Justice for Sex Trafficked Black Girls: Historic Oppression, Vulnerability Factors & Future School Response
Tashina Khabbaz, BS, MEd, Ariel Otruba PhD, & Heather Evans, DSW, LCSW | September 22 | 1:45-2:45 PM
Topic: Conceptual, Direct Service | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Education is a vital dimension of the human trafficking prevention toolkit. Many of the highest-risk sex-trafficked populations are school-age youth (U.S. Department of State, 2019). Among these youth, Black girls are disproportionately vulnerable to sex trafficking. This is attributable to the complex trauma experienced because of systemic racism and a legacy of colonial body politics. The modern fetishization of Black bodies is a product of European colonial expansion. The hypersexual scripting of the Black body helps explain why sex trafficking impacts Black girls at higher rates than other groups. The notion of sex-trafficked Black girls as a victimless crime stems from these historical narratives where these girls are perceived as sexually promiscuous and incorrigible (Phillips, 2015; Morris, 2015). Data reveals that when sex trafficked Black girls are identified, the criminal justice system treats them more harshly (Phillips, 2015). These same racial and sexual stereotypes have created a culture of punishment within schools, wherein youth of color are more likely to experience exclusionary discipline in comparison to their White counterparts. Presenters connect the disproportionate impact of sex trafficking to reporting barriers and the often harsher, exclusionary discipline and punitive treatment of Black girls experienced in the K-12 setting. This presentation calls attention to the pivotal role educators and educational leaders can play in identifying and preventing the exploitation of Black girls.
Presentation Objectives:
· Discuss the history of racism in the U.S. as it relates to the hyper-sexualization of the Black body
· Note how racial disparities heighten the risk of sex trafficking among Black girls
· Discuss how trauma and generational trauma impacts sex-trafficked youth
· Highlight the role of schools as it relates to mandated reporting and what educators and school leaders can do to help identify and protect sex trafficked Black girls