Shocked and Saddened

[Shutterbug]

After reading this article it makes me wonder what the world is coming to. I wonder if I were to become a parent if I would be a good enough one to keep my kids from this:


newsweek article

 

[TIdoublegaER]

That's terrible, but where are the parents and why aren't they involved in their children's lives? Your kid comes home with hundreds of $$ worth of clothes and you don't question where she got the money for that? I just don't understand.

 

[Evil Princess]

I really don't think that this problem is as common as they make it out to be. I live in suburban NYC in an upper middle class area with 3 malls 15 minutes from my house. Never have I been approached by a Pimp, or even HEARD about this.

And yes, I listen to the 50 Cent song P.I.M.P. and I'm quite unharmed. Kids today take the word "pimp" not so literally. It could be a guy with money who can get alot of girls.

I don't deny the problem, but I think they exaggerated.

 

[nsyncraider17]

I've never heard of anything like this happening, either.

I'm definitely not saying that the pimps in the story haven't done anything wrong, but I think that the "victims" deserve a lot of the blame...I mean, if some random guy started talking to me at the mall and offering to buy me things, I would leave! I would never let someone I don't know hang out with me, no matter how much he offered.

 

[Jeafl]

I am not at all surprised. When we were in Las Vegas last week, we saw dozens of young teen girls on the strip handing out business cards and pamphlets advertising prostitutes. My husband and I couldn't believe that these young girls (some didn't look more than 12 or 13), would just stand on the streets day after day peddling themseves. It was really sad, and some of them looked really worn down and beaten. They tried to even hand the stuff to women! It really broke my heart.

 

[Grog]

Kids today take the word "pimp" not so literally.

Maybe that's part of the problem. Some of these girls may have thought "oh, a pimp...that's just a really cool guy with lots of money and girlfriends". Next thing you know...

 

[snowwhitemom]

These problems are alot deeper..., for some reason the girl they call "Stacey" only thought that her self..her body was worth 250- 400 .....that is the really sad part, where is the self worth. I am always always telling my child how important she is and how much special she is, it would break my heart, but as stated a lil earlier, her parents don't notice all the new clothes??? Just MHO.

 

[snoopy]

Yup, I'm with snowwhitemom, somewhere down the line Stacy lost her self worth, you have to wonder what caused that - upper middle class family or not. Very sad.

 

[DoeWDW]

My 14 year old daughter is not allowed to "hang out" at the mall. If she and her friends want to go shopping, one or several moms go along and we make it a fun time for all.

However, she is also pretty innocent. I don't know if she knows what prostitution is or how she might someday be approached by unscrupulous people who are not interested in her intelligence, creativity and values. I think I'll be having a chat with her ..... trying to not scare her but letting her know that not everyone in the world has her best interests at heart.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

What a wake-up call to those of us who think the mall is a safe place! We know to stay away from people on the street and not talk to strangers, but somehow the mall seems like a friendlier place. I haven't spoken to strangers in malls before, I hope I am teaching that same behaviour to my children. BTW, I heard pimps even come by schools to recruit young girls.

This hits home: Young teen-age girls at the mall should be supervised!!!