Shared Hope International Releases 2025 Report Cards with New Survivor-Informed Framework to Drive Legislative Reform

For more than 15 years, Shared Hope has evaluated state laws protecting exploited children through its annual report cards.

DC, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Shared Hope International (SHI), a national leader in combating child and youth sex trafficking, today released its 2025 Just Like Me Report Cards, introducing a new survivor-informed framework designed to accelerate policy reform and end the unjust criminalization of trafficking survivors.

For more than 15 years, Shared Hope has evaluated state laws protecting exploited children through its annual report cards. This year’s Just Like Me Report Cards mark a major evolution, assessing each state against a focused 10-point Legislative Agenda aimed at the most critical and historically difficult reforms—those that demand sustained collaboration, political will, and systemic change.

“This refined framework is about going deeper where it matters most,” said Linda Smith, Founder and President of Shared Hope International. “Across the country, survivors continue to be arrested and penalized for acts that stem directly from their exploitation. We’re calling on lawmakers to prioritize the hard work of ending unjust criminalization once and for all.”

A New Framework for Lasting Change
The Just Like Me framework reflects more than 15 years of legislative tracking and survivor engagement. Each policy goal focuses on protections that have proven hardest to achieve but most vital to long-term justice, including:
- Ending the criminalization of trafficking survivors for offenses committed as a result of their victimization
- Expanding access to trauma-informed services and vacatur relief, helping survivors rebuild their lives
- Ensuring state laws recognize all minors who are sex trafficked as victims, regardless of third-party control
- Empowering local advocates with clear policy summaries and strategies for legislative engagement

The ten core legislative policy goals are survivor-informed and align with Shared Hope’s ongoing Just Like Me Campaign, a call to action from those with lived experience to prioritize justice and restoration over punishment.

Policymaker’s Guide to Follow in 2026
In January 2026, Shared Hope will release the Just Like Me Policymaker’s Guide, a companion resource providing in-depth statutory analysis of over 30 policy areas critical to strengthening state responses to child and youth sex trafficking. While not graded, this guide will serve as a roadmap for lawmakers and advocates working to advance comprehensive legal reform. “Our goal is not only to measure progress but to equip policymakers with the tools to make it,” said Smith. “By focusing on fewer, more complex goals, we challenge states to take on the issues that have been too long ignored.” This policy guide will be a critical supplement to the technical assistance Shared Hope provides to lawmakers and advocates seeking to improve their state’s legislative framework for supporting trafficked children and youth.

About Shared Hope International 
Founded in Vancouver, WA, Shared Hope International is a global leader in the fight against sex trafficking. Through prevention programs, survivor restoration services, and justice advocacy, Shared Hope works to end sex trafficking and support survivors on their journey to healing and rebuilding their lives. 

Media Contact: 
John Lang 
Director of Marketing and Development
Shared Hope International 
john@sharedhope.org | 757-617-9561 

For more information about Shared Hope Report Cards, visit https://reportcards.sharedhope.org/

John Lang
Shared Hope Internatonal
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
TikTok
X

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.