commercial sex Archives - Shared Hope International

February 10, 2012 by SHI Staff

WA Senate Passes New Bill to Fight Child Sex Trafficking

SB 6251 Increases Online Accountability to Deter Commercial Sexual Abuse of Minors

The Washington state Senate unanimously passed a raft of Protected Innocence bills targeted at tightening the state laws against child sex trafficking, including the pioneering SB 6251, aimed at stopping the online facilitation of child sex trafficking. The bill sponsored by Seattle Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles (D-WA) establishes a new crime of advertising commercial sexual abuse of a minor in Washington. Senator Kohl-Welles’ bill is a part of a series of eight bipartisan bills to combat human trafficking that passed in the Senate yesterday and are headed to the House of Representatives for approval.

Shared Hope International is a leader in the national initiative to bring greater accountability to online facilitators by rallying 17 activist organizations to call on over 60 mayors to encourage Village Voice Media to stop illegal forms of commercial sex advertisements on its website Backpage.com, the online classified giant. We have challenged mayors in every city where Village Voice media is operating to publically hold one of the nation’s leading source of online sex escort ads accountable to ensure that children are not sold for sex through Backpage.com.

“Backpage.com executives are hiding behind the protection of the Federal Communications Decency Act, claiming no responsibility for the hundreds of documented children that have been sold for sex on their site,” said Shared Hope International President and Founder Linda Smith and former U.S. Congresswoman. “Shared Hope International’s Protected Innocence Challenge reinforces the importance of state laws in reaching this facilitator of child sex trafficking. We will not continue to allow this grave omission to cause injustice for America’s children and we are in full support of Washington’s national leadership on this issue.”

Last year, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn requested Village Voice Media, owner of online classified site Backpage.com, take a stronger, more transparent action to protect women and children from being exploited through advertisements on their website. Shared Hope International’s mayor’s campaign was initiated to encourage others to follow Mayor McGinn’s leadership on this issue. According to an independent study by Advanced Interactive Media Group, Backpage.com’s adult services section is expected to earn Village Voice Media $24.8 million, accounting for over two thirds of the $36 million in revenue projected to be earned by all tracked online classified sites facilitating commercial sex. Despite pressure from religious groups, advocates, and state officials, Backpage.com is not responding with solutions.

June 27, 2011 by Guest

Hide but not seek. Changing America’s response to trafficking.

“Harriet ran away from home when she was 11 years old and moved in with a 32-year-old man who sexually and physically abused her. Then he convinced her to become a prostitute. In the next two years, Harriet became addicted to drugs and contracted numerous sexually transmitted diseases. The police arrested Harriet when she was 13 and charged her with committing prostitution, and placed her on probation for 18 months in the custody of juvenile probation officials. Her lawyers have appealed the decision, arguing that since she could not legally consent to sex, she cannot face prostitution-related charges. The police made no efforts to find her pimp.” (United States Department of State)

Harriet is just one example of 100,000 American children who are sexually exploited through prostitution in the United States each year. Many children are vulnerable for sexual exploitation because of their age, emotional instability due to unstable home life, history of sexual abuse, and/or being a chronic runaway. As many as 2.8 million American children run away from home each year. Within 48 hours of hitting the streets, experts estimate one-third of these children are lured or recruited into the underground world of prostitution and pornography.

The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000 created the tools to enable the U.S. government to address the prosecution of traffickers, protection for victims, and prevention of human trafficking. However, protecting victims and prosecuting traffickers is a challenging and complex process.

One of the greatest challenges faced in the prosecution of domestic sex traffickers and pimps is the separation of the victim from their immediate environment long enough to help them realize they are in fact victims. Most are under the severe psychological and physical control of their pimp, and trauma bonds between victims and pimps are very difficult to break. Trafficking victims often remain loyal to their trafficker, sometimes suffering arrest and prosecution to protect the identity of their trafficker. When this occurs, victims may be sent to juvenile facilities or back to their often dysfunctional family, instead of receiving safe shelter and necessary care such as psychological counseling. This experience could re-traumatize the child, causing greater distrust against the criminal justice system and increasing the possibility of the child returning to their trafficker.

States have increasingly started recognizing the importance of identifying and protecting trafficked minors through legislative and advocacy efforts; however, it is still not enough. The ongoing efforts of the justice system, NGOs, and non-profit organizations are crucial to meet and overcome the challenge of protecting the children in our country

March 24, 2011 by Guest

Lawrence Taylor: Busted, Not Broken

In an interview with Fox News Insider, former NFL football star, Lawrence Taylor, displays bluntness about his solicitation of a prostituted minor despite his slick attitude and several off the cuff comments. Surely, few believe that this super star was properly punished when he was sentenced to a mere 6 years of probation on March 22 for buying sex with a girl who looked young enough for Taylor to ask her age and mentioned the presence of a pimp. And even though LT got off the hook in court, he admits the worst punishment of all is bearing the shame of his actions to his wife.

While Taylor accepts his conviction saying “I’ll take my punishment like I should” (1:45), he displays a great misunderstanding of the weight of what he has done to a child forced into a life of commercialized sex. “It’s a world of prostitution and you never know what you’re gonna get” (3:28). Taylor says that sometimes the girls are pretty, and sometime they are ugly, describing them as products rather than people—a disturbingly common attitude among millions of buyers of sex.

Stemming from this attitude, Taylor pities himself as a man seeking a “clean” transaction rather than feeling remorse for the crimes inflicted against the child who is one of thousands who are trafficked within the U.S. every year. In his justification, he claims that “I’m not the cause of prostitution,” (1:05) but if all common buyers stopped demanding sex—even from lonely football stars on long, 11 day trips—prostitution would cease to exist as we know it.

“It’s one of those crimes—I guess you call it crimes—where you never think you’re gonna get busted because everybody does it, you know? Until you get busted. Then it’s more embarrassing than anything else” (5:20). There’s no guessing here. Underage prostitution—which is human trafficking by definition—is illegal despite lack of knowledge, and despite lack of guilt.

Lawrence Taylor, thanks for showing the world what your average buyer looks like…an unremorseful, everyday, average Joe. Your demonstration of ignorance shows us why normal men need to be educated about the devastating effects of human trafficking; because it’s not about the pitiful lonely man. It’s about 100,000 American children that become victims of human trafficking each and every year.

Look for key misunderstandings of prostitution in interview with LT:

“I’m not the cause of prostitution.” (1:05)
“It’s a world of prostitution and you never know what you’re gonna get.” (3:28)
“I didn’t really want a relationship; I’m not looking for a relationship.” (4:23)
“It’s all clean,” [in reference to feelings]. (4:30)
“I’m not saying it’s alright, but God, it’s the oldest profession in the world.” (4:43)
“I guess you call it crimes.” (5:21)

Look for the prevalence of human trafficking and prostitution in everyday American culture:

“You can start by just opening up the phone book.” (5:01)
“I have used the services before.” (5:14)
“Everybody does it.” (5:28)

Share your findings:
Be sure to share this post via email, facebook, and/or twitter because it’s so incredibly important to change attitudes towards this crime! Lawrence Taylor’s defense demonstrates a classic buyer’s reaction to getting caught which focuses on his own justification rather than the child’s victimization. All the while, his hesitation and body language reveal that despite all reasoning, he knows that “it’s not alright” (4:43).

March 17, 2011 by Guest

“Sex for Sale” – Sexuality as a Commodity

The world economy is a bustling market supported by trades of commodities such as clothing, food, cars, electronics and more. Unfortunately, a darker industry prevails in the exchange of cash for innocence. In this commercial sex market, sexuality is reduced to a commodity. Where humanity is stripped, a price tag is replaced.

The detachment of human intimacy from sexual relationship is perpetuated by men who purchase sex, forced upon women who are exploited through prostitution and aggravated by social acceptance of the commercial sex industry.

According to a study of male buyers of prostitution by Monto and Julka , a buyer’s belief that sex is a commodity significantly predicted the acceptance of the rape myth (false belief to rationalize and blame a woman for bringing the rape upon herself as well as the belief that prostitution decreases rape cases), attraction to violent sexuality, less frequent use of condoms, support for prostitution, and the attitude that prostitution is positive for women.

While these factors contribute to the buyer’s role in reducing sexuality to a commodity, violence and exploitation cast damaging effects on victims’ perception of sexuality.

Typical intimate, personal relationship involves genuine intimacy, sharing and respect for each other. Prostitution removes these aspects natural to human relationship. It may result in internalized dehumanization and objectification of women by both the buyer and woman herself. Psychologically, this tendency could cause negative consequences for women such as habitual body monitoring, shame and anxiety, and mental health problems.

These dynamics are further aggravated by society’s glamorization of the commercial sex industry and acceptance of increasingly graphic sexual images.

In all but one U.S. state, prostitution is illegal; however, the commercial sex industry is booming. Commercialization of sexuality plays a significant role in considering sexuality as a commodity. We, as a society, allow this to happen by creating a culture of tolerance for sexual exploitation. Advertisements that boast scantily clad women endorsing products further create systemic, cultural stereotypes and perpetuate the association of women as sexual objects. Provocative images of women’s bodies for high fashion brands are one example.

As we continue to accept the commercialization of sexuality in society, the market demand for prostitution as well as trafficking in women will increase. This displaced sexual value gives false notion that buyers have unlimited access to sexual acts and images, thus making all women and children vulnerable to the exploitation of the commercial sex industry. NOW is the time to reverse the commodification of sexuality. Together, we can replace the price tag of exploitation with the humanity of restoration.