Shared Hope International

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POLICY PROGRAMS

Who We Are

Our Policy Team leads ground-breaking research, provides technical assistance to elected officials and policy advocates, and equips change agents with promising practices from across the country that provide stronger protections for exploited children and youth, hold offenders accountable, and, ultimately, prevent the vulnerabilities that foster sex trafficking victimization.

Advocacy & Training | Report Cards | Resources | Advocacy Action Center

Our Priorities

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PROTECTION FROM UNJUST CRIMINALIZATION

Any child engaged in commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking, not a “prostitute” or “delinquent youth.”  Just responses also account for the link between trafficking victimization and forced criminality by protecting against criminalization for a broad range of criminal conduct committed as a result of trafficking victimization.

We advocate for policies that:

  • Prohibit the prosecution of all minors for prostitution offenses.
  • Protect against criminalization for status offenses, misdemeanors, and felonies committed as a result of trafficking victimization.
  • Ensure access to a continuum of funded services outside of punitive systems, ideally through community-based providers.
  • Establish legal remedies that help mitigate the harmful impact of unjust criminalization, including vacatur, expungement, and sentencing relief.
  • Mandate training on identification of, and response to, trafficking victimization for relevant stakeholder groups.

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ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Providing survivors with the means to seek justice and comprehensive services promotes economic, social, and emotional healing.

We advocate for policies that:

  • Eliminate statutes of limitation for prosecuting exploiters and filing civil claims against offenders.
  • Ensure access to crime victims’ compensation and civil orders of protection.
  • Mandate restitution.

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COURTROOM PROTECTIONS

States can play an important role in reducing or eliminating the risk of re-traumatization from serving as a victim-witness against trafficking offenders.

We advocate for policies that:

  • Provide hearsay exceptions and alternatives to live, in-court testimony.
  • Promote safety and empowerment for victim-witnesses, including court record confidentiality, caseworker privilege, courtroom supports, and access to a victim advocate.

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OFFENDER ACCOUNTABILITY

Offender accountability serves to further justice and deter others from committing crimes amounting to trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation.

We advocate for policies that:

  • Hold all offenders accountable.
  • Identify buyers of sex with children as sex trafficking offenders, regardless of
    whether a trafficker or third-party offender is involved or identified.

Our Work

Advocacy & Training

  • Support state and federal legislative efforts through technical assistance, coalition building, workgroup/task force engagement, and stakeholder convenings.
  • Lead national conversations to influence policy change.
  • Advocate for criminalized survivors through amicus briefs, petitions, and outreach to decisionmakers.
  • Engage grassroots and grass tops stakeholders in policy reform efforts.
  • Present at the nation’s leading conferences on human rights and protections for children, youth, and families.

Report Cards on Child & Youth Sex Trafficking

Provide timely and effective reports, surveys, and recommendations through a comprehensive analysis of state laws addressing child and youth sex trafficking.

Resources

Produce, publish, and/or collaborate on reports, field guidance, white papers, law journal articles, and issue briefs to advance policy priorities and elevate emerging best practices.

Advocacy Action Center

Promote grassroots advocacy through an online platform that allows individuals to join the fight against child and youth sex trafficking either through legislator engagement or by signing a petition.

MEET OUR TEAM

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Sarah Bendtsen, J.D.

Director of Policy Strategy
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Sidney McCoy, Esq.

Director of Advocacy
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Sarah Roberts, J.D.

Senior Director of Policy and Legislation

Quick Information

Unjust Criminalization and Service Responses

State-Specific Resources

Technical Assistance

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