What are common experiences of LGBTQ+ minor victims of trafficking? What are the service needs shared among this population? To what extent can youth-serving professionals better support LGBTQ+ victims? The presenter will address these questions with findings by a new, 2019 research project by the Center for Children & Youth Justice in collaboration with the University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy. In an effort to bridge the gap that currently exists in our knowledge of intersection of trafficking and LGBTQ+ youth, the presenter will cover the Center’s national literature review, original data collection and analysis in Washington State, and recommendations in a practical way. Attendees will then engage with each other to strategize on how they can improve policies and practices to better support LGBTQ+ victims. Professionals who have questions, concerns, or are apprehensive about this topic are encouraged to attend; this is a safe space to dialogue with your peers.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Employ creative strategies to highlight research findings that demonstrate how trafficking may look different for LGBTQ+ youth victims

·  Employ creative strategies to highlight some of the unique service needs of LGBTQ+ youth victims

·  Facilitate small group activities to assist participants in unpacking how these findings impact participants' respective policies and practices

Read More

Given the significant rise of human trafficking in the last decade, in all 50 states (UNODC, 2018), there is a high likelihood that counselors will come into contact with trafficked persons. Mental Health Counselors are involved in all aspects of prevention, development, wellness, and advocacy across all social services, including child welfare, hospitals, youth and domestic violence shelters, and the criminal justice system. Thus, they are in an ideal position to identify trafficked persons and assist in establishing safety, which will significantly contribute to anti-trafficking efforts (Cree, 2008). Trafficked persons typically do not identify themselves as such, this is mainly due to the psychological coercion from their traffickers and the shame that surrounds their experiences (Brown, 2008). Thus, it is essential that counselors can recognize this type of exploitation so that they can assist in providing appropriate resources. However, there is little awareness of trafficking in the U.S. within the counseling field (Thompson & Haley, 2018). This presentation will discuss on-going research that is investigating the impact of an educational intervention on a counselors’ knowledge, awareness, attitudes, empathy, and efficacy of sex trafficking. It will also facilitate an open discussion on the ways in which the counseling field can better collaborate with anti-trafficking organizations.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe ways that counselors can assist in anti-trafficking efforts

·  Describe on-going research that is investigating the impact of an educational intervention on a counselors’ knowledge, awareness, attitudes, empathy, and efficacy of sex trafficking

Read More

There is evidence that suggests child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) may not be perceived as a serious crime amongst some members of the public (Warner, 2010). Importantly, sentencing remarks can disseminate formal messages about the harmfulness of a crime. The presenters conducted an exploratory content analysis on the sentencing remarks of 29 offenders convicted of CSEM offenses across a ten-year period in one jurisdiction of Australia, heard by 12 Judges. Most demographics of offenders were similar to the current research. All offenders were male and 41 years-old (on average) at time of sentencing, with heterogeneity in employment (from law enforcement and the legal field, right through to hospitality and retail). Further, most offenders pleaded guilty, were typically sentenced for several CSEM offences, did not have previous CSEM convictions or other convictions, and received a custodial sentence for the current offenses. Alarmingly however, almost all offenders possessed and/or accessed: CSEM with pre-pubescent children, with most cases involving children under the age of three; and CSEM involving the most severe category (bestiality, sadism, or torture of a child). Offender characteristics and Judges’ censure were captured across three themes: (1) offender’s motivations and attempted explanations for offending (specifically: downplay or denial; poor mental health and substance abuse; and addiction), (2) CSEM offenses are not victimless crimes, and (3) disparities in the offender’s public versus private life. The presenters’ findings should be a valuable resource for mental health practitioners, law enforcement, legal professionals, and social workers both within Australia and across the globe.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explore the censure sentencing Judges impart to child sexual exploitation material offenders and the wider audience

·  Describe the characteristics of individuals convicted of child sexual exploitation material offenses

·  Explore how the messages imparted in the sentencing remarks can be used to inform prevention of child sexual exploitation material offenses

Read More

Too often “trauma informed” is part of the industry lexicon with no understanding of what that means in action, especially within complex organizations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2014). Hear from an advocate with lived experience and the Minnesota Department of Health on what it means to act trauma informed when engaging with survivors in order to build real collaborations and partnerships. We will discuss how different factors such environment, subject matter, time constraints, and purpose impact the engagement process. Creating a safer and more equitable process for partnering with survivors is an important step toward going beyond the foundational “survivors should be compensated” message (Administration for Children and Families Office on Trafficking in Persons & National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center, 2018).

Presentation Objectives:

·  Recognize common pitfalls within complex systems

·  Describe practical ways to mitigate the negative impacts of the system

·  Bring “trauma informed” out of language and into practice

·  Discuss 4 steps to build underlying values and action plans

Read More

In this presentation, participants will better understand three experiences which are often conflated – trading sex, sexual violence, and trafficking into the sex trade. This workshop seeks to break down these three distinct experiences and discuss the places where they may occur in tandem in order to better understand the nuances of each. The foundation will begin with what we mean when we talk about the sex trade, offering a neutral foundation which spans the constellation of choice, circumstance and coercion. Building on this understanding, the presenters will look at sexual violence that may be uniquely experienced by people who trade sex at the hands of a range of actors and experiences of exploitation and trafficking. The workshop will be both conceptual, as well as draw on community experience and knowledge, and incorporate tangible examples for how this comes up in community spaces, as well as service provision. This workshop will be presented by two experts in the field with experience in community organizing, service provision and advocacy for people who trade sex, including victims of trafficking, victims of violence, and victims of the criminal legal system.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the unique ways that people who trade sex encounter sexual violence, and how it can be distinct from the experience of trading sex or of trafficking

·  Articulate the difference between sexual violence experienced by sex workers and trafficking into the sex trade, both conceptually and as a lived experience

Read More