CINCINNATI, Oct. 15, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shared Hope International, a non-profit leader in the fight to eradicate domestic minor sex trafficking, today kicked off its eighth-annual Juvenile Sex Trafficking Conference (JuST) at the Duke Energy Convention Center. With more than 1,100 attendees, the sold-out Oct. 15-17 conference is the largest focused on the fight to end minor sex trafficking in communities across America.
The conference features 75 workshops with topics ranging from “Recognizing Sex Trafficking in Hotels” and “The Good, Bad & Dangerous Online Apps and Games” to “Demolishing Demand to Purchase Trafficked Victims” and “The Intersection of the Opioid Epidemic with Sex Trafficking.” Approximately 50 sex-trafficking survivors are in attendance at JuST and many will serve as presenters.
In addition to survivors, attendees include members of law enforcement, prosecutors, community activists and others who devote their time, energy and careers to fighting juvenile sex trafficking.
This year’s opening keynote will be delivered by Senior Special Agent (Retired) Russell Strand and Myra Strand, experts in the field of experiential trauma. Together at Strand2 Squared LLC, the Strands provide consultation, forensic experiential trauma interviewing and assistance to agencies and service providers.
“Though sex trafficking of minors is an issue better understood today than it was when we started this conference in 2012, many traffickers, pimps and buyers are still escaping justice as survivors are denied justice,” said Linda Smith, founder and president of Shared Hope. “We must confront the cultural bias in this country that allows us to treat exploited children as adult criminals while adult men can simply deny they knew the age of their victims to get off on lesser charges.”
Smith, a former U.S. Congresswoman for the state of Washington, founded Shared Hope in 1998 while still a member of Congress. Her group’s mission is to prevent the conditions that foster sex trafficking, restore victims of sex slavery, and bring justice to vulnerable children and women.
“It is exciting to hear that 1,100 people are coming together at JuST to help kids like I was,” said Yvonne Hubbell, a survivor and subject matter expert advisor to Shared Hope. “No child should be arrested because some man is out shopping for sex. I carry scars on my body and on my life because I, the child, was perceived as a prostitute and sent to jail. As a result, even today I cannot get a decent job with health benefits or volunteer at my children’s school. But the man who bought me wasn’t even charged with assault or attempted rape of a minor.”
Shared Hope is a national authority and trusted resource on domestic sex trafficking of minors, collaborating with leading stakeholders on prevention, restoration, and justice initiatives.
“Many Americans think sex trafficking is an issue in developing nations, but the truth is we are failing thousands of vulnerable children right here in the United States,” said Smith. “We will stay in this fight until we achieve true victim-centered justice, which includes ensuring proper protections and restoration for survivors.”
Each year, JuST unites top sex-trafficking experts with those passionate about shedding a light on the commercial sex industry, providing practical knowledge and actionable responses to raise awareness and ultimately end trafficking in local communities.
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
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201-615-7751
rostmann@rosecomm.com