Risky Business - Partying in Underwear Is Not Cool

by Cassie Nelson

In 1983's Risky Business, Tom Cruise made a high school boy partying in private in his underwear the stuff of Hollywood legend. Twenty-seven years later, a junior and a senior at Dr. Michael Krop Senior High School thought it would be fun to throw a "lingerie party," which amounted to a night of extensive promiscuity as teens partied in their panties. And, in 2010, there was nothing private about it.

The Valentine's Day weekend party was held at former strip club in a seedy neighborhood in Miami, Florida. The theme and surroundings encouraged teens to drink heavily, wear hardly anything, and act outrageously. The price of admission: $25, and all of the underclassmen at my school were paying.

In class, I overheard three sophomore guys describe what they would be wearing: “Red silk boxers, no shirt, and a bow-tie.” Boys talked about the abs they'd been doing every night so they'd look good for the girls, who'd hardly be wearing anything at all. One guy even said he would be shaving his stomach for the occasion.

Although they just wanted to go out and have fun, these young adults were either completely unaware of the possible repercussions of their actions, or they just didn't care. The day after the party, pictures of them intoxicated and scantily clad would be all over Facebook, the world's largest social networking website. Only when it affects them in the future will they realize what they've done to themselves and each other. 

"Sexting" is already a massive issue at my school. Every few months, pictures of a naked girl spread through the school within minutes, until everyone, whether they want to or not, has seen them. Most of the boys save them, either on their phones or computers. The problem never ceases because the girl is too afraid and too embarrassed to go to school administrators or police -- even in a case as severe as a boy secretly recording his sexual activity with a girl and sending it to all his friends. 

Sometimes, a girl sends her nude photos to one boy, a boy she probably likes or has feelings for -- only to have the boy send it to all his friends, who then sent it to all of their friends. If caught, they all could be tried on child pornography charges.

 Technically, distributing naked pictures of teenage girls under the age of 18 is considered child pornography. If caught, the boys or men could face jail time and/or have to register as sex offenders -- a burden they would carry all their lives. It doesn't matter if the girl took the pictures herself, or if the photos were sent to someone younger than 18. It's still child porn. 

The lingerie party photos, though sleazy, don't count because the girls weren't nude.

Neither I nor most of the other senior girls went to the party. Most didn’t want to be surrounded by the younger students. But some also understood that they'd have no control over whether pictures of them clad in skimpy lingerie spread across the the Internet. One of the people throwing the party was a girl in her senior year. Once the hosts began promoting the party, high school principals from all over Dade County contacted her, demanding that she shut down the party before anyone was hurt, in the present or the future. She refused, and on that Saturday night, hundreds of boys and girls left their homes in normal “mall attire” over the lingerie until they got to the doors of the party.

That, I later learned (and saw on Facebook), was when the street clothes came off and the craziness began. In lingerie and boxers, the girls and boys were unable to relate to anyone there in any sort of normal way. The mood of the party went from the regular, have-fun sort to a totally sex-centered atmosphere, heightened by drinking and smoking. I believe those who may have felt a little inhibited by the way they were dressed -- or not dressed -- used the drugs and alcohol much earlier and more heavily than others.

The photos that appeared online that night and the next day were disturbing. The party was at a former strip club, so the girls were dancing on the poles and bar, wearing next to nothing and drunkenly oblivious to the camera phones snapping their pictures. Even more unsettling is that some of those girls posted those images as their main profile photos -- the default photo anyone can see -- on Facebook. Apparently, they really feel that they need to look promiscuous to be popular. 

But while the fun is fleeting, the Internet is forever. What happens when they want to get into a good university? When they start looking for a job in their profession? When they hope to play a college or pro sport or teach for a living? These pictures could haunt them forever, hindering their potential for success in the real world. The real world is not the one portrayed on TV in shows and commercials where everyone is either trying to have sex, having sex, or talking about the sex they had or want to have. (Pictured above: Actress Vanessa Hudgens in cell phone photo scandal of 2007. Sources say she "learned her lesson.")

Lingerie parties are just a symptom of a society and a generation that has lost sight of what is important. Instead of doing crunches and spending good money on ridiculous stripper outfits, teens in other eras involved themselves in social causes. Today, one of the worst problems I believe we face is the sexual abuse of women, through rape, domestic violence, and human trafficking. The line defining acceptable behavior keeps receding from the moral boundaries  needed to protect women and girls. If we see ourselves as sex objects, how can we expect others to see us anything else?

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The Environmental Price of Reality Fame

by Cassie Nelson 

Who knew it was so easy to be famous? Just get knocked up in your teens, and you too can be on TV and in entertainment magazines! Already an adult? It’s not too late. Just keep on having those kids, one every year or, to be famous faster, have a whole litter of children! Never mind the medical risks to you and the babies. Never mind that you don’t have an education or a job to support them. Never mind that you lack parenting skills.

That’s today's reality. We are talking TV here. News shows have a saying: If it bleeds, it leads. It seems reality television now has its own motto: If it’s cute we shoot. 

What could be cuter than a line-up of picture-perfect infants or toddlers? I have always loved babies, but not when they come in six-packs, eight-packs or 12-packs. Unlike me, though, the production people at TLC love the baby swarms. The public apparently agrees with them. 

It may be, however, that what the public really likes is to watch and wait for the inevitable catastrophe. In a typical household with kids, there is the occasional spilled milk, wet bed or hurt feelings. On these shows there are major meltdowns, by the parents. They snipe at each other, then argue, then shout and finally break up. Or, they never bother to marry or even try to raise the children as a parenting unit, as the unwed teen moms on “16 and Pregnant” illustrate.

Not all of these shows focus on dysfunctional parents. In “18 Kids and Counting,” the very fertile family founders decided to forget about birth control and have a child nearly every year, with the older ones already adding grandchildren. While the parents are loving and kind and their household amazingly well organized, I am completely appalled at the publicity they receive for their massive consumption of natural resources and enormous ecological footprint, instead of helpful accomplishments.

High-school students like me have been bombarded with terms such as "carrying capacity," "total fertility rate," and "global warming." They've been continuously reiterated and carved into our minds. To maintain population growth, but not overdo it, parents must give birth to at least two children to replace themselves after death, thus maintaining a steady population. However, exceeding that fertility rate by six or 16 children can severely damage the planet. Having so many children results in the need for large transportation, such as the van in “Jon and Kate plus 8,” or the bus in “18 Kids and Counting,” leads to the release of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, and strains already scarce natural resources.

 I see the effects of excessive population growth first-hand every day when I am swept along by the crowds changing classes. My school was built to hold 3,000 students but was overcrowded by its second year of operation. What chance do the conservation efforts of nonprofit organizations or government have when faced with competition from reality shows that glorify population explosion and massive consumerism? It isn’t necessary to even remove these shows completely. If the producers only gave a little thought to the effect they may be having on the behavior of their viewers, perhaps they could offer some balance. 

For instance, the massive families could maintain gardens, lessening their impact on the environment by growing their own fruits and vegetables. At a time when inflation is high and job availability low, young children and adults should be taught perseverance and determination instead of giving birth to numerous children -- or even one as a high-school student -- in hopes of acquiring a television show or publicity. During these times, education is crucial, and for some, mimicking Jon and Kate, or Jim Bob and Michelle Duggard, may seem an easier way to get by. This mindset must be changed immediately. How about a show that celebrates quality of life, not quantity of lives?

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Elizabeth Smart: A Woman To Look Up To

by Cassie Nelson

Everyone has someone they would want to meet given the chance. Usually it's a famous athlete, celebrity, or politician like the president of the United States. But I'd rather meet someone far stronger than athletes who are constantly battered during games; celebrities ducking omnipresent paparazzi, or a president constantly attacked by one side or the other for every decision he makes.

I would want to meet Elizabeth Smart, a woman who has endured more than most will in a lifetime. Six years after her rescue, Elizabeth holds her head high as she reveals details of her capture for the first time. She walks with poise; looking fearless and determined. She's determined not to let the horrors she endured during her captivity destroy her future. She's determined not to let the man responsible for those horrors avoid punishment. She's determined that her survival be an inspiration for women and girls similarly abducted and held, among them Jaycee Dugard.


Three years ago, Elizabeth’s abductor, Brian Mitchell, convinced a judge that he was not competent to stand trial. Last week, Elizabeth Smart testified in detail about Mitchell’s abuse and behavior during her captivity to prove he knew exactly what he was doing then and was manipulating the system now. I can’t imagine the courage it must have taken to publicly describe her experience, especially in front of her parents, who never pushed her for details. Knowing she would be confronting her abductor for the first time since her rescue on March 12, 2003, in Sandy, Utah, she did not hesitate.

Perhaps Elizabeth Smart is able to talk about her ordeal, rather than be consumed by it, because she maintained her inner dignity and belief in a better future through the worst of  her horror. Even when she was being raped as often as four times a day, Elizabeth never lost herself. She kept a diary, writing nice things about her captor in English, while scribbling her true feelings in French underneath. Not only did she refuse to give in to despair; she looked for a way to escape.
Mitchell had told her he would kill her if she tried to escape. She figured her best chance at rescue would be back in Utah and not in California, where he had taken her. Somehow, without making him suspicious, she convinced Mitchell to return to Salt Lake City. The plan worked, and she was spotted on a street outside of Salt Lake City.


Elizabeth was 14 years old when she was abducted. She is 21 now, officially an adult. Like other young  women her age, Elizabeth is preparing to begin an independent life. She plans to move to Paris soon for the 18-month mission served by many young members of the Mormon Church. The commitment to helping others sustained her through the aftermath of her abduction and now propels her forward. As Elizabeth said in an interview recently, “I want people to know that no matter what happens in their lives, there is nothing too difficult to get through.” 

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My Take on the Jaycee Dugard Case

by Cassie Nelson

I’m turning 18 in November, and Jaycee Dugard has been held captive for longer than I’ve been alive. I spent my 18 years enjoying a happy childhood and the typical turmoil of teenage years. Jaycee has spent her 18 years as a victim of sexual abuse. At the age of 14, when most girls are looking forward to starting high school, Jaycee became a mother and went on to raise two children sired by her abuser.

The incredible good fortune of Jaycee’s rescue is matched by the horror of her long ordeal. There are so many questions and issues raised by her experience: how could the neighbors and the authorities have failed to see what was going on; could the abuser’s wife be complicit; and most confusing of all, how could Jaycee have made no apparent effort over the years to escape? The neighbors have explained why they were not aware; the authorities have admitted they failed in their responsibility. The wife was apparently just as much a monster as her husband, but what about Jaycee?

Psychiatrists have explained that anyone under the complete control of an abuser will come to feel a connection with their abuser, based on fear but also dependence. Jaycee was only 11 when she was taken and, although the backyard she was hidden in was only 35 miles from her home, it must have seemed like a world away. The experts say that no individual can maintain the level of fear or anger that being abducted and abused would cause for a prolonged time. Eventually hopelessness sets in, followed by a growing sense of identification and bonding with the abductor.

Young children are capable of finding joy even in the most difficult circumstances. Children living in dire poverty can enjoy playing street games while their parents sink into despair. It is this very innocence and resilience that saved Jaycee at the same time it imprisoned her.

Jaycee made the best of a horrifying situation. Although escape may have seemed ridiculously easy to an adult, to a child even crossing the street alone is a frightening experience. In fact, Jaycee was doing just that, on the way to the bus stop, when she was abducted less than 100 yards away from her stepfather.

My parents warn me constantly to be aware of my surroundings and never, ever text while walking through a parking lot. I know that if the unthinkable occurs, if I do the wrong thing and am taken, my parents will not be angry at me and will never give up looking for me. A child does not have the same ability to reason as an older teen or adult. Like Shawn Hornbeck, who was abducted at age 11 and held for four years, Jaycee couldn't believe that there were still people out there looking for her -- an abstract concept -- when her abductor told her she was his forever.

Psychology calls this the pre-operational stage of development. In a recent interview, Shawn described his situation this way: “It’s like you are on autopilot, only someone else is controlling all the switches. They control every little, minute detail in your life. Everything.” Like Shawn, Jaycee deserves our understanding and support, so that perhaps the next 18 years of her life will finally be happy.

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Women In Crime Give Back: An Intern Program

by Women In Crime Ink

The antiquated saying “kids should be seen and not heard” is obsolete. No one knows more than Women in Crime Ink's contributors how valuable it is to be heard!

To give the next generation of young women a place to express their opinions, we're announcing the WCI Intern Program. High school and college interns now have a forum to speak out, to share their concerns, advice, and experience, to promote teens' crime awareness. A three-month stint under the direction of a WCI professional, the internship offers young women valuable experience in writing, researching, and blogging. It will give them a place to test ideas, voice opinions and open up to new possibilities. We are all excited to launch this new program! Please join WCI in welcoming our first intern: Cassie Nelson.

A high-school senior, Cassie, 17, worked this summer for prosecutor Robin Sax. Dedicated and tenacious, Cassie is pursuing her goal of becoming a lawyer. Working for Robin, Cassie tested her desire to advocate for victims, write articles, and research today's most difficult legal issues. She found she loved criminal law and wants to use her passion to protect women, children, and elders. Besides being passionate about human victims, Cassie is devoted to protecting animals. As our first intern, Cassie's article on Chris Brown follows this post. For information on how to apply for an internship, please contact any of the Women In Crime Ink bloggers or e-mail us at womenincrimeink@yahoo.com.

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Apology Not Accepted

by WCI Intern Cassie Nelson

For those of you who have been hiding under a rock or perhaps just returned from a space shuttle voyage, here's the latest Hollywood News: Chris Brown has issued a very public apology for abusing Rihanna in February 2008. He issued the apology in a video released via the Internet. Although he seemed sincere and aware his acts were wrong, I don’t believe he should be forgiven, and if forgiven, not so easily.

As a 17-year-old high school student in a frightening world of ceaseless dangers, I don’t believe individuals should be so easily forgiven solely because they apologized. Once upon a time, heroes were doctors, firefighters, soldiers, and police who lived and worked to save others. It's amazing how so much has changed in so little time. Now our heroes are performers, athletes, and models, who contribute nothing to the world besides exposing talents they were born with, such as outstanding voices, physical strength, height or agility, or beautiful faces and bodies.

An apology issued five months after the incident and coincidentally near the time of Brown’s sentencing makes me curious. Was Brown's apology spurred by true regret for his actions or to gain sympathy in hopes of reducing his sentence?

Everyday I watch as my friends obsess and fantasize about celebrities. It makes me angry that they are so blind-sided by looks and talent that they don’t see that they are praising celebrities who have done horrible things.

I don’t doubt Brown is sorry for what he has done, nor that he wishes each and every day that he hadn’t done it. But that doesn’t make physical abuse OK. Another example of the public's willingness to ignore or forget celebrity misdeeds: the incredible outpouring of love and admiration for Michael Jackson after his death, with few mentions of the many allegations of child abuse directed at the pop star during his life.

While interning with Robin Sax, a former prosecutor of sex crimes, I noticed that when she appeared on top news shows, ranging from the Today Show and ABC News to TV Guide News, she was asked who could be responsible for Michael Jackson’s death. She wasn't asked about the past allegations of sexual abuse. This makes me wonder if death or an apology makes wrongdoing too easily forgiven. People in the pubic eye apologize for all sorts of acts, crimes, and even accidents. An apology is a first step, only that. It doesn’t mean that Chris Brown will never abuse Rihanna or anyone else again.

Our society places too much emphasis on apologies and gives celebrities too much leeway. Saying one is sorry doesn’t make abuse ok, and dying shouldn’t erase allegations of sexual assault. Chris Brown should not be forgiven and his career should not be advanced because of a mere apology.

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What is Human Trafficking Anyway?

by Robin Sax

Upon hearing those words, many people assume that is not a crime that happens here in our country. Most people think human trafficking is synonymous with Thailand, Indonesia, and Russia. When asked what are the biggest crimes facing kids here today, most people say drugs. And why do people talk about drugs and alcohol so much when it comes to kids? The reason is simple—we have spent time educating society.

Adults and children of all ages know about drugs because there has been a conscientious effort to make sure people know. So that is where we must begin with human trafficking too. Adults and children need to learn what human trafficking is, how it happens, and perhaps most importantly recognize that human trafficking is not just a foreign problem…it is a problem that is happening here, right on our soil, and happening more and more. Where better to begin than going to the kids themselves.

To get a sense of how kids perceive this epidemic that effects THEM, I turned to my trusty network of Facebook friends and found a teenager who has her act together to get a sense of what she thinks about this phenomenon of human trafficking. And this is what Senior High School Cassie Nelson, said: “As a seventeen year old entering my senior year in a high school with over four thousand students, I constantly witness young girls dressing and acting as though they were prostitutes. From cut off shorts that hardly cover their underwear and see-through tank tops, to hosted events at houses called “pimps-ho’s” parties where everyone dresses in lingerie and pictures are posted online, it becomes almost impossible to watch girls and boys play make-believe of an enterprise that strikes every country, every day. One may sit back with a smirk upon his or her face and say that these men and women, boys and girls chose their lifestyle; however upon hearing the words human trafficking that smirk is immediately swept off and replaced with an open mouth of shock.

Human trafficking is not a new problem, nor is it a fad that will soon end, instead it is an issue that has existed for decades and will continue to grow and prosper as a result of being ignored each and every day. Due to being such an unsettling and upsetting issue, most individuals would prefer to get up and walk away rather than to sit and listen to what happens and how it can be prevented.

All, if not most high schools consist of a broad curriculum consisting of four core subjects, as well as numerous electives and advanced placement classes. In my three years of high school I believe the topic of human trafficking was only brought up once in health, a required course in the tenth grade, and never again. The topics of sex, drugs, alcohol, abuse, adultery, and many more are discussed, but the topic of human trafficking never is. Unlike evolution and sex-ed, human trafficking is not a topic of debate or controversy. It is an issue sweeping all countries, and affecting thousands and even millions of girls, boys and their families.”

So with this perspective in mind, I took my new friend Cassie with me to see the screening of the “Playground Project” a documentary by Libby Spears that puts into perspective how this crime reeks havoc on young people’s lives. After we left Cassie said, “No one gets it, everyone needs to see this film.” And, while I agreed with her I also relayed to her the difficulties in getting our society to accept a film on this difficult issue of sex crimes, prostitution, and human trafficking. Our society is much more open to hear about drugs, gangs, and even killing but there is something that makes people queasy when it comes to sex crimes. But Cassie reminded me of the words of the producer Libby about why this film is so important, “Wherever drugs are sold people are sold too.” While this is a realization that many would prefer to process into short term memory and forget rather then encode and store in long term memory for constant retrieval both Cassie and I decided this is a lesson that must be repeatedly taught. So, together, we decided that we are going to do our part in our respective populations, circle of friends, regions or the country to educate people about this prolific problem.

So here is what we learned and what we want to share with you so that you begin to view the issue with eyes wide open and instead of with your head buried in the sand.

- Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes in many forms, including: * Forcing victims into prostitution * Subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary servitude * Compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating pornography * Misleading victims into debt bondage.

- Human trafficking is big business. Although estimates vary, it is thought that about $7-9.5 billion is made every year from human trafficking.

- Worldwide, it is estimated that somewhere between 700,000 and four million women, children and men are trafficked each year, and no region is unaffected.

- Despite an estimated prevalence of 100,000 to 150,000 slaves in the U.S., fewer than 1,000 victims have been assisted through the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement since 2001, when services for trafficking victims were first made available.

- Traffickers typically lure women and children with false promises of jobs, money, or security. They are promised jobs as waitresses, nannies, models, factory workers but once they accept “invite,” they suffer extreme physical and mental abuse, including rape, imprisonment, forced abortions, and physical brutality.

- As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets, a third of whom are lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.

We are on a mission to educate society and make human trafficking something so understandable that it rolls off your tongue like “Just say no,” or the recognition of “Pink” as the color of breast cancer awareness. We hope that you will join us by spreading the word.

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