A four-part webinar series titled “Behind the Demand” will begin next week in North Carolina, led by first-term Democrat Attorney General Jeff Jackson. The 90-minute sessions will run on Wednesday nights and are produced by the NC Demand Reduction Task Force.
The series aims to examine the demand for commercial sex and low-cost labor that fuels human trafficking in the state. Organizers hope to equip individuals, communities, and systems with strategies to disrupt trafficking networks at the source—demand.
The webinar schedule is as follows:
- Oct. 29 – What Fuels Trafficking? Understanding Demand
- Nov. 5 – Culture in the Crosshairs: Why Beliefs Shape Behavior
- Nov. 12 – Survivor Insights: Lessons from the Inside
- Nov. 19 – Your Role in the Ripple Effect: Join the Demand Reduction Effort
Preregistration is open on the task force’s official website.
North Carolina has heavily invested in anti-trafficking measures in recent years. In January, the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission announced a recurring $500,000 grant program to support victim services. In 2023, the Buffet Foundation awarded a $9.6 million, five-year grant to the State Bureau of Investigation to support its Human Trafficking Unit. Legislative funding has reached millions over the past decade.
While there is no fixed estimate on the cost of trafficking to taxpayers, the toll includes pressure on law enforcement, courts, health care, jails, and victim services. A 2021 study found it costs the state $33,000 annually to incarcerate a single inmate.
The NC Demand Reduction Task Force describes itself as a statewide coalition involving anti-trafficking professionals across diverse sectors. Its goal is to implement a data-driven strategy aimed at reducing the demand for sex and labor trafficking in the state.
