Dr. Cleary and a selection of fellow participant researchers/writers will discuss the preliminary findings from a five-month creative writing project focused on women’s experiences of COVID-19 (Community Empathy Write (CEW)). Emily Dickinson was chosen by Dr. Cleary as the poet to “activate” the CEW because of an uptick of interest in her as an artist and woman both by scholars and by popular media during the pandemic (Muresan, 2018; Roy, 2020). Dr. Cleary grounded the project in history, theory, and both research and writing group method (Adams et al., 2021; Charon, 2006; Schneider, 2003; Slater, 2015; Witkin, 2014 ). Dickinson’s work inspires wonder about what will happen to women’s stories in the chaos of COVID. The CEW prompts were informed by participant writers and community stakeholders who were surveyed prior to the initial writing. Each month, the community of writers were given three prompts, two poems (one Dickinson one contemporary poet of color) and one news story distilling social science research about women and COVID-19. The presenters will discuss creative writing as a method to explore collective community experience of a pandemic. Participants will have the opportunity to hear a sample of short pieces written by members of the writing research community and learn more about the prompt development. The audience will have the opportunity to write into a prompt, share, and receive strengths-based feedback to get experience with the writing group method. Participants will learn about how the CEW fits into other community writing projects around the country and a movement within medicine nurturing empathy for patient experience called narrative medicine.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide an overview of community-engaged writing and collaborative autoethnography method to collectively explore health concerns like COVID-19 from personal experience wisdom

·  Describe the benefits of university/public school partnerships in elevating lost narratives of women's experience with COVID-19

·  Demonstrate how poetry can be used as data and part of legitimate participatory inquiry about public health concerns

Read More

Human trafficking is a multifaceted issue that requires a comprehensive response. Understanding the vulnerabilities and mindset of traffickers is a crucial aspect of this response. By engaging in conversations with traffickers, we can gain insight into why they engage in this illegal trade and the circumstances that make them vulnerable to exploitation and coercion. The external drivers and internal motivations of human traffickers have historically received little attention, yet we cannot end human trafficking without understanding and changing the behaviors of those who abuse, exploit, and coerce others. This presentation will summarize published research on this topic since 2010, with a focus on recent developments including the book Demystifying Modern Slavery (Gadd & Broad, 2022). The presenters will report on interviews with 30 people on trial for sex trafficking offenses in India, providing insight into the complexity of traffickers' relationships with their peers and victims. The presentation will challenge the general depiction of traffickers and highlight inconsistencies with available research data. The growing body of data shows that traffickers operate within both organized crime syndicates and interpersonal networks, and that their motivations may be financial, cultural, or based on personal or family survival. The presentation will also explore the extent to which legal threats deter traffickers and how many traffickers were previously survivors of trafficking. Understanding the vulnerabilities and mindset of traffickers is essential for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies to combat human trafficking. By gaining insight into the factors that drive traffickers to engage in this trade, we can work towards the eradication of this heinous crime. 

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide a background to the concept of understanding and engaging with the perpetrator side of the human trafficking problem

·  Show how little research has been directed towards this topic

·  Describe several important recent contributions to our knowledge in this space, including interviews with people accused of trafficking in India

Read More

This presentation will include discussions of different types of trafficking, including definitions and models to help participants understand what trafficking is and how to identify if trafficking is occurring. Some international, national, and statewide statistics will be included, but vulnerabilities, exploitation, and relationship building will be the main focus of how traffickers recruit and keep victims engaged. Myths regarding human trafficking will be discussed as well as at-risk populations and demand. Social media and its role in human trafficking will be presented as well as a discussion of assessments that are currently being used in the field to identify survivors. Finally, resources to assist survivors will be presented, including how participants can join the fight in their respective regions.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Explain the federal and state definition of human trafficking

·  Present the Action, Means, Purpose model

·  Explain trafficking myths and what role social media plays in trafficking

·  Discuss resources to assist survivors and how individuals can join the fight to end human trafficking

Read More

This presentation will review results from a qualitative research study that seeks to utilize survivors’ voices identifying their own clinical need(s). In this study, projective personality tests identified salient psycho- and socioemotional themes, which were then integrated with descriptive, demographic, and developmental information. Culture as a whole is explored and analyzed as being complicit in the existence of sex trafficking (Willis & Levy, 2002; Twill, Green, & Traylor, 2010; Crellin, 2013). The literature around this topic often lacks a focus on systemic oppression, etiology, and attachment. They instead pinpoint trauma narratives and related behaviors (Robinson & Paramo, 2007; Smith & Briscoe-Smith, 2008; Kleinschmidt, 2009; Clarke et al., 2012; Crellin, 2013; Melrose, 2013). For this study, projective personality tests and self-report rating scales were used to identify salient psycho-emotional themes from clinical populations utilizing grounded theory and codebook analysis. Twenty-three adolescents participated in this study with a mean age of 16. The study utilized archival data from 2007-2016 from comprehensive clinical neuropsychological evaluations. Data from projective personality tests were examined for qualitative themes related to socioemotional health, and a codebook was subsequently developed. Findings of this study suggest why it is important for the professional involved in a case that involves sex trafficking to prioritize the voice of the individual in front of them as opposed to seeing them as their trauma, an objectifying lens. It will challenge the learner to examine their own clinical focus, automatic associations, and desire for engagement with this population and reorient themselves to the voice of the patient.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Review literature associated with sex trafficking and projective personality tests

·  Discuss the implication of culture in the existence of sex trafficking and the hole in literature related to this

·  Explore potential background factors, psychological vulnerabilities, and clinical challenges

Read More

In 2020, there were more than 17,000 reports of possible child sex trafficking (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, 2021). Traffickers are known to prey on children with low self-esteem and minimal social support. These traits are common among children in foster care because of their histories of abuse, neglect, and trauma. Federal law requires states to develop policies and procedures for “determining the child’s experiences while absent from care, including screening the child to determine if the child is a possible sex trafficking victim” (42 U.S.C. § 671(a)(35)(A)(iii)). To determine whether states completed these required screenings, the presenters selected from five states a random sample of children who returned to foster care after going missing and reviewed the children’s case files for evidence of these screenings. For 413 selected children, they reviewed all case file documentation for children’s final episodes of going missing during the review period. They found no evidence that many children in foster care received a screening to determine whether they were victims of sex trafficking. For some of the children who were screened, their case file lacked information to ensure that the children were accurately identified as possible victims of sex trafficking. As a result, many children’s risks and potential needs may have gone unidentified and unaddressed. To better protect children in foster care from the dangers of sex trafficking and ensure that victims are identified and provided with needed support services, the presenters recommend that the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) work with states to improve compliance with screening requirements.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Provide an overview of the study, including methodology and findings regarding the extent to which children in foster care were screened for sex trafficking when required

·  Describe the recommendations to improve compliance with foster care screening requirements and the actions agencies have taken in response to the recommendations

Read More

Climate change is an insistent global threat and is projected to continue its multiple surprises on the environment and society in various circumstances around the world. As the arguments for what should be considered the right response by the states continues to generate complexities (McAdam, 2020). More migrants and refugees are met with disenfranchising policies and stances around the world, especially in the western democracies. While theoretical progress and resolutions are being achieved to make polluting countries more accountable to tackle climate emergencies (Lakhani, 2023), it does not disavow that climate injustice disproportionately affects marginalized groups, resulting in forced migration, the displacement of people, as well as augmented vulnerability to human trafficking and mistreatments. A qualitative approach was employed to identify the effects of climate justice on migration and refugees, as well as the implications of stringent border security and immigration policies. Relevant articles were selected and analyzed to provide academic evidence and reliable data for the study. The typology of “refugeeness” and racial affiliations of migrants are constantly weaved by western asylum institutions to exclude migrants in the occidental arena. This presentation examines the extent to which the asylum administration in western democracies is fair and equitable for every migrant or refugee and contends that racial prejudices prevalent in the system make certain groups more vulnerable to discrimination and exclusion. The findings posit that the deficiency of equity in the dispensation of asylum generates an environment that extends inequality, exploitations, and fails to serve as a leveler for all migrants.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Investigate the degree to which racial biases exist within the asylum administration procedure in Western democracies and how they shape the outcomes for different groups of migrants

·  Analyze the ways in which political discourse and media exposure of immigration and refugees in Western democracies shapes public attitudes and policy outcomes

·  Discuss the impact of current changes in immigration programs and border control measures

Read More

Wiley K. March, a survivor of abuse and trafficking for 38 years, now radiates grace and inspiration as a published author, captivating speaker, workshop host, and visionary CEO. She creates safe avenues for crisis-stricken individuals to build their own income without jeopardizing their safety. Wiley shares her expertise, revealing often overlooked survivor insights, to diverse audiences including domestic violence shelters, trafficking rescue organizations, and the Department of Corrections. Her actionable guidance and unwavering support empower others to move from surviving to thriving, embracing self-love after enduring abuse and trafficking. Through relentless self-education, she equips herself and others with the tools needed for rebuilding lives from the ground up. Wiley illuminates the transformative power of resilience, healing, and the unwavering spirit that triumphs over adversity.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Discuss the importance of telling your truth when it feels like no one is listening

·  Present how to set and enforce personal boundaries when you don't feel safe

·  Discuss the true depth and breadth of child abuse in our society and how to curb it and heal the aftermath

·  Explain how to bring oneself to love after mental, emotional, and physical trauma

Read More

People can do good, be good, and still cause harm. Similarly, the anti-trafficking sector can engage in powerful advocacy, support many essential initiatives, provide many victims of human trafficking with essential services and support, and still cause harm– both to the recipients of their services and to the survivors who work in its initiatives. Many providers may not even realize when harm has been caused. In order to stop causing this harm, we must first understand the harm caused by common anti-trafficking practices, fully acknowledge the harm, commit to making repairs, and change our approaches. From 2022 to early 2023, a group of survivors working in the anti-trafficking movement convened weekly to discuss harms that the anti-trafficking sector has routinely caused survivors. In 2023, this group, known as the Lived and Professional Experience Working Group, published their findings and recommendations in a comprehensive report, “We Name It So We Can Repair It: Rethinking harm, accountability, and repair in the anti-trafficking sector.” This presentation will begin with an overview of the categories of harm experienced by many survivors of human trafficking, with empathy-building activities to help attendees understand the needs, fears, and hopes of the people often involved. Next, the presenters will review the basics of community accountability that inform our practice and framework. Finally, they will put this into practice with group discussion of scenarios to identify places to make repair and how to build in accountability moving forward.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Review the ways survivors experience harm in the anti-trafficking sector as outlined in the 2023 report

·  Discuss fundamental concepts of community accountability and how trauma responses (of both survivors and allies) can impact the process

Read More

Sex trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world (Rescue Her, 2022). Children and adolescents make up a large portion of victims in the United States. Generational changes between Millennials and Generation Z have contributed to the susceptibility of children and adolescents (Humphreys, 2017). This presentation is based on original research conducted with school counselors on the generational changes that have been observed between Millennials and Generation Z. The purpose of this study was to investigate school counselor knowledge of sex trafficking; observe the experience of generational changes between millennials and Gen Z; and to determine school counselor perception of how these changes are related to sex trafficking susceptibility. This qualitative research study gathered data from 11 clinical mental health and certified school counselors who currently work in schools. These counselors were based in 5 different school districts, within a Southwest region of the United States. Grounded theory was used as a constant comparative method, which resulted in the development of prevention categories. This research identified 7 categories of generational changes that have increased child and adolescent susceptibility to sex trafficking. A prevention model was developed based on the 7 categories of child and adolescent susceptibility to sex trafficking. The prevention model includes implications for practice for both clinical mental health and school based mental health settings.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Present the purpose, methodology, and findings of this research study

·  Describe the 7 categories of child and adolescent susceptibility to sex trafficking using the axial coding diagram developed from the findings

·  Discuss implications for practice and provide possible interventions to address sex trafficking susceptibility

·  Use evidence-based practices and experiential activities to give each participant tools to take with them and use in their practice.

Read More

Children experiencing sex or labor trafficking/exploitation (T/E) are at high risk for adverse health and behavioral health consequences, including sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, work- or violence-related injuries, malnutrition, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and behavioral problems (Kiss et al., 2015; Le et al., 2018; Sprang & Cole, 2018). They may seek healthcare before, during, or after their exploitation but are unlikely to spontaneously disclose their situation to healthcare professionals (HCP) (Lavoie et al., 2019; Varma et al., 2015). HCPs have a vital role to play in preventing, recognizing, and serving children at risk of or experiencing T/E. But to fulfill this role, they need organizational support, knowledge, tools, and skills in working with traumatized children. This presentation outlines 4 tools designed to improve the health sector’s response to T/E. The tools are based on literature review and best practices and involve guidance to practitioners on the recognition and appropriate response to suspected child T/E, as well as guidance and tools for organizations to build effective protocols on child T/E and create conditions that facilitate optimal care of vulnerable children. Three of the tools underwent formal review by outside experts prior to finalization. Participants will be provided with links to all 4 free resources and will begin to evaluate their local healthcare sector’s response to T/E. They will discuss challenges to improve the response and identify potential solutions. These tools can propel local healthcare communities to action that improves the wellbeing of children affected by T/E.

Presentation Objectives:

·  Describe current barriers to optimal healthcare of children experiencing T/E

·  Outline 4 critical resources designed to assist healthcare professionals and administrators in improving the recognition and response to child T/E

·  Engage participants in evaluation of their local health sector response and lead a group discussion of barriers and facilitators to systems change

Read More