The link between the demand side of sex and trafficking has already been established by good research. But, few are aware of some of the connections and many think that porn use is only a personal decision without larger consequences.
I commend to you this link to a well-written essay by Luke Gilkerson of Covenant Eyes. (Covenant Eyes provides technology to track and filter unwanted sexual content for Internet users.) In this essay he summarizes the linkages and reminds readers that one of the best ways to get the message out is with a good video. He provides an extensive bibliography of videos on the topic of sex trade, porn, trafficking, and their impact on victims, families, and users.
Good stuff for you to consider.
Musings on Faith and Psychology 
I live in a suburb near Toledo, Ohio. Several decades ago we were surprised to find that Toledo was a major hub of Satanic worship, second to San Francisco, in fact. In recent years, we were surprised again to discover that Toledo is now a major hub of sex trafficking in America. Several ministries have grown in the area to offer shelter, protection, therapy and spiritual guidance to girls and boys rescued out of this hell (my professional counseling supervisor sits on the board of one of them). If trauma is truly the next frontier in counseling, I wonder whether human trafficking will be a source that likely will outpace the Military at some point in the creation of trauma victims in America.
Thanks for passing the article along.
By the way: I’ll never forget your presentation a few years ago at the CCEF conference about addictions. I’ve used and reused that material several times in my own presentations. Thanks for your instruction!
“The link between the demand side of sex and trafficking has already been established by good research. ”
Care to provide any links to this good research? Might be a little difficult because as far as I know, there is no good and unbiased research that has established any such link…. but I’m open to any you might be able to provide.
Okay, I’ll bite. First, you are right that there isn’t a ton of research. However there is some good research. You can start here: Raymond, J. G. (2004). Prostitution on Demand: Legalizing the Buyers as Sexual Consumers. Violence Against Women, 10(10), 1156-1186. doi:10.1177/1077801204268609
This essay presents the case that exists in research. It is true that this research is hard. Two reasons: 1. there isn’t that much going on. There are politics involved. It would appear that there is little funding for this kind of research. One doesn’t want to look like they are against freedom or for religion. 2. causal research is difficult to do…again…will those on the demand side want to participate?
Not sure if you were looking for evidence or just sarcastic, but thanks for the opportunity to clarify.
There is plenty of evidence.
First there is the research about the effects of pornography on one’s sexual beliefs. The research by Dr. Dolf Zillmann and Dr. Jennings Bryant back in the 80s is very instructive on this point. Go here to read about it: http://www.covenanteyes.com/pureminds-articles/is-porn-raising-your-kids/
Second, there is all the evidence from the search and rescue efforts of trafficking victims. When johns are prosecuted, the escalating effects of porn addiction are visible in their lives across the board. For them, porn was the entry point and the sustenance of the desire for commercial sex.
Third, there is all the evidence of from the mouths of the traffickers and pornographers themselves. Go to the red light districts of the world and porn is one of the primary tools used by madames and pimps to generate interest in their “product.” Talk to the women who’ve worked in porn and have them give you their impression of their devoted fans: these are men who have been conditioned all their lives to believe that sex for money is normal and healthy.
I’d recommend to you the excellent books: Pornography: Driving the Demand in International Sex Trafficking, by Captive Daughters Media, as well as The Johns: Sex for Sale and the Men Who Buy It, by journalist Victor Malarek.
Hi. I have been a fan of your blog for several months since I first came across some of your postings about integration. I have been doing a lot of research in this area recently, and have found many of your posts helpful. I also enjoyed your article “Guidelines for the Effective Use of the Bible in
Counseling” that was published in the journal Edification. One of the points that you make in that article is exactly what led me to your blog; there just doesn’t seem to a lot of literature on the empirically validated uses of Scripture in counseling. As a recent graduate with a masters in counseling, I am now faced with the everyday task of integrating my understanding of sin, grace, healing, and the whole my Christian worldview with what I actually do in the counseling setting. I am currently working in a community mental health setting that doesn’t look highly on overtly Christian counsel and interventions, so one of my greatest struggles is how to truly be an agent of change in the community mental health setting. There are days when I feel that I may be able to do little more than minister God’s common grace to my clients, but even in this there are cases when I feel that I am hindered by managed care requirements, which might lead to me giving out band-aids when what the client needs is amputation. So, my question here is, can you recommend any good resources on these practical aspects of Christian counseling? For instance, what does the Christian counselor do when confronted with a client who truly does not want any Christian-based counseling, especially when the counselor knows that true healing and change is a God-initiated and sustained endeavor? Thanks for your time, and for the encouragements and thoughts on your blog.
Leo, I shared your concern when I came out of my grad program, and a wise professor offered me this insight. He reminded me that sometimes Christian ministry may be limited to offering a “cup of cold water in My name” (Matthew 10:42), without a full-blown presentation of the Gospel. In our profession, this may amount to helping a client better think through alternative choices to a difficult decision, re-think distorted thinking about an emotionally charged life event, process traumatic events so as to reduce re-experiencing symptoms, or perform exercises in symptom tolerance to overcome OCD. My prof told us that this approach may not necessarily feel like “ministry”, it could very well open a door to another conversation at another time and in another place, and the “cup of cold water” kind of counseling is every bit as glorifying to God as those awesome times you’ll get to do deep soul work. I’ve worked in the secular mental health field a number of years since graduating, and I’ve been under similar constraints to yours…and I’ve learned to be grateful even for the chances to hand out water. I take advantage of the opportunities to minister for authentically “Christian” in my church, and thus I’ve got a foot in both worlds of counseling.
Thanks for this insight, Scott. This view on counseling does certainly provide a helpful perspective shift. It’s good to hear from someone who has had similar experiences, which is unfortunately not something I had a lot of opportunities for in my grad program.