Cho et al.’s 3P’s, and the TIP report, indicate national efforts at opposing human trafficking. However, they do not indicate the severity of the problem. Two ways to measure trafficking severity are: 1) number of victims, and 2) the degree of victim suffering. This presentation focuses on the latter. Based on Weitzer’s (2014) note that trafficking situations “range from highly coercive…to…mutually beneficial,” and Murray, Dingman, Porter and Otte’s (2015) categorization of trafficking experiences as “voluntary,” “semi-voluntary,” and “involuntary,” the research team computed a “Trafficking Misery Score” (“TMS”) per nation (Source: 2015-2017 Univ. of Nebraska Trafficking Conference). TMS is based on the Murray et al. (2015) weighted 3 x 3 matrix. Next, the research team computed a “Trafficking Intervention Score” (“TIS”) per nation, based on the 3P’s scores. Finally, they combined the two measures to create a “Trafficking Misery Index” (“TMI”) by nation. It quantifies suffering (TMS), and compares it with intervention (TIS), where: TMI = TMS – TIS. Cho et al. assume all 3P’s are equally important. However, the researchers reconceptualized prevention as the most important “p,” and weighted it with a “3.” Protection is weighted with a “2,” assuming it is better to treat a victim than to prosecute a trafficker (and assuming prosecution is not preventive). Prosecution is weighted with a “1” on this ordinal scale. The weighted 3P’s scores reduced intervention scores. Ninety percent of nations (N = 188) saw reductions, while 10% saw increases (compared with using unweighted 3P’s; Source: UNODC). Weighting the 3P’s yields a more robust index.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Define “Trafficking Misery Index” (TMI) and its component parts.

·  Explain how to compute TMI and its component parts by using UNODC data.

·  Explain why a weighted 3P’s score should be used in TMI computation.

·  Explain why TMI is a better indicator than TIP and 3P’s scores.

·  Display TMI scores for a dozen nations, including the U.S.

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The Viminal Space, a term coined by Alex Tigchelaar for an art installation at the world-renowned Nuit Blanche art festival, explores the coerced social and legal construct of sex workers as victims or criminals, which often produces the same result: sex workers are victims if they do not agree to be criminalized, and criminals if they do not agree to be victimized. Services and support for people trying to survive in the sex trade - whether by choice, coercion or in the massive grey area between the two, often fall short of expectations, both for the victim as well as for the service provider. Access, stigma, gender identity, criminal record, substance abuse, trauma, age, race, and class are all factors that social service providers struggle with. The presenters have decades of lived experience with both receiving and providing services for survivors as well as sex workers. They will detail the necessary steps required to build trusting relationships with adults involved in the sex industry at the community level that will enable them to successfully transition out under their own steam and on their own terms for lasting success. Participants will explore new models of outreach and case management based on harm reduction approaches that will change the landscape of their work with trafficking victims and survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe the difference between sex work and sex trafficking from a harm reduction perspective.

·  Discuss how street/survival based economies impact exploitation.

·  Convey how access, stigma, gender identity, criminal record, substance abuse, trauma, age, race and class intersect with exploitation.

·  Show how to navigate the worlds of clients/survivors who may have been incarcerated.

·  Explore what to do with victims or survivors who may have criminal charges pending.

·  Examine how to build relationships with people who engage in sex work as a means of survival at a community level.

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The Youth Experiences Survey (YES) has been given each year for the past four years to a complex and difficult population to assess. Homeless runaway young adults (ages 18 to 25) are difficult to find and can be difficult to engage, and there is limited knowledge about their needs and experiences. This study utilized a cross-sectional research design and included a convenience sample of 187 homeless young adults aged 18 to 25 years old that completed a self-administered survey. Of the overall sample of 187 homeless young adult respondents, 58 (31%) reported experiencing sex trafficking exploitation, and 60 (32.1%) reported experiencing labor trafficking exploitation. At least one form of human trafficking (either sex or labor) was reported by 80 (42.8%) respondents and 38 (20.3%) respondents reported experiencing both sex and labor trafficking exploitation. Information from the YES study provides the Arizona community with rich data about the scope and complexity of their needs and challenges including the sex trafficking experiences of these young people.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe homeless youth experiences, particularly engagement in the commercial sex market.

·  Convey the scope and complexity of sex trafficking in the State of Arizona.

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It can be far too easy to see the commercial sexual exploitation of girls as an inevitable egregious form of child abuse, sewn deep into the fabric of our society. It is not. While there are multiple areas to address to ensure a safer, healthier upbringing for all girls, targeted strategies can be implemented to decrease the likelihood that commercial sexual exploitation, and the trauma and degradation associated with it, will be part of a young girl’s trajectory.  Over the past fifteen years, My Life My Choice (MLMC) has developed a survivor-led prevention model that includes the development of specialized policies and procedures as well as the integration of the MLMC Prevention Curriculum. Taking our Prevention Curriculum one step further, participants will have the opportunity to learn about this enhanced model and consider applying it to programs within their jurisdiction.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Identify the public health implications of the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

·  Explain the importance of creating specialized policies and procedures for exploited and high-risk youth, especially in congregate care settings.

·  Describe the MLMC Prevention Curriculum and identify appropriate participants for Prevention Groups.

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This basic overview of human trafficking is most appropriate for those new to the field. Presenters will focus on both domestic and foreign trafficking as well as labor and sex trafficking. Topics will include the definition of human trafficking, how traffickers recruit, indicators for victim identification, and where and how to report suspected trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Define human trafficking.

·  Explain the basics around how traffickers recruit.

·  Describe indicators for victim identification.

·  Outline where and how to report suspected trafficking.

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In 2017, the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office and Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA) released the Safe Harbor Protocol Guidelines (available at www.mncasa.org). The guidelines were developed over the course of three years with input from some 200 professionals who encounter sex trafficked and sexually exploited youth. The five principle values of the Guidelines are: victim-centered, trauma-informed, youth-centered, culturally-responsive, and strengths-based. The Guidelines were funded with an appropriation from the Minnesota State Legislature. Once the Guidelines were completed, the next logical step for the state was to implement the protocols through a multidisciplinary team process. MNCASA, a national technical assistance provider for the Office on Violence Against Women/Department of Justice, secured funding from the Minnesota Department of Health to lead an implementation process. Five pilot sites in urban, suburban and rural Minnesota were selected in recent months to coordinate their efforts through the assistance of MNCASA. The presentation will describe the process of creating the guidelines and explain the goals of a multidisciplinary approach for protocol development and implementation. The presentation will also recount the experiences of the pilot sites, addressing successes and challenges. All of this information will be presented within the context of how Minnesota built its Safe Harbor for sexually exploited youth response by establishing a system of regional navigators and services statewide and working to center survivor experience in its efforts.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe the process of creating statewide guidelines for multidisciplinary response.

·  Explain the development and implementation of protocols to assist sex trafficked/sexually exploited youth.

·  Demonstrate the success and challenges associated with creating a statewide response.

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Even within the field of sexual violence intervention, there appears to be a hierarchy not only in who “deserves” victim-status, but even in the way our systems choose to intervene with marginalized populations. Often, those providing services within the sexual violence field face the same microaggressions that impact those whom they want to serve. This presentation will examine the systemic challenges faced by Women of Color (WOC) serving Trafficking Survivors of Color (TSOC), the barriers identified by TSOC in accessing culturally-relevant services, and ways in which various agencies have enhanced their services by implementing culturally-relevant practices.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Define microaggressions and provide examples of how they are displayed with sexual violence work.

·  Identify challenges faced by WOC providing services to TSOC.

·  Describe barriers to accessing culturally-relevant services.

·  Provide examples of culturally-relevant practices being utilized throughout the country with TSOC and other Survivors of Color.

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The process in which religions use powerful sex drives to infect society with ideas that benefit the ideologies and influence human sex and sexuality continue to influence society today. Historically, Judeo-Christian religion has looked at female sexuality, on its own, as uncouth and something that deserved to be punished both by the church and publicly, achieved by limiting human, and in particular, female pleasure through shame and control. Pro sex feminism, one of two ideologies founded in 1980s feminist movements, makes the case that consensual sex expressions should be protected, no matter the form it takes. Today, feminists struggle with the implied patriarchal imprisonment of porn, sex work and the sexual representation of women in mass marketed media. Women have the choice to work in the sex industry as strippers, porn performers, etc. and their practice is akin to a lineage of healers tapping into taboo female power. Regardless of factors that have lead each individual woman to participate in this industry, sex workers are persecuted by both the patriarchal authorities and by feminist narratives that integrate sex work with sex trafficking. Just as women who defied the sexual status quo were once persecuted as witches, sex workers are persecuted for using their bodies to survive and even thrive in a culture that still has not granted complete bodily autonomy to women (Sollée, 2017).

Presentation Objectives:

·  Deplete the negative stigma of the sex industry.

·  Reframe the narrative around sex work.

·  Analyze the connection between slut shaming and female persecution through the guise of religion.

·  Describe the in-depth factors of what sex work means through the lenses of different races, sexual orientation.

·  Introduce the idea of touch therapy, cuddle therapy, etc. in reference to sex work.

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Clinical professionals are among the most likely to come into contact with those that are currently or have been victims of human trafficking. A response to education and awareness campaigns worldwide has increased efforts to improve screening and referral for trafficking victims among the medical, legal, and social service communities. This presentation will describe a descriptive study aimed at understanding what relationships exist between human trafficking victimization and other social and health indicators. A pilot study with 150 participants completed a screening for human trafficking (sex and/or labor) using an adapted version from the VERA assessment upon intake into substance use treatment. The VERA assessment is a validated tool, funded by the National Institute of Justice, developed by the VERA Institute to accurately identify victims of both sex and labor trafficking. Over one-half screened at-risk for human trafficking without self-identifying as victim. Descriptive analyses reveal that there are significant relationships among social determinants of health, health literacy, HIV risk, adverse early childhood experiences, and human trafficking risk. Structural equation modeling was then conducted to develop a pathway model of trafficking risk among substance abuse clients in treatment. These results informed an implementation study to better screen for human trafficking victimization, make appropriate referrals to services, and implement universal precautions for at risk populations that is currently underway. This session will be aimed at clinicians, health care professionals, and community members who want to better understand what relationships exist among risk factors for trafficking victimization. 

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain social determinants of health.

·  Describe relationships among risk factors for trafficking.

·  Identify screening and referral strategies.

·  Pinpoint potential moderators of trafficking risk.

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Over the last decade, an increased focus on human rights and social justice issues has inspired students, researchers, and advocates to join the field. Despite the well-meaning efforts of many advocates, it remains unknown whether ethical issues such as maleficence and beneficence are not violated. This engaging presentation will provide evidence-based, peer reviewed methods to better inform the research and treatment practices of helping professionals. This session will provide education on topics including how to avoid spreading false facts, how to avoid mindless consumerism within advocacy materials and fundraising items via the buycott app and how to use trauma-sensitive language as developed by the International Organizations for Adolescents (2017). Additionally, the presenters will be examining how to avoid emotionally escalating and/or damaged centered pleas to gain exposure for your organizations mission by examining Dr. Robert Cilaini’s research into influence (1984), ethical considerations in dealing with sensitive subjects, and finally how certain fundraising or advocacy efforts may inadvertently re-victimize survivors and abuse victims by relating the work of victimization conducted by Morton & Sangrey (1986) and others. At the end of this presentation, members of advocacy organizations who do not hold licensure for working with traumatic situation will have a better understanding of how to engage in trauma-informed dialogue. This presentation will benefit new students, researchers, and advocates who may be at the beginning of their career or those who have not yet discovered ways to ethically support survivors of trauma.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe how to avoid spreading false facts.

·  Explain how to avoid mindless consumerism within advocacy materials and fundraising items.

·  Discuss trauma-sensitive language and ethical considerations in dealing with sensitive subjects.

·  Explore how certain fundraising or advocacy efforts may re-victimize survivors and abuse victims.

 

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Human trafficking, also known as modern day slavery, is a menace that has eaten deep into today’s world. Day by day, victims are being trafficked across borders, seas and deserts from Africa to Europe, by traffickers for exploitation.  These victims could be anyone: a relative, a friend, someone else we know, or there might even come a day might where we find ourselves as the victim…who knows? There is a need for the voices of the victims to be heard, which this presentation aims to provide. One huge factor that has silenced the voice of several victims from Africa is the voodoo secrecy oath usually sworn to by girls in Nigeria and Africa before being trafficked to Europe. The voodoo secrecy oath forbids the victim from ever reporting or giving any information to the police about their traffickers. Voodoo has been used as a powerful tool to enslave women for sexual exploitation (García 2013). Do people really believe in voodoo? Why is voodoo so powerful in West Africa? Is it real or its mere fiction? While most Africans believe in the power of juju/voodoo, others do not and only see it as a tool used by traffickers to scare their victims. With her individual personal experience in the anti-human trafficking struggle, Joy has been

privileged to come in contact with victims who have either taken an oath or had their hair and fingernails cut off by their traffickers for voodoo. Joy gathered data on this topic through conducting interviews with victims who experienced this. This presentation will cover the mechanisms that can be used to help victims find a voice regardless of the oath of secrecy previously sworn to.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain the meaning of voodoo in the African context.

·  Analyze the procedure for voodoo secrecy oath taking in Africa.

·  Outline the role of voodoo priests in oath taking and human trafficking.

·  Explore the role of voodoo in silencing the voice of victims.

·  Discuss how to best help voodoo secrecy oath victims find a voice.

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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.

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It is now well established that women trafficked into the sex industry report higher levels of posttraumatic stress compared to women who are not trafficked (Choi, Klein, Shin, & Lee, 2009; Krumrei-Mancuso, 2017). Still, the attention on negative symptoms stemming from trauma has overshadowed awareness of adaptive coping strategies individuals in these contexts employ, as well as their potential for growth and transformation despite the formidable struggles they have endured (Calhoun & Tedeschi, 2013; Joseph, Murphy, & Regel, 2012). Religious coping following exposure to trauma is one such mechanism deserving attention, given the way unwelcome experiences disrupt personal beliefs and life narratives and cause individuals to grapple with the incomprehensible. Religious coping may provide resources for cognitive appraisals that assist with engaging the ultimate questions trauma raises and provide practices that support their recovery. Participants of this study included 60 individuals enrolled in the Changing Actions to Change Habits (CATCH) Court program, established in 2009 by Judge Paul M. Herbert in the Columbus, Ohio Franklin County Municipal Court for human-trafficking victims and persons arrested for prostitution and/or solicitation (Mueller, 2012). CATCH participants were recruited through invitation by the CATCH Court judge during weekly status review hearings. Results of this study will be discussed including findings related to traumatic events, Posttraumatic Stress (PTS), Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), distressing events, and religious coping. In an otherwise understandable overemphasis on posttraumatic stress, this presentation seeks to encourage survivors and providers alike with some helpful research on posttraumatic growth and religious coping among human trafficking survivors.
Presentation Objectives:

·  Define CATCH Court, a restorative justice response to adult trafficking survivors in the criminal justice system.

·  Explore the research behind PTG and how it relates to survivors of sex trafficking.

·  Discuss both Negative and Positive Religious Coping and their impact on PTG.

·  Identify linkages between exposure to trauma, PTS, religious coping and PTG in a group of individuals exiting sex trafficking.

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This presentation will provide detailed information of how the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) is able to help a victim of trafficking. The presenter will explore how the patient benefits from an exam completed by a trained SANE as well as medical treatment options for patients. This presentation will conclude with suggestions on how to provide care for this difficult population. Several case studies will be examined of patients that were seen and treated by trained SANEs.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explore how a SANE can help a trafficking patient.

·  Examine case studies of potential human trafficking patients who were treated by a SANE.

·  Pinpoint how human trafficking patients can benefit from exams completed by a SANE.

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This presentation deals with the experiences of men who have paid for sex while traveling as tourists overseas. The findings are based on a qualitative study by co-researchers Einat Peled and Ayelet Prior that explored the experiences of 15 Israeli men, based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with them. Findings focus on three major aspects of the participants’ experiences: the meaning of sex for them and their reasons for wanting to pay for it; the problems involved in paying for sex; and, paying for sex while traveling abroad as a preferable option to paying for sex in Israel. The participants spoke extensively about the meaning of sex in their lives. Four related perceptions they presented were of sex as a natural and basic need, as key to normative male identity, as related to intimacy, and as a form of social recreation. Most of the interviewees noted that they chose to pay for sex in the absence of any other option, and described the difficulties associated with doing so, which diminished their enjoyment of it. Conversely, they regarded paid sex while traveling abroad as successful and satisfactory. The participants described paying for sex overseas as being quite different and advantageous to doing so in Israel, and therefore much preferable. In their view, paying for sex overseas was “not really prostitution,” was normative, made them feel more positive, and was commercially more gratifying. The discussion of these findings will offer sociological and psychoanalytic inter-subjective explanations for the men’s preference to pay for sex as tourists overseas.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Illustrate the meaning of sex and of paying for sex for the studied men.

·  Describe the experiences of men who have paid for sex while traveling as tourists overseas.

·  Communicate understanding of their preference to pay for sex abroad rather than in their home country.

·  Discuss the implications of the research findings for social intervention with men who pay for sex.

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Mental health problems associated with sex-trafficking appear to be enduring, with studies reporting a high prevalence of diagnosed disorder 6 months post-trafficking, and a slower decline in symptoms of physical health problems. We explored the association between traumatic events, psychological characteristics and mental health among 78 girls and women trafficked for sexual exploitation who were rescued and have been in contact with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) post-trafficking services. Multivariate logistic regression models based on screening data were fitted for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety separately, and adjusted for psychological characteristics to explore the pathways through which trafficking impacts mental health to inform interventions to promote recovery. Psychological typology of female survivors of sex-trafficking was portraited based on the existing systems of attitudes and values in communication and interpersonal interaction between the women and their family, friends and peers, and reported to be predictive of various cognitive, emotional and socio-psychological characteristics. The total index of mental distress, as indicated by a composite score of PTSD, depression and anxiety, was suggested to be less associated with the previously acquired psychological resources for coping with sexual slavery, and more determined by the severity of trafficking-related trauma exposures.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe risk factors for mental health of female survivors of sex-trafficking.

·  Exhibit psychological portraits of the survivors.

·  Identify psychological resources for coping with sexual slavery.

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NetClean, a company offering software that blocks and reports child sexual exploitation (SEA) on electronic networks, has established how frequently this crime occurs in workplace (Borgström, 2017). My research, in particular within higher education, has documented similar results (McKenzie, 2018). Institutions must take responsibility for monitoring their electronic infrastructures—as much a part of the workplace environment as the lunch room. No institution should allow the criminal activity of child sexual exploitation to occur within the workplace. This session provides case studies from law enforcement, the medical community, higher education, US government employees and the humanitarian sector on child sexual abuse and exploitation in the workplace.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Examine how pervasive child sexual abuse and exploitation (via the trade in images, videos and live-streaming) appears to be in the workplace.

·  Discuss how predators use their professional positions of power over vulnerable children to commit sexual abuse and exploitation crimes.

·  Propose ways for workplaces to take active measures, such as installing NetClean software and inviting law enforcement to perform clean-sweeps, to prevent child trafficking/sexual abuse in the workplace.

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The Fearless Writers is a creative writing and autoethnography group developed as a community classroom alternative and participatory action research pilot. The panel members met weekly for one academic year to discuss social separation and autoethnography method. This group was the result of collaboration between high school juniors of Rogers High School’s AVID program and interprofessional students from the University of Toledo, mainly the social work program and the medical school. These discussions inspired weekly writing prompts about careful observation, the limitations of observation, what divides us from other people and what connects us with other people. The group engaged in regular strengths-based feedback about observations and writing. Group members were free to be as creative as possible in their writing using Amherst Writers and Artists method. From initial writing, the group shared concerns about expectations and acceptance. Research group members will be reading excerpts of their writing and what the group learned from writing and sharing regularly about subtle acts of marginalization that contribute to larger policy practices of social separation. This research group also contributed to the exhibit Shining Light: Monsters, Mysteries, and How Society Divides Us being displayed at this 15th International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe how communities can honor and respect the insights of young people.

·  Identify the impact of social separation in the United States and how it contributes to health disparities.

·  Demonstrate the power of creative writing, art, and photography to raising awareness about injustice.

·  Counter stereotypes about youth and understand how disrupting stereotypes is crucial in erasing implicit bias.

·  Inspire future research involving youth and interprofessional students that encourages connection and better understanding of differences.

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Labor trafficking occurs throughout the Midwest, and many agencies and organizations have been increasing their understanding and responses to this violent crime and human rights violation. In spring 2018, The Advocates for Human Rights and the Minnesota Department of Health published a protocol on how to identify and respond to youth victims of labor trafficking. The protocol covers many of the sectors that interact with victims of labor trafficking –law enforcement, child protection, legal services, victim advocates, health care providers, and more. This presentation will describe labor trafficking (i.e., definitions, dynamics, risk factors, and identification), examine Minnesota’s response to labor trafficking as a model for other states, introduce participants to best practices in working with victims through interactive case studies, and discuss ways that participants can improve multi-jurisdictional responses to labor trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Examine the dynamics of labor trafficking and how to identify potential victims.

·  Discuss what Minnesota is doing to respond to labor trafficking.

·  Utilize the protocol for recommendations on identifying and responding to youth victims of labor trafficking as guidance for improving the response of the participant’s agency or organization.

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