Established in 2015, Journal of Human Trafficking (JHT) has become a premier outlet for the dissemination of research and programming. JHT contributes innovative applied knowledge while simultaneously helps bridge the gap between scholars and practitioners. JHT is international, interdisciplinary, and devoted to all issues related to human trafficking and modern day slavery. Focused largely on the professional development of audience members, this presentation will describe the JHT and how it originated. It will also highlight key trends and standout articles that have been particularly instrumental in moving the knowledge base forward and describe how audience members can become involved. Involvement can take the form of publication (i.e., as authors) or as a reviewer for submissions. Thus, this presentation will address submission requirements, the peer review process (double-blinded), and potential outcomes of such (e.g., accept, revise/resubmit, reject). Additional details on what these potential outcomes “mean” for the author and how to move forward if a rejection is received will also be presented. The process by which audience members can contribute to JHT (while simultaneously engaging in professional service) will be addressed, as will the benefits of contribution, as authors or reviewers, for professional growth and development.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the JHT

· Describe standout publications that have moved the knowledge base

· Identify ways audience members can contribute to the JHT

· Describe professional development benefits of contributing to the JHT

· Explain the behind-the-scenes academic publication process and how publication decisions are made

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After the ending of the crack era and the climax of gang activity in urban America, a new epidemic struck this nation hard. Between the years of 1998 and 2010, nearly 55% of the people Armand King grew up with in San Diego had either become a pimp or a prostitute. This includes himself and his best friends. In this presentation, attendees will follow the lives of individuals, both male and female, that were forced into the sex trade, not by enslavement and not at gunpoint but forced by the simple denial of the real “American Dream” and poor education. It is said that in order to get rid of a weed, you must take it out from its root. This session not only tells a story that's rarely told, but also brings the audience face-to-face with the root of what we call “Urban Domestic Human Sex Trafficking” so we can truly prevent and intervene the continued growth of this weed. The presentation will end with solutions and a call to action. Learn how to really view the subculture of pimping and prostitution in America.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe what led Armand and his friends into a lifestyle of sexual exploitation

· Discuss how we prevent future generations from becoming victims

· Explain what was learned as a result of this experience

*Trigger Warning: The content in this presentation may be triggering for some.

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Beyond small island and flood-prone areas, different regions of the world carry the burden of climate change. Loss of land for subsistence, scrambling for limited resources, severe weather conditions, and desertification, among other environmental concerns, have created a new category of migrants called climate or environmental migrants. Victims of climate migration face complex exploitative challenges; including human trafficking. The category, however, does not fall within the popular definition of refugees as a people that “leave their homes because of fear of persecution, generalized violence or events or seriously disturbing public order.” Across the globe, there is an emerging jurisprudence about the existence of this class of people called climate migrants and environmental refugees. For instance, the Fulani herdsmen crisis in Nigeria, drought-induced displacement of people over resource conflicts in Mali and Ethiopia, and mudslides in some parts of Uganda are forcing people to flee from their homelands for the security of their lives and search for resources in other parts of the continents. Despite their forced migration status, climate migrants are not captured under the existing international legal framework for the protection of refugees. The presentation speaks to vulnerabilities confronted by climate migrants, explores the existing positions of scholars, the existing legal framework on refugees, international human rights laws, soft laws, and courts on climate change-related migrations. Together with the prevailing realities in Africa and other less-developed nations, the presentation argues for the recognition of climate migrants as refugees and the need to promote social justice for climate refugees.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the vulnerabilities of human trafficking for climate migrants

· Identify trajectories of climate change, violence, and displacements

· Explore the existing positions of scholars on climate migration and climate refugees

· Argue for the recognition of climate migrants as refugees

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