Statement by Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of NCOSE
Washington, DC – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is launching a new awareness campaign with over 20 partners to target demand for sex trafficking at the Super Bowl and beyond.“How do you stop sex trafficking at the Super Bowl? Simple: stop the demand for commercial sex,” said Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. “The conditions around large sporting events like the Super Bowl foster an increased demand for commercial sex (e.g. prostitution and sex trafficking) because they attract large numbers of males who gather from across the country into a concentrated, geographic area. With discretionary income at their disposal and the party atmosphere of such events, some of these men seek to buy sex. This leads sex traffickers, enticed by the potential for greater profits, to increase the supply of sexually trafficked persons in that area.”
“This kind of activity happens at the Super Bowl, as well as similar major events known to attract large numbers of men from the Olympics to motorcycle rallies. The sad fact is that the demand for sex trafficking is a problem 365 days a year. But everyone, including sports fans, can play a role in combating it. ”
“The Super Bowl provides an important opportunity to send the message that real sports fans don’t buy sex because, without the demand of sex buyers, there would be no sex trafficking,” Hawkins continued. “That’s why we’ve launched the #TackleDemand social media campaign to help raise awareness and send the message that buying sex promotes sex trafficking. The public is encouraged to participate by visiting our website endsexualexploitation.org/
Nita Belles, Founder of In Our Backyard, has led human trafficking prevention work surrounding the last seven Super Bowls. Belles explained, “While there is an increase in trafficking surrounding major events such as Super Bowl, human trafficking happens 365 days a year in zip codes across the United States. But every citizen can be a part of the solution by talking about the human trafficking in our backyards and raising awareness. All the traffickers ask is that we remain silent. We will not remain silent.”
Partner organizations include: A Call to Men, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, Coalition to Abolish Human Trafficking in the Inland Northwest, Demand Abolition, Elijah Rising, Exodus Cry, Global Center for Women & Justice from Vanguard University, Global Centurion, Illinois Family Institute, In Our Backyard, International Athletes’ Abolition Mission, Legal Momentum, Museum of Modern Day Slavery, Nexus, One in Four, Prayer for Freedom, Porn Know, Shared Hope International, Texas Advocates United for Sexual Health, U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking, United Against Human Trafficking, VCU United, Wichita State University Center for Combating Human Trafficking, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
For a brief article by Lisa Thompson, Vice President of NCOSE, about the prevalence of sex trafficking at the Super Bowl visit here.
For information regarding the harms of prostitution visit here.
