Dr. Kristen Szabla was born into darkness. Specifically, she was born into a black, cataclysmic web of sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation in which she was the victim and her parents were her perpetrators. Dr. Szabla will describe her story of overcoming not only to bring societal awareness to these all-too-common nefarious acts against humanity but to bring hope, healing, and ultimately social and policy change. This presentation will chronicle how she used her knowledge of neurobiology to expedite her journey from suffering victim to empowered survivor/thriver. Participants will experientially learn not only how the brain functions but how trauma damages and maladaptively wires specific areas of the brain (Walsh et al., 2022). By understanding the neurobiologic underpinnings of trauma, participants will discover how traumatized individuals are held in a victim-like state, seemingly incapable of change. Using personal examples and visual illustrations, participants will explore strategies as to how to utilize the power of the brain to potentiate its rewiring and expedite healing to help an individual transform from a victim to a thriving survivor. This presentation is designed to be accessible for all audiences, regardless of their familiarity with neurobiologic concepts.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide a synopsis of the survivor’s life experience

·  Provide an overview of the brain in action to explain the neurobiologic impact of trauma

·  Outline how the neurobiology of trauma keeps individuals victimized

·  Discuss tactics to harness the understanding of the neurobiologic impact of trauma to facilitate the transformation from victim to survivor/thriver

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Although scholarship about human trafficking has increased in the last two decades, no literature analyzes the trafficking of North Korean women for forced marriage in China based on Chinese official documents. Drawing on data from the China Judgement Online (CJO) website, a sample of 66 court documents involving 222 traffickers and 192 buyers from 2014 to 2020 was used. Using a content analysis approach, based on manual collation and data collection, this study contributes to the marriage trafficking literature by exploring (a) the identity characteristics and motivations of traffickers, buyers, and victims, (b) the trafficking procedure, and (c) the division of labor among traffickers and patterns of penalties imposed on the traffickers. The findings imply that both traffickers and buyers mainly have low education, no stable employment, and are geographically concentrated in northeastern China. The trafficking process can be divided into recruitment, border crossing, transportation, matchmaking, transfer, and transaction. Sentence type and length are related to the victims’ number, while fines are not. China’s demand for women victims is closely tied to a patriarchal culture. Finally, the implications for research and policy will be discussed.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Enhance understanding of trafficking in North Korean women for forced marriage in China through analysis of court documents

·  Provide important recommendations for policymakers and researchers

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The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of professionals working with minor-aged survivors of human trafficking in nonmetropolitan environments throughout the Northeast. Husserl’s noematic process, integrated with Maslow’s theory of human motivation, provided this study’s theoretical framework, which strived to answer the following research questions: What are the experiences of professionals working with minor aged human trafficking survivors in Northeast nonmetropolitan communities (noema)? and How do professionals describe their experiences helping minor-aged survivors of human trafficking obtain their basic needs after exploitation (noesis)? Data collection involved demographic questionnaires and interviews. The data was analyzed by using Moustakas’ phenomenological methodology. Two primary themes emerged from the data analysis. The first theme was the participant’s experience meeting the needs of survivors, containing subthemes of needs being met through their vocation and community resources. The second primary theme included the challenges participants experienced when meeting the survivors’ needs; the subthemes contained the challenges they experienced through their vocation and community. The most prominent result was the differences in challenges experienced by participants depending on if their employer was a nonprofit organization, or a state agency. These vocational discrepancies are imperative for ensuring that nonmetropolitan communities best understand how to provide services to minor-aged survivors of human trafficking. 

Presentation Objectives:

·  Review the study’s overview, methodology, and findings

·  Define the noematic relationship and Husserl’s Theory of Intentionality

·  Integrate the study’s findings into how to best support survivors in rural areas to streamline statistics to prove the need for services in rural communities

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Sex workers continue to experience high rates of abuse and violence around the world (Deering et al., 2014). However, information regarding police-perpetrated harassment and violence against transgender and gender diverse (TGD) sex workers in the United States remains extremely limited. The current study is the first known examination of police interaction, harassment, and violence among TGD sex workers in the United States using a large nationwide dataset. Secondary data from 23,372 TGD people were used (United States Transgender Survey). First, descriptive statistics were conducted to understand the prevalence of police interaction and 6 different types of police harassment and violence among sex workers. Next, a series of logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and the likelihood of experiencing these 6 different types of police harassment and violence. Results revealed that sex workers were more likely to experience police interaction, harassment, and violence compared to non-sex workers. Among sex workers with police interaction while doing sex work, 89.2% reported experiencing at least one type of harassment and/or violence. Regression analyses revealed that individuals with no reported income and trans women were more likely to experience multiple types of police harassment/violence. The presentation will specify comparison groups and additional implications. Taken together, TGD sex workers continue to experience alarming rates of interaction, harassment, and violence from police in the United States. Urgent and effective intervention is needed to eliminate police harassment and violence toward TGD sex workers and provide support for TGD sex workers who survive this violence.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide an overview of the knowledge base on police violence against transgender and gender diverse people involved in the sex trade in the United States

·  Review the study including questions, methodology, and findings

·  Describe the implications for the study and next steps in research and practice

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Although scholarship about human trafficking has increased in the last two decades, no literature analyzes the trafficking of North Korean women for forced marriage in China based on Chinese official documents. Drawing on data from the China Judgement Online (CJO) website, a sample of 66 court documents involving 222 traffickers and 192 buyers from 2014 to 2020 was used. Using a content analysis approach, based on manual collation and data collection, this study contributes to the marriage trafficking literature by exploring (a) the identity characteristics and motivations of traffickers, buyers, and victims, (b) the trafficking procedure, and (c) the division of labor among traffickers and patterns of penalties imposed on the traffickers. The findings imply that both traffickers and buyers mainly have low education, no stable employment, and are geographically concentrated in northeastern China. The trafficking process can be divided into recruitment, border crossing, transportation, matchmaking, transfer, and transaction. Sentence type and length are related to the victims’ number, while fines are not. China’s demand for women victims is closely tied to a patriarchal culture. Finally, the implications for research and policy will be discussed.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Enhance understanding of trafficking in North Korean women for forced marriage in China through analysis of court documents

·  Provide important recommendations for policymakers and researchers

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Debt bondage, also known as debt slavery, bonded labor, or peonage, is the pledge of a person’s services as security for the repayment of a debt or other obligation (ILO, 2017) and, despite being banned in international law and most domestic spheres, is considered one of the most prevalent forms of forced labor (UNHROHC, 2016). Debt bondage is particularly prevalent in Southeast Asia where it flourishes in the agricultural, mining, and brick kiln industries. The aim of this phenomenological research was to examine, in depth, the economic and familial contexts of bonded labor in the brick kiln industry of Punjab, India—a state housing approximately 3,000 active kilns. The research questions addressed, include: (1) What are the economic processes which underlie bonded labor in the brick kiln industry in India? (2) How does bonded labor impact family systems? and (3) What structural vulnerabilities maintain the bonded labor system? Guided by life-course theory (Elder Jr., 1994, 1998; Elder Jr. et al., 2015) and concepts of structural vulnerability (Bourgois et al., 2017), 13 in-depth focus group discussions (FGDs), conducted separately by gender were conducted and included a total of 89 participants (n = 49 males; n = 40 females). FGDs were audio-recorded, translated, transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis as detailed by Braun and Clarke (2014). Primary themes to be discussed are as follows: (1) areas of potential exploitation (recruitment, record keeping); (2) health and well-being (housing, alcohol use, prenatal care/birth control); and (3) children (e.g., self-care, academics). Suggestions for continued research, practice, and intervention will be provided.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide an overview of the study including research aim and questions, methodology, theoretical framework, and ethical considerations

·  Describe results of data analysis, with direct quotes from participants to support and exemplify the authors’ interpretations of the data

·  Suggest critical avenues for continued research, as well as implications for intervention and practice

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The presenters are Kenyan Human Rights Activists who experienced human trafficking. They formed the first HAART Survivor Advocate Group. They rose up to fight human trafficking with an interest to fight the traffickers and bring survivors’ perspectives to the movement. They are active as facilitators, research consultants, and trained paralegals. In this presentation, they reflect on their experiences as Survivor Advocates in the Anti-Trafficking Movement and on forming a more inclusive movement. The activists in this group met and started to network while or after they were in programs by HAART – Awareness Against Human Trafficking, a Kenyan NGO offering holistic support to survivors of human trafficking. After a certain time, they decided to take part in HAART’s Survivor Leadership Program. In this presentation, they share their perspective on chances and challenges they have encountered as Survivor Advocates. Based on examples of their work, they encourage other survivors of human trafficking to join the movement and give recommendations to organizations who wish to become more inclusive for survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

·       Encourage survivors to join the movement

·       Give recommendations to organizations for survivor inclusion

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Labor trafficking comprises a small percentage of police-reported cases in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2022). This has contributed to public perceptions that labor trafficking is rare in the country, making it relatively invisible within the broader crime of human trafficking. However, labor trafficking is underreported to law enforcement and in existing national datasets (Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking, 2020). This is due to the difficulty of reaching the groups at the highest risk of exploitation, namely temporary foreign workers, migrant workers, and those with irregular (or undocumented) immigration status. The structure of existing programs and processes also creates disincentives for these individuals to report abuse. Canada’s economy has become dependent on low-wage temporary foreign workers to fill critical labor gaps. The current system ties these workers to a single employer, leaving them highly susceptible to labor exploitation and trafficking. This presentation will provide an overview of how Canada’s immigration system facilitates an environment that makes labor trafficking more likely. It will highlight the policies that create vulnerabilities for workers, including restricted labor mobility, limited access to services and supports, inadequate program oversight, and insufficient protections and remedies related to human trafficking. Additionally, attendees will leave the presentation with a set of recommendations for addressing these policy gaps, which can be used by organizations to advocate for change.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Contextualize labor trafficking in Canada, including the intersection of immigration and labor market systems

·  Outline gaps in existing immigration and labor market policies that increase the risk of exploitation and trafficking

·  Provide recommendations for all levels of government to address these policy issues

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Direct services to survivors of trafficking are not being evaluated for quality and effectiveness. Several organizations are making decisions based on assumptions and not evidence. As a result, limited information and understanding is known about preventing trafficking and supporting survivors (Davy, 2016). Program evaluation is a necessary part in program design because it not only improves programs but provides a survivor-centered approach by integrating the perspectives of survivors. There needs to be a more rigorous approach in research methods when it comes to evaluating programs (Tyldum & Brunovskis, 2005). The presenters believe that program evaluation is an essential tool in any program implementation process. Without collecting and analyzing data, how can we know if our programs are having the impact we intended? The STEPS Evaluation Program is designed to take an organization through a process to determine if services offered match the experiences of those receiving them, if the mission and vision are practiced effectively, and if trauma-informed practices are being used. This evaluation program was designed by lived-experience experts and creates standards of care to hold organizations accountable. Furthermore, The Steps Evaluation Program helps identify gaps and goals so organizations can make trauma-informed adjustments and continue to evolve. The Steps Evaluation Program is recommended to organizations who are committed to providing effective services to survivors and integrating formal evaluation practices. This presentation will discuss the importance of program evaluation in the anti-trafficking movement, go over The STEPS program components, and provide examples from organizations who have experienced this program.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss what evaluation is and its need in the anti-human trafficking movement according to current research

·  Inform attendees about the STEP evaluation process and what it can do for their organizations

·  Offer tools to begin to measure what is being done well and what is not to increase the health of organizations, reduce revictimization, and aid with fiscal responsibility

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Each year in the United States, over 100,000 children are trafficked (Kunstle, 2020). The FBI reports that 60% of youth who have been recovered from sex trafficking are part of the foster care system (Kunstle, 2020). The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) estimates that of the 250,000 children reported missing in 2022, at least 42,500 were victimized by sex trafficking. In previous years, NCMEC has found that 88% of runaway youth trafficked for sex were in foster care when they ran away. These statistics are staggering, but what can we do to prevent domestic minor sex trafficking among youth in foster care, especially when providing care is already so difficult? How does a foster parent or service provider effectively identify, care for, and develop rapport with these youth? In this session, the presenters will talk about specific vulnerabilities that put youth in foster care at increased risk of sex trafficking. They will review the developmental, systematic, and mental health barriers these youth face while in care. They will also discuss the unique challenges foster parents and other providers experience while serving youth. Finally, they will provide helpful strategies for overcoming these barriers and cultivating healthy relationships with these youth and by doing so, build protective factors that decrease the risk of trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the definition, facts, and vulnerabilities of human trafficking

·  Identify obstacles youth face when it comes to building healthy rapport with foster parents

·  Identify obstacles foster parents face when it comes to building healthy rapport with youth placed with them

·  Highlight strategies foster parents can utilize to cultivate good rapport

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