“The campaign started because of first hand-testimonies from trafficking survivors who shared how porn was such a traumatizing component of their exploitation…The more we researched the topic the more we discovered how interconnected porn and sex trafficking really are.”
You can do more than you think to end sex trafficking.
Porn in itself is a lie. It makes promises it can’t keep. It claims to be more than it could ever be.
And like all lies, it weaves a web of deception and destruction everywhere it goes.
“No one will know…”
“It’s not affecting me…”
Or perhaps the biggest lie of all:
“It’s not hurting anyone…”
Yet did you know that just by simply clicking on that intriguing photo, you are keeping someone trapped in a vicious cycle of sex trafficking? That you are literally putting money in the pimp’s pocket?
It’s true: pornography is one of the biggest contributing factors in the high demand that creates such a fertile environment for trafficking. If the demand were to dry up, trafficking would no longer be as easy or as profitable. There would be fewer victims as traffickers moved on to other, more profitable enterprises.
Moreover, many of the men, women, and children featured in pornographic photos and videos are not actually there by choice. They are victims of trafficking just like the girls on the street corner, or the laborer in the field. By continuing to engage these images, you are further trapping him or her in a vicious cycle, reinforcing the reason he/she is trafficked in the first place.
Many women comment that they’d like to help end human trafficking, but they feel helpless to really do anything important. Many men tell me that they wish they could just go break down a few hotel room doors and rescue these women, but since they are not the police they can’t.
What if I told you that you can break down those doors, you can wage a siege against the bad guys, and you can be a hero to these hurting women?
All you have to do is refuse to click.
“The campaign started because of first hand-testimonies from trafficking survivors who shared how porn was such a traumatizing component of their exploitation,” shared Jeremy from Rescue Freedom. “ The more we researched the topic the more we discovered how interconnected porn and sex trafficking really are. (There’s an incredible scholarly article called “The Slave and the Porn Star” that touches on this in more detail).
“…For the average person (who isn’t buying sex from a trafficking victim), pornography is likely their most tangible and direct connection to sex trafficking. The latin phrase “Primum non nocere” has been used for centuries as a fundamental principle of medicine and healthcare. It means “first, do no harm.” In our context, we think that means it’s not enough to be part of the solution, you also have to make sure you are not part of the problem. Everyone can help in the fight against sex trafficking… and it may start with doing “no harm.” It may start with a decision to #refusetoclick.”
To check out Rescue Freedom’s newest #refusetoclick campaign, and learn more about the correlation between pornography use and human trafficking, check out their website here.
Join their movement and stand up for justice by spreading the message that porn isn’t “cool.” Women and children are NOT for sale. This isn’t a message of shame for those who struggle with pornography, but rather an invitation to become a greater warrior for good than you could ever dream. More than anything else, this is a message of HOPE. We really can put and end to this! We really can make a difference!
You can also check out these other great resources:
Fight the New Drug: http://fightthenewdrug.org/
Pornography Harms:http://pornharms.com
Pure Hope: http://purehope.net/
