Title:

Child Advocate

Organization:

Jacob Wetterling Resource Center

Presentation Title:

“There’s a Dream That We Dream How the World Should Be….”

Presentation Description:

Patty will share lessons learned about child safety following her son’s abduction. Understanding the continuum of child sexual abuse, and the contributing factors of today’s social environmental to sexual harm. we also need to focus on the vision and work to build healthier, more respectful relationships. We need to teach our children about relationships and respectful boundaries so that they don’t grow up to become someone who would exploit another. Let’s talk about what are we fighting for.

Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. Have increased understanding of child abduction and exploitation and how to replace fear with knowledge.
2. Understand the collaboration needed to stop harmful behaviors
3. Share the hope for a world where children have the right to grow up safe and follow their dreams.

Bio:

Patty Wetterling is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted at the age of eleven by a masked gunman on October 22, 1989 near his home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. On September 1, 2016, nearly twenty-seven years after his abduction, Jacob’s remains were found, and his abductor arrested. Throughout her healing process, Patty has continued to search for prevention solutions and to seek answers to build a better safer world for children.

Patty co-founded the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC) and Team H.O.P.E. a national support group for families of missing children.  Patty co-authored the books, “When Your Child is Missing:  A Family Survival Guide,” and “Perspectives on Missing Persons Cases.” Patty has become a nationally recognized educator on child abduction and sexual exploitation of children.

Patty was Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from 2012-2015 and remains a champion of hope for families whose children are still missing and for prevention of sexual exploitation and abduction.

Title:

Law Student

Organization:

Member of Sisters e.V.

Presentation Title:

The Role of Dissociation in Prostitution: A personal and general analysis on dissociation.

Presentation Description:

When we talk about prostitution we often do not talk enough about dissociation. How does dissociation affect people in and after they escaped prostitution? When women and girls in prostitution had to dissociate their feelings away, they always dissociate more and more their whole self away – until their self is gone. If the brain has constantly trained this mechanism of “I-go-away-from-this-moment-here” the dissociation can start to work automatically. Sometimes it does not stop after the women exited prostitution. It did not stop when I exited prostitution. How can people connect with themselves after they have lost themselves? I want to talk about my healing process. How can we support the healing journeys of prostituted women to overcome dissociation and trauma?

Furthermore: dissociation concerns our whole society. How? And what is dissociation in it’s deep essence?

 Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. How dissociation affects women in prostitution
2. How dissociation affects women after exiting prostitution
3. How to overcome trauma-related dissociation

Bio:

Sandra Norak is 29 years old. She was trafficked into prostitution through “Loverboy-Method” and spent 6 years in prostitution. Now she is about to finish law studies in Germany, specializing in European and Public International Law, focusing on Human Rights. She works to raise awareness about the system of prostitution and different forms of human trafficking like the “Loverboy-Method” and she is pushing for the Nordic Model. She is also doing prevention work in schools to teach young boys and girls about the reality of prostitution and how young women and girls can identify and protect themselves from “Loverboys.” She was part of the German TV documentary Brothel Germany—The Billion-Dollar Business in Prostitution. Her homepage is: https://mylifeinprostitution.wordpress.com/

Title:

Psychocologist – Expert in Psychotraumatology

Organization:

“Trauma & Prostitution” – Network of scientists for a world without prostitution.

Presentation Title:

Survivors Strategies to Traumatical Stress: Dissociation and Trauma Bonding.

Presentation Description:

Traumatical Stress affects a person in its entirety: psychologically, the body and the neurobiology of the brain. During Traumatical Stress the brain can react with dissociation. What is dissociation? How does it affect the body/the brain and how does it affect a person on a long-term? The Trauma Memory, Flash-Backs and Fear / Dissociative Reactions are a long-term consequence of Trauma.

Furthermore (if I have time!), during a interpersonal and chronically-cumulative Trauma (witch is prostitution!), the victim develops a relationship with the aggressor. How does this perverse relationship affects the victims identity? Her thoughts and her capacity to defend herself?

Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. Understand Dissociation
2. Understand the long-term effects of trauma: Trauma Memory, Flash Backs, Fear/Dissociative phenomena.
3. Understand Trauma Bonding and it’s influence on the exit process of prostitution.

Bio:

Dr. Ingeborg Kraus, is a clinical psychologist and expert in psychotraumatology. From 1995 -2002, she did humanitarian work in Bosnia and Kosovo, especially working with women victims of sexual violence. She assisted in setting up one of the first shelters for women victims of domestic violence in Kosovo. Since 2011, she is holding her own psychotherapeutic counseling office in Karlsruhe/Germany and has treated many victims of prostitution.

She is a speaker and activist for the abolition of prostitution in Germany.  Author of many articles on prostitution, especially about PTSD, traumatic bonding and Trauma as a pre-condition in prostitution. Dr. Kraus has co-founded in 2007 a group within the Green Party against prostitution (Grüne Prostitutionskritikerinnen). 2013 she has lanced the appeal from Karlsruhe addressing all political parties to end prostitution in Germany (https://karlsruherappell.com/der-appell/). In 2014 she has lanced the appeal of the German traumatherapists against prostitution (https://www.trauma-and-prostitution.eu/en/the-appeal/) and has established a network of scientists in order to inform about the reality in prostitution and their consequences on heath, explain the social impact of legalized prostitution and to make scientific texts and studies on prostitution available. She is a co-founder of the alliance Stop Sexkauf (Stop Sex Buying) and has lanced the international petition addressed to Angela Merkel to abolish prostitution in Germany: https://www.change.org/p/punish-the-buying-of-sex-abolish-prostitution

Title:

Adjunct Associate Professor; Director, Spine Fellowship

Organization:

The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio

Presentation Title:

A Population of Slaves: How the Pornography Industry is Capturing our Brains, Hearts, and Humanity

Presentation Description:

1. Digital pornography is increasingly addictive, and ignoring this only potentiates it’s ability to harm
2. The pornography industry, personified by companies like Mindgeek, use this addictive potential to enrich themselves, and minimize their exploitation of the performers and consumers by the material that enriches the industry.
3. Academic apologists ally themselves with Big Porn to deflect and minimize the evidence of both harm and addiction, modeling Big Tobacco’s playbook, and purposefully targeting youth.  Thus, a public health approach is needed to counter this predatory industry.

Bio:

Dr. Hilton is an adjunct associate professor of neurosurgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, where he is the director of the spine fellowship and the director of neurosurgical training at the Methodist Hospital rotation. His research and publishing interests have included traumatic brain injury, minimally invasive surgery, and neural mechanisms of addiction.

He has authored peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on addiction and the effects of pornography on the brain. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, and has served on the board for the Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health. Dr. Hilton has spoken at numerous symposiums and forums on pornography as a public health issue in the United States and internationally, including a symposium in Warsaw, Poland in the Parliament building, at a Vatican conference at the Gregorian Pontifical University convened by Pope Francis in 2017, and at a Set Free Summit in Singapore in March of 2019. He has also been featured in several documentaries on pornography. He and his wife Jana have 5 children and 6 grandchildren.

Title:

Organizer/Consultant

Organization:

Rus Funk Consulting

Presentation Title:

What’s Wrong with this Picture: An Overview of a Model Program

Presentation Description:

Pornography can be understood as a form of sexual exploitation and sexual violence.  As an example, the women who are portrayed in pornography are often prostituted or trafficked women who are having their prostitution or trafficking filmed.

It is also, by many estimates, the most frequently cited form of sex education for adolescent men.  Men’s viewing of pornography has been demonstrated to be linked to:

1. Reduction in men’s empathy to rape victims
2. Increased likelihood that men excuse rape attitudes
3. Decreased likelihood of men to intervene as bystanders to rape type situation
4. Increased support for rape myths and rape-supporting attitudes.

This workshop provides an overview of a model 7-week educational program for adult men that helps them to explore and critique their experiences of viewing pornography.  The program also helps to engage the men who participate in the program in efforts to prevent rape and other forms of sexual violence.

Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. Participants will be able to define ways that pornography is a form of sexual violence and abuse
2. Participants will be able to list 5 results of men’s viewing of pornography that inhibit our efforts to prevent rape and sexual violence

3. Participants will be able to explain some elements of what’s wrong with men’s viewing of pornography
4. Participants will learn 2 – 3 exercises to use with men to explore the harms of viewing pornography

Bio:

Rus Ervin Funk has been working to prevent commercial sexual exploitation and all forms of gender-based violence for more than 30 years. In that time, he has founded or co-founded dozens of community-based organizations the bulk of that time focusing on engaging and mobilizing men in prevention. Rus is the designer of the What’s Wrong with this Picture program and the author of What’s Wrong with this Picture: The Impact of Viewing Pornography (the only curriculum available for adult men to examine the impact of viewing pornography).

Rus is a sought after speaker and trainer.  He is a consultant and organizer working with campuses, and communities to develop effective strategies to prevent gender-based violence or promote gender equality.

Rus serves on the Steering Committee of the North American MenEngage Network, is on the board of the global MenEngage Alliance, and is Secretary of the board of the National Center on Sexual and Domestic Violence.

Rus lives in Louisville, KY with his partner and their 9-year old child.

Title:

Founding Co-Chair

Organization:

World Without Exploitation

Presentation Title:

Marketing a Movement

Presentation Description:

Legal advocacy and the provision of direct services are critical to addressing gender-related violence. But are they enough? In “Marketing a Movement,” we make an impassioned case for communications as the “third leg” of any effective effort to change minds, hearts and public policies on sexual violence, exploitation and trafficking. We use the “Ugly Truth” campaign – an award-winning public awareness campaign – to vividly make the case. “The Ugly Truth” has been recognized by the European Union as one of the most effective gender justice campaigns worldwide and has run in six U.S. cities to date.

This presentation will engage viewers to think in new and different ways
about communications campaigns for social justice issues such as trafficking and sexual exploitation, and provide actionable ideas for specific steps to take to develop effective communication campaigns that can boost the effectiveness of other efforts to combat gender-related violence.

Bio:

Katie Feifer brings 15 years of activism and 40 years of communications, research, and facilitation experience to bear on gender-based violence issues. Katie has a unique public-private sector history. She was formerly a Vice President at Leo Burnett, one of the country’s most respected communications firms. She then spent 25 years as an independent consultant for a long list of Fortune 500 companies engaged in qualitative research, strategic planning, and meeting facilitation.

Title:

Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, Director of the Research Center on Violence, and Professor of Sociology

Organization:

West Virginia University

Presentation Title:

Violence Against Adult Women: The Contribution of Pornography and Image-Based Sexual Abuse

Presentation Description:

The social scientific literature on the relationship between pornography, image-based sexual abuse, and violence against women has grown considerably over the past 10 years. This presentation chronicles major developments in the field and provides answers to these three: What do we know? How do we know it? What are the next steps?

Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. Participants will become familiar with the current social scientific knowledge about the relationship between violence against women, pornography, and image-based sexual abuse.
2. Based on their own personal and work experiences, participants will identify new areas of research.
3. Participants will be learn about why pornography and image-based sexual abuse contribute to various types of violence against women.

Bio:

Walter S. DeKeseredy is Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences, Director of the Research Center on Violence, and Professor of Sociology at West Virginia University. He has published 25 books, 100 scientific journal articles and 83 scholarly book chapters on violence against women and other social problems. In 2008, the Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma gave him the Linda Saltzman Memorial Intimate Partner Violence Researcher Award. He also jointly received the 2004 Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC) Division on Women and Crime and the 2007 inaugural UOIT Research Excellence Award. In 1995, he received the Critical Criminologist of the Year Award from the ASC’s Division on Critical Criminology (DCC) and in 2008 the DCC gave him the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014, he received the Critical Criminal Justice Scholar Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ (ACJS) Section on Critical Criminal Justice and in 2015, he received the Career Achievement Award from the ASC’s Division on Victimology. In 2017, he received the Impact Award from the ACJS’s section on Victimology and the Robert Jerrin Book Award from the ASC’s Division on Victimology.

Selected Publications

DeKeseredy, W.S., & Dragiewicz, M. (Eds.). (2018). Handbook of Critical Criminology(2nded.). London: Routledge.

DeKeseredy, W.S., Dragiewicz, M., & Schwartz, M.D. (2017). Abusive Endings: Separation and Divorce Violence Against Women. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. Winner of the 2017 Robert Jerrin Book Award, American Society of Criminology’s Division on Victimology.

DeKeseredy, W.S., Schwartz, M.D., Nolan, J., Mastron, N., & Hall-Sanchez, A. (2018). Polyvictimization and the continuum of sexual abuse at a college campus: Does negative peer support increase the likelihood of multiple victimizations? The British Journal of Criminology.DOI: 10.1093/bjc/azy036/

Rennison, C.M., & DeKeseredy, W.S. (2018). Violent girls in the United States: Urban, suburban, and rural differences. International Journal of Rural Criminology,4, 27-42.

Messinger, A.M., Birmingham, R.S., & DeKeseredy, W.S.(2018). Perceptions of same-gender and different gender intimate partner cyber-monitoring. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. DOI: 10.1177/0886260518787814.

Pritchard, A., DeKeseredy, W.S., Nolan, J., & Hall-Sanchez, A. (2018). Who speaks first? Analyzing response waves in a large-scale campus climate survey. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment,& Trauma. DOI: 10.1080/10926771.2018.1468374.

DeKeseredy, W.S., Hall-Sanchez, A., & Nolan, J. (2018). College campus sexual assault:The contribution of peers’ pro-abuse informational support and attachments to abusive peers.Violence Against Women, 24, 922-935.

DeKeseredy, W.S., Hall-Sanchez, A., Nolan, J., & Schwartz, M.D. (2017). A campus LGBTQ community’s sexual violence and stalking experiences: The contribution of pro-abuse peer support. Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 1, 169-185.

Title:

Organization:

Justice for Women; SPACE International, Author

Presentation Title:

Details Coming

Presentation Description:

1. This presentation will draw on the research conducted for Bindel’s book, The Pimping of Prostitution, in which she takes the debate on prostitution legislation head-on, exposing the lived realities of women in contrast with the dominant discourse in current academic and liberal feminist debates.

Based on more than 250 interviews with the people involved in and affected by prostitution around the world – from trafficked women to legal brothel owners to the men who drive demand – this book uncovers the lies, mythology and criminality that shroud this global trade, and suggests a way forward for the activists seeking to abolish ‘the oldest oppression’.

Over the course of two years, Bindel conducted interviews in almost 40 countries, cities and states. The book gives an account of the struggle of those harmed by the sex trade, who she argues make up the majority of those involved, and shows that the popularly accepted tropes about ‘agency’ and ‘choice’ in prostitution are challenged by the testimony of its survivors.

2. Legalisation has been a disaster. Under this regime, demand, trafficking of women and girls, and the illegal brothel sector has increased. There is no evidence of a decrease in violence, HIV rates or murders of women in legal sex trades, but there is evidence that the rights and freedom promised by lobbyists for legalisation and decriminalisation were transferred to the brothel owners and sex buyers. In this presentation, we will hear from the women prostituted in countries before and after the introduction of legalisation and decriminalisation, and look closely at the evidence that contradicts the positive spin by the pro-prostitution lobby.

Bio:

Julie Bindel is a journalist, writer, broadcaster and researcher. She has been active in the global campaign to end violence towards women and children since 1979 and has written extensively on rape, domestic violence, sexually motivated murder, prostitution and trafficking, child sexual exploitation, stalking, and the rise of religious fundamentalism and its harm to women and girls.

Julie has authored over 30 book chapters and reports on a range of topics relating violence and abuse of women and girls. She writes regularly for The Guardian newspaper, the New Statesman, Truthdig, the Sunday Telegraph and Standpoint magazines, and appears regularly on the BBC and Sky News. Julie was Visiting Journalist at Brunel University (2013 – 2014) and Visiting Researcher at Lincoln University (2014 – 17).  Julie’s book on the state of the lesbian and gay movement in the UK (Guardian books, 2014) has been praised for being thought-provoking and challenging.

Julie’s forthcoming book, is entitled, The Pimping of Prostitution: Abolishing the Sex Work Myth, is a detailed examination of the global ‘sex workers’ rights’ movement and how the ‘happy hooker’ narrative has come to shape our perceptions – including many women involved in prostitution – of what is misleadingly named as ‘the oldest profession’. In it, she examines the situation in the UK, Netherlands, the Nordic region, Germany, South Africa, East Africa, North America, South America, France, New Zealand and Australia, South Korea, Turkey and India.

Julie is co-founder of Justice for Women, set up in 1990 in response to cases of spousal homicide in which men killed their female partners and were given sympathy and understanding by judges and jurors, in contrast to women who killed their male partners or ex-partners after suffering domestic violence and abuse, and were punished disproportionately by the criminal justice system.

Following the tragic death of Emma Humphreys, for whom Justice for Women campaigned for Julie co-founded the Emma Humphreys Memorial prize in 1998.

In 2015 Julie became a board member of SPACE International, a global organisation seeking abolition of the sex trade, with members (sex trade survivors) from countries and states worldwide.

Please see below for more information on organisations and groups that Julie is affiliated with.

Title:

Senior Research Psychologist

Organization:

Youth Research Unit, Bureau of Market Research, University of South Africa (UNISA)

Presentation Title:

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in South Africa: A focus on Trafficking, Prostitution and Pornography

Presentation Description:

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a complex issue worldwide.  Notwithstanding positive developments, CSEC presents numerous challenges for government and civil society.  Research conducted by the Youth Research Unit of the Bureau of Market Research at the University of South Africa, suggest that CSEC is increasing and that boy and girl children from all socio-economic conditions are vulnerable.  Some children are more at risk because of individual, family and/or community factors.   Despite ongoing efforts to increase awareness and protect children from CSEC, the study identified a striking lack of knowledge and dedicated services.  It was found that CSEC is under-resourced and the onus resides on non-governmental organisations, faith-based organisations and volunteers to provide care and support.   Based on semi-structured interviews with survivors, caregivers and professionals, this presentation will emphasise the need for a collaborative response to CSEC. Recommendations will be made that will lay the groundwork for a systematic collaborative strategy to effectively address CSEC in South Africa.

Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. To provide information based on empirical research.
2. To provide attendees with practical information that they can apply within their own situation.
3. To promote a global collaborative approach towards sexual exploitation of children.

Bio:

Dr. Antoinette Basson holds a PhD in Psychology and is a registered Research Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). She has been employed within the Youth Research Unit (YRU) of the Bureau of Market Research (BMR) at the University of South Africa (UNISA) since 2010. Dr. Basson has conducted extensive research into the exposure of children to pornographic material and sexual exploitation, including commercial sexual exploitation (sex trafficking, prostitution and child pornography). She is a regular speaker at national and international symposiums and provides training and expert advice to professionals in the helping professions. Dr. Basson has been described as a specialist researcher with an affinity for children and young people.

Title:

Director

Organization:

Sensibilities, Inc.

Presentation Title:

Restorative Justice & Circles to Address Sexual Harm

Presentation Description:

Addressing the harm done is key for the healing of those harmed as well as the broader community. Circles also offer an opportunity for children that cause the harm to more fully understand the impact of their behavior and to take meaningful accountability. This session provides a brief overview of the theory and the practice of restorative justice and circles along with examples of ways circles can be used for prevention and intervention with sexually harmful behaviors.

Bio:

Since 1976, Cordelia has been doing a wide range of work to promote sexual health and prevent sexual harm. Since 1992, she’s operated her own training and consultation business based in Minneapolis, MN. She is author of “The Impact of Pornography on Children, Youth and Culture,” (2011, updated 2017) and “Fired Up” 2014 a play based on survivors stories about child sexual abuse/exploitation. In her over 4 decades of this work she’s conducted over 2700 presentations. For over 20 years she was on the board of National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and remains on the ATSA (Association for Treatment of Sexual Abusers) prevention committee.

Cordelia has an MA in Human Development (St. Mary’s University) with a focus on sexuality and sexual violence.

Title:

Founder and Executive Director

Organization:

The Samaritan Women

Presentation Title:

"View from the Trenches" & “Continuum of Care”

Presentation Description:

View from the Trenches

Long-term restorative care offers a different vantage point on survivors and their healing journey.  In this very candid session Jeanne Allert shares their experiences and insights from “doing life” with survivors for the past 12 years.  Her talk will focus on those areas where the care processes encounters the biggest obstacles.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the scope of services offered by long-term restorative care
• Identify barriers in our systems of care that complicate recovery
• Develop an appreciation for the complexity of needs of victims of sexual exploitation

“Continuum of Care”

Four seasoned victim services professionals discuss the uniqueness of their position along a larger—and necessary—continuum of care, and how services vary based on that position and where their clients are in their healing journeys.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn the distinct characteristics and service needs of clients at each stage
• Appreciate the challenges of direct service at each stage
• Consider where your desire to serve would best be offered

Bio:

In 2007 Jeanne founded and currently directs The Samaritan Women, a national faith-based organization providing restorative care to survivors of domestic sex trafficking.  Jeanne architected the therapeutic care model, incorporating clinical and alternative therapies from addictions recovery, trauma-informed care, spiritual healing and positive psychology.

In 2018 Jeanne help establish the National Trafficking Sheltered Alliance which serves as a trade association for shelter programs across the country.  Its mission is to advance the field of shelter care through advocacy, networking, agency accreditation and an annual conference.  In 2018 The Samaritan Women announced the formation of the Institute for Shelter Care, which serves as a research, training and equipping entity to help establish new shelter programs, stabilize and improve current programs, and facilitate qualified research to advance national standards of care and best practices. In 2018 she was awarded “Most Innovative Woman in Nonprofits” by the Stevie Awards.

Jeanne is a graduate of the FBI Citizen’s Academy and sits on the National Advisory Council for the Conference on Crimes Against Women.  She authored PRACTICES, a national survey report of residential service providers in 2017, Funding Landscape for Residential Service Provider Agencies for Victims of Domestic Sex Trafficking in 2016, and co-authored Guide for Residential Service Providers for Human Trafficking Survivors with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2015.  Her work is profiled in the 2015 national documentary “In Plain Sight.”

Jeanne has served as an international public speaker for over 35 years.  She holds a Master of Arts in Education and a Master of Divinity in Church Ministry (graduating May 2019).

Title:

Founder, CEO

Organization:

Educate and Empower Kids

Presentation Title:

Why We Need to Fight for Our Kids’ Healthy Sexuality & Teaching Kids to Rise Above a Porn Culture

Presentation Description:

Why We Need to Fight for Our Kids’ Healthy Sexuality

From every direction, our kids are bombarded with overtly sexual imagery, including pornography. Whether it’s in video games, apps, social media, online porn, or in the grocery store checkout line, the Porn Industry and others wage war on our kids and make sure they cannot avoid it.

But we as parents and professionals have a strong influence! That’s why teaching kids the harmful effects of porn and its opposite, healthy sexuality is so important.

As parents we also have the potential to be powerful advocates for healthy sexuality for our kids. We can amplify our efforts in the home by teaching our children and teens to go on the offensive in this war, educating others through social media, and looking for opportunities to affect change in our communities.

Our children deserve to grow up and have authentic, genuine sexual experiences not dictated to them by the porn industry or any industry.

Three Objectives or Takeaway Ideas:

1. Participants will understand the impact of social media, gaming, apps, and the very real dangers of pornography for children and teens.
2. Participants will seek for opportunities and feel more confident in their ability to talk with kids about difficult topics like pornography, media usage and rules, and healthy sexual intimacy.
3. Participants will understand the need for advocacy and education for kids to build resistance to hypersexualized culture and the effects of pornography (and how to apply these).

Teaching Kids to Rise Above a Porn Culture

Bio:

Dina Alexander is the founder and CEO of Educate and Empower Kids (educateempowerkids.org), an organization determined to strengthen families by teaching digital citizenship, media literacy, and healthy sexuality education—including education about the dangers of online porn. She is the creator of How to Talk to Your Kids About Pornography and the 30 Days of Sex Talks and 30 Days to a Stronger Child programs. She is also the author of Noah’s New Phone: A Story About Using Technology for Good and Petra’s Power to See: A Media Literacy Adventure, She received her master’s degree in recreation therapy from the University of Utah and her bachelors from Brigham Young University. She is an amazing mom and loves spending time with her husband and three kids. Together, they live in Texas.