Shared Hope International

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Shared Hope International (SHI) is a non-profit, non-governmental, Christian organization that exists to prevent sex trafficking, and restore and bring justice to women and children who have been victimized through sex trafficking. SHI is part of a worldwide effort to prevent and eradicate sex trafficking and slavery. Shared Hope operates programs in the United States, India, Nepal, and Jamaica. Shared Hope leads awareness and training, prevention strategies, restorative care, research, and policy initiatives to mobilize a national network of protection for victims.

The goal was to determine which factors (race, religion, socioeconomic status of citizens, cultural norms, government structure, etc.) contributed to sex trafficking in a country. The results from this DEMAND. report^[1] and documentary,^[2] concluded that demand, those individuals willing to purchase sex, are the driving force behind the market and that child sex trafficking is prevalent in America.^[3][4]

Under a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Shared Hope conducted further research on child sex trafficking in the U.S. This report to the Department of Justice in 2009, The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking, documented these findings in ten U.S. locations and, along with the DEMAND report,

Following the DEMAND. report and documentary, Shared Hope began researching the scope and response to child sex trafficking in America, known as Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST). Shared Hope focused its attention on eleven American locations, including cities in Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and New York,^[5] examining the access to and delivery of services for child sex trafficking victims. This research resulted in the publication of The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America's Prostituted Children.^[6][7][8] The report found at least 100,000 minors are commercially sexually exploited every year and the average age a child is first exploited through prostitution is 13, and The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking was entered into the Congressional Record as definitive research on this under-investigated issue. This research initiated Shared Hope's expansion of prevention, restoration and justice programs in the United States, while continuing to provide programs and partnership opportunities to local organizations in foreign countries.