Psychosocial, human, and health services are seldom equipped to address the unique needs of people with lived experiences in the commercial sex trade (Aron, Sweig, & Newmark, 2006; Hemmings et al., 2016). A prominent issue is the struggles that people experience(d) to exit from the trade (Baker, Dalla, & Williamson; Reid & Piquero, 2014). The stigma associated with involvement in the trade often deters those caught up in it from services (Macy & Johns, 2011; Silver, Karakurt, & Boysen, 2015); a missed opportunity for providers to engage a population highly vulnerable to exploitation, violence, trafficking, prostitution and other forms of human rights violations. Hence, this presentation will describe a study whose primary objective is to better understand the challenges that people face to exit. Another study objective is to generate knowledge to inform best practices to work with people who are at different points of experience and relationship to the commercial sex trade: still in the sex trade; out of the sex trade; and with or without a history of cycling in and out of the sex trade. The team will discuss their preliminary findings in relation to the study objectives based on qualitative and quantitative data gathered across Massachusetts in 2018 from 50 interviews with adult participants who reported they had exchanged sex for something of value during their lifetime. The study participants are diverse by their age (18-34, 35%; 35-44, 45%; 55+, 20%);  gender (male, 14%; female, 84%, other 2%); race (Black & African American, 41%; White, 47%; other, 12%); ethnicity (12% Latino); sexual orientation (Heterosexual, 59%; Homosexual/Gay/Lesbian, 10%; Bisexual, 25%; other, 6%); income (51%, $12,000 or less); and childbearing status (74%, have children).

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss preliminary study findings related to participants' relationship to the commercial sex trade correlated across exiting status and measures involving spirituality, wellness, dissociation, PTSD, and Adverse Childhood Experiences

·  List potential practice applications of the data that may inform improved clinical and peer services to people with lived experience in the commercial sex trade

·  Engage attendees in helping the researchers identify how these preliminary findings might be helpful to better serve the population

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Numerous United Nations bodies, such as the Committee Against Torture, the Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, contend that it is a human rights violation to make survivor assistance contingent upon cooperation with law enforcement. The fact that the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act does so has been decried as placing an “onerous, discriminatory burden on alien victims” (Chakraborti, 2014). We will discuss this allegation in light of three factors: (1) that the objections to the TVPA’s Contingency Clause are utilitarian rather than based upon human rights, (2) that existent human rights law grants discretion to utilize some version of the Contingency Clause, and (3) that the history of human rights as well as international and regional practice implies a reciprocity of duties among rights-holders, which suggests the Contingency Clause may in fact be justified on the basis of human rights. Discussants will be asked to consider how contingency, if re-construed as reciprocity, affects the relationship between such (sometimes) competing therapeutic goals as enhancing autonomy and effecting a willingness to proactively serve other potential survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Examine the claim that the TVPA's contingency requirement violates survivors' human rights

·  Describe international and regional human rights law regarding survivor services

·  Discuss the implications (e.g., for therapeutic goals) if contingency is compatible with human rights

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This session will explore sex trafficking and labor trafficking, including terms such as force, fraud, and coercion, as defined by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (the TVPA) and its reauthorizations, as well as cases decided under the TVPA. This session will also discuss immigration options available to undocumented survivors, including non-immigrant visas, derivative visas, permanent residence, and citizenship.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain how the law and cases define sex trafficking

·  Explain how the law and cases define labor trafficking

·  Discuss special challenges and unique options for undocumented immigrant survivors of sex trafficking and labor trafficking

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While emerging research and advocacy efforts are bringing more attention to labor trafficking of minors, this form of human trafficking is often under-recognized and under- reported. In this workshop, attendees will learn about the two main types of labor trafficking exploitation, bonded labor and forced labor, as well as learn to recognize the signs and pathways to help prevent labor trafficking among at-risk youth. The presenters will introduce relevant prior research on youth and labor trafficking and also share the experience of a pilot project to identify youth who are labor trafficked currently underway in Minnesota by The Enitan Story (TES). TES is conducting in-depth, community-based outreach to identify labor trafficking victims, assess their needs, provide direct trauma-informed, culturally relevant services in the areas of employment and life skills and coordinate referrals.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the definition of child labor trafficking and prevalence among at-risk youth

·  Discuss the risk factors and pathways that youth engage in labor trafficking

·  Describe ways to engage in the prevention of labor trafficking for at-risk youth

·  Share the experience of a current pilot project underway in Minnesota to identify and serve youth and young adults who are survivors of labor trafficking

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Over the past decade, Minnesota’s response to sex trafficking and exploitation has focused primarily on youth up to age 24. In 2017, the Minnesota State Legislature, in response to stakeholder requests for an enhanced vision of the Safe Harbor system, directed the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), in consultation with the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, to develop a strategic plan that expands the current Safe Harbor system to address the needs of all victim/survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation as well as others who have lived experience, regardless of age. MDH contracted with three partner organizations, The Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center at the University of Minnesota, The Advocates for Human Rights, and Rainbow Research, to design and implement a community engagement process involving stakeholders statewide, including persons most impacted by sexual exploitation and trafficking. In January 2019, MDH submitted a strategic plan to the legislature providing immediate and long-term suggestions for expanding Safe Harbor to all ages. This plan is informed by the recommendations and findings developed through the community engagement process and outlined in the report submitted by the partner organizations, "Safe Harbor for All: Results from a Strategic Planning Process in Minnesota." This presentation will provide an overview of the partners' comprehensive participatory research model supporting the strategic plan. Workshop attendees will learn about how participatory research approaches can inform and enhance the multidisciplinary response to trafficking and exploitation for youth and adults.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe the needs of adult victim/survivors and persons with lived experiences in terms of supportive services and system response

·  Discuss how participatory research policies can advance state policy to support adult survivors of trafficking/exploitation and all persons with lived experience

·  Demonstrate how state and private research partnerships can expand the dialogue about the intersections of sex trafficking and exploitation with overt and underlying forces of oppression

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The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a widespread social problem. However, true estimates of the incidence and prevalence of the problem are challenging to determine due to inconsistent definitions and difficulty identifying victims (Salisbury, Dabney, & Russell, 2015). Best estimates to date suggest that approximately 25,000 to 100,000 children are at risk for CSEC each year in the United States (Mitchell, Finkelhor, & Wolak, 2010; Willis & Levy, 2002). As such, continued efforts to better understand, assess, and provide services for victims of CSEC are warranted. Certain risk factors for CSEC have been identified and include physical, psychological, and sexual abuse and neglect; witness to domestic violence; drug/alcohol use; running away from home and homelessness; involvement with child protective services and law enforcement; and development of risky sexual behaviors and sexually transmitted infections (OJJDP, 2002; Varma, 2015). Given the vast array of traumatic events, this population experiences, development of mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder are common (Hossein et al., 2010). Thus, evidence-based assessment and treatment to help adolescents address these difficulties are also needed.  Recent research provides guidance for implementing trauma informed care when working with commercially sexually exploited youth. This presentation will provide information regarding how child maltreatment, homelessness, illegal behavior, and other risk factors can lead to CSEC, as well as information regarding current methods of identifying youth at risk for CSEC and ways to provide support for professionals working with this population.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss current information in the field of childhood traumatic stress as it relates to commercial sexual exploitation of children

·  Describe initiatives to develop a screening process to identify youth at risk of commercial sexual exploitation

·  Explore a state-wide initiative to help serve youth who have experienced CSEC in a trauma informed manner and support providers working with this population

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At Selah Freedom, 100% of the sex trafficking survivors in their safe housing reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse. This early abuse normalizes unhealthy sexual relationships and can increase the susceptibility to being later recruited by a trafficker. Selah Freedom believes getting out ahead of this issue with their prevention training is key. Their Freedom for Youth curriculum addresses sex trafficking with an age-appropriate curriculum for K-5th Grade. This coloring book-based training helps kids explore safe touch, identify safe adults, offer tips of using their voice to speak up for themselves, and online safety.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss sexual abuse as a risk factor of sex trafficking youth

·  Preview a curriculum that offers a solution to prevention training for younger kids

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Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a widespread and significant social phenomenon that has gained substantial concern from the public and policy sphere, especially for nations in the Global South. A report from UNICEF (2017) stated that the Philippines is “the global epicenter of the live-stream sexual abuse trade”. Online child sexual exploitation (OSEC) is the leading form of cybercrime in the Philippines, making up half of reported cases across the world. Plagued by a multitude of political and socio-economic factors, norms driven by neo-colonial ideologies have had implications for local responses and communities. This presentation is based on initial findings from an in-depth qualitative study exploring the state of CSE from the lens of three grassroots non-government organizations (NGOs) based in the highest reported areas of sex trafficking in the archipelago. Utilizing an ethnographic methodology and traditional grounded theoretical approach, comprehensive case studies were constructed encompassing observations and semi-structured interviews with frontline staff and organizational leaders who are at the forefront of targeted frontline efforts to tackle CSE. The presentation will disseminate the preliminary key findings from the study, aiming to inform conference participants of systemic challenges in efforts to respond to the evolving dynamics of CSE. Likewise, the presenting of push and pull factors specific to the context of the Philippines intends to cultivate wider discussions related to prevention, child safety and global roles in tackling the prevailing issues.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain the prevailing situation of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the Philippines, specifically the push and pull factors

·  Articulate the current systems from the grassroots NGO lens in response to CSE

·  Discuss key findings from a qualitative study and the evolving opportunities and challenges

·  Expand on international perspectives towards tackling CSE and the application to Global South communities using the Filipino context as an example

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Researchers at The Ohio State University interviewed 25 survivors of sex trafficking in the Central Ohio area in an effort to understand their trajectory into leadership roles in the anti-trafficking movement. The interviews were recorded and analyzed for themes related to three conceptual aims: 1) examining the transition of sex trafficking victims to survivors; 2) examining the transition of sex-trafficked women from survivors to leadership roles; and 3) assessing sex trafficking survivors’ perceptions of leadership. Themes that emerged included: adverse childhood experiences, drugs, forced prostitution, incarceration, and treatment for Aim 1; outreach, public speaking, and peer mentoring for Aim 2; and honesty, strength, open-mindedness, and role modeling for Aim 3. This is one of the first studies to examine leadership in the anti-trafficking movement at the survivor level. The findings are in line with, and highlight the importance of, the Survivor Leadership Model’s five components: a trauma-informed approach; input and direction from survivors; adequate resource allocation by the organization’s upper management; empowerment of the survivor; and post-graduation support (Family and Youth Services Bureau, 2015). This presentation will include: defining leadership; examining the evolution of trafficking victims to survivors; and understanding leadership from the perspective of an anti-trafficking activist who is also a survivor.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Define leadership and explore the Survivor Leadership model

·  Examine the evolution of trafficking victims to survivors

·  Understand leadership from the perspective of an anti-trafficking activist who is also a survivor

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This presentation will discuss the Northwest Ohio Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force and their mission to combat crimes against children. This will be followed by a case study in which the attendees will hear about a sex trafficking investigation in Lima, Ohio that was conducted by the task force. Attendees will hear the case from initial recruitment of the minors to the convictions of the traffickers and others. The case concerns 2 minors in the Lima, Ohio area, their traffickers, and others that conspired to traffic the minors. As a result of the investigation, two minors were recovered and 7 individuals were arrested and convicted, with one trafficker sentenced to life in federal prison and another sentenced to 30 years in federal prison.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss how the task force approaches these types of investigations by looking at the big picture and taking out an entire organizations ability to operate

·  Explain how the task force uses a victim centered approach to our investigations

·  Describe the complexities of these types of investigations from dealing with multiple jurisdictions to preservation of evidence

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This presentation discusses the data Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP) Behind Bars has collected for three years with over 1000 individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated for prostitution, trafficking, or prostitution-related crimes. SWOP Behind Bars is a national social justice network dedicated to the fundamental human rights of people who face discrimination from the criminal justice system due to the stigma associated with the sex industry. While the United States’ incarceration rate is staggering compared to the rest of the world, this rate is the lowest the US has seen since 2008 (Kaeble & Cowhig, 2018; National Research Council, 2014). Despite this downward trend of incarceration rates, the proportion of women to men has steadily increased, making women a greater percentage of the adults filling US prisons and jails than in previous years (World Prison Brief, 2018). While the imprisonment rate for females is overall lower than men, at 84 per 100,000 adult females, the arrest rates of women increased from the previous year (Benedict, 2014; Lynch, Fritch & Heath, 2012). The female population in jail has increased 44% between 2000 and 2013 (Fact Sheet on Justice Involved Women, 2016). Many women in the prison system have prostitution-related experience and/or criminal charges in their past. Increasingly, women are also being arrested and convicted for trafficking of others, even though they have been victimized and trafficked themselves (SWOP Behind Bars, 2019). This presentation highlights the overlap between adult consensual sex work, trafficking, and traffickers, provides an overview of data they gathered, and explains their members’ greatest needs. This vulnerable population becomes even more at risk for falling victim to predatory management that will force them into compromising situations and push them further to the margins. The stigma and shame that is already present for most women who have been in jail or prison is exacerbated by the lack of opportunities for employment and education upon release.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain the differences between adult consensual sex work and trafficking/exploitation in the sex industry

·  Provide a clear understanding of how the criminalization of prostitution impacts victims of sex trafficking

·  Discuss how incarceration is related to prostitution, prostitution-related crimes, and trafficking

·  Provide attendees with a better understanding of individuals they may work with who have been incarcerated, and how to better address their needs as whole people

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Sex trafficking involves the intentional use of coercion, force, fraud, or exploitation of one person by another for purpose of performing unwanted sex acts. With the advent of systemic factors such as increased dependence on technology, ambiguity in legislation and prosecution, unjust stigma, and other barriers and misconceptions, individuals who have been trafficked can struggle to access appropriate resources, such as counseling, to assist them. Rarely do trafficked persons seek counseling independently. Further, when they do present in counseling, they may present with a host of other symptoms that can mask or exacerbate their experiences or be indicative of co-occurring concerns. Thus, counseling trafficked persons tasks counselors and other mental health providers with possessing awareness of and competence to understand the dynamics of trafficking. Counselors must be attuned to and respond with trauma neutral language, appropriate assessment, crisis intervention, safety planning, and stabilization, the ability to address basic needs, and the ability to provide trauma informed and responsive identity, existential meaning, and grounding work with clients.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explore the culture of trafficking

·  Explore systemic factors that perpetuate trafficking

·  Explore evidence-based techniques and strategies for counseling individuals who have been trafficked

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There can be a world free of slaves. However, the most effective way to tackle a problem is to first address the root cause. The root cause of trafficking in Africa and most third world countries over the years remains poverty, with women and children being the most vulnerable (Allais, 2006). Will trafficking ever end without first eliminating or, at best, reducing the push factor? This presentation seeks to answer this puzzle. Third world countries have continuously failed its youth and young adults. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the unemployment rate in Nigeria is 23.1%, while the World Poverty Clock estimated that 86.9 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty. This makes it easier for traffickers to recruit desperate job seekers to the Middle East with promises of well-paid jobs. Kafala System is an employment framework that requires sponsorship for migrant workers from a nation who possesses substantial control over the worker (Hartnett, 2018). Oman’s Kafala System has more than 160,000 female migrant domestic workers trapped in beatings, unpaid wages, sexual abuse, and excessive working hours (Human Rights Watch, Oman, 2018).

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide insight into the history of Kafala System practiced in the Middle East

·  Analyze how the Kafala system serves as a gateway to labour trafficking

·  Discuss the leading push factors of labour trafficking

·  Make recommendations for reform to the Kafala System

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Spring Awakening is a powerful piece of drama in its breadth of issues regarding teenage angst, dilemmas, and community oppression. Written in 1891 by Frank Wedekind, it concerns German youth and their challenges in growing up. The dramatic material tackles a plethora of issues such as rape, suicide, and abortion, to name a few. Issue Box Theatre’s process first identified a specific translation (Franzen) of the German text that would most potently explore these issues. Next, they created a performance with age appropriate casting to ensure a well-rounded and realistic interpretation of the play. They selected a director who was able to navigate the contemporary themes in the dated material and established a production team to support this challenging but vital work of theatre. Curriculum was developed to generate community dialogue with the participants and audience members. Characteristics of safe and healthy relationships were discussed via open dialogue and resources provided by community educators. Issue Box Theatre encourages participants to become “Actorvists”, putting the ACT back into activism. This workshop will present their methods starting with a rationale for this production including IBT company methods and values. Rosie will present synthesized data gathered throughout the process and present results including community responses and reactions. This is a follow-up presentation to a workshop from last year's conference where the project was proposed.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the process of the theatre project development and conclusions

·  Describe ways healthy relationships curriculum assisted both young and old alike to discuss issues in an open and healthy manner

·  Describe how creating a network of community educators and resources for young people was beneficial to the community as a whole

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During this presentation, Sarah will describe finds from her dissertation, which is focused on the developmental experiences of adult children of exotic dancers - a previously unexplored population. Research to date provides insight into a plethora of risks associated with working as an exotic dancer (e.g., drug and alcohol abuse, sexual assault); however, gaps in the literature remain. Specifically, there is a void regarding the intergenerational impacts on children whose mothers are employed as exotic dancers. The available literature suggests that they are exposed, both directly (e.g., unstable housing, low SES) and indirectly (e.g., witnesses to domestic violence, maternal depression), to factors that challenge optimal developmental outcomes. This presentation will provide a description of the shared experiences, developmental risk factors, and intergenerational cycles described by adult research participants. The sample will include approximately 20 adult children of exotic dancers, who will be recruited using word of mouth recruitment and snowball sampling. Data will be collected through short surveys and a semi-structured interview formed through application of phenomenological research methods. Research outcomes are expected to have implications for future research and family programmatic efforts. This research stemmed from Sarah's personal experiences of growing up as the child of an exotic dancer; therefore, she will also be sharing select aspects of her own formative experiences. As the needs and experiences of this population have not yet been investigated, the methodological approach used to explore this hidden population will be outlined, exploring the strengths and limitations of studying the topic as an "insider". Dr. Rochelle Dalla, Professor at University of Lincoln Nebraska-Lincoln, is a contributing author of this presentation.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss common experiences and developmental risk factors for children of exotic dancers

·  Describe intergenerational cycles occurring between exotic dancers and their children

·  Outline methodology in conducting research with this hidden population

·  Share personal select experiences of growing up as the child of an exotic dancer

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Hawai’i, in 2016, was the last jurisdiction in the United States to pass a state law addressing human trafficking. To date, no sex trafficking case has ever been successfully prosecuted under this law against a sex trafficker in Hawai’i. However, no criminal justice data does not mean that sex trafficking does not exist in Hawai’i. Sex trafficking has been found in every state in the United States, including Hawai’i, and in most countries around the world. The global and national dimensions of sex trafficking have functioned to obscure the unique and intertwined colonization of bodies and land in Hawai’i. This mixed methods study examines in-depth the lived experiences of 22 victims of sex trafficking in Hawai’i. Findings include the challenges faced to change the culture that facilitates the secrecy of child sex trafficking in Hawai’i. The findings of the study will be discussed along with recommendations for services and policies.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the results of a mixed methods study on the lived experiences of 22 victims of sex trafficking in Hawaii

·  Explain the recommendations for services and policies

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This presentation will introduce the distinct characteristics of Asian sex trafficking victims in the United States. NGO professionals nationwide are facing challenges to reach Asian victims of sex trafficking in massage parlors and other brothels because of their lack of understanding of Asian victims' characteristics. This presentation is aimed to provide the NGO professionals with better understanding of Asian victims to build better outreach programs to combat Asian sex trafficking in the U.S. This presentation will include cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of both Korean and Chinese women, the difference between Korean and Chinese women, and the distinct characteristics that Asian women have from domestic sex trafficking victims. Finally, the presentation will provide recommendations to strengthen the outreach programs to support Asian women in the commercial sex market in the U.S.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Compare and contrast Korean and Chinese sex trafficking victims.

·  Discuss cultural and socio-economic backgrounds of Chinese and Korean victims

·  Explore differences between Asian and domestic sex trafficking victims

·  Present guidelines to build better outreach and victim assistance programs for Asian victims in commercial sex market in the U.S.

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