2018 UCAP CONFERENCE
Villainize or Empathize: Understanding and Influencing Boys in this Current Sexualized Culture
We are all currently being challenged by the impact of many men in our society exercising sexual dominance, control and exploitation. How did these once young, innocent boys become predatory men? Though we do not have the answer for these individual cases, we can begin to answer the question, “How can we as parents and teachers of youth, help young men and boys manage their strong sexual desires and not fall prey to this culture of sexual exploitation and self-indulgence?” This session will examine the current landscape of internet pornography and social media and its impact on the sexual views and beliefs of our youth. We hope to open the dialogue as to how we as adults can positively influence our youth by battling for their trust, connecting with them emotionally and teaching them strategies and coping tools in these perilous times.
Clay Olsen
Clay Olsen is a creative and passionate filmmaker, producer, marketer, public speaker, author, and social entrepreneur. Early on in his career he co-founded two flim companies, an interior design firm, and a successful creative agency. In 2010 he left those companies to co-founded Fight the New Drug ( ghtthenewdrug.org), a youth movement dedicated to raising awareness on the harmful effects of pornography and other forms of sexual exploitation through science, facts, and personal accounts. Since then they’ve been featured on ABC Nightline, ABC News, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, NPR, CBS, CNN, Al Jazeera, USA Today, the Blaze, The Daily Dot, the Dr. Drew Show, and more. Clay has personally presented at hundreds of secondary schools, universities, and event centers and spoken to hundreds of thousands all over the country. He’s spoken at the United Nations, the World Congress of Families, the Set Free Global Summit, the annual End Sexual Exploitation Summit, and many more.
In February of 2013, he founded and lead the development of an online addiction recovery program called Fortify, to help individuals overcome their struggle with compulsive sexual behaviors. Fortify has already impacted over 60,000 users in over 150 countries around the world.
In 2015, he was invited to join Top Youth Speakers, an elite national speakers association dedicated to providing top-tier talent to audiences around the country. In 2016, he was awarded the Visionary Leadership Award by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation at their annual summit in Houston TX.
Clay sits on the Board of Directors for a number of different non-profit and start-up organizations and finds a lot of fulfillment in advising entrepreneurs in their efforts to make a dent in the world.
Dan Gray
Dan Gray, LCSW, CSAT is a licenced clinical social worker specializing in addictions counseling. He has a master’s degree in social work and is a CSAT (Certified Sexual Addiction Therapist). He is also certified as an addictions counselor with the National Association of Forensic Counselors. He maintains a busy private practice, lecturing regularly and providing training and consultation to numerous civic, religious, and professional organizations throughout the country. He is the clinical director of the LifeSTAR Network program, which provides help for individuals and couples who are dealing with problems related to sexual addictions and compulsive behaviors. He has co-authored and edited 2 books: Confronting Pornography: A Guide to Prevention and Recovery for Individuals, Loved Ones, and Leaders and Discussing Pornography Problems with a Spouse: Confronting and Disclosing Secret Behaviors.