Posts in 2022
Finding the Trafficker: Proactive Approaches to Investigating and Prosecuting Human Trafficking

Successful prosecutions depend on thorough investigations. Successful investigations start with a proactive approach. Preparing a community for a human trafficking response that is victim-centered, adaptable, and resourceful is crucial to recover victims and prosecute traffickers. This workshop will discuss how a community can prepare for a human trafficking response, law enforcement can corroborate the trafficking offense, and prosecutors can determine culpability. In addition, the importance of taking on the demand for sex trafficking and methods to attack demand, including legislative and law enforcement responses will be discussed. Anticipating the case allows for the development of trafficking prosecutions that can be built without reliance on the victim’s presence or cooperation during the trial. Evaluating the system in place to recover at-risk youth and initiating the resources needed for a successful recovery can allow for prosecutions without the need for a victim to testify. Participants will learn how to prepare a community response for a victim-centered approach to human trafficking cases.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss ways community service organizations can assist with the recovery of at-risk youth

· Identify law enforcement methods that can assist the prosecutor develop a case that is not reliant upon the sex trafficking victim

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Trafficking-in-Persons High-Risk Community Research During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Cape Town, South Africa

This U.S.-South Africa collaborative team conducted a TIP high-risk community survey during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 to examine the magnitude and nature of human trafficking in Cape Town. The project attempted the time and location sampling to obtain a high-risk sample in Cape Town and surrounding areas who met at least one TIP-vulnerability criteria (total n=665). The presentation will include main findings to date and the process describing challenges and research adaptations. Dr. Price will present TIP prevalence estimates obtained by applying the first edition of the Prevalence Reduction Innovation Forum (PRIF) statistical definitions issued by the U.S. Department of State (U.S. DoS, et al., 2020) and performance of two well-regarded TIP screening tools (VERA, 2024; US DHHS, 2018) with use of the PRIF definitions. Dr. Koegler will discuss multivariate analysis of demographic, individual risk, and comorbid factors, including adverse childhood experiences (Merrick et al., 2018), that are associated with PRIF definitions and screening indicators. Dr. Bender will focus on the analyses comparing characteristics of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) persons with cisgender people to identify key vulnerabilities associated with being TGNC. Dr. Balogun will discuss challenges encountered during the data collection fieldwork, conducted at the height of South Africa Covid-19 surges, which include 13 ethics applications, low TIP awareness, shifting timelines, and a lack of facilitation despite government funding/support. The team adapted by conducting extensive, but unplanned, outreach bolstered by extensions in time and funding. The presentation concludes with recommendations for global TIP research.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including main questions, methodology, and findings

· Discuss risk and comorbid factors of human trafficking among TIP high-risk community members

· Describe the implications and recommendations based on the research

· Describe challenges and adaptations of TIP community research and the pandemic impact on research methodology

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One Day Can Change Your Life

Patte, who was working at Clemson University in 1984, will talk about her personal encounter with Bill Cosby. Cosby was the main homecoming attraction and as her job, she was responsible for acting as his host. Attendees’ can expect to hear a gut-wrenching story of what happened while spending 6 hours of time with him in a hotel room. In addition, the story itself will illustrate how the dynamics of a person with power and prestige can influence and change the dynamics of an interpersonal exchange between two people. Following her story, Patte will participate in a Q & A session, led by Dr. Celia Williamson, to bring forth how parts of her experience are woven in many women’s own personal sexual assault situations and life in general.

Presentation Objectives:

· Share her experience to shed light on denial, decisions, implications, and the road to self-love and acceptance

· Provide encouragement and support to attendees who have had similar experiences

· Show how using vulnerability and authenticity can help oneself and others

· Illustrate there is always hope – No. Matter. What.

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Respecting Stories

Does your organization respect, honor, and value stories? There is a trend to place successful non-profit clients on a pedestal and ask them to share their story for the world, encouraging them to be the voice of their specific dilemma. While the movement to listen to and hear the voices of survivors and vulnerable populations is admirable and necessary, the execution of the goal has been difficult. In the movement of rushing towards the authentic, honest voice of survivors, this session calls for organizations to pause and allow clients to achieve true safety and adequate training that will give them the ability to thrive in this work. In this session, participants will be challenged to think through the vulnerabilities their clients have faced in the past and question if their organization is exacerbating the vulnerability by asking their clients to share their stories too quickly. Stories carry a sacred place in our society and the way we present them, the way we encourage the storyteller, reflects on our organizations. Participants will be asked to consider: 1) Does their organization have a timeline in place before a client can become an advocate? 2) Do they provide sufficient training around safety in storytelling? and 3) Are the stories they share reinforcing false narrative by editing or are they challenging their audience to understand trafficking in an honest way? Attendees will be given a list of resources that help in this area and suggestions on how to update their protocols to protect clients turned advocates.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the dynamics of storytelling and donor engagement

· Consider how the participants organization shares stories

· Explain steps and protocols that can be set in place to protect clients who are becoming advocates

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Child Sex Trafficking: A Healthcare Team Response to Prevention and Evaluation

Human trafficking has been increasingly recognized worldwide as a major public health problem. It is a crime based on exploitation of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals of any community and is a violation of human rights. Children are especially at risk of victimization and may experience considerable physical and mental health consequences. Adding these problems to pre-existing vulnerabilities and adversities makes human trafficking a complex health issue that needs to be addressed by a multidisciplinary team including health care providers. Professionals working with children have the responsibility to screen and report suspected child trafficking and offer services as appropriate. This presentation will focus on what makes children vulnerable to being trafficked and how to prevent trafficking in children. It will help attendees recognize child victims of human trafficking and address their needs in a trauma-sensitive approach. It will also focus on what the medical evaluation entails and why it is important in high-risk children to address the health consequences of being trafficked. The presentation will be case-based, and attendees will learn from different examples and cases throughout the talk (Nazer, D. & Greenbaum J., 2020; Greenbaum, J. & Bodrick, N., 2017). At the end of the presentation, attendees will be able to recognize risk factors, identify victims, and more importantly realize how important it is to work collaboratively with other professionals to prevent human trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define human trafficking, specifically in children

· Discuss how to recognize child victims of human trafficking

· Explain the health consequences of human trafficking

· Identify tools for medical providers to use for victim identification and assessment

· Explain health care needs of child victims

· Discuss how to advocate for children to help prevent human trafficking

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Listening to the Silence: The Hidden Elements of Familial Trafficking

Many people struggle to wrap their minds around familial trafficking, yet it is real and is happening all around us, creating victims silenced by generational secrets. Presented by a survivor of familial trafficking that is now a mental health professional, this session will look at the hidden elements of familial trafficking, including why someone might sell a relative, the intersection between familial trafficking, labor trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation. Attend this session to learn how to identify a potential victim of familial trafficking and learn how to respond to their unique needs from a trauma-informed and survivor-centered way.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define familial sex and labor trafficking

· Discuss the alarming prevalence of familial trafficking

· Discuss red flags specific to helping individuals identify victims of familial trafficking

· Discuss trauma-informed and survivor-centered ways to engage with survivors of familial trafficking

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Journey Into the Heart of Darkness: Photo Documentary on Sex Trafficking of Minors in Indonesia

In July 2017, Daniel Jean flew to Indonesia to report on child prostitution in Indramayu district. This report was the result of a year and a half of research, contacts, and approaches with Indonesian stakeholders, including one in particular, Mr. Jeremy Wutun, a social worker who served as a guide for Daniel once in the field. The extreme trivialization of prostitution is what surprised the photojournalist the most. He expected to take great risks in order to document the matter. He expected to find it extremely difficult to interview pimps and prostitutes, but reality surpasses fiction. Throughout this presentation, Daniel will introduce you to the unexpected face of prostitution through the testimonies of 17-year-old, Devii, who received us after she had just had a miscarriage and of 18-year-old, Lia, who was saved from prostitution by a grandfather determined not to leave his granddaughter in the clutches of Jakarta pimps. Daniel will also show you around a village made up almost entirely of brothels where both prostitutes and pimps have received him without raising the slightest objection. It will introduce you to girls, young and old, who see no other way to survive than prostitution. Finally, he will present Talitha Koumi and the nature of the fieldwork aimed at preventing or rescuing the victims of this modern form of slavery.

Presentation Objectives:

· Explain how the district of Indramayu has become the cradle of prostitution in Indonesia and elsewhere in South-East Asia

· Demonstrate, with supporting photos, how commonplace prostitution is in the Indramayu district

· Explain how the culture and the sense of duty lock young girls into the obligation to prostitute themselves at the request of their parents

· Present the testimonies of survivors of prostitution

· Explain the field work done by Talitha Koumi with her partner organization Yayasan Kusuma Bongas

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Human Trafficking 101

This presentation will provide a basic overview of human trafficking, focusing on both domestic and foreign trafficking as well as labor and sex trafficking. Topics will include the definition of human trafficking, how traffickers recruit, indicators for victim identification, the impact of social media, and how individuals can make a difference in helping to combat and end human trafficking. Using the most current research and resources, the presentation is designed not only to educate but empower and activate the participant. Human Trafficking 101 is for people who are just learning about human trafficking and for people who would like to see the latest information available. Communities that are involved become the single most powerful tool we have to reduce and ultimately prevent human trafficking. The first step is to create a solid foundation of knowledge and awareness and how we can all be part of the solution.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide responsible facts about human trafficking

· Educate about current laws

· Identify labor and sex trafficking concerns

· Empower participants to make a difference

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"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." -Kurt Vonnegut

Exhibits

Thriving Artists Exhibit

This exhibit will feature the performance and visual art of Michael Skinner and Patte O'Connor, both survivors who have utilized art as a source of healing and advocacy.

Youth Art Exhibit

This exhibit will feature the poetry-informed research of the Fearless Writers and collaboration between Rogers High School and UToledo social work program. This year, the students have focused their writing exploration on the increasing rates of depression and suicide for young women of color.

Arts-Based Research Exhibit

This exhibit will include the research of Dr. Natarajan who uses sketches as an autoethnography to explore topics through close artistic observation. Dr. Heather Evans will also raise awareness about human trafficking through photovoice research working with community photographers to represent their stories.

Mental Health Exhibit

This exhibit will highlight the work of artists who are also mental health consumers. These artists explore the power of creative expression to healing. Individuals with mental illness are marginalized in communities based on stigma and stereotypes firmly held in U.S. culture. Visual art is a way for the marginalized to take back their narrative and create a new story as artist.

Art with a Purpose Exhibit

This exhibit will feature a variety of visual artists new to using their artwork to raise awareness about social injustice.

Performances

Sons of Toledo
Matt Foss is a theater professor at the University of Toledo and co-creator of the short film, Sons of Toledo which will be made available in evening screenings as well as a talk-back panel of advocates fighting against gun violence in the city.

Voices Project
Issue Box Theatre will present video productions in collaboration with community writers and performers in evening performances.

Exhibit Objectives:

· Raise awareness of the power of art to connect an audience to the lived experience of injustice

· Combine research, program, and narrative methods as an important way to better understand social injustice

· Provide inspiration for creativity as a possibility for healing during and after a loss or crisis

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