I am honored to be speaking at Shared Hope International’s 2018 JuST Conference as an official board member of She Has A Name.
With more than 1,000 people coming from over 40 states, this is the nation’s leading conference on juvenile sex trafficking. Presentations and workshops focus on skill-building, survivor experiences, cross-discipline collaboration, task force development, case studies and lessons learned.
Here is a brief summary of my presentation, which incorporates research I conducted through my work with both She Has A Name and The Black Lens novel:
Why do men solicit? That’s a complex question, but one we must strive to answer if we’re ever going to reduce the demand for juvenile sex trafficking in the United States. While some women pay for sex, the fact is, most of that demand is coming from men. No national or scientific research exists on the factors that fuel the demand for sex trafficking, but this class will explore some studies that have focused on the connection between issues like pornography and prostitution.
It will also offer 9 reasons why men solicit based on first-hand research I conducted during a John School program in Ohio for men who are mostly first-time offenders with no record of violence. The goal of this class and similar programs is to decrease the demand for paid sex, and hence, reduce the amount of human trafficking and sexual exploitation that occurs.
Learn more about the conference at Shared Hope International’s website and blog post.
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