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Home>Archives for SHI Staff

January 23, 2020 by SHI Staff

Shared Hope International Launches Institute for Justice & Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

New center is a home for education, research and training of advocates and stakeholders in the fight to end sex trafficking and eliminate bias against victims

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shared Hope International, a non-profit leader in the fight to eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking, today announced the opening of the Shared Hope Institute for Justice & Advocacy in Washington, D.C. Located just blocks from the White House, the Institute concentrates the power of Shared Hope’s collective resources under one roof and amplifies the voice of sex trafficking survivors from across the country. It offers education, research and training for advocates and stakeholders – including law enforcement, social workers, lawyers, first responders, doctors, legislators and judges – working to eliminate bias against victims in the ways laws are both written and applied.

Founded in 1998 by then-U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope has a two-decade history working to prevent domestic minor sex trafficking, supporting restoration for trafficking victims and bringing justice to the vulnerable people it impacts. The organization also ensures the buyers who create the demand for commercial sex with a child are brought to justice. In 2011, Shared Hope introduced the Protected Innocence Challenge, an annual state-by-state report card that identifies gaps in laws and provides a blueprint for legislative action.

“Opening the doors of the Institute for Justice & Advocacy marks a seminal event in our nation’s battle against sexual exploitation of minors,” said Smith, Shared Hope’s president and a member of the President’s Public-Private Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking. “In this space, advocates from across the country will come together to dig deeper, tackling current and emerging challenges and influencing federal legislation to better protect vulnerable women and children.”

The Institute for Justice & Advocacy became a reality after Shared Hope raised $3 million in five months to purchase the entire second floor of 1016 16th Street NW. It provides an on-the-ground presence and close proximity to the nation’s seat of power, giving Shared Hope a platform to influence the government and reach the entire nation.

American girls and boys are sold and bought for sex by men in the U.S. every day. It’s a heinous crime and an epidemic that exploits countless victims each year.

Shared Hope believes trafficked young girls and boys are victims who need to be protected, not treated as criminals or delinquent youth. The bias in our laws allows 20 states to label a child victim of trafficking as a prostitute and lets a buyer walk without legal consequence while their victim is charged with a crime.

“The word ‘justice’ in the Institute’s name is critical, as both buyers and sellers continue to escape justice and survivors are denied justice,” said Smith. “This fight starts with bridging the knowledge gap. If you care about protecting vulnerable children in communities across the country, we urge you to educate yourself and other people in your life.”

Today, Shared Hope International’s JuST Response Council will also release the report, “Responding to Sex Trafficking Victim-Offender Intersectionality: A Guide for Criminal Justice Stakeholders” in partnership with the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova Law. The report explores the phenomenon of victims facing criminal consequences for offenses that result from their trafficking, and provides tools criminal justice stakeholders can use to deal with cases in a just and trauma-informed manner.

To learn more about the Shared Hope Institute for Justice & Advocacy, visit https://sharedhope.org/what-we-do/bring-justice/

ABOUT SHARED HOPE INTERNATIONAL
Founded in 1998 by then U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope International strives to prevent the conditions that foster sex trafficking, restore victims of sex slavery, and bring justice to vulnerable women and children. A non-profit Christian organization, Shared Hope engages in diverse activities that confront sex trafficking in communities throughout America. Our efforts include training first responders and community members to identify warning signs of trafficking and employ intervention techniques to rescue child trafficking victims; providing restorative services to affected children and women; and offering legislative support to those focused on strengthening laws that fight child sex trafficking. Our vision is to coordinate a national U.S. network of protection to improve the response to victims of trafficking. We believe we can create a world where every survivor is surrounded by trained professionals, an alert community, just law and policy, knowledgeable service providers and appropriate shelter options.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rosemary Ostmann, RoseComm for Shared Hope International, rostmann@rosecomm.com, 201-615-7751.

January 23, 2020 by SHI Staff

Shared Hope International Launches Institute for Justice & Advocacy in Washington, D.C.

New center is a home for education, research and training of advocates and stakeholders in the fight to end sex trafficking and eliminate bias against victims

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Shared Hope International, a non-profit leader in the fight to eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking, today announced the opening of the Shared Hope Institute for Justice & Advocacy in Washington, D.C. Located just blocks from the White House, the Institute concentrates the power of Shared Hope’s collective resources under one roof and amplifies the voice of sex trafficking survivors from across the country. It offers education, research and training for advocates and stakeholders – including law enforcement, social workers, lawyers, first responders, doctors, legislators and judges – working to eliminate bias against victims in the ways laws are both written and applied.

Founded in 1998 by then-U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope has a two-decade history working to prevent domestic minor sex trafficking, supporting restoration for trafficking victims and bringing justice to the vulnerable people it impacts. The organization also ensures the buyers who create the demand for commercial sex with a child are brought to justice. In 2011, Shared Hope introduced the Protected Innocence Challenge, an annual state-by-state report card that identifies gaps in laws and provides a blueprint for legislative action.

“Opening the doors of the Institute for Justice & Advocacy marks a seminal event in our nation’s battle against sexual exploitation of minors,” said Smith, Shared Hope’s president and a member of the President’s Public-Private Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking. “In this space, advocates from across the country will come together to dig deeper, tackling current and emerging challenges and influencing federal legislation to better protect vulnerable women and children.”

The Institute for Justice & Advocacy became a reality after Shared Hope raised $3 million in five months to purchase the entire second floor of 1016 16th Street NW. It provides an on-the-ground presence and close proximity to the nation’s seat of power, giving Shared Hope a platform to influence the government and reach the entire nation.

American girls and boys are sold and bought for sex by men in the U.S. every day. It’s a heinous crime and an epidemic that exploits countless victims each year.

Shared Hope believes trafficked young girls and boys are victims who need to be protected, not treated as criminals or delinquent youth. The bias in our laws allows 20 states to label a child victim of trafficking as a prostitute and lets a buyer walk without legal consequence while their victim is charged with a crime.

“The word ‘justice’ in the Institute’s name is critical, as both buyers and sellers continue to escape justice and survivors are denied justice,” said Smith. “This fight starts with bridging the knowledge gap. If you care about protecting vulnerable children in communities across the country, we urge you to educate yourself and other people in your life.”

Today, Shared Hope International’s JuST Response Council will also release the report, “Responding to Sex Trafficking Victim-Offender Intersectionality: A Guide for Criminal Justice Stakeholders” in partnership with the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova Law. The report explores the phenomenon of victims facing criminal consequences for offenses that result from their trafficking, and provides tools criminal justice stakeholders can use to deal with cases in a just and trauma-informed manner.

To learn more about the Shared Hope Institute for Justice & Advocacy, visit https://sharedhopesstg.wpenginepowered.com/what-we-do/bring-justice/

ABOUT SHARED HOPE INTERNATIONAL
Founded in 1998 by then U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith, Shared Hope International strives to prevent the conditions that foster sex trafficking, restore victims of sex slavery, and bring justice to vulnerable women and children. A non-profit Christian organization, Shared Hope engages in diverse activities that confront sex trafficking in communities throughout America. Our efforts include training first responders and community members to identify warning signs of trafficking and employ intervention techniques to rescue child trafficking victims; providing restorative services to affected children and women; and offering legislative support to those focused on strengthening laws that fight child sex trafficking. Our vision is to coordinate a national U.S. network of protection to improve the response to victims of trafficking. We believe we can create a world where every survivor is surrounded by trained professionals, an alert community, just law and policy, knowledgeable service providers and appropriate shelter options.

MEDIA CONTACT: Rosemary Ostmann, RoseComm for Shared Hope International, rostmann@rosecomm.com, 201-615-7751.

December 13, 2019 by SHI Staff

Shared Hope Attends: Women of Color Against the Sex Trade

Shared Hope Attends Women of Color Against the Sex Trade Image

Shared Hope had the opportunity to attend SPACE International’s Women of Color Against the Sex Trade panel discussions co-hosted last week by Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and the Roosevelt House’s Human Rights program in New York and by Rights4Girls in Washington D.C.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019, New York City – Brittany Peck, CEM, Training Events Specialist

Co-hosted by the Roosevelt House in NYC, formerly the home of Eleanor Roosevelt, a well-known global advocate for human rights, the mood of the event was inspired by the setting.

Two panel discussions took place with survivor leaders from all over the world sharing their expertise as leaders in anti-trafficking. The first panel addressed, “Frontline Services: Tools and Strategies to Help Survivors Rebuild Their Lives.” Panelists discussed the importance of providing survivors with housing, vocational training and support in establishing self-sufficiency. They stressed that without the stability of a home, it is very difficult to focus on other services in place to help rebuild one’s life. They explained the role “survival sex” plays in why people enter the life due to systemic oppression whether that includes race, poverty or citizenship status, many of these intersecting. Panelists provided statistics demonstrating how disproportionately women of color are targeted for prostitution and trafficking. The panel also discussed that violence can often be more aggressive and prominent against survivors of color. This is rooted in oppressive ideologies like colonialism, racism and sexism.

The second panel addressed “How Did We Get Here and What is the Way Out? The Sex Trade and the Cradles of Patriarchy, Race and Colonialism.” Panelists discussed different legislative models including decriminalization, full criminalization and the Equality Model. Panelists stressed that prostitution is a human rights issue and that it stems from the oppressive systems that make prostitution an option for those who lack resources. The panelists concluded that purchasing sex is about abuse and power, not liberation.

Thursday, December 5, 2019, Washington D.C. – Camryn Peterson, Digital Advocacy Manager

Thursday’s panel was co-hosted by Rights4Girls, a human rights organization focused on ending violence against women and girls in the United States, which includes those victimized by sex trafficking.

The panel in D.C., “Women of Color Against the Sex Trade,” brought together women from across the world to share their stories and bring light to the reality that women of color make up over half of sex trafficking victims. Throughout the evening, the women discussed the three legal responses to commercialized sex: legalization, decriminalization, and the Equality Model. The Equality Model, also known as the Nordic Model, is currently being discussed in New York and has been introduced in Maine. This type of legislation would penalize buyers and exploiters, not those selling commercial sex. This model aims to decrease the demand for commercialized sex, and therefore decrease sex trafficking, resulting in more protections for women and child victims of sex trafficking.

The panel further discussed how the commercialized sex industry is propelled by misogyny, patriarchy, and capitalism in our societies.  Tina Frundt, the Founder and Executive Director of Courtney’s House in D.C. recounted her recent personal story of men soliciting her for sex while she was walking her dog. Many other women on the panel shared similar stories. Frundt later stated that “male entitlement within the commercialized sex industry leads to higher demand, which leads to higher supply.” To end this cycle, the buyers and other exploiters must be held accountable for their role in this system, while those engaged in commercial sex should receive services to enable them to exit the industry. Just a few months ago, D.C. Councilmembers brought forward a bill aimed at fully decriminalizing the commercial sex industry in the city, but after 14 hours of testimonies, the bill was killed and vulnerable women and children were further protected from the sex trade. To review Shared Hope Internationals written testimony in opposition to D.C. Bill 23-0318, click here.

The next Women of Color Against the Sex Trade event will take place in London on February 21.

November 14, 2019 by SHI Staff

Coming Soon: Field Guidance on Sex Trafficking Victim-Offender Intersectionality

Shared Hope International, Shared Hope’s JuST Response Council and the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation at Villanova Law are pleased to announce the upcoming release on January 23, 2020 of a field guidance report on sex trafficking victim-offender intersectionality—the phenomenon of sex trafficking survivors entering the criminal justice process for allegedly engaging in sex trafficking conduct.

This field guidance, which follows three years of collaborative research, will provide tools for criminal justice stakeholders that assist in identifying the intersection of trafficking victimization and offending conduct, as well as guidance on responding to these cases in a trauma-responsive and trafficking-informed manner. By examining some of the common factors in cases involving victim-offender intersectionality through a trafficking-informed lens, alongside specific case studies drawn from federal prosecutions, this field guidance seeks to identify strategies for moving toward more just and fair responses to sex trafficking victim-offenders at all stages of the criminal justice process.

While the field guidance specifically focuses on survivors of sex trafficking charged with sex trafficking offenses, many of the considerations that arise in that context are informative for criminal justice stakeholders responding to trafficking survivors who have been charged with other crimes as a result of their trafficking victimization. We hope this guidance will also lead to greater discourse on this difficult issue and ongoing efforts to work toward victim-centered, trauma-informed solutions.

The release of this field guidance report on January 23, 2020 also marks the Grand Opening of Shared Hope International’s new Institute for Justice & Advocacy. The work of the JuST Response Council and this new research reflect the Institute’s commitment to finding solutions to complex problems to help bring an end to juvenile sex trafficking and provide support and protection to those impacted by sex trafficking.

If you are interested in attending the event at the Institute, please register here. Space is limited. If you are not able to attend in-person, please join us remotely via Facebook Live at Shared Hope’s Facebook page.

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Shared Hope International’s JuST Response Council represents some of the most innovative and informed experts in the country. These members help ensure JuST Response products are informed by diverse perspectives and experiences. Council members share the goals of preventing juveniles from becoming sex trafficking victims and ensuring that youth who have been trafficked have access to the tools and support necessary to heal from the trauma they have endured and the skills to create and sustain a life away from trafficking. Members include policy advocates, government officials, medical professionals, law enforcement, judges, academics, and service providers, many of whom are themselves survivors of juvenile sex trafficking, from diverse geographic areas.

November 1, 2019 by SHI Staff

Shared Hope’s Written Testimony in Opposition to D.C. Bill 23-0318

Shared Hope International is a D.C.-based NGO focused on addressing the root causes of commercial sexual exploitation for the purpose of preventing child sex trafficking in the U.S. Since our organization’s inception in 1998, we have proactively pursued and supported policies that protect the inherent right of children in the U.S. to be free from sexual violence, including commercial sexual exploitation. Following the introduction of D.C. Bill 23-0318 in early 2019, we sought to understand the purpose and impact of this legislation, including to identify whose “safety” and “health” this piece of legislation would truly protect. Shared Hope strongly opposes the “Community Safety and Health Amendment Act” because, despite what its name purports, this bill fails to protect the safety and health of D.C. children and youth, who are an essential part of our community.

Shared Hope firmly believes that removing criminal liability for buyers, pimps, and brothel owners will significantly threaten the safety, well-being, and security of youth in the District, particularly youth living with various vulnerability factors. During the October 17th Committee hearing, Councilmembers heard hours of testimony which highlighted the forecasted impact this bill would have on the District and, most importantly, those most affected by the policies created through this effort. We adamantly affirm the numerous concerns raised by child protection and anti-trafficking advocates, including the impact this bill would have on: (1) repealing current processes for connecting exploited minors with vital services; (2) creating additional challenges for law enforcement to discern illegal activity from legal activity, thus creating barriers to victim identification and response; 3) expanding the market and increasing harm to those in commercial sex due to a rise in demand; and (4) transforming the District into a tourist destination for commercial sexual exploitation.

We can attribute the phenomenon of child sex trafficking in the U.S. to a culture that normalizes the commodification of human beings; fully decriminalizing commercial sex will uphold the already existing attitudes that tolerate the sale, purchase, and control of another person. As stakeholders, we would be shortsighted and reckless to believe that the implications of the policy this bill seeks to advance will be limited to consensual sex workers. Reinforcing a demand for human beings and their bodies will not start and end with consenting adults; the consequences of this will be horrific for vulnerable persons, including children, who do not choose commercial sex. We cannot allow the purported benefits for some to trump the well-established harm caused to others.

What remains unaddressed is what this bill painfully fails to do: create sustainable solutions to deeply rooted forms of injustice. Upon conducting a thorough analysis of the bill and watching all fourteen hours of the Committee hearing, it is evident that this piece of legislation provides a band-aid for affected communities and creates an easy fix for the Council. Over half of the witnesses testified to the systemic reasons driving the sale of commercial sex, all of which fall under the general umbrella of “survival.” Additionally, witnesses testified to the inherent violence that underpins commercial sex, detailing the dramatically high mortality rate for persons engaged in commercial sex compared to rates measuring the general public. 1 Many sex trafficking survivors and self-identified sex workers provided anecdotal accounts of the physical, psychological, and sexual violence they experienced due to commercial sex. Fully decriminalizing sex work to ensure that historically and presently marginalized communities, including vulnerable children and youth, can access shelter, employment, food, and security reinforces the unjust notion that some members of our society, disproportionately communities comprised of racial and gender-minorities, must sacrifice their safety and wellbeing to meet such fundamental needs. The Council must bypass the allure of a quick and easy fix and devote the requisite energy and resources to a problem that demands a thoughtful and sustainable solution. This is the only way of ensuring that presently impacted persons and generations to come are not positioned to choose survival over safety.

Many witnesses testified to the opportunities this bill creates; aside from importantly preventing the criminalization of affected persons, D.C. Bill 23-0318 fails to “lift up marginalized communities” as one witness purported. When the District enacted D.C. Act 20-560 in 2015, preventing minors from being charged and prosecuted for prostitution offenses, the Council responsibly included provisions to train relevant stakeholders and develop service response protocols. In fact, one of the existing protections for children, requiring law enforcement to refer an identified or suspected child sex trafficking victim to specialized services, will be repealed by this very bill that seeks to increase “safety.” Historical efforts to reform the City’s response to child sex trafficking included critical measures to ensure that exploited youth were directed away from the juvenile justice system and into services, inarguably supporting their holistic health and safety, and providing access to justice and opportunities. Conversely, this bill merely develops a task force to “study . . . the need for . . . resources to meet the needs of sex workers and other individuals engaging in commercial sex.” As detailed during the Committee hearing, the extensive needs are already well-established; in fact, the lack of these very services that the Committee seeks to study is what survivors of sex trafficking and consensual sex workers claim is driving their engagement in commercial sex. Rather than passing legislation that preys on vulnerabilities, the Council should invest in eliminating them by: (1) removing criminal liability for persons who sell sex, either consensually or through exploitative practices; and (2) creating access to comprehensive care and services, as well as meaningful opportunities for those desiring to cease engagement in commercial sex.

D.C. Bill 23-0318 blatantly ignores the cries of sex trafficking survivors and ally professionals that, based on a culmination of lived experience and sound research, denounce both the intent and resolution. Several proponents voiced frustration at the Council’s willingness to hear from opponents outside of the District; their voices speak to the enormous ramifications this bill will have on sex trafficking victims and vulnerable communities across the U.S. Vacuums of equitable opportunity are a magnet for exploitation. Undoubtedly, a general lack of opportunity and services, coupled with legislation that decriminalizes the purchase and pimping of human beings, will set the stage for an increase in child sex trafficking in D.C.

We respectfully urge the Council to listen to the collective concern of stakeholders who demand better for all vulnerable persons and communities. The District does not need a new task force to establish and respond to the imminent needs that drive exploitation and survival sex; rather, the Council is currently positioned to draw upon the fourteen hours of testimony and re-design legislation that empowers, protects, and invests in our community.

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