Saving Our Boys to Save Our Girls
Many of the discussions, prevention/intervention programming, as well as front line assessments are designed to target either the victim (survivor) of sex trafficking or the buyer by addressing demand through legal interventions or educational programming. While anyone regardless of gender can be a trafficker this workshop is specifically focused on male perpetrators. This workshop provides a holistic view of the circumstances or vulnerabilities that may lead a young man to engage in criminal behaviors inclusive of trafficking, including but not limited to, the mass marketing of hyper-masculinity, socioeconomic inequalities and institutionalized oppression. This workshop will allow participants to critically reflect further on how they assess trafficking cases and provide examples of ways to engage young men in their own learning about issues related to trafficking and the role they may play. By discussing the trafficker as someone needing prevention services we position ourselves on the national level to make systemic changes for young men to enhance their well-being and to potentially save our girls.