Many women comment that they’d like to help end human trafficking, but feel helpless to really do anything important. Many men have also told me that they wish they could just go break down a few hotel room doors and rescue these women, but since they aren’t the police they can’t.
What if I told you that you can break down those doors, you can wage a siege against the bad guys, and you can be a hero in this story?
All you have to do is refuse to click.
“…For the average person (who isn’t buying sex from a trafficking victim), pornography is likely their most tangible and direct connection to sex trafficking.” shares Jeremy from Rescue Freedom. “ The more we researched the topic the more we discovered how interconnected porn and sex trafficking really are. The [Refuse to Click] campaign started because of first hand-testimonies from trafficking survivors who shared how porn was such a traumatizing component of their exploitation.”
It’s true: pornography is one of the biggest contributing factors in the high demand that creates such a fertile environment for trafficking. If the demand were to dry up, trafficking would no longer be as easy or as profitable. There would be fewer victims as traffickers moved on to other, more profitable enterprises.
Moreover, many of the men, women, and children featured in pornographic photos and videos are not actually there by choice. They are victims of trafficking just like the girls on the street corner, or the laborer in the field. By continuing to engage these images, we are further trapping him or her in a vicious cycle, reinforcing the reason he/she is trafficked in the first place.
This still may seem like a far off problem, but you may be surprised to hear that pornography is just as much of an issue in the church as it is in the world at large. According to Barna’s recent study, over 50% of church members – including pastors – admit to struggling with pornography either currently or in the past.
We believe God is calling compassionate people of faith to rise up against sexual exploitation in all forms. We want to help you bring hope, healing and freedom to your neighbors. This isn’t a message of shame for those who struggle with pornography, but rather an invitation to become a greater warrior for good than you could ever dream.
More than anything else, this is a message of HOPE. We really can put an end to this! We really can make a difference!
All we have to do is refuse to click.
-Jenna Funkhouser
Jenna has been a longtime volunteer and supporter of Compassion Connect’s anti-trafficking work. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband and a handful of mostly alive houseplants. She studied Creative Writing at Corban University and loves exploring the power of storytelling in giving dignity and advocating for change. She currently works in communications for local anti-trafficking nonprofits.
