Ep. 60: Modern Slavery - the red flags to look out for in our teenagers

What is modern slavery, why should we care, and what do we need to know to keep our teenagers safe? *This episode deals briefly with suicidal thoughts. If this is likely to be triggering for you, please skip this episode.  Modern slavery is something we hear about on the news, but don't imagine it could happen to someone we love. I was struck by a conversation on another podcast - Two Women Chatting [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/two-women-chatting-about-modern-slavery/id1594142259?i=1000564797440] - about an incident that had happened to one of their adult daughters that felt like a narrow escape, so I wanted to cover the topic on Teenage Kicks. Hopefully being aware of the risks will help young adults and teenagers to avoid them, as well as knowing how to help other people who might be victims. Sujo John is an international motivational speaker and humanitarian who was launched into public speaking following his survival experience of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on New York's World Trade Centers. He's since set up YouCanFreeUs [https://youcanfreeus.org/], an international human rights organisation fighting modern slavery worldwide, through advocacy, rescue and rehabilitation. In this podcast I ask Sujo why modern slavery is on the rise, why we should care, and what our children need to be aware of as they start out on their own journeys into adulthood. At one point in the podcast Sujo does some working out on a calculator as he's speaking. He's explaining how many men a trafficked sex worker will have to service in 15 years of doing the work (the average time they work). For audio only listeners, I want to share that that number was 160,000... Sujo is no stranger to trauma in his teenage years either, having had to come to terms with the death of his sister to leukaemia when he was just 9. He battled depression and thoughts of hopelessness, but describes his healing as he began to help others – something which he says he learned through having the opportunity to meet Mother Teresa. Who is Sujo John? Find out more about Sujo and his work here: * Sujo's website [https://sujojohn.com/about/] * The YouCanFreeUs [https://youcanfreeus.org/] foundation * On instagram [https://www.instagram.com/youcanfreeus/] More teenage parenting tips from Helen Wills: Helen wills is a teen mental health podcaster and blogger at Actually Mummy [https://www.actuallymummy.co.uk/] a resource for midlife parents of teens. Thank you for listening! Subscribe [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/teenage-kicks-podcast/id1501488455] to the Teenage Kicks podcast to hear new episodes. If you have a suggestion for the podcast please email teenagekickspodcast@gmail.com. There are already stories from fabulous guests about difficult things that happened to them as teenagers - including losing a parent [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-do-you-cope-loss-parent-when-youre-teenager-ryan/id1501488455?i=1000495564421], becoming a young carer [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/danielle-on-being-a-young-carer-for-her-alcoholic-mum/id1501488455?i=1000468538022], and being hospitalised with mental health problems [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/emma-bradley-on-being-hospitalised-mental-health-problems/id1501488455?i=1000470008123] - and how they overcame things to move on with their lives. You can find more from Helen Wills on parenting teenagers on Instagram< [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/]

Om Podcasten

Welcome to the Teenage Kicks podcast, where we take the fear out of parenting - or becoming - a teenager. The internet is full of parenting advice, from when you feel those first baby kicks, until they reach secondary school. And then it stops. No one is talking about teen parenting problems; so we’re going to. Essential listening for teenagers and their parents, as well as those who work with young adults; Teenage Kicks has teen mental health at its core, and each episode will empower young people to tackle their own problems, and give parents the guidance to know how to help them. Each week Helen speaks to real individuals who've experienced the issues that young people are dealing with now, and they don't sugar-coat it. From exam nerves and career worries to issues around sexuality and consent, we get tips and advice from expert guests who understand what it’s like to be a teenager today. Helen will also be chatting about tough teenage problems like cyberbullying and self-harm, drugs, alcohol and teenage pregnancy, all with a heavy dose of reality from someone who's been there and made it through to the other side. Teenage Kicks for Parents: As parents, we understand some of our kids’ struggles, but let’s face it, it’s been a while, and things have moved on since we last panicked over a detention! Teenage choices today can seem alien to their parents because teenage life has changed so dramatically since we were young. Teenage Kicks helps you unravel topics like social media, sexting and teen self-esteem so that you can figure out what your child needs support with, and what’s just normal teenage behaviour.   Teenage Kicks for Teens: Teenagers and parents come at things from different angles, we know. But teenage life can be challenging, and the support of your parents can make navigating tricky dilemmas easier. Teenage Kicks guests aren’t adults who’ve read a textbook; nor are they heavily invested in your day-to-day safety, like your mum and dad. They are real people who’ve been through what you’re dealing with, and they have the inspiration and advice you need to handle it yourself. Join Helen each week as she chats to a different guest about topics affecting teenagers in 2020, and helps parents and teens to open up a dialogue that will make life easier to navigate on all sides. You'll also find me chatting about teen parenting here: * Actually Mummy [https://actuallymummy.co.uk/] - my personal blog * Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/iamhelenwills/] * Twitter [https://twitter.com/iamhelenwills] Useful websites: * The Mix [https://www.themix.org.uk/]- good information for under 25's * Shout [https://www.giveusashout.org/] - for anyone struggling with anxiety or depression This series of the Teenage Kicks Podcast is sponsored by Blue Microphones [https://www.blue-designs.co.uk/], who gave me the fabulous Yeticaster mic for all my recordings. It's really straightforward to use, and gives me great sound quality without too much editing.