Biblical Justice & The Call
- Feb 17
- 4 min read
Hello friends,
Right now, I’m attending a three-month course called Frontlines with the University of the Nations in Kona, Hawaii. (If you’d like to learn more about the heart behind this school, you can read my previous post.)
Over the past few years, I’ve sensed a clear calling toward addressing modern injustices. That is a wide and weighty field—modern slavery, human trafficking, poverty, the drug epidemic, and sexual exploitation, to name just a few. The need is overwhelming, and the brokenness is real.
Stepping Into the Reality
My first experience working directly in this space was in South Africa with a ministry called Woven. There, I encountered the realities of prostitution up close. I met mothers, sisters, and sons—people with names, stories, and immeasurable worth. Praying and worshiping in places marked by exploitation changed me. In that season, I saw God’s grace and mercy at work in profound ways. Redemption was not theoretical; it was personal.
A few months later, I had the opportunity to lead a team of women to Amsterdam. We partnered with a local ministry called The Celf and received training on the legal framework and motivations behind the city’s Red Light District.
The contrast between what I witnessed in South Africa and what I saw in Amsterdam was striking. In South Africa, prostitution was closely tied to visible poverty and desperation. In Amsterdam—where prostitution has been legal since 2000—it is often framed as empowerment and autonomy.
Yet beneath the branding and neon lights, I encountered stories that felt painfully familiar. While public narratives may differ, research consistently shows high rates of prior victimization among individuals in the commercial sex industry.
Research summaries compiled by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation report significantly higher rates of childhood sexual and physical abuse among women in prostitution compared to general population estimates used in public health studies (National Center on Sexual Exploitation, 2017). These patterns complicate simplified conversations about “choice” and empowerment.
The Digital Shift: Pornography and Gen Z
Beyond physical red-light districts, the commercial sex industry has expanded dramatically into digital spaces. Platforms hosting explicit material are accessible globally, instantly, and often anonymously.
Today’s generation has unprecedented access to pornography through smartphones, tablets, and social media. According to the 2022 report Teens and Pornography by Common Sense Media—based on a nationally representative survey of 1,358 teens ages 13–17—the average age of first exposure to online pornography is 12 years old. The study also found that many teens reported first exposure as unintentional, and a significant portion described feeling shocked, embarrassed, or uncomfortable afterward (Common Sense Media, 2022.)
Peer-reviewed research also sheds light on the experiences of some individuals involved in pornography production itself. A 2025 study published in the Nordic Journal of Psychiatry examined individuals filmed for pornography production in Sweden. The findings were stark:
88% reported sexual abuse in childhood
90% reported psychological abuse
79% reported physical abuse
95% experienced at least one form of childhood abuse
(Donevan, Jonsson, & Svedin, 2025)
While not every individual involved in digital sex industries shares the same story, the study highlights the prevalence of polyvictimization among participants in pornography production. This suggests that the digital expansion of the industry does not remove the deeper vulnerabilities that often precede involvement.
No previous generation has experienced this level of access to explicit material at such a young age. Whether approached from a faith perspective, a psychological framework, or a public health lens, the normalization of explicit content among adolescents represents a significant cultural shift.
Where I Feel Called
Through prayer, experience, and study, I have become increasingly convinced that meaningful change must involve policy, law, and systemic reform. My calling feels anchored in that space—where government decisions shape culture, and where legal frameworks either protect the vulnerable or fail them.
This issue is complex and often polarizing. But the data is clear about one thing: vulnerability and trauma are deeply intertwined with much of the commercial sex industry, and exposure to pornography is occurring earlier than ever before.
Here is the reality of how trafficking fuels porn, as stated by Dr. Karen Countryman-Roswurm:
“Through the cycle of pornography-fueled physical and sexual abuse, pornography perpetuates further perpetration. Many of the individuals photographed or filmed for the use of pornography have a history of sexual abuse. Many still, while being materialized for citizens all across the world, are seemingly accepting such abuse and exploitation under the force, fraud, or coercion of a trafficker."
I do not believe everyone is called to engage this issue in the same way. But I do believe we each have a role to play—whether through education, advocacy, survivor support, research, prayer, or policy work. Protecting children and addressing exploitation are not abstract ideals; they are tangible responsibilities.
If you are interested in further research, organizations such as Exodus Cry compile studies, survivor testimonies, and policy analysis related to sexual exploitation.
Awareness alone is not the solution. But awareness is a beginning. And beginnings matter.
"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8
Sources
Common Sense Media. (2022). Teens and Pornography.
Donevan, M., Jonsson, L. S., & Svedin, C. G. (2025). The experience of individuals filmed for pornography production: a history of continuous polyvictimization and ongoing mental health challenges. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry, 79(2), 156–165. https://doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2025.2464634
Fight the New Drug. (2018, May 16). Sexploitation stats: Over 6,000 sex trafficking cases reported in the U.S. in 2017. Fight the New Drug. Retrieved from https://fightthenewdrug.org/polaris-project-2017-report-stats/
National Center on Sexual Exploitation. (2017). What we know about sex trafficking, prostitution, and sexual exploitation in the U.S. (Research Summary).
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