FYI

CAllING ALL MEN: Be a part of the solution


Calling on Men to Defend Themselves, Each Other and the
Children of America
Against the Harms of the Commercial Sex Industry

What is the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC)?
• CSEC comprises of sexual abuse by adults and payment in cash or kind to the child or a third person or persons. It is a fundamental violation of children’s rights, which as defined by the U.N. protocol constitutes a trafficked victim.
• CSEC is a contemporary form of slavery of children and consists of practices that are demeaning, degrading and many times life-threatening to children. The child is treated as a commercial and sexual object. 1


The Scope of the problem:
• The Sale of Child Pornography has become a $3 Billion annual industry.
• More than 32 million individuals visit a porn site every month.2
• Of all porn sites—1 out of 5 pornographic images is of a child.3


What does the exploitation of American Children look like? How many and who are they?
• According to Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act 2005, an estimated 100,000 to 300,000 adolescents are commercially sexually exploited annually in the U.S.
• The victims are American children, youth of all races and all different backgrounds, as young as infants to teens.
Vulnerable kids running away from a broken home, pre-teen and teen girls looking for love, and innocent youth snatched off the streets or discovered and enticed on the Internet.
• 12 is the average age of entry into pornography and prostitution.4
• As many as 2.8 million children live on the streets, a third of whom are lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.5


How are Traffickers and Users getting to our children?
• With the advent of Internet chat lines and online meeting places as treasure mines of youth profiles, tolerated sex businesses in advertisement and pornography, and broken homes, the scope of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children continues to explode.
• William W. Mercer, a U.S. attorney for Montana, testified that the caseload of the child exploitation section had increased 445 percent in the last four years, adding that federal prosecutions of child pornography and abuse cases increased to more than 1,500 cases last year from 344 in 1995.6
• One in five youth who regularly use the Internet has been sexually solicited or approached.7


Who are the Users and why do they do it?
• 77% of online visitors to adult content sites are male. Their average age is 41 and they have an annual income of $60,000. 46% are married.8
• Over 70% of incarcerated sex offenders fueled their addiction by viewing child pornography.
• For every 10 men in church, 5 are struggling with pornography9



I am a man who is invested in the children of America and the protection of their futures from the commercial sex industry. I am taking a stand, declaring that the sexual exploitation of children, using pornography, and buying sex is not something real men will tolerate. I believe real men guard themselves and protect children with dignity.
As a Defender, I pledge I will…

1) Refuse to be a victim of the commercial sex industry. I acknowledge that pornography, prostitution, and sexual addiction have no place in my life and that it is not only harmful to the women and children involved, but also to myself and those around me.

2) Commit to stand up and speak out — holding other men accountable for their behaviors and actions, being a wingman for friends in my life, and finding tools to help us avoid gateways to addiction and abuse.

3) Educate and protect children from the dangers of online recruitment by predators. Play an active role in monitoring their activity online and report any suspicious behavior.

4) Refrain from looking at, buying, or collecting pornography, knowing it is the gateway to child victimization in the commercial sex industry.

5) Say no to purchasing sexual services. I will not support the devaluation of my sisters, daughters, and friends.

I took the pledge!

Please sign me up to be a Defender!!
Visit www.thedefendersusa.org



If you are engaged in a struggle against pornography or sexual addiction, Defenders choose to stand with you in your courageous battle to do what’s right. As many men have testified, the battle is not easy, and it is a daily commitment to integrity and discipline — But you can succeed! Many resources are available at www.thedefendersusa.org




Careers in justice:
http://www.ijm.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=243&srcid=178

Openings at IJM Headquarters (Washington, DC):
Vice President of Constituent Relations/Fund Development
Regional Director of Operations, South Asia

Regional Fund Development Officer - East Coast
Regional Fund Development Officer - West Coast

Writer and Media Specialist
Executive Assistant to the Senior VP of Interventions
Executive Assistant to the VP of Constituent Relations
Executive Assistant to the VP of Interventions
Administrative Assistant, Human Resources