The prevalence and dangers of pornography will be a focus of the 4th Annual Bakken Human Trafficking Summit to be held May 21-22 in Minot State University’s Ann Nicole Nelson Hall.

Mandy Sanchez, program coordinator for Culture Reframed, will deliver the keynote address, “Growing up in a Porn Culture: The Social, Emotional & Cognitive Effects & A Public Health Solution.”

Sanchez holds a doctorate in sociology with a concentration in criminology and women’s studies. She has researched and written about porngraphy and violence against women for more than 20 years. In her position with Culture Reframed, she focuses on expanding, developing and ensuring high quality, comprehensive programming for parents and adults who are influential in children’s and teens’ lives.

Her presentation will explore the most popular social media platforms accessed by young people, linking the social media and porn industries and the harmful effects on young people. Focusing on the public health approach, the presentation will highlight how Culture Reframed helps parents and professionals to navigate the terrain of hypersexualized social media and pornography.

Ryann Gerber Jorban with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will present on labor trafficking and will discuss how to find partners, build relationships and work together for better outcomes in labor exploitation. Gerber Jorban is a recognized expert in the prosecution of labor exploitation and criminal fraud exploitation of vulnerable communities and provides training on these issues across the nation.

A panel of three survivors who will tell their stories will conclude the first day of the summit.

The second day will be keynoted by Marcel van Der Watt, director of the Research Institute at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in Washington, D.C. His experiences come as a former police investigator, hostage and suicide negotiator and human trafficking case consultant. He also will address pornography in his presentation on discouraging the demand that fosters sex trafficking.

Tanya Grassel-Krietlow, program manager for the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, will speak about missing and murdered indigenous people.

Analena Lunde, a specialist with the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Victim Services Unit in Western North Dakota will present a case study of exploited, lured and trafficked minors. She will be joined by Special Agent Karsten Anderson with Homeland Security Investigations, Special Agent Karmen Brosten with the BCI, School Resource Deputy Jonathan Avalos with the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Delorme.

Breakout sessions at the summit will include workshops on pornography and trafficking, identifying and interacting with individuals experiencing exploitation and abuse, the law enforcement toolbox against labor trafficking, child sex trafficking in North Dakota, a closer look at demand reduction, and screening and engaging with trafficked youth.

The summit is sponsored by 31:8 Project, a nonprofit for human trafficking awareness, prevention and education. The event is open to the public, with educational credits available for professionals. The event fee includes meals and a social. Preregistration is required.