At Risk. At Home: Trafficking of the Familial Child, A Survivor's Perspective
Victoria Dalia, BS | September 20 | 4:00-5:00 PM | Auditorium
Topic: Experience | Knowledge Level: Beginner, Intermediate
The goal of this presentation is to increase awareness of sex trafficking of the younger child, sometimes called familial or “Homegrown” sex trafficking. The presenter will first identify three different styles of this trafficking: 1) “Kids who pay bills” as in the Shania Davis Case; 2) “Organized Crime Trafficking” as in my own case and with other survivor interviews; and 3) “Loner Entrepreneurs” as in the book, Scared Selfless. She will also talk about the 2014 FBI report that found that 60% of all recovered victims had been in the foster care system. Second, the presenter will to go over signs and differentiate them from "regular" sexual abuse. Obviously, sex trafficking is abuse and many of the signs for younger children are identical. There is little research on this subject, but from interviews with victims, the presenter will point out a few of the telltale signs that might indicate trafficking. She will use her own experiences of being involved in 7 different trafficking groups from ages 5-16 and the grooming that started at age 3. Finally, the presenter will to review some of the investigation and intervention protocols that need to be handled carefully. Damage from early sexual trauma is psychologically profound as in DID. Victims may not remember their abuse, as in traumatic amnesia, or simply be unwilling to break the code of silence because it may be lethal to them. Great care must be taken in investigating these types of cases.
Presentation Objectives:
· Describe how this kind of trafficking exists and is often overshadowed by the "lured teen" or young adult.
· Explain the signs of this kind of trafficking so professionals can more readily recognize it.
· Discuss how any investigation or intervention done with this kind of trafficking needs to be handled differently.