The only way to shrink the commercial sex trade (thereby reducing multiple related crimes and well documented harm to those exploited) is to target sex buyers.
If men aren’t buying sex, pimps and traffickers won’t be supplying brothels, alleys, and websites with victims. Right now, groups can help women get out of the sex trade (multiple studies show the vast majority do not want to be there) but twice as many might replace them the next day. You can arrest traffickers, but enterprising predators will fill the void.
If we target the men putting cash in pimps’ pockets, the market will dry up.
That’s why shrinking consumer-level demand (sex buying behavior) must be a priority for efforts to combat sexual exploitation. Every anti-trafficking initiative should include demand reduction.
Research from around the world has shown that not only are these tactics possible, they are working! By creating deterrents such as fines charged to sex buyers or sending letters to their homes once they’re charged, we stem the endless flow of victims needed to fulfill the demand buyers create. Fines can be used to fund programs needed for survivors.
Please take 30 SECONDS to use the action below to email to your local elected officials asking them to adopt policies that increase accountability for sex buyers. NCOSE can support officials with research, customized legislation, and training.
