By: Janice Tjeng Edited by: Juliana Zhu, Esq. Elisabeth is a survivor of family-controlled child sex trafficking and abuse, which began when she was 2. After years of familial sexual abuse, her father sold her to pimps to earn more money. She eventually left home at 18. The birth of her twins motivated her to seek help and she spent the last 6 years recovering from childhood trauma and earned her master’s degree in social work (MSW). Currently, Elisabeth writes about her reco

By: Kristine Alarcon Edited by: Juliana Zhu, Esq. Childhood cancer is often difficult to face, not only for the child but also for the parents. Though it is a blessing when the child conquers and survives the disease, cancer may still be a ghost and haunt the child. Children have a high risk of “late effects” after cancer. Even though radiation and chemotherapy drugs are the treatment of choice for cancer, they can be very harmful. They are effective at killing the cancerous

By: Charmaine Santos Edited by: Juliana Zhu, Esq. Brianna was like any other high school student. She was a loving sister and daughter, a bubbly cheerleader, and a waitress at a diner in small town in Washington. Being a victim of trafficking never crossed her mind. A man in his mid-40s, Richard, often came in to the diner and conversed with Brianna. He asked her what types of boys she liked and found out she hoped to go to school in Seattle. Brianna thought he was just frien

By: Luis Gay Edited by: Juliana Zhu, Esq. Nazrul Islam is the Bangladesh Country Director for Relief International (RI), a U.S.-based international non-government organization that provides development services to more than 20 countries. Under his leadership, RI is aiding in combating human trafficking and promoting safe migration through the Protecting Victims of Human Trafficking in Bangladesh project. In an interview with Sakina Huq from Law Desk, Islam answers questions a

By: Luis Gay Domestic abuse—whether it is physical, sexual, or emotional—is an issue that is haunting millions of people in the United States. Women between the ages of 18-34 years old are the highest target group for victimization according to the Department of Justice, with 43% of college women reporting abuse. Depending on the type of trauma, various physiological effects may follow as a result. For instance, physical traumas such as marital rape may cause unwanted pregnan

By: Kristine Alarcon Katie Brubaker, a student at the Moor College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, will be helping Peter Zucca, a 12-year-old cancer survivor from Harleysville, Pennsylvania illustrate his book. Zucca wrote Peter Learns to Listen to help other children understand what hearing-impaired children experience. By helping Zucca with his story, Brubaker hopes to help publish his book as well as to start her own career in illustrating children’s books. As a college s

By: Janice Tjeng Edited by: Sharon Chin, MPH Zainab Bangura, U.N.’s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, recently conducted a tour of refugee camps in Syria and Iraq, war-ravaged countries where the Islamic State (ISIS) hold its territories. From there, she heard many horrifying stories of victims under ISIS’ control. Bangura mentions, “The brutalization of women and girls is central to their ideology.” Virgins were captured by jihadists and sold at auctions

By: E. Diane Champe, Founder/President of the E Diane Champe Institute Managing Assistant: Tram Pham Child abuse (physical, mental, emotional, and/or sexual) and neglect encompasses lifelong consequences for men and women (survivors). Survivors don’t realize until much later in life that the methods they developed and used to cope as children were carried forward into their adult lives. When children are abused, they begin to question themselves and their world because it des

By: Janice Tjeng Edited by: Sharon Chin, MPH {Comment in image is by the original author: Kate Thomas} World Vision Australia is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization that helps children, families, and communities overcome poverty and injustice. Kate Thomas, a World Vision Youth Ambassador, recently visited a youth club in the Yen Bai Province of Northern Vietnam. It is common for families and children of the Yen Bai Province to migrate to the Chinese bord

By: Charmaine Santos In the fall of 2013, transfer and commuter student Derek Elrod was rushing the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at the University of North Texas (UNT). The fraternity was his first choice and he thought the brothers at the fraternity were very welcoming. He felt like he finally found the social support and atmosphere he was longing for. Elrod said, “It was extremely inviting and friendly. I met so many people I thought were really nice people. The feeling was