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 w…

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 so…

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 occur…

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 sur…

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,…

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 v…

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 comfortab…

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…

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 v…

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 wi…

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 in…

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 expl…

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…

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 Explo…

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 Thomp…

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 u…

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…

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…

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 club…

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 fo…

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 pornograph…

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…

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 c…

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 …

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 th…

Evidence supports the fact that child sexual abuse, prostitution, pornography, sex trafficking, sexual violence, etc., are not isolated phenomena occurring in a vacuum. Rather, these and other forms of sexual abuse and exploitation overlap and reinforce one another. Accordingly, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation has developed The Freedom F…

Child sexual abuse is perhaps one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. As a result, people often avoid thinking or talking about it. But pushing such a serious problem under the rug might be doing more harm than good. Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually…

Special guest Dr. John Foubert addresses an innovative program on college campuses. Dr. John Foubert is the national president of One in Four, professor at Oklahoma State University author of several books including most recently How Pornography Harms. One In Four is a national nonprofit dedicated to sexual assault prevention, focusing on college c…

Special guest, Dr. Gail Dines analyzes the big business behind porn. Dr. Gail Dines is a professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies at Wheelock College, where she is also chair of the American Studies department. Having researched and written about the porn industry for over twenty years, Dr. Dines is internationally acclaimed as the leading expert…

We live in an age where many consumers demand transparency from companies they trust. We want to know the working conditions of those who made our clothing, and if pesticides were used to grow our food. Now, thanks to The Dirty Dozen List, we can see which well-known entities promote and profit from forms of sexual exploitation. No corporation shou…

Online library databases in many schools are piping pornographic and sexually explicit materials into children's lives. We were shocked when we discovered EBSCO, and other similar companies, that provide academic resources for grades K-12 are not filtering out sexually explicit content. Even innocent searches return results like links to hardcore p…

The unspoken truth is that Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue is not a triumph of female athleticism, agency, or empowerment. Instead, it is a descent into sexual objectification. Research sows that when someone is being objectified the objectifier is viewing them as if they do not possess a real, individual mind and as if they are less deserving …

The London Abused Women’s Centre, Canada; Collective Shout, Australia; Culture Reframed, USA; and The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), USA have partnered to raise awareness that Fifty Shades of Grey - and it's latest film installment Fifty Shades Darker - normalizes domestic violence. The Fifty Shades trilogy follows wealthy and powe…

An Alabama child advocacy group called Palmer Place recently reported an increase in child-on-child sex abuse cases, and they believe it was brought on by a growing addiction to pornography among children. How can we better understand the phenomenon of children who sexually abuse other children, and how can we intervene? One 2015 study by Dr. Cathy…

Earlier this year, ESPLERP (Erotic Service Providers Legal, Education and Research Project) filed suit in San Francisco District Court claiming that the state’s prostitution laws were unconstitutional. The District Court rightly rejected ESPLERP’s claims. Now ESPLERP is appealing the decision. Savanah Lawrence, NCOSE's Legal Fellow, shares about th…

Before we can begin to address “how” to talk to kids about pornography, it’s important to understand “when” that conversation becomes relevant. Many parents might assume that a few years after puberty is the time to have this talk. However, in today's digital culture, studies show that many children are being exposed to pornography before puberty. …

Amazon’s online market is being used to facilitate sexual exploitation and predation. Not only does Amazon.com feature thousands of pornography-related items in numerous categories, but it is facilitating the sale and distribution of sexually explicit material that normalizes and encourages the objectification and exploitation of women and children…

(This episode is now working, thank you for your patience!) The holidays are often thought of as the most wonderful time of the year. However, for victims of domestic violence, the holidays can be a very dark and scary time. This kind of abuse (whether it’s physical or sexual) is often more likely to occur when stress levels are high, and unfortuna…

A surprising number of public libraries do not have pornography filtering software and a much larger number employ ineffective filtering software that children and adults are bypassing to gain access to all kinds of pornography while at the local library. This leads to problems not only for the health of individuals using pornography, but also to p…

Amnesty International has developed a policy document supporting full decriminalization of prostitution. Full decriminalization of prostitution is one of the world’s most disastrous approaches to the sex trade. Decriminalized prostitution refers to the removal of laws criminalizing the sex trade. One form of decriminalization—commonly referred to a…

The research shows that the sexting phenomenon is not something we can just ignore. Some estimates of teen and young adult sexting rates run from as low as 4% to as high as 20%. Comparing the studies, it is safe to say 7-9% of older teens (14-17 years old) send sexts, while older age groups tend to be involved in sexting at higher percentages, perh…

The National White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) Week brings together hundreds of national, state and local groups, along with driven concerned citizens in a massive effort to educate the public on the harms from pornography and the many resources available to aid those affected. National WRAP Week always starts the last Sunday of October. WRAP…

Ep. 6 What the hype and the research have to say about trafficking at the Super Bowl. Claim # 1: "The Super Bowl is the largest sex trafficking event in the world." Claim # 2: "Sex trafficking at the Super Bowl is way overdramatized; it's not a big problem." Over the last few years, both of these claims have been perpetuated by different media sour…

Popular media portrays those involved in prostitution as typically glamorized or empowered individuals. However, the research reveals that this is not the experience of the vast majority of those involved in the sex trade. Typically, positive portrayals of prostitution as voluntary work are coming from a place of privilege. The vast majority of pro…

Episode #4. Research is showing that pornography is linked to increases in sexual violence. Pornography shapes the user’s sexual template around themes of degradation, ambiguous consent, and violence. Cognitive Script Theory reveals that media provide a heuristic learning model outlining: 1) what should or should not be happening; 2) how people sho…

This is episode #3 of the Sexploitation podcast, I’m here today with Dawn Hawkins from NCOSE, and today we’re talking about the question “Does Facebook Facilitate Sex Trafficking?” We think of sex trafficking as only occurring in dingy dungeons, but really so much of it has moved online – it’s a digital age – you no longer need to “know a guy” or g…

This is episode #2 of the Sexploitation podcast, I’m here today with Dawn Hawkins from NCOSE, and today we’re talking about the question “Is Porn Really a Public Health Crisis?” This question has been everywhere lately. Utah passed a formal state resolution declaring pornography a public health crisis in the summer of 2016, then that fall the RNC a…

This is podcast episode #1, thank you so much for tuning in! Maybe you’re listening because you’re familiar with our organization, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, or maybe you just clicked on it because of the catchy name. Either way, I’m glad you’re here! Today I’m going to give you a quick tour of what we’re about and what you can exp…