Man to Man Campaign • TAT

At the end of the day if no one purchased commercial sex, the crime of sex trafficking wouldn’t exist. Therefore, it is imperative that we address the issue of demand in order to create a culture where the buying and selling of human beings for another’s sexual gratification is not looked upon as normal behavior.

This is critical because …

No buyer = No victim = No sex trafficking

To that end, TAT created the following video …

Addressing Demand: Man to Man in order to get the conversation started.

The following are suggested next steps that individuals, corporations and men's groups can take in response to this issue.

INDIVIDUALS

Don’t buy sex.
Evaluate your own thinking on relationships, women, sexuality and what it means to be a man. Is it healthy?
Surround yourself with other people, media and forms of entertainment that reinforce healthy messages around manhood and sexuality.
Challenge the norm when it comes to sexist jokes, attitudes or even policies in the workplace.
Raise your kids well; have the tough conversations with them.
Explore the recommended reading list, and read the stories of sex trafficking survivors to gain a better understanding of what it takes to recover from such trauma.
Continue the dialogue … in your homes, workplaces, peer groups, churches, etc. by sharing the link to the video and this webpage. Talk with other men about the importance of challenging the myths our society has been perpetuating about manhood. Check out our Toolbox Talks for helpful conversation starters.

CORPORATIONS

Educate your employees about this issue by showing them this video. For an additional resource, check out the following TED Talk: 3 Ways Businesses Can Fight Sex Trafficking.
Adopt anti-trafficking-in-persons policies with a demand-reduction focus (i.e. zero tolerance for buying sex on company work time or with company work product).
Provide job opportunities for survivors of prostitution and sex trafficking.
Encourage other corporations to follow your lead in addressing this issue, and see examples of best practices below.

MEN’S GROUPS

Watch this video as a group and engage in the following discussion questions.
Address the link between pornography and sex buying, and utilize the program resources on this webpage to provide support in breaking porn addictions.
Support local organizations in your area who work with survivors of prostitution and sex trafficking.
Share what you learn in group with your communities, churches and workplaces … advocating for policies and protocols that encourage healthy expressions of masculinity.
Encourage other men’s groups/organizations around the nation to address this issue and follow your leadership.

DOWNLOAD THE "WHAT IS DEMAND" BROCHURE

WHAT IS DEMAND?

IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM, “DEMAND” FOR SEX TRAFFICKING IS MEN BUYING SEX– WHETHER THEY KNOW THE PERSON IS TRAFFICKED OR NOT. THIS SEX BUYING BEHAVIOR CAUSES THE ILLICIT SEX TRADE, WHICH INCLUDES SEX TRAFFICKING OF MINORS, AND SEX TRAFFICKING OF ADULTS, BY “FORCE, FRAUD OR COERCION.”

DEMAND, OR SEX BUYING, IS A BEHAVIOR THAT REFLECTS SEXISM IN OUR CULTURE; THAT WOMEN CAN BE OBJECTIFIED AND THEN COMMODIFIED, THAT MEN ARE ENTITLED TO WHAT THEY WANT SEXUALLY WHEN THEY HAVE POWER TO DEMAND IT, AND THAT SEXUAL ACCESS IS A CONQUEST.

WHY DO WE CARE?

BECAUSE DEMAND IS THE CAUSE OF THE ILLICIT SEX TRADE, DEMAND REDUCTION IS A SOLUTION FOR REMEDIATING HARM CAUSED BY THE SEX TRADE.

DEMAND IS A FORM OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AKIN TO SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE, ALL OF WHICH CAUSE INCALCULABLE HARM TO (ESPECIALLY) WOMEN AND GIRLS.

DEMAND REPRESENTS A WAY OF THINKING ABOUT THE WORLD AND THE PEOPLE WITHIN IT THAT IS INHERENTLY EXPLOITATIVE, AND IS AN AFFRONT TO HUMAN DIGNITY. THE IDEOLOGIES UNDERGIRDING DEMAND STAND IN CONTRAST TO EMPATHIC CONCERN, VALUE IN RELATIONSHIPS, AND A BELIEF IN EQUALITY.

SEX BUYING IS AN ACTIVITY THAT FEW MEN ENGAGE IN, BUT WHICH HAS BECOME KNOWN AS “TYPICAL MALE BEHAVIOR.” THIS MYTHOLOGY DISEMPOWERS MEN WHO HAVE NEVER BOUGHT SEX, AND NEVER WILL-DESPITE THAT THESE MEN ARE THE MAJORITY. IF MEN WITHIN THIS MAJORITY EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE IMMORALITY OF SEX-BUYING, THEY RISK BEING PERCEIVED AS AN OUTLIER.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

WE INSIST THAT MEN WHO BUY SEX ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR HARMFUL BEHAVIOR. ACCOUNTABILITY IS MORE THAN JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES-IT ALSO INCLUDES HOW EMPLOYERS HANDLE SEX-BUYING AMONG EMPLOYEES AND VENDORS, HOW CIVIC AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TALK OPENLY ABOUT THE PROBLEM, HOW THE MEDIA REPORTS ON SEX BUYING AND PROSTITUTION, AND HOW PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS ADDRESS THIS HARMFUL BEHAVIOR AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE.

WE INSIST ELECTED OFFICIALS TAKE THE ISSUE OF DEMAND SERIOUSLY, AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE LEVELS. WE INSIST THAT PROSECUTORS AND JUDGES HOLD SEX BUYERS TO ACCOUNT.

WE INSIST THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT MEANINGFULLY, CONSISTENTLY, AND SUSTAINABLY ENGAGE IN DEMAND-REDUCTION OPPORTUNITIES INSTEAD OF CRIMINALIZING POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF THE SEX TRADE.

CHANGE STARTS AT HOME, AND IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY. TO REDUCE DEMAND FOR SEX TRAFFICKING, WE NEED TO START ADDRESSING PROBLEMATIC UNDERLYING BELIEFS ABOUT MASCULINITY AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE WE KNOW AND LOVE. WE NEED TO LEARN HOW TO TALK ABOUT HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE A MAN. IN DOING SO, WE STOP THE PROBLEM BEFORE PEOPLE GET HURT, AND WE ENCOURAGE MEN TO TALK OPENLY ABOUT HOW SEX-BUYING IS ABERRANT MALE BEHAVIOR.

Not only are America’s professional drivers trained and actively looking to assist victims of sex trafficking, they are also working to address the demand that fuels this crime. This is why TAT created its “Man to Man Campaign,” wherein we asked truck drivers a simple question … why don’t you purchase commercial sex?

Below you will not only find their responses and more of their own personal stories in combating the crime of sex trafficking, but you will also find additional resources to assist companies in addressing this issue.

Bill Brady, a regional truck driver covering a seven-state area, has been driving trucks for more than 20 years. He believes drivers have a critical role to play in the fight against human trafficking, because they are the eyes and ears of America. He thinks the more people understand that human trafficking is real, in our backyards and that it could happen to a relative or in their neighborhood, the more he is able to drive the issue home to them. He believes the more people realize the trauma victims have been through and that it could take years of healing for them to get over that trauma, the more attitudes will change regarding the purchase of commercial sex. He is a Trucker Against Trafficking “to make a difference and bring awareness to fellow drivers and the public.”

Bill Brady

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Antoine Sadler

A Walmart driver, Antoine has been driving for 22 years. His current route is the southeast region of the United States, and he believes that because truckers are on the road all the time, they have the opportunity to see things most other people don’t see. He wishes more people understood that for victims, it’s not a choice; these people are forced into that life.” He believes education is key, because a lot of folks believe victims chose the life or made a lot of bad life decisions. He thinks that the more education takes place, the more people will choose to help and the less demand there will be. He is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because after learning about human trafficking, he felt it was the right thing to do … “hopefully others will see the good work that goes on in TAT and get involved.”

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A truck driver for 31 years with an I-35 run between Kansas City, Kansas and Des Moines, Iowa, Don Logan is a member of America’s Road Team and a driver for FedEx Freight. He agrees that truckers are the eyes and ears of our nation’s highways, across the country, and that in this capacity, they have the opportunity to report anything unusual and, therefore, have a big role to play in stopping human trafficking. He just wishes everyone understood the critical role they can play in stopping human trafficking simply by paying attention to what’s going on around them. He thinks the issue hits home to people when they think about how they’d feel if the victim were their own daughter, sister, wife or relative, and he believes demand for commercial sex would be lessened if everyone realized each victim has a personal story of how he/she became trafficked. He is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because he wants to see an end to this slavery and human atrocity.

Don Logan

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Earl Taylor, a member of America’s Road Team and a driver for Penske Logistics with over 30 years of experience, says truckers see a lot of things and know when something doesn’t look right. “It’s part of our training that if you see something, say something,” he says. He thinks educating drivers about human trafficking can make a significant impact, because they can be useful in providing tips and alerting authorities so traffickers can be caught. “Traffickers operate in the dark out of clear view and should be exposed and brought to justice,” he states. “Greater awareness will impact trafficking as they realize more and more people are watching.” When he talks to people about trafficking, he thinks everyone can relate to the idea of the devastating loss of innocent women and children – and the possibility of it being their loved ones – to trafficking. Earl, whose route keeps him traveling the state of Florida, is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because he believes it’s contrary to human rights to be enslaved by anyone and that traffickers, by holding people against their will and forcing them to sell themselves, should be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

Earl Taylor

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A truck driver for nine years, traveling mainly through the Midwest, Gary believes the trucking industry, and, in particular, drivers, are on the front lines of the battle against human trafficking, and “the more troops we use, the greater our success.” He wishes more people understood that slavery isn’t a choice. When talking to people about human trafficking, he has them imagine that their own son, daughter or grandchild could be walking home from school and be kidnapped, bound, gagged, driven halfway across the country and sold into slavery in a split second. He thinks demand would be reduced by creating an environment where the risk is “so great, because the penalties are so severe.” He’s a Trucker Against Trafficking, because nine years ago, he had the opportunity to rescue a young girl and failed to act, and “I have to live with that.”

Gary Smith

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Harold is a Walmart driver with 26 years of experience, and his route is the southeast region of the country. Harold believes truck drivers almost have a sixth sense when something isn’t right, and since they travel everywhere, they are a critical component in the fight against human trafficking. He wishes everyone knew the scope of trafficking … that it’s the second largest criminal activity in the world, and that “kids are brainwashed and usually forced against their will.” When people start realizing this is a crime that could happen to someone close to them, like a friend, friend’s child, niece, nephew or their own children, he thinks they begin to see the seriousness of the crime. “We need to educate our kids, friends, colleagues and others on the dangers of trafficking and what to look for to recognize the activity,” he states. To cut down on demand, he would like to see better awareness of the problem and who it affects, and that “education should expand to the schools, even primary and junior high, where the kids are the most vulnerable.” He is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because he was shown the TAT training video in one of his defensive driving classes, and “it was heart wrenching. When one of my fellow Road Team members gave me additional details, I knew I had to be involved.”

Harold Doctor

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A driver with 32 years of experience, Jon travels to Connecticut daily for Walmart, with multiple top grocery deliveries. Agreeing with those who believe truck drivers are the eyes and ears on the highways, Jon thinks they can play a critical role in the fight against human trafficking by being vigilant and “observing what is happening around you all the time and then reporting suspicious activity immediately to the authorities.” He says when people learn that anyone can be a victim of human trafficking and that teenage boys and girls are especially targeted by traffickers, they really begin to understand the severity of the problem. He thinks the Internet provides too easy an environment for purchasing commercial sex and thinks the fight needs to be taken online. In his local area, he believes there’s been a significant downturn in demand for commercial sex, but also thinks “it’s just moved further south and underground.” He is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because human trafficking is a horrible reality in today’s society.

Jon Brockway

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Kevin Kimmel has been driving eight years and covers the entire contiguous 48 states, often staying out on the road six to eight weeks at a time. He believes drivers have a critical role to play in the fight against human trafficking, because commercial drivers number approximately three million men and women on the roads daily and are trained to be aware of their surroundings as a matter of safety, so “it only makes sense that with TAT training and our numbers, people can and will be saved.” He wishes everyone understood that human trafficking is slavery and that the purchase of commercial sex means you “are participating in the rape and torture of another human being.” He is able to drive home the issue of human trafficking when he mentions “my phone call, what came of it and the actual details of the case. It hits home hard. We all know young people, especially, sometimes make decisions they regret from time to time. What we all need to know is that there are predators waiting for that mistake and then the hell begins.” He is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because he learned how powerful a phone call can be.

Kevin Kimmel

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Stephen Richardson

Stephen has been driving trucks for 26 years and currently goes from Alabama to Tennessee daily for Big G Express. He is a member of America’s Road Team. He states that truckers are on the front lines of everything that moves on the highways in our nation, including human trafficking, 24 hours a day, and, therefore, have the ability to alert officials and put a stop to many incidents long before they get out of hand, thereby helping families reconnect with loved ones. He helps people understand that if they all keep in mind the things to look for, the signs of distress and the fact that no call to the National Human Trafficking Hotline is a bad call, “we could stop trafficking in its tracks.” He thinks people are more apt to grasp the enormity of human trafficking when they learn no one is immune to trafficking. He believes the demand for commercial sex would lessen if people understood the lasting effects purchasing it has on your own relationships and the emotional and physical stress on both people. He is a Trucker Against Trafficking, because, with a wife, kids and grandchildren, “I think of them and how it would affect me if something were to happen to them.”

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A trucker for 28 years with a daily route between Dayton, Ohio and Vandalia, Illinois, Steve is a member of America’s Road Team and FedEx Freight and said if he’d known about human trafficking in his early years of trucking, he might have been able to help a number of people who were forced to be slaves. With a TAT sticker on the window of his company truck, he’s always on the lookout for anything suspicious in his travels. He says that with drivers out on the road, every town, city and place in between has eyes on the task at hand. His eyes are open all the time, even when he’s at the mall, grocery store or even on vacation. “We all have some kind of communication device,” he said. “If we spot something out of sorts, we can make a call and have it checked out. We are boots on the ground, so to speak.” He wants all drivers to be educated about human trafficking, understand that it happens here and not just in third-world countries, and no call is a bad call, because the life saved has value to everyone. He believes that to change the demand for commercial sex, those who condone “this heinous act” should be exposed so “people can see who’s promoting this crime.” He’s a Trucker Against Trafficking, because that young man or young lady could be his child, niece, nephew or a neighbor’s child, and trafficking is “wrong on so many levels, that it pains me to think it happens.”

Steve Brand

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(Our thanks to Demand Abolition for the following information)

Sex trafficking — including sex buying — poses a risk to employers and harms vulnerable people in our community. Employers have many policies and procedures in place to protect the company and employees from certain behaviors that create a hostile work environment, hurt the company’s reputation, reduce employee productivity, or place the company at legal or financial risk. National survey results by Demand Abolition show that up to 20% of adult men ages 18-64 have bought sex or would buy sex if the circumstances were right. 35% of men have searched online sex ads but failed to act on the desire. Data suggests that most men shop online ads during the workday, and many prostitution transactions take place on the way to work, during lunch, or after work. Some transactions occur at the place of business or are set up using work issued property (e.g. cell phones, computers, credit cards, or vehicles). Employers can create policies that help to mitigate the potential risk and protect employees from harm.

The corporate sector can play a critical role in helping to combat sex trafficking. Major transportation brands and corporations are positioned to leverage their industry leadership and economic influence to raise awareness to the issue – lending their support to efforts to create a culture and community that doesn’t tolerate sex buying.

There are many points of entry for the private sector to participate in a business initiative. Examples of opportunities private sector organizations have considered and/or undertaken include:

Adoption and communication of policies that explicitly stand against sex trafficking, including sex buying
Provision of job training opportunities, and employment for survivors of sex trafficking
Facilitation of human trafficking trainings for employees
Extension of policies and practices to supply chains and/or others within an organizations’ sphere of influence

Internal Policies and Trainings – Examples of Best Practices

Case studies provided by Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST):
www.bestalliance.org and Truckers Against Trafficking

UPS

UPS is working to combat human trafficking through employee awareness, driver training, survivor employment and philanthropic investment. UPS adopted an enterprise-wide Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy, which strictly prohibits the use of any UPS assets or resources for any purpose that would enable the trafficking of persons. UPS is a proud Freedom Driver-Level Supporter of Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) and a partner of the DHS Blue Campaign. In 2017, UPS launched the transportation industry’s largest anti-human trafficking awareness initiative, reaching more than 96,000 drivers throughout the U.S. Plans are underway to institutionalize this training for all new UPS drivers. UPS also supports TAT with quarterly in-kind transportation of TAT’s Freedom Drivers Project. UPS Freight President, Richard McArdle, joined TAT’s Board of Directors in 2018. Additionally, UPS has teamed up with Wellspring, a Georgia based survivor’s advocacy program, to provide employment opportunities to survivors of human trafficking. The Company is also leveraging the power of corporate philanthropy to invest in organizations like the United Way Worldwide’s Center on Human Trafficking and Slavery and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. These funds will be used to launch community education programs in local cities and to study the impact of human trafficking on diverse communities.

Amazon

Amazon adopted a policy to deter sex trafficking: ‘It is against Amazon’s policy for any employee or Contingent Worker to engage in any sex buying activities of any kind in Amazon’s workplace or in any work-related setting outside of the workplace, such as during business trips, business meetings or business-related social events.’ When Amazon suspects that an employee has used company funds or resources to engage in criminal conduct, the company will immediately investigate and take appropriate action up to and including termination. The company may also refer the matter to law enforcement.”

Caesar’s Entertainment

Caesar’s made their commitment public: “We continue to strongly support eliminating human trafficking – which involves commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor and debt bondage. Our stated commitment to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons is available on our website. During the past year, we have been an active voice, working with advocacy groups and national collaborative frameworks to advance awareness and drive the elimination of human trafficking. For example, we participate in the American Gaming Association (AGA) CSR Committee whose focus included addressing human trafficking. Specifically, we became a founding partner of the Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) Employers Alliance formed in September 2015. BEST is the first public-private partnership in the nation to work across industries to prevent sex trafficking and sex buying. The BEST Employers Alliance supports participating employers as they adopt appropriate policies protecting their businesses from the risks posed by sexual exploiters.”

Click here for additional best practice examples.

Microsoft

“Microsoft always makes special efforts for various social causes across the world. This special team, known as Microsoft Citizenship Team, created apps, software and merges technology with social cause. Microsoft’s team’s ‘PhotoDNA’, a technology that finds hidden copies of the images of child sexual exploitation is also a part of this effort. The technology is developed by Hany Farid, a leading digital-imaging expert and professor of computer science at Dartmouth College. The PhotoDNA technology was donated to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) by Microsoft in December, 2009.” In 2017, Microsoft employees developed two text outreach apps to offer services to victims of trafficking and to deter buyers.

Walmart

Since 2015, Walmart has supported and sponsored Truckers Against Trafficking, with more than 7,500 of Walmart’s private fleet drivers participating in identification and prevention training. “We are proud to actively be part of TAT, supporting the Man to Man campaign focused on demand reduction, transporting the Freedom Drivers Project and staffing events with our drivers.” (Nicki Dallison, Manager of Strategic Initiatives for Walmart) TAT complements Walmart’s commitment to prevent and help eradicate forced labor and human rights abuses in the global supply chain.

Costco

Costco has taken steps to train their truckers to identify and prevent sex trafficking in partnership with Truckers Against Trafficking. In addition, Costco is a major sponsor for an annual event to raise funding for sex trafficking prevention and direct services for victims in the area where their headquarters is located.

Randstad

Randstad strategically partners with organizations that complement the company’s efforts to shape the world of work and benefit the communities in which Randstad operates. The Hire Hope program, executed in partnership with the Empowered Living Academy (ELA), helps survivors of human trafficking or those at risk flourish by utilizing the knowledge and professional experience gained during a career-readiness curriculum to reintegrate into the economy in a positive way. 30-40 participants are placed in paid apprenticeships each year.

The Hire Hope program also has a positive internal impact on Randstad employee engagement. Hire Hope yields high employee participation and enthusiasm. For example, it is common to receive emails from employees asking how they can get involved with the program and expressing their appreciation that Randstad is committed to supporting vulnerable women.

Starbucks—Barista Training program

“The Schultz Family Foundation and Starbucks committed $3.4 million to launch in other states a well-established Seattle program that trains at-risk youth as baristas to build skills that can land them a job in the retail sector.” Many of the youth that enter the program have experienced commercial sexual exploitation. “The program has its roots in a project started in 2003 by Seattle nonprofits YouthCare, which helps homeless youth, and FareStart, a provider of culinary training to homeless people. Sheri Schultz, wife of Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, has been supporting the program, which has graduated more than 500 students, for a decade.”