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May 24, 2017 by Guest

Take the Next Step!

My daughter was 10 the first time I heard that children were being bought and sold for sex in my community. These weren’t foreign children born in a foreign country, they were boys and girls born and raised right here in my own town. That day changed me.

Being a business leader gave me a natural platform to raise awareness about Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST)—and I used it. I discovered Shared Hope International while preparing for a local panel on trafficking and I appreciated that Shared Hope was working on the issue internationally, nationally, and locally, going so far as to supporting a restoration home for female survivors in my region.

In 2016 I decided to go beyond speaking about DMST and actively do something to help make a difference in the lives of victims of this crime. My friend Lisa Stirrett is a local glass artist who uses her studio to host community events. She also has a heart for this issue. The idea formed for a Party with a Purpose, in which she would create glass butterflies that could be sold as part of a fundraiser for Shared Hope and those they serve. We sold about 50 butterflies, many of which were donated back to create a larger piece in progress. And we didn’t stop there!

Lisa has added the glass butterflies to her Products with a Purpose line as a way to continue the momentum and to provide a fundraising mechanism to give back to Shared Hope. Each butterfly purchased and donated back to the Lisa Stirrett Glass Studio will become part of a Butterfly Art Wall known as “Chrysalis,” with the net profits donated to Shared Hope. This wall will be a beautiful visual representation of the voices and lives of girls and women in trafficking being set free. We are currently in need of 50 more butterflies to complete the wall, and once it’s done, this will become a traveling art display housed in a public location to create ongoing awareness and to further the momentum of the cause. You can purchase them here.

[easy-tweet tweet=”This wall of butterflies is a beautiful representation of trafficking survivors set free” user=”SharedHope”]

This is our desire—creating an art movement of butterflies flying freely to represent an end to the pain and suffering caused to young girls and women because of the sex trafficking industry. In addition to collaborating with Lisa Stirrett Glass Art Studio, I am partnering with Shared Hope International because of the great work they are doing locally, nationally, and globally to educate and empower others to end sex trafficking.

So what can you do to end the demand of our children by traffickers and buyers?

I think the most important thing we as individuals can do is leverage our natural born gifts and talents where we’re already engaged. My background is business, Lisa’s is through art. Yours is uniquely suited to you. Whatever it is, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has” as shared by Margaret Mead. Together, with our community, we are making a difference to end trafficking… and you can too.

[easy-tweet tweet=”The best thing we can do is leverage our natural born gifts and talents to fight sex trafficking. ” user=”SharedHope”]

By Shannon Bruce – Washington State

April 28, 2017 by Susanna Bean

Campaign Goal Surpassed!

Help us advocate in the 24 remaining states and finish strong!

On January 20^th, the Center for Law and Policy launched “Stop the inJuSTice Campaign” to mobilize state legislatures to pass laws that holder buyers accountable and increase victim protections. We set an initial goal of supporting the passage of 6 bills in 6 months.

We are thrilled to report that in just 3 months, we have reached and surpassed our goal! Since the launch of Stop the inJuSTice, 11 states have enacted laws that further the policy objectives of this campaign.

Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Maryland and New York now have laws acknowledging child sex trafficking as a form of child abuse for purposes of permitting child welfare intervention and care.
Indiana now recognizes children engaged in commercial sex as victims, not criminals, and prohibits minors from facing criminal liability under the prostitution statute.
Oklahoma and Washington prohibit buyers of sex with children from raising a mistake of age defense.
South Dakota no longer requires the use of force, fraud, or coercion to traffic a child.
Utah requires child sex trafficking perpetrators, including buyers, to register as sex offenders.
West Virginia passed a comprehensive anti-trafficking bill which prohibits commercially sexually exploited minors from being prosecuted for prostitution offenses, acknowledges the occurrence of sex trafficking regardless of the number of victims involved, increases accountability for buyers of sex with children, and permits sex trafficking victims to seek restitution from their offenders.
Washington: permits child sex trafficking victims to vacate juvenile records obtained as a result of the trafficking victimization.

We celebrate these state’s monumental accomplishments on behalf of children. However, our work is not finished. Shared Hope’s Policy Team is actively supporting Campaign bills in 24 other states. With your help, we can ensure that children in these states receive the protections and justice that they deserve.

Please join us in advocating for the passage of the following bills which remove criminal liability for child sex trafficking victims:

Louisiana: Senate Bill 54
Maine: Legislative Draft 512
Massachusetts: House Bill 3499
Missouri: Senate Bill 341
Pennsylvania: House Bill 525
Rhode Island: House Bill 5857
Wisconsin: Assembly Bill 186

Your support makes this campaign possible. Together we are creating a safer, more just world for our children. Thank you!

April 24, 2017 by Susanna Bean

Shared Hope to Oppose California AB 1402

Tomorrow morning, Tuesday, April 25th the Public Safety committee of the California Assembly will hold a hearing on Assembly Bill 1402. You can listen to the hearing here live, beginning at 8:30 AM PT.

California’s SB 1322 went into effect on January 1. This bill not only sparked a fiery discussion centered on one op-ed, it also led Assemblyman Travis Allen to introduce AB 1402 for purposes of repealing SB 1322.

Contrary to sensational statements that SB 1322 “legalized child prostitution,” the 2016 bill clarified that children engaged in commercial sex are victims of sex trafficking, deserving of a protective, not punitive, response.

Shared Hope is opposed to California AB 1402, and is working to protect the new law (SB 1322) ensuring that California children who have been exploited are treated as victims of a crime, not as criminals.

We have submitted opposition testimony for the hearing tomorrow. The full text can be found here.

March 21, 2017 by Sarah Bendtsen

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking is a Form of Child Abuse

Nine states are working on laws this year to ensure that the definition of child abuse includes the crime of child sex trafficking. You can take action to support these bills! See the list of those 9 states below.

Why does this definition matter?

As a nation, comprised of both federal and autonomously-acting state law, we have collectively acknowledged through legislation that domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) is a horrendous sexual crime in and of itself. Yet, at the heart of child sex trafficking is the recurrent rape and molestation of a child.

Subtracting the monetary exchange, we would label the crime as child sexual abuse, sexual assault, and rape. Yet, only 23 states define child sex trafficking, in all its forms, as child abuse. This fails to fully identify the dynamics of the crime. Most importantly, however, failing to identify DMST as a form of child abuse interferes with a systematic and consistent child protective response.

[easy-tweet tweet=”Only 23 states define child sex trafficking, in all its forms, as child abuse.” user=”SharedHope” hashtags=”StoptheinJuSTice”]

Providing a systematic response to survivors

Following extensive legal research and gathering of field guidance, Shared Hope’s JuST Response Council released the Protective Response Model, a composition of emerging best practices for responding to child sex trafficking. Amongst the numerous practices that have proven successful and victim-centered is equipping child welfare systems with the tools, knowledge, and structure to provide coordinated screenings, protection, and services to child victims of sex trafficking.

However, without amending the definition of child abuse to include all forms of child sex trafficking, child welfare agencies are unable to respond in such cases. The alternative scenario is local and state stakeholders are forced to piecemeal together a service response for victims. At best, this response will vary child-to-child. At worst, and most realistic, most children are not afforded a response at all.

[easy-tweet tweet=”When the definition of child abuse doesn’t include child sex trafficking, child welfare is unable to respond.”]

Further, amending the definition of child abuse to include all forms of child sex trafficking, including trafficking that occurs at the hands of a non-familial perpetrator, aligns state law with the federally-enacted Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act. As a result, the federal Act and state-led responses have served as goalposts for the remaining 27 states that have yet to acknowledge this form of violence as child abuse.

While the secondary, service-oriented responses vary largely state-to-state, amending the definition is a vital first step in opening the door for a coordinated, child welfare response. This statutory foundation is the building block for developing a victim-centered, individualized service plan for any and all children who are victims of sex trafficking. Ensuring that all 50 states and D.C. include DMST as a form of child abuse will close national legal holes and prevent some child victims from falling through the cracks.

Take Action!

This legislative session, Shared Hope is excited to be supporting nine states with pending legislation that would remove barriers to child welfare involvement. Please join us in taking action to ensure child sex trafficking victims in the following states can be identified as victims of child abuse, regardless of the offender’s familial status to the child:

Arizona, House Bill 2238
Arkansas, Senate Bill 271– PASSED!
Hawaii, House Bill 1099/Senate Bill 965
Idaho, Senate Bill 1005– PASSED!
Maryland, SB 308/HB 632
Maryland, SB 912/ HB 1219
Missouri, HB 1112
New Jersey, Assembly Bill 2906
Tennessee, Senate Bill 553/House Bill 615

[easy-tweet tweet=”9 states states are working to amend the definition of child abuse to include child sex trafficking.” user=”SharedHope”]

March 9, 2017 by Guest

New Dates & Give Aways for JuST Conference

Good News – “Bonnes Nouvelles”

The Louisiana Spirit is one of hospitality, celebration and support for their fellow neighbor. Since we announced our new location, locals have been reaching out nonstop to welcome us all to their great state.

That spirit of excitement is infectious, and Shared Hope wants to pass it along to each of you. We’ve come up with three great opportunities for you and your friends to win a free conference ticket for our 2017 event!

Each month, we’ll offer two free tickets until the Earlybird registration deadline on June 16. If your name is drawn, you will have one week to respond to the offer before the opportunity is passed along to someone else. Tickets will be transferrable, but only to individuals who have never attended.

Alumni Drawing on March 31 – The first free tickets will go to our faithful alumni attendees. We’ll draw two names from the attendee lists of our 2014 – 2016 events.

Refer-a-friend Drawing on April 28 – Second drawing will be for you and a friend. In order to be eligible you must “refer a friend” by having them sign up for our conference updates here. When they register, they should enter your name and email so we can track your entries. Each new friend registered is a new entry in the drawing for your free ticket + theirs. The more friends you refer, the better your chances are! Referrals can be logged from now until the drawing, so you better get going…!

Gulf States Drawing on May 31– Third drawing is to support our friends in the Gulf States (TX, LA, MS, AL, FL) that have not been able to send many representatives to D.C. in previous years. Anyone who resides in these states, and signs up to receive Shared Hope conference updates, will be eligible to win a free ticket.

Bad News – “Mauvaises Nouvelles”

Shared Hope recently received news from our event hosts at Hyatt that there’s a conflict with our function space during our selected conference dates. As a result, we have decided to shift the event dates by one week in order to better accommodate our conference attendance.

The new 2017 JuST Conference dates are October 24-26. Nothing else will change. We are still offering the same room rate, the same amenities and activities, the same outstanding lineup of speakers. For those attendees who have already booked hotel rooms or flights, please note that Hyatt has offered to provide support for any attendee affected by this conflict. Hotel rooms have been rebooked already. Fees related to flight changes can be reimbursed by Hyatt, certain restrictions apply. Contact our conference organizer by March 31 to get assistance or instructions for making changes to your travel plans. If you have previously requested an invoice and are no longer able to come, contact our team to submit your cancellation notice.

Reminders – “N’oublie pas!”

Presenter applications: If you or your agency would like to present at the conference this year, applications are due by April 7. They must be completed in full. Visit this link to download the application package today.

Registration: Registration will open at the end of the month, keep an eye out for the announcement.

Booking your hotel: The hotel room block expires September 25th, be sure to book early before it fills up. You can book your room online today by visiting this link.