Human Trafficking and the Intellectual Developmental Disability Population
Pat Stephens, MEd & Steve Mentrek, MA | September 22 | 11:45 AM-12:45 PM
Topic: Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
The presentation will focus on sex and labor trafficking of individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their vulnerability to traffickers. Risk factors will be discussed, as well as signs of victimization, trauma, and prevention. Attendees will learn how human trafficking affects individuals with IDD physically and behaviorally. The presenters want to assist you in how to develop, establish protocols, and supports within the DD system. They will also discuss how to implement community integration in a safe and planful manner to protect our individuals from labor trafficking. The presentation will also showcase some labor trafficking stories as examples to protect the DD population from employers who have immoral practices. There will be some cases discussed based on real life experiences, factual data gathered from Disability Right Ohio research, a Disability Fact Sheets, and a powerful video called “The Boys of Atalissa”, IA. Attendees will take away how their individual vulnerabilities have made them targets in the United States as well as overseas.
Presentation Objectives:
· Inform the community that IDD individuals are being targeted for human trafficking
· Describe risk factors of human trafficking within the IDD population
· Assist with how to develop, establish protocols, and supports within the DD system
· Discuss how integration in the community can have risk for IDD individuals to be labor trafficked