September 20, 2007

EIE President to Participate in "Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children" Conference
 

EIE President & Chairman to Participate in the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Research Cluster Conference

Marriot Crystal Gateway, Arlington, Virginia,
September 24-25, 2007

Donna Rice Hughes, President and Chairman of Enough Is Enough^® (EIE) will be joining J. Robert Flores, Administrator for the Office of Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), and other Justice Officials and Researchers, to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Research Cluster Conference, sponsored by OJJDP and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).

NIJ is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues by providing objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels.

OJJDP reaches juveniles in crisis--from serious, violent and chronic offenders to victims of abuse, neglect and exploitation, by collaborating with professionals from diverse disciplines to improve juvenile justice policies and practices. The OJJDP has partnered with EIE to launch The National Internet Safety Awareness and Parental Empowerment Program; together, EIE and OJJDP strive to strengthen the juvenile justice system's efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and provide services that address the needs of youth and their families.

This unique forum brings together preeminent researchers, including Dr. Kimberly J. Mitchell, Dr. Mark C. Edberg, Dr. Marcia I. Cohen, Dr. Brenda Blackwell, and Dr. James L. Wolk and leading practitioners of policy, including Laura J. Lederer, David W. Hagy, and J. Robert Flores from both the ODDJP and NIJ.

Mrs. Hughes will be participating in Panel Discussion: "Applying CSEC Research: Identifying Gaps, Understanding Challenges and Applying Knowledge in the Field"

Facilitator/Moderator: Laura J. Lederer; Senior Advisor on Trafficking in Persons; U.S. Department of State

Discussants: Steve Wagner, President; The Renewal Forum; Former Director of the Office of Trafficking, Department of Health and Human Services

Donna Rice Hughes; President, Enough is Enough; Director; Author, Kids Online: Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace

Over the past 5 years, OJJDP and NIJ have sponsored the following: research to help us understand common pathways to commercial sexual exploitation of children, a national study of Internet-facilitated commercial sexual exploitation of children, an examination of how law enforcement responds to juvenile prostitution, an analysis of successful prosecutions of exploiters, a study of online offenders, case studies of award-winning projects such as the first offender prostitution program, a population assessment of CSEC in New York City and Atlanta, and more. Both NIJ and OJJDP have supported groundbreaking research in past decades; including the first ever content analysis of child pornography in leading adult men's magazines; retrospective studies of health issues of women in prostitution in San Francisco, and more. This panel will raise and attempt to answer a series of questions including: How has this research been helpful in understanding the nature and scope of the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children? How can this research guide the work of advocates, educators, service providers, and others involved in the rescue, rehabilitation, restoration, and healing of children? How can this research help law enforcement officials, including police, prosecutors, and judges? In particular, how can it strengthen the work of both law enforcement and non-government organizations? Are there gaps in the research that need to be addressed? How can we build on this good work and ensure that it is applied in the field?

Note: This is Private Event