Washington, DC (December 10, 2021) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) commended The White House National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking because it shines a spotlight on an often-ignored, but key way to reduce human trafficking: by confronting sex buyers who drive the demand.
“The White House report formally recognizes the need to aggressively combat the root cause of sex trafficking: consumer demand for commercial sex. Including demand reduction in the National Action Plan sends a clear signal that the federal government is committed to reducing – and ultimately ending – sex trafficking rather than being content to just manage its symptoms. There is hope that the plan’s stated commitment will translate into both federal and local action that truly prevents victimization in the sex trade,” said Dawn Hawkins, CEO, National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
Dr. Michael Shively, senior advisor on research and data analysis, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and a foremost expert on demand, said, “Without confronting sex buyers, more people will continue to be exploited and abused. Research has shown that where demand thrives, so does trafficking.”
The White House plan creates a framework for “strengthening efforts to address demand reduction” through the following actions:
- Examin[ing] existing initiatives to reduce demand and encourage research and evaluation of future initiatives
- Develop[ing] improved technology for human trafficking interdiction and identify technical barriers impeding investigations
- Enhanc[ing] focus on investigating and prosecuting the demand and other facilitators of human trafficking
To learn more about Demand and Sex Trafficking, please visit https://endsexualexploitation.org/issues/sex-buying/.
