AMW has been working hard at pointing the white hot light of the law onto one of the most dangerous and far reaching crimes, human trafficking. This practice of modern day slavery has allowed for the exploitation of people all over the globe, into forced labor and commercial sex. AMW has been working various angles of such victimization, and has been responsible for bringing to justice both traffickers and predators who take advantage of those victimized by the sex trade. Criminals such as An Soon Kim, who cops say forced dozens of Korean women into sex slavery, and Loren Oulman a convicted American sex offender who attempted to evade authorities by laying low in Southeast Asia.

While a global phenomenon, a significant number of victims and perpetrators are located right here in the United States. Filmmaker Libby Spears recently took an inside look at the global sex trade, and ultimately found an alarming number of American children forced into the industry. This is a less an issue of people getting kidnapped and forced into work, but more often a situation where vulnerable victims may have initially traveled voluntarily or begun working under different circumstances. But there are currently more than 300,000 American children who have fallen into the illegal sex trade.

The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, provides support to anyone who has been victimized by any type of sexual crime, and resources to anyone who is interested in helping victims. Through both their telephone and online hotlines, there are more than 1,000 trained volunteers at any given time available to help through their national network of crisis center. Completely confidential, a caller always has the option to remain anonymous. Continue reading Fighting The Spread Of Human Trafficking »

This year’s winter weather has been brutal for many parts of the country, and many of us are experiencing weather extremes unseen in decades. But when you bundle up to protect your extremities and your face from the cold, make sure you don’t block yourself off completely from your environment. It’s always important to keep in mind your personal safety as well. Just as in any warm weather season, you should always be aware of your surroundings.

January is National Self-Defense Awareness Month, and the start of a new year is a great time for you to think about your personal safety. Have you developed any bad habits that could put you at risk? Does your routine take you through any poorly lit or dangerous areas? Even your winter clothing could put you at greater risk if you must wear a hooded coat that might be obstructing your field of vision.

The AMW Safety Center has plenty of great tips to help you stay prepared and aware in any situation. And learning some basic self-defense tactics could go a long way toward helping you stay ready. Remember, self-defense is primarily about avoiding a fight and being able to get out of a dangerous situation–awareness is a big part of that. Continue reading January Is Self-Defense Awareness Month »

When your kids go off to college, there are a whole host of things to consider so you can ensure they are prepared for the coming school year. You’ll want to make sure to take care of linens and bath supplies, new clothes, room accessories, textbooks, and so much more. But regardless of whether we are talking freshmen leaving home for the first time to experience dorm life, or returning upperclassmen more accustomed to off-campus apartment living, consideration for personal safety should always be of prime importance. It’s important to discuss with them some of the many challenges they’ll be facing outside of academic life.

According to new data from the FBI, violent crimes, including sexual assault, are down across the nation. But while these numbers reflect a positive trend, the fact remains that you could still be at risk. The Rape Abuse & Incest National Network estimates that one out of every six American women has been the victim of attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. College-aged women are especially at risk, and are four times more likely to be sexually assaulted as anyone else in the population. Of further concern, underreporting of sexual assault on college campuses remains a serious issue.

These rates of attack and underreporting have long been of concern, and the U.S. Department of Justice has just recently published a report describing the problem of acquaintance rape of college students, detailing some alarming findings. According to this report, fewer than 5 percent of college women who are victims of rape or attempted rape report it to police. Additionally, earlier this month, the U.S. Senate held a Subcommittee hearing entitled “Rape in the United States: The Chronic Failure to Report and Investigate Rape Cases,” which gives us a sense of how serious and far reaching this issue really is.

The AMW Safety Center has a lot of great information to help your college-aged kids better understand these threats of sexual assault. Whether they or someone they know has been affected by sexual assault, it’s important to understand what kind of threats are classified as sexual assault, and to report the crime when it does in fact occur. Check out some of these expert resources, which we’ve prepared, after the jump. Continue reading The Hidden Threat On College Campuses »

There are countless scams floating around out there with the aim of separating you from your hard-earned money, and you may feel you’ve heard warnings against them all. But many of these scams are successful when you start feeling comfortable and let your guard down. Anyone can become a victim, no matter how savvy you feel you are.

More than 9 million Americans are falling victim to various types of fraud each year, from phishing and online dating scams to credit card fraud and identity theft. And in these times of economic uncertainty, with each of us more conscious over our finances, scammers are taking advantage of folks in a financial bind with credit repair schemes, promises of foreclosure relief or quick money work-at-home scams. And no matter what specific form these scams may take, often times they are the same old tricks dressed up in new clothes.

In fact, according to the National Consumers League, the most reported types of fraud were fake check scams, and were on the rise over the previous year’s numbers. And of these types of scams reported, more than 86 percent consisted of fraudulent mystery shopper, fake sweepstakes and overpayment scams. If you are ever offered payment but asked to send some of the money back, this arrangement is a surefire sign of a scam. The checks look real enough for your bank to process them, and by law your bank must make the money available to you quickly. But just because the money appears in your account does not mean the check was good. It can take weeks for a forged check to be discovered, and when it bounces, you are responsible for the amount deposited.

So many of us are looking for financial opportunities that might help us get through tough times. But letting your guard down could make matters much worse. Check out the NCL site for more information on the different types of fake check scams and other types of fraud, and learn about what you can do to take a stand and avoid falling victim.