this important Alliance to End Human Trafficking YouTube video featuring Kimberly Ritter, one of the individuals involved in the creation of TraffickCam, giving testimony about her experience bringing up this crime to hotels, as well as the value of community unity against human trafficking.
  • Try to encourage the hotels/motels in your city to have a local law enforcement contact who specifically focuses on human trafficking, whom the hotel staff may reach out to and report indicators.
  • As highlighted in the Alliance to End Human Trafficking YouTube video featuring Kimberly Ritter, this pivotal technology, TraffickCam, was created after community members—such as the Catholic Religious Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston—refused to spend their money at any hotel that would not support efforts to end sex trafficking. After the Sisters made Kimberly Ritter aware of this horrific crime happening in the United States, her team became more involved in encouraging hotels to sign and implement the Tourism Child Protection Code of Conduct (“The Code”), from the then-named ECPAT-USA, now known as PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking). This initiative ensured that hotel staff received training on the red flags of sex trafficking, which later led to the right people coming together to create a technological weapon, a.k.a. TraffickCam, to combat human trafficking with the help of travelers. One righteous act can encourage others to become a helping hand, as shown by the stance of the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston.
  • To download the TraffickCam app, click here.
  • To view the Alliance to End Human Trafficking video featuring Kimberly Ritter, in which she explains her work with hotels and getting them on board to train their staff on the sex trafficking indicators, the obstacles, and how the idea of the TraffickCam app came together, click here.
  • To go to PACT’s website and learn about The Code, click here. Encourage the hotels you visit to sign The Code and train their staff.
  • To watch the awareness campaign video of child sex trafficking in hotels called “#DoesYourHotelKnow?” by PACT, click here.

Make a difference in your community!

Be that concerned citizen who becomes a hero by contacting the managers of every hotel in your city to make sure that their staff: (1) receive annual training on the red flags of child sex trafficking, and (2) have a system in place for reporting patrons/customers or other staff potentially involved in this crime.

8. As members of the community, we are not requested to play cop, judge, and jury. However, we have the option to be a helping hand to a potential victim by: a) staying alert to drastic changes in the behavior of the children we encounter, b) reporting the signs/indicators that seem concerning and allowing law enforcement to do their job, c) informing minors of the available help and what trafficking looks like, and d) keeping in mind, when trying to offer help, that the victim might not want to get the trafficker in trouble, especially if he or she is a family member.

9. Get informed and become part of changing the foster care system in the USA so that traffickers are not able to use its weaknesses against vulnerable children.

PROBLEM: CHILDREN IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM BECOME EASY TARGETS FOR TRAFFICKERS BECAUSE FOSTER PARENTS DO NOT FACE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES FOR NOT REPORTING A MISSING CHILD, AND THEREFORE THEY CONTINUE NOT TO REPORT MISSING CHILDREN, PREVENTING LAW ENFORCEMENT FROM BEING ABLE TO HELP THESE AMERICAN CHILDREN.

Under the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (2014), federal law requires state child welfare agencies to implement protocols for reporting missing children in the foster care system.

“The State shall develop and implement protocols for— (i) expeditiously locating any child missing from foster care; (ii) determining the primary factors that contributed to the child’s running away or otherwise being absent from care, and to the extent possible and appropriate, responding to those factors in current and subsequent placements; (iii) determining the child’s experiences while absent from care, including screening the child to determine if the child is a POSSIBLE SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIM …” 42 U.S.C. §671(a)(35).

The Department of Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General states in their 2023 report, State Agencies Did Not Always Ensure that Children Missing from Foster Care were Reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Accordance with Federal Requirements:

“These children who go missing from their approved placements are at higher risk of experiencing harm, substance use, and trafficking.” (p.3).

According to their report, an estimated 47% of children who go missing from foster care, totaling over 34,000 cases in their 18-month audit, are never reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Id. at 5. Furthermore, 22% of these cases are reported late, often due to inadequate state agency systems for tracking and reporting promptly, which places children at higher risk of harm. Id.

The problem is that even if states improve their systems for reporting missing children in the foster care system, foster parents do not face legal consequences for failing to report, thereby lacking the incentive to do so.

As important as it is to require state agencies to report a missing child, that requirement is ineffective if the missing child is not reported by foster parents.

Law enforcement cannot use its resources to help a child who has been kidnapped and trapped by force, threats, or psychological coercion if they do not know the child is in danger.

Many dangerous situations occur to children in the care of the state when foster parents do not report missing children to the state:

  1. law enforcement cannot use its resources to find the child;
  2. with time, potential evidence of a crime starts fading away;
  3. the child cannot be protected from sex trafficking or any other type of abuse; and
  4. law enforcement cannot properly evaluate the reason the child keeps running away, such as potential abuse by the foster parents or their family members.

Failing to report a missing child is an act of egregious neglect by foster parents that warrants criminal liability, especially given the consequences for a vulnerable minor.

Since traffickers exploit loopholes in the system that facilitate the abuse of children—such as failures in reporting and the absence of legal consequences for foster parents—children in the foster care system will likely remain targets for sexual exploitation until the gaps in the system are closed.

Law enforcement and judges are restricted by current statutes, but legislators can enact or amend laws to better protect the vulnerable American children in the care of the state.

You can help change the foster care system into a safer environment for children by letting legislators, as in your representatives, know that this issue matters to you and you want them to make it a priority.

If the community does not become a voice for these children, who will?

Take a look at this KHOU11 video reporting on the valuable advocacy work any community member can do on behalf of human trafficking victims. To view it, click here. Contact your elected officials; be part of the change.

10. Advocate for changes in problematic and ineffective police protocol: Take a look at how ineffective police tactics and advice to parents can make it easier for traffickers to use, abuse, and sell American teenagers for commercial sex acts without immediate consequences. CBS News–Texas highlights this systemic flaw by showcasing the case of an American 15-year-old girl named Natalee, who became a victim of child sex trafficking after going to a basketball game with her dad at the American Airlines Center (“Center”) in Dallas, Texas. In the news report, Natalee’s dad discloses that he panicked when his daughter did not return from the bathroom and that he immediately requested help from the Center’s security staff and an off-duty Dallas police officer. Natalee’s dad was given instructions to report his missing daughter as a “runaway” in the city the family lives in, not in Dallas, Texas, where she actually disappeared. Keep in mind that Texas has a high volume of human trafficking cases. When asked “Why?” by the CBS News Texas investigative team, Dallas police responded, “That is standard operating procedure for parents to report runaways to their home jurisdiction.” The problem is that while Natalee’s dad was being told to follow ineffective procedures that delayed the rescue of his daughter, Natalee, the child-victim, was being sex trafficked by the men caught on the Center’s security camera speaking to her minutes after she left her dad to go to the bathroom. But as Natalee’s dad points out in the news report, the traffickers were not in his home city; they were in Dallas. Natalee later discloses that, while with her traffickers, she was sexually abused several times. Natalee was eventually taken to Oklahoma City and was advertised online by her traffickers to potential sex buyers as a 21-year-old from Dallas looking “for some company.” This whole time, over a week had passed since her disappearance, and Dallas police had not taken a report, as reported by Natalee’s dad. When she was finally found after enduring over a week of rapes, she said to her father, “Daddy, they hurt me.” To view this crucial reporting exposing how problematic police protocols benefit traffickers but potentially add days of torture for children used in commercial sex, click here.

When watching this story, did you think about how many fewer rapes 15-year-old Natalee would have had to endure if Dallas police had treated her case differently—issued a missing child report in the city of Dallas, alerted the community to identify potential witnesses, taken a statement from Natalee’s dad, and treated her case as a potential sex trafficking case?

If ineffective protocols and procedures are not addressed and changed, traffickers will continue to view the sex trafficking of children as a profitable business.

Think about how emboldened and untouchable traffickers feel with the current systems in place: they do not even appear to care about the consequences of being caught on camera engaging with the child they later drugged, raped, and used for commercial sex, even though they knew Natalee had parents who would advocate for her. When traffickers operate with that level of audacity and comfort in targeting children without concern that they will be caught, existing protocols and systems must be reevaluated.

11. Report the buyers of commercial sex: If you know of someone who is contributing to this crime, help victims and law enforcement by reporting what you know.

Remember, but for these buyers, children in our communities would be safe.

Inform your representatives that criminalization of buyers of sex trafficking, as a form of crime deterrence and protection of children, matters to you.

12. Inform the community about available resources in the USA:

  • For minors whose explicit pictures or videos have been uploaded online, there is help available at https://takeitdown.ncmec.org. Take It Down by NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) is a confidential service designed to help minors (individuals under the age of 18) remove or prevent the online sharing of an explicit photo or video.
  • The following links include valuable information for people helping minors whose private images have been compromised: 1)https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/sextortion; 2)https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/isyourexplicitcontentoutthere
  • Are you an adult (18+) or do you know of an adult who has been threatened by someone with sharing their intimate images? There is help available at 1) https://stopncii.org and 2) https://cybercivilrights.org/ccri-crisis-helpline/
  • Take It Down Act. The Take It Down Act was signed into law in 2025 and is a federal law that criminalizes the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images (“NCII”), which includes AI-generated deepfakes. It requires platforms, such as social media apps, to remove the content within 48 hours of a victim’s request. Within this federal law, 7 categories of offenses are established, including threats to share intimate images of adults and minors that are authentic or digitally altered. Beware that this federal law clarifies that consent to create an image DOES NOT EQUATE TO CONSENT FOR ITS PUBLICATION. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) oversees the enforcement of the takedown provisions.
  • To report criminal sexual exploitation or threats online, go to https://tips.fbi.gov/home.
  • If the crime or threat involves a child, contact NCMEC: https://report.cybertip.org.
  • If you or anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
  • For more resources, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline: Call 1-888-373-7877 or text 233-733.
  • Children of the Night: A privately funded non-profit that will take the call of any minor from anywhere in the USA and offer to rescue them from any truck stop or hotel/motel. Their 24/7 hotline call number to reach a skilled caseworker is (800) 551-1300. Click the link to access their site: https://www.childrenofthenight.org/mission
  • To reach the mental health crisis hotline in the USA–for resources or emotional support–call or text 988. Free and confidential emotional support conversations, resources, and help for people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
  • For the Department of Justice–The Office for Victims of Crime, go to https://ovc.ojp.gov/.
  • For the Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Website, which allows users to search sex offender registries for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and Indian Country, click here.

13. Promote and encourage leaders, businesses, and organizations in your community to place human trafficking awareness posters in high-traffic public spaces, including stadiums, churches, schools, airports, campuses, courthouses, movie theaters, and entertainment spots. Also, acquire authorization to place posters in private spaces, such as behind bathroom stall doors, to provide individuals with a safe space to report if needed.

Download the printable poster and share it:

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Catholic Traditional Latin Mass: Unveiling the Mystery of Its Popularity

Have you ever wondered why many young people travel long distances to attend a Traditional Latin Mass?

Or why do people who previously identified as nonreligious become eager to practice the faith after attending it?

You are about to unveil the mystery of the Mass, which converts non-Catholics into practicing Catholics and brings Catholics back to their faith with an eagerness to unite with the will of God. It makes attendees feel the gospel come alive in a very real and present way, while offering a type of structured worship that leads attendees to feel a greater connection with God.

In a Traditional Latin Mass, also called the Tridentine Mass, we experience our calling as Christians and give glory to God in an environment which reminds us that our individual cultures and languages are not our primary identity, but that of being children of God, created with a holy mission. We are called to provide kindness, help, love, and order in a world which promotes divisiveness, irreverence to God, and self-worship.

For a moment, we are not encouraged to highlight everything that makes us different, but focus on our union as children of God.

You are never an outsider as an attendee in the Traditional Latin Mass because one’s culture or language is irrelevant. The structure and language are the same regardless of where in the world you attend. Imagine a structure of a Mass where any child of God, regardless of cultural background, can feel a sense of belonging anywhere in the world. We all have the same missal in the same Latin language. It is similar to how basketball lovers, once they learn the basic rules, understand the game regardless of where it’s played in the world.

Although people can learn to read certain prayers in Latin, like the Our Father, it is not a requirement, since the assistant of the priest (called the acolyte) assists with responses. The prayerful participation that’s required is more internal, meaning: as long as you are internally connecting with God (made aware of His presence, meditate on His plan for you and the blessings you have received, have an intent to be or potentially be of service to Him, pray, and ask Him for guidance), you are actually participating.

Traditional Latin Mass is not for perfect people, since it is in Heaven that a soul is perfect, but it is because we are imperfect, living in a hectic world, that we need Traditional Latin Mass. Why? To better hear Our Creator, and then be that helping hand to others once we are sent out into the world.

Traditional Latin Mass provides answers to the questions that many people have regarding existence: Why am I in this world? What is my relationship with God? What can I do to feel at peace in chaotic situations? How can I better contribute to society? Where can I get any guidance? How can rules and standards to follow lead me to happiness?

A place of peace in a world filled with chaos.

Keep reading to get a glimpse of why anyone in the world may experience a connection with God, spiritually and physically, while attending a Traditional Latin Mass.

REVERENCE

It’s all about respect, respect, respect, in Traditional Latin Mass.

In the Mass, respect for God is not only ideal, but it’s a visual experience through the structure of the Mass and the attitude of the attendees, thereby creating a constant reminder for the attendees that they are in a holy place due to the real presence of God in the Tabernacle (before the Mass) and on the altar (during the Mass). The whole experience is centered on God.

Once the attention is on God, the attendees can have a peaceful meditation on their relationship with God, and consequently, God’s plan in their life.

The constant voluntary bowing to Jesus and His altar by the priest and attendees, the modest clothing, the hapiness of the children, the orderly and careful form of providing Jesus in the Eucharist during Communion as well as the priest’s constant position of facing God and His altar, are all impactful visual reminders for the attendees that they are in the presence of a Sacrifice. A Mass is the sacrifice of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, that is mystically present in the moment of Transubstantiation, meaning the substance of the bread and wine on the altar is transformed into the actual Precious Blood and Body of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus said it, and we know that He does not lie.

REVERENCE FOR GOD: ACCEPTING JESUS’ TEACHINGS

Jesus told the Jews in the synagogue, “I am the living bread, who descended from Heaven. If anyone eats from this bread, he shall live in eternity. And the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world” (John 6:51, CPDV).

Then, on the night Jesus was betrayed, while He was eating with His disciples, “Jesus took bread, and He blessed and broke and gave it to His disciples, and He said: ‘Take and eat. This is My Body.’ And taking the chalice, He gave thanks. And He gave it to them, saying: ‘Drink from this, all of you. For this is My Blood of the new covenant, which shall be shed for many as remission of sins'” (Matthew 26:26-28, CPDV).

Therefore, the high levels of reverence incorporated into the structure of the Traditional Latin Mass allow attendees to raise their minds to the truth taught by Jesus: They are in a holy place because Jesus is present in a very real and tangible way — in Eucharistic form. Consequently, we should not behave or dress in ways that show Him a lack of respect.

This truth is hard for humans to remember when they are in an environment that denies the existence of Jesus in the Eucharist. 

For example, how can people be conscious of the truth that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, when drums, guitars, and clapping happen as the priest processes to the altar? 

Can you imagine the holy women and the few brave believers playing drums, guitars, or clapping as Jesus carries the heavy cross, bleeding everywhere? Clapping and playing music with various instruments can be a wonderful form of bonding between humans. No one is saying it’s illicit or a sin. There is a time and place for many things, but is Crucifixion really the place to do it?

Pause in that imagery for a moment. If it horrified you, you are not alone.

Saint Pope Pius X, the humble servant and friend of Jesus Christ, expressed disapproval of such practices. He issued a liturgical document in 1903, named Tra le Sollecitudini, banning noisy-wordly instruments, indicating that music appropriate to secular entertainment, has no place in the sacred liturgy: “The employment of the piano is forbidden in Church, as is also that of noisy or frivolous instruments such as drums, cymbals, bells and the like.” (Paragraph 19). “It is strictly forbidden to have bands play in Church…” (Par. 20).

Jokes and laughter can be a wonderful form of bonding and reflection in the right scenario, but can you really imagine John, the beloved disciple, or the Virgin Mary making jokes while Jesus is nailed to the cross because of our sins? So, what message do we send God when we think that behavior is acceptable during Mass? Is a structure of a Mass that supports, encourages, and allows those kinds of behavior the best place for any human to be reminded that the Mass is the Sacrifice of Our Lord? It’s hard to lead people toward reverence for God in environments that encourage disbelief in the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

High levels of reverence guide attendees to a greater union with their Creator. Reverence reminds attendees that God loves humans so much that He is willing to unite with us under the appearance of bread, so that we acquire the strength needed to abandon the vices that pull us away from Him and gain the courage to overcome every obstacle. When people attend a Traditional Latin Mass, they can feel at peace knowing that they won’t be encouraged to participate in behavior that detracts from the reverence owed to Our Lord’s Sacrifice — whether through applause, jokes, comments on sporting events, secular tones in music, or allowance of social photo opportunities on the altar of Our Lord.

The assurance of order and reverence in the Tridentine Mass leads attendees to a place of peace and deep meditation on the love of God for all of us. Peace, guidance, and courage are the rewards we receive from putting God first, and that lesson is learned from the structure of the Traditional Latin Mass. Worship is about putting God first and His Will, not about catering to the whims of the people. Inner peace is acquired from an understanding of that order.

As we all know from personal experience and choices (since we are all sinners to some degree) when humans are given a choice without guidance, most will choose the easy route; but the caveat is, that route never leads to inner peace. So it’s no surprise to any adult, that we benefit from rules that guide us towards greater union with God. The rules and expectations on the attendees about proper dress code (keeping in mind the presence of God), respecting order, and soft speech while at Church, creates an environment of calmness, peace, and respect, first to God, then to neighbor, and ultimately within ourselves.

Those tiny external expectations and rules give glory to God because they lead to a profound inner spirituality.

The fruits of the Traditional Latin Mass are evident in the behavior of the attendees. Attendees voluntarily want to show God external acts of respect, such as constant bowing when walking by Him, because of an understanding of who is before them, and their union with God is based on love and respect. Once the attendees’ minds elevate to the truth of God’s presence, they can finally relax and feel at peace, knowing that they can connect with the One who completely understands them.

Humans, deep down, crave truth, order, and respect, and we get all three within this Mass. You are provided the opportunity to worship God in an environment that contrasts with the hecticness, loudness, and self-indulgence found in the world.  

The Traditional Latin Mass is a welcoming environment of worship where people’s past behavior does not matter; it’s about embracing God’s call to conversion, openness to His plan in our lives, and working toward a life of peace, charity, and holiness. 

We all want that order and inner peace, which we are called to participate in by God.

We don’t want to hear ourselves; we want to hear Him. 

We don’t want to be told the lies we want to hear; we want to hear the truth. 

We want guidance toward a connection with God, not a show.

The world sells a life of unhappiness, but young people are ready and craving the wise guidance and peace that only God can provide.

REVERENCE FOR GOD: ORDER, RESPECT, AND CAUTION DURING HOLY COMMUNION

Holy Communion is the moment Catholics in grace (meaning they are not in a state of mortal sin) unite with their Savior, Jesus Christ. This is the most holy and joyful moment any human can experience, and whether Catholic or not, it is visually evident to any attendee, through the structure of the Mass and people’s behavior, that a holy moment is taking place.

During the Mass, those uniting with Jesus, in Eucharistic form, kneel before their Savior. Kneeling is an external act of respect and submission to God, and it is done to match the internal act of respect, which is to be in a state of grace when receiving Our Lord, Jesus Christ. Kneeling at the assigned place before the altar also helps to avoid movement of the communicant (the person uniting with Jesus), and thereby prevents an accidental, yet disrespectful, fall of Jesus onto the ground. Another way this sad outcome is prevented is through the use of a Communion paten, which is placed under the chin of the communicant and is commonly used in the Traditional Latin Mass.

The structure of the Traditional Latin Mass protects the sacredness of the moment God unites with His children to transform them into true disciples.

REVERENCE FOR GOD: PATIENCE

Another beautiful aspect of the Traditional Latin Mass is the respect given to God through the charity given to one’s neighbor during Communion.

Only a priest, as the representative of Jesus Christ, administers this holy moment of union with Jesus. The soul ready to unite with Jesus may feel at peace about kneeling before God and receiving an individual blessing from the priest right before the union occurs.

The beautiful blessing in Latin is: “Corpus Domini nostri Iesu Christi custodiat animam tuam in vitam aeternam. Amen.”

And translated into English: “May the Body of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, preserve your soul unto everlasting life. Amen.”

This holy moment is the result of the blessing from God, the structure of the Mass, and the patience of the attendees. By not rushing other people’s holy moment, each communicant can receive Holy Communion from the priest, and the Mass attendees show respect to God through the charitable virtue of patience. This charitable attitude can be taken into the week when Christians are tested, and through patience, they can glorify God. 

If you have that craving for inner peace, come and experience an environment that will help you better hear the voice of your Father and Creator. 

Let Him, who made you with a holy purpose, guide you to His Will. 

Warning: Many groups claim to provide the Traditional Latin Mass; however, not all are in canonical union with the Pope.

Below is a suggestion of two groups of priests who provide the Traditional Latin Mass and are fully in communion with the Pope:

1) Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (“FSSP”) & their locations:

www.fssp.com/locations/

Priesthood discernment for boys and men: https//fsspolgs.org/discernment/

vocations@olgseminary.org / Phone: (402) 797-7700

2) Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (“ICKSP”) & their locations:

http://www.institute-christ-king.org/#locations

El regalo de la paz

 Una peregrinación nos puede ayudar a ser humanos que proyectan paz  

¿Alguna vez te has preguntado qué podrías hacer para disminuir la agitación que sientes?

¿O para que los pensamientos alborotados paren?

No eres el unico.

Y posiblemente esta realidad no sea una sorpresa ya que has notado una gran agitación en otras personas, como las que conoces bien, interactúas en el trabajo e incluso las quien apenas conoces.

Es fácil caer en el hábito de culpar esa sensación incómoda en nuestro entorno: el lugar donde vivimos, el estrés del trabajo o la falta de trabajo, las opiniones opuestas a las nuestras de ciertos miembros de familia, las personalidades que consideramos ‘difíciles’ de estar cerca, las personas que conducen de manera diferente a nosotros, la lista no tiene fin.

De repente, podría surgir el pensamiento: Si pudiera irme por una semana, tener un momento de tranquilidad, escapar de este lugar/persona/problema con el que estoy lidiando, me sentiría mucho mejor.

Muchos eligen irse de vacaciones para escapar esa inquietud interna, con la esperanza de regresar renovados. La anticipación de esas vacaciones puede incluso crear una ilusión de felicidad.

Pero ¿qué pasó después? Después de esas vacaciones o ese fin de semana de descanso, ¿encontraste paz? ¿O te diste cuenta de que otra cosa te causó inquietud? Entonces, cabe preguntarse: ¿no será que la solución está en aceptar que al menos que haya un cambio interior en nosotros no podremos escapar la agitación?

 ¿Por qué una peregrinación es el comienzo de un camino de sanación y paz? 

Si las supuestas ‘vacaciones perfectas’ no te han traído paz, ¿por qué no pruebas una peregrinación? No un viaje para satisfacer las exigencias egocéntricas que nunca se cumplen, sino una peregrinación, un viaje tranquilo a un lugar sagrado, con la intención de conectarte con Dios, la comunidad y Su plan para tu vida. Así, iniciando un camino hacia la paz, no hacia situaciones perfectas, sino, hacia la paz.

La verdadera paz es fuerte y solida porque no puede ser interrumpida por el caos en el mundo que estamos llamados a enfrentar. La paz interior no se encuentra buscando el momento perfecto que nunca llegará en la prueba, que es nuestra vida terrenal. Al contrario, una paz solida se va desarrollando cuando nos ponemos de meta estar presente y atentos a las necesidades de las personas que Dios nos pone en la vida, con el objetivo de brindarles esperanza y soluciones a las dificultades diarias de su vida.

Así que, si te interesa ser parte de este camino de esperanza, permíteme compartirte una pequeña perspectiva. Una peregrinación no es un viaje en el que te conviertes en turista e intentas visitar tantos lugares como sea posible; se trata de analizar el tiempo que se te ha concedido, durante este descanso de responsabilidades, para elegir un viaje de calidad, no de cantidad. Por lo tanto, los lugares que visitas dependen del tiempo disponible y de las responsabilidades que tienes en el momento presente. Muchas veces, visitar menos lugares puede crear una experiencia más valiosa, ya que ayuda a los peregrinos tener el tiempo en un lugar sagrado para concentrarse en evaluar su comportamiento, su conexión con Dios y una interacción sana con los demás, ya sean personas cercanas en su vida o con quienes tendrán un breve encuentro en el futuro.

Los peregrinos se benefician al tener un momento tranquilo para la oración individual, es decir, conversaciones internas con Dios para solicitar guía, fortaleza, sabiduría en las luchas y un autoanálisis sincero que conduzca a un cambio positivo.

Procesión del Rosario con antorchas en el Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (Francia)

Aparte de la oración individual, una peregrinación también incluye participar en la oración comunitaria, para motivarse con otras personas que también buscan un cambio positivo que lleve a una unión pacífica con Dios, la organización spiritual y a la interacción respetuosa con los demás.

Entonces, ¿adónde se puede ir de peregrinación? Aunque existen muchos lugares sagrados, el Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes servirá de ejemplo.

Lugar sagrado donde apareció la Virgen María: La Gruta en el Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes https://www.lourdes-france.com/es/peregrino-por-un-dia/la-gruta/

El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes, en Francia, está equipado con todo lo necesario para que un peregrino disfrute de una experiencia de peregrinación completa, sin tener que viajar a otros lugares. Además de tener tres basílicas (casas de Dios), el Santuario también ofrece a los peregrinos lugares para la oración individual (oración silenciosa) en su Capilla de Adoración. La Capilla es un lugar sereno que permite a los peregrinos conectarse mejor con Dios, reflexionar sobre las lecciones de la vida y considerar cómo colaborar mejor con el plan que Dios tiene para nuestro tiempo en la tierra. Para más información, haga clic en los enlaces.

El peregrino también puede conectarse con Dios a través de Su creación. El Santuario ofrece numerosos espacios en sus terrenos donde los peregrinos pueden conectarse con su Creador y analizar el trayecto de sus vidas. La naturaleza de Lourdes es espectacular y el Santuario cuenta con numerosas zonas de descanso alrededor del río Gave de Pau. Además, el Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes tiene numerosos espacios que fomentan la conexión con Dios a través de su naturaleza. En la Gruta de Massabielle, el lugar sagrado donde Dios permitió que la Virgen María se apareciera a Santa Bernadette en el siglo XIX, puedes orar en silencio y pedirle a la Virgen María, Madre de Dios, que interceda por tí ante su Hijo, Jesús, para que El te envíe Su Espíritu y te guíe en tu camino de transformación.

¿Ya tienes ganas de estar ahí? Entonces, échale un vistazo en directo haciendole clic al enlace: https://www.lourdes-france.com/es/lourdesplus/

El Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes también le ofrece a los peregrinos la oportunidad de conectarse con Dios a través de la oración comunitaria, lo que permite que los visitantes se sientan apoyados por otras personas. La oración comunitaria también actúa como recordatorio de que estamos llamados a ayudarnos mutuamente en la oración y la acción. (Mat.25: 34-37; Luke 10: 30-37; Mat. 5: 44; James 5:16-20).

En el Santuario los peregrinos pueden unirse a los numerosos rosarios que se rezan en La Gruta de Massabielle en diferentes idiomas, la famosa procesión nocturna del rosario con antorchas, la procesión Eucarística, la Santa Misa en las varias basílicas y capillas, el Vía Crucis (meditación sobre la pasión de Jesucristo para recordar Su amor por nosotros y nuestro llamado a unir nuestros sufrimientos al de Jesus, para darles propósito y fruto, como la conversión de los demás y la nuestra), ofrecerse como voluntarios para ayudar a los enfermos (oración activa) y mucho más.

Via Crucis (Camino de la Cruz) en el Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes – Francia

Si decides tener esta experiencia, no te olvides de participar en la confesión (que se ofrece en diferentes idiomas), el gesto del agua solicitado por la Virgen María (recomendado hacer después de la confesión – para lavarse en forma física y espiritual) y la Santa Misa (con varias locaciones, horarios e idiomas disponibles dentro del Santuario).

Para más información sobre las actividades del Santuario y todo lo que ofrecen, entra al centro de información, donde encontrará personal disponible que atiende a los peregrinos en varios idiomas. Aparte de lo sagrado que siempre es gratis (como la Santa Misa, la Confesión, el gesto del agua, el Via Crucis, peregrinación Eucharistica y del rosario), todas las siguientes actividades que ofrece el Santuario son gratuitas: la película que explica el mensaje de Nuestra Señora de Lourdes (transmitido en diferentes idiomas), la peregrinación, guiada a pie, por los lugares que tuvieron un impacto en la vida de Santa Bernadette y su familia (la santa a quien la Virgen María transmitió el mensaje de conversión y la necesidad de orar por los demás – si deseas más información sobre las apariciones, haz clic en el enlace), mapas, el Museo de los Milagros (observa cómo Dios ha actuado en la vida de otras personas para que sean una luz para los demás), el Camino del Jubileo y las intenciones de oración.

El Santuario también es accesible y acogedor para peregrinos que tienen diferentes disabilidades: https://www.lourdes-france.com/es/lourdes-un-sanctuaire-accessible-a-tous/

Al invertir en una experiencia de cambio de vida, puedes comenzar el trayecto de sanación diciendole ‘sí’ al llamado de Dios en tu vida.

Coopera con el plan de Dios llevando esperanza y paz a los demás, no solo en la organización caritativa en la que planeas voluntariar los fines de semana, sino también en tu vida cotidiana. ¿Cómo podrías llevar esperanza y luz a las preocupaciones del día a día del prójimo? Hay momentos que solo requieren una simple sonrisa; otras veces, evitar hacer comentarios, o simplemente estando presente al escuchar el problema del prójimo. A veces, incluso, un poco de humor puede ser un acto de esperanza y caridad (amor) para alguien que lleva una cruz pesada. 

Ser un verdadero peregrino significa llevar tu peregrinación a casa compartiendo tu experiencia con otros, conocidos y desconocidos, no con palabras que molestan a muchos, sino con acciones de amor y compasión.

Y con el paso del tiempo, en nuestra peregrinación diaria en casa, con la gracia de Dios, podemos ser transformados en instrumentos de paz. Después de poco tiempo, imagínense el tipo de vecinos, amigos, líderes, trabajadores y miembros de la comunidad que podríamos ser. Las interacciones diarias con el prójimo nos traerían paz al traer paz a los demás.

Mi nuevo objetivo es traer esperanza y soluciones al caos impredecible de la vida.

¿Vas a dejarte ser transformado en un regalo de paz?

Sana a través de ser una luz en la vida de otras personas.

Descargo de responsabilidad: Las sugerencias compartidas en este artículo y/o sitio web no sustituyen la atención psicológica o psiquiátrica profesional, ni son una promesa de curación. Si usted está experimentando una crisis de salud mental, por favor contacte a un profesional o servicios de emergencia inmediatamente. NO ES UN CONSEJO MÉDICO, MENTAL O DE SALUD: No soy, ni me hago pasar por médico/doctor, enfermero, asistente médico, enfermero de práctica avanzada, o cualquier otro profesional médico (“Proveedor Médico”), psiquiatra, psicólogo, terapeuta, consejero, o trabajador social (“Proveedor de Salud Mental”), dietista registrado o nutricionista licenciado, o miembro del clero. RESPONSABILIDAD PERSONAL: Usted reconoce que está participando voluntariamente en el uso de mi sitio web y que usted es el único y personalmente responsable de sus elecciones, acciones y resultados, ahora y en el futuro. Usted acepta la plena responsabilidad por las consecuencias de su uso, o no uso, de cualquier información proporcionada en este sitio web (y páginas asociadas) o a través de él, y acepta utilizar su propio criterio y la debida diligencia antes de implementar cualquier idea, sugerencia o recomendación de mi sitio web (y páginas asociadas) para su vida, familia o negocio.

Doesn’t the Life of Every Human Have Equal Worth?

For a few minutes, consider yourself as Fatima, a resident of Gaza, and then decide.

Picture yourself as Fatima, a resident of Gaza. You are 17 years old, youthful, yet severely malnourished because of lack of food. Your will is strong, but your body feels like it’s about to collapse. You hear of potential aid with food coming your way, yet freeze at the thought of approaching with a pan, remembering that many of your neighbors don’t come back alive. You want to escape the place you are at, but you are weak, thirsty, famished, sleep-deprived, without a car, dealing with the stages of mourning, and hardly able to think straight. Now, you are told to simply leave Gaza. 

Where would you go?

Seriously. As Fatima, where would you go?

Here are some options to think about:

To the south, you have Egypt, a path that is closed.

To the east, you have Israel.

To the north, you have Israel.

To the west, you have the sea.

Now that you have your options, how would you get there? 

You, Fatima, don’t have a car, money, your family members have been killed, and you don’t even know how or when you will get your next bite of food.

Now, strategize a plan for yourself. 

Not so easy, is it?

Fatima is a symbolic representation of the many lives in Gaza. She’s a privileged representation, since many Gaza residents have extra layers of hardship, such as mutilated bodies, the responsibility of many children, religious discrimination for being Christian, and being under the age of twelve. 

As Fatima, imagine feeling the physical pain of hunger and experiencing its mental effects. Starvation is a slow process of human decay involving physical, mental, and emotional pain. You know that innocent people were kidnapped, yet lack understanding why your life, and that of your neighbors, decreases in value due to crimes committed by members of a terrorist organization. 

If it happened to you,

a) would you consider it an act of justice to be punished for crimes you did not commit?; and

b) would you consider it a reasonable suggestion to be told to leave when you don’t have a place to go or resources to make a move?

Destruction of the Innocent Doesn’t Result in Peace

Two things can be true: 1) to be horrified and denounce the way Hamas, a terrorist group, has treated the Israeli victims, and 2) be also horrified at the response by the Israeli forces, which have shown a pattern of negligent and abusive war tactics resulting in killing, mutilation, and starvation of civilians in Gaza, including children under the age of twelve and women, who did not cause the attack.

A nation has a right to defend itself from attacks, but not at the expense of innocent civilian life, such as by restricting access to food and medical aid supplies, shooting at starving civilians attempting to get food, creating an environment of man-made famine, and through a pattern of bombing places of prayer, hospitals, and schools. 

Most nations have policies in place that protect human life, since it’s recognized, morally and legally, that every human life has value. Many nations around the world have citizens who are kidnapped; however, they are not permitted to bomb the locations of the perpetrators due to the potential harmful effects on innocent civilian lives. In the same way, Israel should not be excused from its long-term negligent and abusive war tactics.

A Path of Hope

There could certainly be a path of hope for the residents of Gaza. Nations have united in the past with the purpose of protecting human dignity. 

Leaders of powerful nations could act, not out of necessity, but in the name of humanity, and most importantly, justice in the eyes of God.

When you are called before your Creator and asked what you did for His children in Gaza, what will you be able to say?

“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink ….’” (Matthew 25:40-42, RSVCE)

Time will tell what each nation does with its position of power as a response to the cries-for-help from the children of Gaza.

But, we ought to consider one thing: when does indifference become complicity?

Scripture quotations are from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965, 1966 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Gift of Peace

One Pilgrimage Can Bring Us Closer to Becoming Humans Who Project Peace  

Have you ever asked yourself, what can you do to decrease the agitation you feel?

Or for the chaotic thoughts in your mind to stop?

You are not alone. 

And this is potentially not a surprise to you, since you’ve noticed agitation in other people whom you know well, interact with at work, and even barely know.

It’s easy to get into a pattern of blaming that uneasy feeling on our surroundings: The place you live, the stress of work or lack thereof, opposing views of family members, personalities we consider ‘difficult’ to be around, people who drive differently than we do, the list can go on.

Then the thought might enter: If only I could get away for a week, have some quiet time, escape this place/person/issue I’m dealing with, I would feel so much better.

Many can and choose to go on vacation to escape the agitation, hoping to return renewed. The anticipation of that vacation can even create an illusion of happiness and potential peace.

But what happened next? After taking that vacation or weekend ‘break,’ did you find peace? Or did you end up realizing that something else caused you agitation? Then one has to wonder, could the effective solution not be to escape our ‘problematic’ surrounding/person/issue, but in confronting the reality that unless there is a change within ourselves, there is no escaping that uneasy feeling that creeps up.

Why is a Pilgrimage the Start of a Journey Towards Healing and Peace?

If taking the approach of a ‘perfect vacation’ and the ‘perfect getaway plans’ has failed at bringing you peace, why not try the approach of a pilgrimage? Not a trip to fulfill our self-centered needs that never end up getting fulfilled, but a pilgrimage, a paced trip to a holy place, with the intent to connect with God, community, and His plan in your life, thereby starting a path towards peace, not perfect situations, but peace.

True peace is strong because it can’t be shaken by the chaotic world we are called to face. It’s not about finding the perfect moment that will never come in our time on earth; it’s about having the determination to be in the present for others, with the goal of providing hope and solutions to the daily struggles of their life. 

So if you are interested in taking this journey of hope, allow me to provide you with a little insight. A pilgrimage is not a trip where you become a tourist and attempt to reach as many places as possible; it is about analyzing the time you have been given, during this break from responsibilities, to choose a journey of quality, not quantity. Therefore, the places you visit depend on the time available and the responsibilities you have in the present moment. Many times, going to fewer places can create a richer experience, since it allows pilgrims time to focus on evaluating their behavior, their connection with God, and a healthy interaction with others, whether it be with those in your life or whom you will have a brief encounter in the future.

A pilgrim benefits from having time for individual quiet prayer, meaning internal conversations with God to request guidance, strength, wisdom in struggles, and a truthful self-analysis that leads to a positive change.

Part of a pilgrimage is also partaking in community prayer, to be energized with others who also seek a positive change that leads to a peaceful union with God, inner organization, and respectful interaction with others.

So, where can one go for a pilgrimage? Although there are many holy places, the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes will be used as an example.

The Grotto at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes (France)
Holy place and site of the appearance of the Virgin Mary:
The Grotto at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
https://www.lourdes-france.com/en/day-pilgrims/the-grotto/

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, in France, is equipped with all the aid a pilgrim needs for a full pilgrimage experience, without needing to travel to other places. Besides having space for three Basilicas (houses of God), the Sanctuary also provides the visiting pilgrims with space for solitude prayer (quiet prayer) in its Adoration Chapel. This serene setting allows pilgrims to better connect with God, reflect on lessons learned from experiences, and consider how to cooperate with God’s plan for us. For more information, click on the embedded links.

A pilgrim can also connect with God through His creation. The Sanctuary provides for many places on its grounds where pilgrims can connect with their Creator and self-reflect: The nature in Lourdes is spectacular, and the Sanctuary has many sitting areas around the Gave de Pau river, which passes through it; also, there are many grounds, enhancing a connection with God through His nature. In the Grotto, the holy place where God allowed the Virgin Mary to appear to Saint Bernadette in the 19th century, you can silently pray and ask the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, to intercede for you before her Son, Jesus, so that He sends you His Spirit and guides you through your life journey of transformation.

Can’t wait to experience it? Then, take a look live at https://www.lourdes-france.com/en/lourdesplus/

The Sanctuary also provides pilgrims with the opportunity to connect with God through community prayer, allowing visitors to feel energized and supported by others, and as a reminder that we are called to aid each other in prayer and action. There, you can join the many rosaries prayed at the Grotto in different languages, the famous torchlight rosary-procession at night, Eucharistic procession, Mass at the several basilicas and chapels, Stations of the Cross (meditation on the passion of Jesus Christ to be reminded of His love for us and our call to unite our sufferings to His, to give them the fruitful purpose, such as the conversion of others and ourself), volunteer to help the sick (active prayer), and so much more.

Stations of the Cross (Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes – France)

If you decide to also have this experience yourself, don’t forget to partake in confession (which is provided in different languages), the water gesture requested by the Virgin Mary (recommended after confession – to wash ourselves physically and spiritually), and Mass (with several locations, times, and languages available within the Sanctuary).

For more information on all the activities and everything they offer, visit their information center, where you will find helpers ready to aid pilgrims in different languages. Besides what is sacred, which is always free (such as Holy Mass, Confession, the water gesture, Stations of the Cross, Eucharistic and rosary pilgrimage) the following activities that the Sanctuary offers are free: the movie explaining the message of Our Lady of Lourdes, walking guided tour of the places that affected St. Bernadette and her family (the saint to whom the Virgin Mary relayed the message of conversion and our need to pray for others – for more information about the apparitions click on the embedded link), maps, Museum of Miracles (take a look at how God has acted in other people’s lives for them to be a light for others), the Way of the Jubilee, and prayer intentions.

The Sanctuary is accessible and welcoming to pilgrims with disabilities: https://www.lourdes-france.com/en/lourdes-un-sanctuaire-accessible-a-tous/

By investing in a life-changing experience, you can start a journey of healing by saying ‘yes’ to God’s call in your life.

Cooperate with God in bringing hope and peace to others, not just in the charitable organization you plan on volunteering for on the weekends, but in your day-to-day life. How can you bring hope and light into their worrisome day? Sometimes it’s a simple smile, restriction from making a comment, connecting eye-to-eye on a ‘hectic’ day as a silent gesture that you are present and listening to them. Sometimes, even a little humor can be an act of hope and charity (love) to someone carrying a heavy cross.

Being a true pilgrim means bringing your pilgrimage home by sharing your experience with others, known and unknown, not in words that annoy most, but in actions of altruistic love.

And as time goes by, in our daily at-home pilgrimage, with the grace of God, we may be transformed into strong instruments of peace. After a short time, imagine the type of neighbors, friends, leaders, thinkers, workers, and members of the community we could become. Daily interactions in the world would bring us peace by bringing peace to others. 

My new aim is to bring hope and solutions to the unpredictable chaos of life. 

Will you allow yourself to be transformed into a gift of peace?

Heal by being a light in other people’s lives.

Disclaimer: The suggestions shared on this article and or website are not a substitute for professional psychological or psychiatric care, nor a promise of healing. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact a professional or emergency services immediately. NOT MEDICAL, MENTAL, OR HEALTH ADVICE: I am not, nor am I holding myself out to be a doctor/physician, nurse, physician’s assistant, advanced practice nurse, or any other medical professional (“Medical Provider”), psychiatrist, psychologist, therapist, counselor, or social worker (“Mental Health Provider”), registered dietician or licensed nutritionist, or member of the clergy. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY:  You acknowledge that you are participating voluntarily in using my Website and that you are solely and personally responsible for your choices, actions and results, now and in the future. You accept full responsibility for the consequences of your use, or non-use, of any information provided on or through this Website, and you agree to use your own judgment and due diligence before implementing any idea, suggestion, or recommendation from my Website to your life, family or business.

Did You Know that Many Taxpayers Unknowingly Fund Abortions?

The Battle in Court that Might Change it All

Although many Americans disapprove of ending the lives of unborn children, they are forced to financially support abortions through their taxed income. 

How Are Taxpayers Funding Abortions?

Through Medicaid. Throughout several decades, the federal government has tried to prevent taxpayer money from funding abortions. For example, the Hyde Amendment of 1976 is a legislative provision that restricts federal funding for most abortions; however, its scope has been modified by Congress over the decades. In 2025, President Trump’s Executive Order 14182 rescinded two Executive Orders, EO 14076 & 14079, by the prior administration. EO 14076 and 14079 allowed loopholes for federal funding of abortions. 

Trump’s Executive Order 14182, titled Enforcing the Hyde Amendment, emphasizes, “For nearly five decades, the Congress has annually enacted the Hyde Amendment and similar laws that prevent Federal funding of elective abortion, reflecting a longstanding consensus that American taxpayers should not be forced to pay for that practice. However, the previous administration disregarded this established, commonsense policy by embedding forced taxpayer funding of elective abortions in a wide variety of Federal programs… It is the policy of the United States, consistent with the Hyde Amendment, to end the forced use of Federal taxpayer dollars to fund or promote elective abortion.” 

Then, how are taxpayers funding abortions, if the Hyde Amendment prevents it? 

Medicaid is funded jointly by the federal government and the states through state-specific matching programs. Each state assigns the medical providers who receive Medicaid funding. Therefore, when abortion clinics, and their affiliated providers, receive Medicaid reimbursement through state funding, taxpayers end up financially funding abortion clinics.

Why Should You Care?

Taxpayers should not be forced to fund abortions because of the physical pain caused to the innocent victim, the unborn child. Scientific research, through laboratory and clinical evidence, demonstrates that unborn children feel pain as early as the first trimester. The American College of Pediatricians presented scientific data in their 2021 report by Dr. Robin Pierucci, “Fetal Pain: What is the Scientific Evidence,” which highlights that “a large body of scientific evidence demonstrates that painful or noxious stimulation adversely affects immature human beings, both before and after birth” and babies in the womb may feel pain as early as 12 weeks gestation. 

From a biological analysis, human life begins at conception, meaning the moment of fertilization. This is because biologists agree that when fertilization occurs, a unique zygote (the scientific term for a new human organism) is formed, containing original DNA, distinct from the parent’s genetic material. In the second edition of the scientific textbook, Human Embryology & Teratology, of 1996, Dr. Ronan R. O’Rahilly and Dr. Fabiola Muller declare, “A zygote is the beginning of a new human being. Human development begins at fertilization.” Embryologist Keith L. Moore in the seventh edition of The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology, of 2003, further agrees, “A zygote is the beginning of a new human being. Human development begins at fertilization.” Dr. Moore and Dr. Persaud emphasize,  “Although it is customary to divide human development into prenatal and postnatal periods, it is important to realize that birth is merely a dramatic event during development resulting in a change in environment.” (The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology fifth ed., Moore and Persaud, 1993, Saunders Company, p. 1). Cell biology researchers and Doctors, Janetti Signorelli, Emilce  Diaz, and Patricio Morales, assert, “Fertilization is the process by which male and female haploid gametes (sperm and egg) unite to produce a genetically distinct individual.”(“Kinases, Phosphatases and  Proteases during Sperm Capacitation,” 2012).

Therefore, fertilization (the moment of conception) is the leading biological view of when human life begins. In 2021, a scientific research paper by Steven Andrew Jacobs, J.D., Ph.D., called “The Scientific Consensus on When a Human’s Life Begins,” highlights that “experts in biology were surveyed to provide a new perspective to the literature on experts’ views on this matter. Biologists from 1,058 academic institutions around the world assessed survey items on when a human’s life begins and, overall, 96% (5337 out of 5577) affirmed the fertilization view. The founding principles of the field Science Communication suggest that scientists have an ethical and professional obligation to inform Americans, as well as people around the world, about scientific developments so members of the public can be empowered to make life decisions that are consistent with the best information available.” 

This means that a 40-year-old man contains the same genetic blueprint (complete set of DNA) as he did when he was an unborn child in his mother’s womb. Merriam-Webster defines homicide as “a killing of one human being by another,” death as “the cause or occasion of loss of life,” and child as “an unborn or recently born person.” A human death is a homicide if the dead person was once alive and is now dead because of the act of another human being. Under U.S. Code, “child abuse’ means intentionally or knowingly causing death or serious bodily injury to a child” (18 U.S.C. §1111 (c)(3)). Consequently, performing the act of homicide, as in, intentionally ending the life cycle of the 40-year-old man, is equally as unethical as ending the life cycle of an unborn child. Putting worth on humans based on their age introduces an argument of human-value based on ageism, which insinuates that a toddler’s life has less worth than a teenager’s life, due to their age and developmental stage-in-life difference.

 The States that Stand Up for Unborn Children and Taxpayers 

Some states are standing up for unborn children and taxpayers by preventing abortion clinics from being funded by Medicaid. For example, in 2022, Indiana passed the Senate Enrolled Act 1, which terminated the licensure of abortion clinics. Before the Senate Enrolled Act 1, Indiana was the first state to deny Medicaid funding to abortion clinics. In 2011, Indiana passed the House Enrolled Act 1210 (HEA 1210), preventing Medicaid funding of abortion clinics: “An agency of the state may not: 1) enter into a contract with, or 2) make a grant to any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed that involves the expenditure of state funds or federal funds administered by the state…. This section does not apply to hospitals licensed under IC 16-21-2 or ambulatory surgical centers licensed under IC 16-21-2.”

Alabama’s 2019 Human Life Amendment Act (HB 314) declares its intent is “to make abortion and attempted abortion felony offenses except in cases where abortion is necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother; [and] to provide that a woman who receives an abortion will not be held criminally culpable or civilly liable for receiving the abortion.” However, the state was prevented from criminalizing the act of performing an abortion by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama due to the U.S. Supreme Court’s precedent, at the time, of Roe v. Wade, 1973. Then, in 2022, when Roe was overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022), the injunction (order preventing Alabama from enforcing the Human Life Amendment Act) by the U.S. District Court was lifted, and Alabama was able to terminate its Medicaid contracts with abortion clinics; thereby, enforcing a complete abortion ban, except “to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother,” through its Alabama Human Life Protection Act. 

In 2018, the governor of South Carolina, under Executive Order No. 2018-21, barred abortion clinics from acquiring reimbursement through Medicaid: “WHEREAS, the preservation of life is the ultimate right to be protected and necessarily includes the life of unborn children; and … WHEREAS, the General Assembly has expressed, in section 43-5-1185 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended, that ‘State funds appropriated for family planning must not be used to pay for an abortion; and WHEREAS, the payment of taxpayer funds to abortion clinics, for any purpose, results in the subsidy of abortion and the denial of the right to life; … I hereby direct DHHS [South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services] to deem abortion clinics…and any affiliated physicians or professional medical practices, that are enrolled in the Medicaid program as unqualified to provide family planning services and, therefore, to immediately terminate them upon due notice and deny any future such provider enrollment applications for the same.”

 The Battle in Court – What’s Next? 

A crucial decision from the U.S. Supreme Court is coming up, and its impact could be significant. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit prohibited South Carolina from terminating abortion clinics’ participation in the Medicaid program as qualified providers. The issue revolves around Section 1902 (a)(23) of the Social Security Act, which provides that “any individual eligible for medical assistance (including drugs) may obtain such assistance from any institution, agency, community pharmacy, or person, qualified to perform the services….” The Supreme Court granted hearing arguments regarding whether the Medicaid Act’s any-qualifier-provider provision unambiguously confers a private right upon a Medicaid beneficiary to choose a specific provider (Medina v. Planned Parenthood, 2025). Eunice Medina, the Director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, argued before the Court that Section 1902 (a) (23) of the Social Security Act only creates a benefit not a private right to enforce.

What decision do you think the Supreme Court will make? 

We’ll find out around June of 2025. 

This upcoming decision is important not only for South Carolina but also for any state looking to follow in South Carolina’s footsteps. If the Court agrees with Medina’s argument and establishes that individuals don’t have a private right to sue when states disqualify abortion facilities as ‘qualified providers’ under the Medicaid Act, other states would have a smoother process of terminating the Medicaid contracts with abortion clinics. And as a result, preventing taxpayers from funding abortions. 

UPDATE: Medina v. Planned Parenthood

On June 26th, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) published its ruling, which favored South Carolina. In its decision, SCOTUS asserted that §1396a (a)(23)(A), Medicaid’s qualified provider provision, does not create individual rights because Congress did not include language that creates rights in the provision, such as ‘guarantee’ and ‘free choice.’ Additionally, SCOTUS expressed that it will analyze what Congress enacted, rather than engage in speculation. Therefore, South Carolina will not be restricted from defunding Planned Parenthood. Now, the states will have an easier time defunding abortion clinics; thereby, protecting the lives of the unborn children and their state’s residents from paying for abortions.

For the complete SCOTUS opinion, you may go to the following URL:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/23-1275_e2pg.pdf

The War Against Parents by Schools and States

Teachers Mandated to Lie and Omit Information from Parents

States and school districts throughout the United States are implementing laws and guidelines that undermine parents’ right to information about their children. Parents have a constitutional right to make judgments about the upbringing of their children, including in the sphere of education. But can they make those judgments if states and schools prohibit parents from learning information vital to their children’s well-being? In particular, many states are allowing schools to keep parents from learning about their children’s change of gender identity and the counseling they are receiving in that regard. 

A century ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that parents have a constitutional right to choose how to bring up their children and that this right is protected by the Fourteenth Amendment (Meyer v. Nebraska, 1923). The Fourteenth Amendment states, “No State shall … deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of the law.” The Court in Meyer established that “without a doubt, [liberty] denotes not merely freedom from bodily restraint but also the right of the individual to … marry, establish a home and bring up children, to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience.” 

The Court continued, “The [Northwest] Ordinance of 1787 declares, ‘Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” The Court thus not only highlighted the right of parents to make decisions concerning their children’s upbringing, protected by the right to liberty, but it also established that the right to liberty in the Fourteenth Amendment protects the right to worship God. It therefore made clear that individuals not only have the right to decide their religion, as stated by the First Amendment, but also to make decisions regarding religion, morality, and any other matter that relates to raising and shaping the mentality of their children. The Court even reaffirmed that religion and morality are necessary to the happiness of individuals. 

Then, in 2000, the Supreme Court stated in Troxel v. Granville, “In light of this extensive precedent, it cannot now be doubted that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children.” The Court, thus, reaffirmed that parents’ rights with respect to the upbringing of their children are fundamental and should receive a high degree of protection. 

Putting Minors in Charge

So then, why are states such as New York, California, and Oregon dismissing this right, and doing so over ideas that are not protected by the Constitution? Such states are favoring the promulgation of alternative cultural views in the classroom, especially those related to sexuality, and are disregarding parental rights in the process. 

In June 2023, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) issued a new guidance to school districts, titled “Creating a Safe, Supportive, and Affirming School Environment for Transgender and Gender Expansive Students,” which stated, “The student is in charge of their gender transition…. Some TGE [transgender and gender expansive] students have not talked to their families about their gender identity because of safety concerns or lack of acceptance and may begin their transition at school without parent/guardian knowledge.” Moreover, when “TGE students disclose their gender identity to school personnel . . . it is important that school personnel receiving this information keep it confidential, unless the student explicitly states otherwise.” 

In Oregon, not only is the state Department of Education instructing schools to hide information from parents, but the legislature enacted a bill in 2023, called House Bill 2002, which allows minors, as young as 15 years of age, to acquire gender-related surgeries without parental consent. And, in its 2023 guidance for schools, titled “Supporting Gender Expansive Students,” the Oregon Department of Education tells school districts, “To the extent possible, schools should refrain from revealing information about a student’s gender identity, even to parents, caregivers, or other school administrators, without permission from the student.” These laws and school guidelines not only allow minors to make life-changing decisions on their own; they also encourage them to defy the authority, advice, and guidance of their parents. 

Contrary to the messages sent by authorities in New York and Oregon, the Supreme Court in 1979 asserted the inability of minors to make proper judgments on their upbringing and reaffirmed its constant holding that parents are best suited to decide whether a life-changing decision would be beneficial or detrimental to their child’s wellbeing. In Parham v. J.R., the Court stated, “The law’s concept of the family rests on a presumption that parents possess what a child lacks in maturity, experience, and capacity for judgment required for making life’s difficult decisions …. Most children, even in adolescence, simply are not able to make sound judgments concerning many decisions, including their need for medical care or treatment. Parents can and must make those judgments.”

By putting minors in charge of their own upbringing, schools are explicitly denying parents their constitutional right to make decisions for their own minor children. Moreover, not only are they preventing parents from acquiring the information necessary to assess the state of their children’s mental, physical, and spiritual health, but they are also defying parental decisions that don’t align with the child’s judgment. 

Hiding Crucial Information from Parents and Forcing Teachers to Lie 

Even in conservative states, such as Alaska, Idaho, and Kansas, a war against parents by schools is being waged. In Alaska, the Anchorage School District has issued administrative guidelines that allow faculty members to hide information about students’ gender from their parents. The district’s guideline, called “Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students and Employees,” declares, “Generally, notification of a student’s parent about his or her gender identity, expression or transition is unnecessary.” In Idaho, the Middleton School District guideline, titled “Gender Identity and Sexual Education”, disregards the Supreme Court’s language on parents’ rights, asserting instead, “School employees should not disclose a student’s transgender status or sexual orientation to other individuals, regardless of setting, including the other school personnel or (in the case of middle school, junior high school, and high school students) the student’s parents/guardians, unless they have a legitimate need to know or unless the student has authorized such disclosure. Action in violation of such student confidentiality may subject an employee to discipline, up to and including possible termination and for certificated personnel, a report to the Professional Standards Commission.”

School guidelines that force teachers to lie to parents undermine teachers’ own First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of their religion. Yet, on August 28, 2023, the state of California filed a lawsuit against Chino Valley Unified School District, one of the few districts in California that demand parental notification by the school of a child’s change of gender identification.

In Kansas, the guidelines for public schools instruct school personnel to “not disclose information that may reveal a student’s transgender status or gender nonconforming presentation to others, including parents” (“Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Guidelines for Transgender and Gender Non-conforming Students at School”). These guidelines discriminate against parents who would oppose their child’s change of gender by making schools purposely withhold vital information from them; consequently, parents who disagree with the ideology of changing genders are prevented from making a healthy parenting choice. 

From analyzing the clear language of the Supreme Court in conjunction with the Fourteenth Amendment, one can easily see the discrimination that parents, especially conservative ones, face in some states raises to an unconstitutional level. Parents cannot make the best decisions for the well-being of their children if schools and states forestall them from obtaining vital information. As Troxel highlights, parents have the right to make such decisions because their children do not have the maturity or life experience to understand the consequences of their choices. States ought to bear in mind that the Supreme Court has reaffirmed in several cases that parents have a constitutional right to “direct the upbringing and education of children under their control” (Troxel, quoting Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 1925). Purposely withholding information constitutes a violation of parental rights because it denies parents the knowledge they need to make good decisions for their minor children. 

Fighting Back 

Throughout the nation, parents are having to defend a right they already have in accordance with the Constitution and as affirmed by the Supreme Court. Some state legislatures are helping them by bringing up bills protecting parental rights, with regard not only to schools but also to other areas of life. For example, Florida enacted the Parent’s Bill of Rights in 2022. Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina have enacted similar laws, and other states are in the process of doing so. Such laws help ensure that parents become aware of the ideas being taught and promoted among their children in school and how these ideas may affect their well-being. 

On the federal level, H.R.5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act, passed the House of Representatives in March 2023; However, it did not pass the Senate. The bill would have been a major win for parents since it reaffirms parents’ legal right to be made aware of a child’s change of gender, pronouns, or of sex-based accommodations at school as well as access to school curricula and teaching materials. The bill would have been especially helpful for parents in states whose policies ignore or seek to override their rights. 

Parents should inform themselves of the situation in their state, and take it into account in making choices for their children’s education and even, where feasible, in choosing where to live. The choice to live in one state versus another could mean the difference between retaining and losing the freedom to raise their children in accordance with their own values and to guide them in the making of crucial choices. 

This article was first published by Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity.