Early Childhood Sexual Abuse and Foster Care: A Survivor's Perspective
Amy Rouleau, MPA | September 21 | 9:00-10:00 AM | Auditorium
Topic: Experience | Knowledge Level: Beginner
This engaging journey will provide a greater understanding of how childhood sexual abuse, the foster care system, and human trafficking are all connected. Amy’s personal testimony will leave you inspired and hopeful for a future without human trafficking. Amy explains how her own experience with abuse, severe disassociation, substance abuse, and cognitive issues set her up to be a target for predators. Children in foster care, runaways, throwaways, and homeless are at a much greater risk of being trafficked than the typical child in America (Gerassi, 2015;
Landers, 2017). Preventing human trafficking has proven to be a difficult endeavor, but do not lose hope. Through holistic approaches in mental health, intervention and restoration are possible (Bessel, 2014). This session will explain the physical, emotional, and spiritual impact that trauma in childhood had on Amy’s life and how her experiences can be used to identify and respond to victims, and potential victims, of human trafficking.
Presentation Objectives:
· Describe how early childhood sexual trauma creates greater vulnerability to sex trafficking.
· Discuss the connection between foster care youth, runaways, throwaways, and homeless children and sex trafficking.
· Explain how early intervention, support systems, and holistic therapy options can prevent sex trafficking through research and the presenter’s personal testimony.