As the modeling world grows more international, the most important factors in choosing an agency may be the ones you least expected. 

Modeling Agencies – Making the Right Choice

As the modeling world grows more international, the most important factors in choosing an agency may be the ones you least expected. 

Although most modeling agencies work in the best interest of the models, today, there is a growing trend of modeling agencies, dance schools and talent scouts operating only to cover up their true purpose - the recruiting of young girls for illegal sexual activities.

Modern Day Slave Trafficking - “Hiding in Plain Sight”

Modern day slavery word is called “human trafficking”, but whatever the name, it is still a violation your rights, according to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Human Right #4 “No Slavery.”  Although slavery is commonly thought to have disappeared quite some time ago, the fact is that today, there are more than 27 million slaves worldwide.

Shocking as it may seem, today’s slave owners don’t have whips and chains of the past, but “hide in plain sight” as modeling agents prey on the hopes and dreams of aspiring models.  In fact, the devious ones are hard to detect, appearing legitimate by working with fashion shows and photo shoots to camouflage their intentions. 

Model Agency “Myth Busters” 

1. A website is a sign of legitimacy – False - A Shanghai Modeling Agency had a sophisticated website, but a model got murdered, and the next day the website and all traces of the people in the agency disappeared, only leaving suspicions behind.
2. Only girls from poor countries are trafficked –False - Britain’s Next Top Model finalist was approached at beach party to go to Milan to model but did not go, only to discover later that all the girls never ended up in Milan, but were shipped to Russia as prostitutes.
3. An agency is safe if it has a license –False - Even with a license there is no supervision of their activities.

For more information about The Universal Declaration of Human Rights please contact Youth for Human Rights organization at www.youthforhumanrights.org

Youth for Human Rights International is a volunteer organization that was founded in 2001 by educator Mary Shuttleworth. At that time, only 8 percent of people surveyed were aware of the existence of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), an international human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in the aftermath of World War II.

Inspired by the words of humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, who wrote, “Human rights must be made a fact, not an idealistic dream,” Ms. Shuttleworth first launched the awareness-raising campaign with the release of the booklet What Are Human Rights?, putting the 30 Articles of the UDHR into words any child could understand.