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Ending Sexploitation

The Ending Sexploitation podcast decodes sexual harms and provides you with active solutions. We address the full spectrum of sexual exploitation, from sex trafficking to sexual violence, to rape culture, to pornography, and more. And better yet, we give you the tools to make a difference!
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Sep 1, 2022

Dr. Stephany Powell, Director of Law Enforcement Training and Survivor Services at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the concept of Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) through the lens of implicit bias. 

 

Dr. Powell explains that Trauma-Informed Care entails a paradigm shift from wondering, “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”. She says, “Once we understand ‘What happened to you’, without bias, then that’s when we can really begin our journey alongside our clients to be able to help them become the person that they want to be.” 

 

Dr. Powell explains that the ability to understand people’s trauma and provide them with Trauma-Informed Care is often hindered by our own implicit biases. Implicit biases are the attitudes or stereotypes we unconsciously hold which affect the way we view and treat other people. They are different from explicit biases in that we do not know we have them and they can even be in opposition to our declared beliefs. Dr. Powell emphasizes that everyone has implicit biases. Fortunately, these biases can be gradually unlearned, but in order for this to happen we first have to recognize what our implicit biases are and how they are affecting our attitudes and behaviors. 

Jun 24, 2022

Why focus on combatting the demand for prostitution (ie. Sex buying)? Is combatting demand an effective way to reduce sex trafficking? Is it affordable and accessible for law enforcement? What kind of tactics and strategies can be used to deter sex buyers? How does full decriminalization of prostitution affect demand reduction efforts?

These are some of the questions explored by the experts on Demand who join the Ending Sexploitation podcast for this episode. These experts include Marian Hatcher of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, who has worked on countless law enforcement initiatives targeting demand; Jamey Caruthers, the Director of Demand Reduction and Policy at Street Grace; and Dr. Michael Shively, long-time researcher on Demand and Senior Advisor on Research & Data Analysis at NCOSE.

May 20, 2022

Peter Gentala, Senior Legal Counsel at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the issue of holding social media platforms legally accountable for facilitating sexual exploitation. Gentala addresses both the particular challenges in this space as well as the unprecedented progress that has occurred over the past year.  

Gentala explains how American Law has been interpreted as granting internet platforms blanket immunity for third-party content, under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. As such, it has historically been exceptionally difficult to hold social media companies accountable for the role they play in recklessly distributing sexually exploitative content. However, thanks to the brave voices of survivors and the collective efforts of law firms, advocates, journalists, and more, groundbreaking progress has been made. Gentala speaks to the milestones that have been reached in the past year, sharing a message of hope and inspiration. 

Apr 19, 2022

Ambassador Swanee Hunt, Chair and Founder of Hunt Alternatives and Eleanor Roosevelt Lecturer of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the importance of combating demand for commercial sexual exploitation. 

During the discussion, Ambassador Hunt shared the story of speaking to survivors of commercial sexual exploitation internationally. She recalled the chilling story of a young woman in Europe who told her, “Our girls are disappearing from our villages.” Over time, Ambassador Hunt began researching why so many women and girls were being exploited and bought for sex.

In addition to enabling research and trainings on demand (aka sex buying behavior), Ambassador Hunt went on to help establish the Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation (CEASE Network) which spearhead cutting edge tactics to identify the best policies and practices for reducing demand at a local level. 

Mar 2, 2022

Kindsey Pentecost, Chief Marketing Officer of ItWorks, an industry leading beauty and nutrition company), and Founder of Turn Your Life Around (TYLA), a Prostitution Diversion Court joins the podcast to share about her experiences collaborating with and training law enforcement and court systems on sex trafficking. 

“Especially in the United States, we really treat victims [of sex trafficking] as if it’s their job to identify as a victim and tell us that they’re a victim, and that just doesn’t work with sex trafficking,” Kindsey shared. In this episode, she explains how sex traffickers groom victims, establishing bonds so strong that many victims don’t have the ability to identify themselves for law enforcement.  

Reflecting on her years of experience working closely with the criminal justice system, Kindsey describes how vital it is for law enforcement and the courts to be accurately trained on the dynamics of sex trafficking in order to better serve survivors.  

She also shares about her work in Florida to shift law enforcement resources and time away from arresting people sold in the sex trade, bringing in agencies to provide diverse services to help survivors recover, and instead to focus law enforcement on arresting sex buyers and traffickers. 

Kindsey Pentecost’s advice to listeners is to focus on prevention by investing in the next generation, discussing the realities of grooming and abuse with them in age-appropriate ways to safeguard them from potential exploiters. 

Visit https://www.kindseypentecost.com/purpose to find resources to learn more and take action, including a parent guide and list of must-read books. 

Feb 11, 2022

In the face of an explosion of child sexual abuse material (CSAM, aka child pornography) being distributed and consumed online, the EARN IT Act holds technology companies accountable if they aid and abet the distribution and/or consumption of child sexual abuse material.

This episode is a chance to listen in to the February 8th, 2022, EARN IT Act virtual congressional briefing.

The EARN IT Act is the most important child protection legislation pending before Congress in 2022. It does four main things:

  1. Clarifies that there is no immunity for social media and technology companies that knowingly facilitate the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
  2. Gives victims a path to justice and possibility of restoring their privacy
  3. Updates existing federal statutes to replace “child pornography” with the more accurate term “child sexual abuse material” (CSAM). This content is crime scene documentation; “child pornography” fails to convey the seriousness of the abuse.
  4. Establishes a commission of survivors, technology reps, privacy and civil rights experts, and other stakeholders to recommend best practices for tech companies to respond to the astronomical increase in online sexual exploitation of children including grooming for sex trafficking.

Here’s what the bill does not do:

  • Does not undermine encryption
  • Does not undermine privacy
  • Does not give the federal government new power

You can watch a video of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAItN4LicJo

Learn more and take action: https://endsexualexploitation.org/earnit/ 

Nov 16, 2021

Kristen Jenson, founder of Defend Young Minds, shares about the necessity of teaching children “Digital Defense Skills” for online safety and preventing/defending against exposure to online pornography.

Kristen speaks to the necessity of talking to kids about the harms of viewing pornography early, and educates on strategies to do so in a comfortable and age appropriate way. Kristen has developed popular resources for talking to children as young as 3 years old, such as the book  Good Pictures Bad Pictures Junior. We encourage you to see Kristen Jensen’s valuable resources here. 

Some resources specifically mentioned on this episode include: 

Nov 9, 2021

Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, joins the Ending Sexploitation podcast to discuss the history of the organization and its vision for the future. The discussion includes the need for a bipartisan and diverse movement that addresses the full spectrum of sexual abuse and exploitation issues. Dawn Hawkins emphasizes the need to address not only sex trafficking and child sexual abuse, but also more controversial issues like pornography and prostitution which are sexually exploitive in and of themselves and which feed into more kinds of harm. She addresses the cultural confusion about if prostitution and pornography can be considered legitimate jobs, and if systems can be set up which ensure they are ethical, or if they are inherently harmful.

TAKE ACTION:

EndSexualExploitation.org | DirtyDozenList.com | SexploitationLawsuits.com

Sep 14, 2021

In this interview, Haley McNamara (VP at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation) speaks with Julie Inman Grant who shares about the genesis of the Australian eSafety Commission, and the importance of corporate and technological accountability for safety online.  

She also discusses Safety By Design principles, and the importance of pursuing age verification for consumers of pornography. She also lays out helpful advice to advocates looking to expand these concepts in their own countries.  

 

Get Involved: 

You can learn more about the Australian eSafety Commission here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/ 

If you or someone you know has been a victim of non-consensually shared intimate materials, reach out to support networks: 

Aug 4, 2021

Alvin W. Amadu has over 18 years of working on anti-exploitation in Africa. He’s currently the Program Manager at the African Network for the Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse and Neglect (ANPPCAN) Liberia. He is a 2019/2020 Humphrey Fullbright Fellow sponsored by the United States Department of State – and he also worked as a Fellow with us in Washington DC at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation at that time. 

In this podcast, Alvin shares about the cultural and economic contexts in Liberia that increase children’s vulnerability to sexual abuse or sex trafficking. He also shares how child marriage is a global problem, and why it must be recognized as a form of sexual abuse. In the end he shares key principles of prevention that people around the world can apply in order to better safeguard children.

Learn more about Alvin's organization here: http://www.anppcan.org/ 

May 26, 2021

Dr. Stephany Powell joins the podcast to share about her unique insight into the world of sexual exploitation and trafficking gained through her thirty years with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), coupled with her time serving survivors and advocating for vital policy reforms.

She addresses law enforcement perspectives on identifying and investigating sex trafficking cases, and misunderstandings that can hinder them. Dr. Powell recently contributed to a book titled “Teaching Beautiful Brilliant Black Girls.” Her chapter addressed myths around the commercial sexual exploitation of African American girls, and she elaborates on these themes in her podcast.

May 11, 2021

Child sexual abuse materials (or CSAM, aka child pornography) has surged over 106% during COVID according to the National Center on Missing and Exploited Children. And tragically, CSAM isn't only happening on the Dark Web - it's also flourishing on mainstream social media platforms like Twitter.

Survivor John Doe was only 16 when he discovered exploitative child sexual abuse materials of himself at age 13 were posted on Twitter. The video managed to accrue over 160,000 views before Twitter finally took it down—despite multiple reports from both John Doe and his mother verifying his status as a minor.  

Lisa Habba, Esq. and Peter Gentala, Esq. joined this episode of the Ending Sexploitation podcast to share the story of John Doe, and another male survivor, who are suing Twitter for facilitating their child sexual abuse materials.

The discussion includes the legal challenges of the case and why Twitter assumes it should be immune from any liability, despite fostering an environment that appears to allow child sexual abuse materials to flourish.

Take Action:

If you or someone you know has been harmed by sexual exploitation via Twitter please contact the Haba Law Firm and the NCOSE Law Center.

Learn more about this case and help spread the word on how Twitter is complicit with the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM.)

Apr 20, 2021

Since the 2007 movie Lars and the Real Girl, sex dolls have become increasingly popular and normalized. In fact, mainstream companies like Amazon, Etsy, and the Wish shopping app have sold sex dolls, including ones that looked child-like.

During this episode of the Ending Sexploitation podcast, Haley McNamara interviews Caitlin Roper, PhD candidate, and Campaigns Manager at Collective Shout.

They discuss the rising trends of sex dolls being made to look like children or people the buyer knows in real life, and the way sex dolls are not an answer to loneliness or pedophilia. In fact, they discuss research that shows how child sex abuse dolls normalize and encourage sexual interest in children. 

Take Action:

Connect with Collective Shout and engage in their campaigns: https://www.collectiveshout.org/

Follow Caitlin Roper on Twitter: https://twitter.com/caitlin_roper

Contact Etsy on Twitter and tell them to stop selling sex dolls: https://twitter.com/Etsy

Apr 6, 2021

Did you know that mainstream companies you interact with every day may be facilitating sexual exploitation, or leaving children vulnerable to abuse or graphic content? 

During this episode of the Ending Sexploitation podcast, Haley McNamara interviews Lina Nealon, Director of Corporate and Strategic Initiatives at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. 

They discuss mainstream corporations that are facilitating sexual exploitation and abuse, including problems with Google Chrombooks that leave children vulnerable during online learning, how Amazon facilitates incest-themed merchandise, how the Wish Shopping app sells exploitive merchandise and buys ads on pornography websites, the rise of the OnlyFans sexual exploitation marketplace, and more. 

Take Action 

Learn more and contact companies facilitating sexual exploitation at dirtydozenlist.com 

You can specifically take action on Google Chromebooks here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/chromebooks 

You can specifically take action on Amazon here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/amazon 

You can specifically take action on Wish here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/wish 

You can specifically take action on OnlyFans here: https://endsexualexploitation.org/onlyfans 

The Dirty Dozen List is an annual campaign calling out twelve mainstream entities for facilitating or profiting from sexual abuse and exploitation. Since its inception in 2013, the Dirty Dozen List has galvanized thousands of individuals like YOU to call on corporations, government agencies, and organizations to change specific policies to instead promote human dignity. This campaign has yielded major victories, including significant changes at Google, Netflix, TikTok, Hilton Worldwide, Verizon, Walmart, US Department of Defense, and many more. 

Apr 3, 2019

Entities such as strip clubs, massage parlors, brothels, and pornography production companies exist around the world and are commonly referred to using innocuous terms such as “sex trade,” “sex sector,” and “commercial sex industry.” However, what these entities really constitute is a global supply chain of organized sexual exploitation.

Lisa Thompson, Vice President of Policy and Research at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, analyzes this complex supply chain.

Resources:

This presentation was recorded at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's national briefing in the U.S. Capitol building, entitled "The Freedom from Sexploitation Agenda."

To learn more about the agenda, and to see more videos from the event, visit: endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/

 

Mar 7, 2019

The abuse of children is something we recognize as a horrific crime. But what happens when the abuser is a child themselves?

This week we hear from Heidi Olson, a registered nurse who specializes in pediatrics and leads the team of forensic nurses at a large children’s hospital in Kansas City, MO.

This presentation will give real-life examples of unlikely juvenile sex offenders, their victims, and how this is directly related to exploitation and pornography.

*Listener Discretion Advised: This episode includes graphic medical descriptions of the acts and after effects of sexual assault. 

Resources:

Learn more and find resources if you or someone you love has experienced this kind of abuse:

https://endsexualexploitation.org/cocsa

Feb 28, 2019

While this work is sometimes dark and depressing, we are so grateful to see many victories from 2018!

Join us in looking back and recognizing the forward momentum our movement has, from corporate policy progress at Walmart and Comcast, to more state resolutions recognizing the harms of pornography, and more!

Resources:

Get involved and be a part of the 2019 victories by taking action at DirtyDozenList.com.

 

Feb 21, 2019

Earlier this year,  Jayme Cross, a 13-year-old girl had been missing for months after a 21-year-old man murdered her parents, duct-taped her wrists and mouth, threw her in the back of his trunk, and drove away. Some 88 days after being abducted, Jayme was able to get out of the house, and run to get help from a woman out walking her dog.

Perhaps few others have as clear of a perspective on this story than the family of Elizabeth Smart—the woman who was abducted for several months in Utah in 2002 at the age of 14.

At the 2015 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit, Elizabeth Smart’s father, Ed Smart, gave a moving presentation about the way sexual exploitation and abuse is interlinked in real-life, and how to turn trauma into action. Ed Smart is now an advocate for child protection, working with numerous nonprofits and has lobbied Congress and the Senate tirelessly to prevent further abductions and to rescue missing children.

Resources:

First, you can go to http://www.childIDprogram.com/ for the ID Kit which allows parents to take and store their child's fingerprints in their own home. Keep for your own records in case the worst happens and you need to give them to authorities.

Surviving Parents Coalition

http://www.spcoalition.org/index.html

TAALK has many resources and a private forum with one section that is specifically for Parents of Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: https://taalk.org/forum.html

https://elizabethsmartfoundation.org/ - ending victimization through prevention, recovery and advocacy

Feb 13, 2019

Strip clubs are often seen as a harmless form of entertainment for men. And. While they are certainly everywhere from the sides of interstates to the heart of our nation’s capital, and pull patrons from all walks of life, some of strip club’s most routine patrons include military personnel. In fact, military bases are often surrounded by strip clubs in their area, and we’ve seen that they often have special ads and discounts specifically targeting individuals serving in the military. How is this a problem?

Well, not only do strip clubs themselves feed into harmful sexual entitlement and often recruit from women with trauma and socioeconomic difficulties but also we see that strip clubs are inherently linked to prostitution and sex trafficking. So how should the military respond to this link? 

That’s what Dan O’Bryant will be discussing with us today. Dan served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the United States Air Force, serving as a prosecutor then later as an Area Defense Counsel. He was a Law Professor at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and a 2015-16 Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University. He is also a board member at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

This presentation was given at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation's briefing in the U.S. Capitol entitled "The Freedom from Sexploitation Agenda."

To learn more, visit: endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/

Resources

endsexualexploitation.org/freedomagenda/

Reach out to public@ncose.com if you or someone you know is linked with the military and has a story or strategy for this issue. Anonymous or with full attribution.

Volunteer to help individuals in the sex industry: 

http://iamatreasure.com/about/locations/

Feb 7, 2019

What goes on in the mind of a sex buyer? People who buy sex are driving the market for prostitution and sex trafficking but we don’t know enough about them.

This question will be answered by Peter Qualliotine Co-Founder/Director, Men’s Accountability, Organization for Prostitution Survivors who has both worked with sex buyers and reviewed online forums where sex buyers discuss their ‘hobby” with one another.

This presentation was given at the 2018 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Global Summit hosted by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.

Resources:

EndExploitationSummit.com

seattleops.org

https://traffickcam.com/

Jan 30, 2019

The American Society of Addiction Medicine states that addiction is a singular disorder—no matter the chemical or behavioral object of the addiction—that addiction manifests a specific set of signs and symptoms including escalation, impaired impulse control, and reduced emotional, social, and/or professional wellbeing. Does dependency on pornography meet these symptoms?

Noah Church speaks on the neurological consequences of long-term porn addiction at the 2016 Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation Summit in Houston, TX.

Resources:

AddictedToInternetPorn.com

EndSexualExploitation.org/resources

CovenantEyes.com

NoFap.com

Dec 13, 2018

Haley Halverson, Vice President of Advocacy and Outreach at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, provides an update on research, survivor testimonies, and legal battles regarding legal brothels in Nevada.

This episode discusses how:

1) Even legal prostitution cannot get rid of sexual violence or sex trafficking within the regulated sex trade.

2) Dennis Hof and Harvey Weinstein have similar worldviews based on sexual entitlement.

3) One county had a failed attempt to overturn legal brothels in their county, but now another legislator might be taking action to roll back legalized prostitution at the state level.

Resources:

Learn more about the harms of prostitution, here: endsexualexploitation.org/prostitution

Find resources for survivors seeking to exit the sex trade, here: https://www.sextradesurvivorresources.com/

Research article showing that sex trafficking increases when prostitution is legalized can be found here.

The full story of the female who survived two legal brothels in Nevada can be found here.

Dec 13, 2018

Dr. Sharon Cooper is a developmental and forensic pediatrician who evaluates and treats children who have been victims of all forms of abuse, though her primary area of expertise is that of sexual exploitation. At an event held by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in the U.S. Capitol, Dr. Cooper shared 3 ways adult pornography is harming children.

Resources:

Learn more about the harms of pornography, here: endsexualexploitation.org/publichealth

Find resources for protecting children from pornography, and for recovery from pornography addiction, here: endsexualexploitation.org/resources.

May 25, 2017

Whether you are a college student, know a college student, or just care about fighting sexual exploitation in ANY environment, this episode is filled with practical action steps to get you started.

College students should be safe from sexual assault, and the factors that contribute to campus sexual assault must be recognized. 

Campus sexual assault is often tied to issues like sporting events, sex week events, fraternities, pornography use, drinking, and more. Tune-in to this episode to understand the issue, and to learn simple actions you can take to combat the factors that contribute to sexual exploitation on college campuses.

Call to Action:

Learn more at: endsexualexploitation.org/college

Tips to address Sex Week on college campuses: endsexualexploitation.org/sexweek

Resource Center: endsexualexploitation.org/resources

Other educational resources:

endsexualexploitation.org/publichealth

endsexualexploitation.org/prostitution

endsexualexploitation.org/sextrafficking

May 5, 2017

Special guest Josh McDowell, an author, apologist, and founder of Josh McDowell Ministry, joins this podcast episode to address the current climate in the church regarding pornography.

He provides advice for individuals, pastors, and churches about recovery from pornography. He weighs in on the debate about if church leaders should be fired when they confess an addiction to pornography.

McDowell also addresses the positive efforts going on in diverse faith communities to address the harms of pornography.

Call to Action:

To learn more about Josh McDowell and his ministries visit: www.josh.org

To join NCOSE's interfaith prayer team visit: endsexualexploitation.org/prayer

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