The global sports industry is expected to grow from $388.28 billion in 2020 to $440.77 billion in 2021. Projected to outpace global GDP, the sports industry is a lavishly oiled, complex machine that is entirely dependent on exceptionally talented individuals with the skills, drive, and discipline to chase their dreams. Oftentimes, young, socially and financially vulnerable athletes are targets for traffickers who hold the deceptive promise of wealth, fame, and opportunity. Traffickers, regularly going by the alias “recruiter,” exploit young athletes through force, fraud, and coercion for social and economic power. There is a dearth of publications, information, and vocabulary surrounding the human trafficking of athletes despite its growing threat to human rights. Though the presenters have identified specific domestic and global legal cases surrounding the topic, they also recognize that the void of information perpetuates this growing and time-sensitive issue and seek to address it. This presentation is a much-needed examination and discourse of this emerging social and public health problem. The presenters will seek to define trafficking within the global sports industry as a human rights violation, identify and explore the push and pull migration factors, and center this call-to-action as an international human rights issue by utilizing methodologies such as case study analysis and systems thinking maps.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Define and conceptualize human trafficking within the sports industry through social work and public health epistemological approaches

•  Discuss the challenges of conceptualizing this multifaceted social problem

•  Identify the areas within the global sports industry where the human trafficking of athletes are the most prominent

•  Identify and define the key vulnerabilities of athletes through the recruitment process

•  Identify discuss potential solutions and next-steps to addressing this problem

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Ritualistic abuse survivors have struggled to obtain adequate mental health and social support services for over twenty years. This problem has been exacerbated by a lack of trained providers and adequate social services to deal with the complex problems ritualistic abuse survivors present. Most clinicians do not receive proper training due to severe trauma topics and their symptomatology not being adequately covered in their master level training programs or in post continuing education training. Very few organizations are available to educate clinicians and survivors about the research in the field. Insurance companies often do not adequately cover services for long term treatment. Social services employees are not adequately trained to work with severe trauma survivors. There is a paucity of training regarding trauma informed services and ways to work with clients suffering from dissociative disorders. Application guidelines often make it very difficult for ritualistic abuse survivors to receive in the timelines given. Survivors may have difficulties getting to offices, getting on the Internet or filling out paperwork. This presentation will include the presenter’s own struggles receiving adequate services over the last thirty years. Issues to be discussed will include the symptomatology of dissociative disorders, attachment disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, economic problems, and social barriers. Solutions to decrease and eliminate these difficulties will be discussed. These will include public advocacy, public education, survivor training, and the building of a research base to help survivors and their helpers move forward to prevent these difficulties in the future.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the four key concepts regarding the lack of education for those working with ritualistic abuse survivors

•  Describe reasons why ritualistic abuse survivors have difficulties obtaining services

•  Describe ways ritualistic abuse survivors and their helpers can change the present system to increase services for these survivors

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Recent years have seen increased attention towards labor trafficking among scholars, policymakers, and advocates. However, gaps in understanding persist due to underreporting, terminological confusion, a focus on sex trafficking, legal inconsistencies, varied employment contexts, and inadequate training among anti-trafficking stakeholders. Consequently, the legal system often lacks the tools to prosecute such cases, resulting in dispositions that do not adequately reflect the seriousness of labor traffickers’ crimes. This study employs structured online searches and descriptive statistical analysis to address the following questions: 1) What are the general demographic characteristics of labor traffickers in the United States? 2) What are the means of control used by labor traffickers in the United States? and 3) What is the disposition outcome for labor trafficking cases in the United States? The findings focus on several key areas: 1) labor trafficker demographics, 2) typologies of labor trafficking settings, 3) recruitment strategies and techniques, 4) means of control, 5) locations of arrest, and 6) crime typologies and legal outcomes per trafficker. These findings highlight diverse demographics among traffickers, variations in labor trafficking settings, recruitment strategies, means of control, arrest locations, and legal outcomes. Legal outcomes revealed a mix of labor trafficking charges, immigration-related offenses, and white-collar crimes, with only one third of cases resulting in convictions for labor trafficking. These findings highlight several critical points: the inconsistency in labor trafficking prosecution across U.S. courts, the urgent need for improved data collection on labor trafficking, and the importance of addressing foreign-national traffickers exploiting their own cultural communities.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss ongoing factors resulting in limited understanding and research on labor trafficking, including underreporting, terminological confusion, a focus on sex trafficking, legal inconsistencies, varied employment contexts, and inadequate training among anti-trafficking stakeholders

•  Present key findings from the study regarding labor trafficking in the United States, including demographic characteristics of traffickers, means of control used, and disposition outcomes of labor trafficking cases

•  Discuss the implications of the findings, including the challenges in prosecuting labor trafficking cases, the need for improved data collection, and the need to address foreign-national traffickers targeting their own cultural communities

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The MN Boys+ project, led by the presenter, investigates the overlooked issue of sexual exploitation and abuse of boys and gender-diverse youth (boys+) in Minnesota. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study employed an online survey, semi-structured interviews, and group learning workshops to examine individuals’ experiences within interconnected social systems, exploring the perspectives of frontline service providers (FSPs). The online survey gathered quantitative data from 40 diverse participants. 25 semi-structured interviews provided in-depth insights, with data analyzed using thematic analysis. Three interactive learning workshops with stakeholders generated actionable recommendations. The research covers the journeys of affected boys+ from risk factors and experiences of exploitation to help-seeking, accessing services, barriers faced, and the availability and quality of existing services. The study reveals a spectrum of interrelated vulnerabilities, the pivotal role of early adolescence, the prominence of offenders known to the young person, widespread stigma hindering disclosure, and major gaps in trauma-informed, gender-inclusive services. The project asserts the need to move beyond reductive assumptions about masculine invulnerability and deviance to develop a nuanced understanding of boys’ experiences. This requires investment in marginalized youths’ voices, trauma-informed practices, comprehensive services, and multi-sector coordination. The MN Boys+ project represents an initial step in establishing a foundation of data and insights to inform more extensive national research and analysis focused on boys across diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, and backgrounds, advocating for a substantial, national effort to advance knowledge of childhood sexual exploitation among male-identifying youth.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Highlight the often-overlooked issue of sexual exploitation and abuse faced by boys and gender-diverse youth

•  Showcase the spectrum of vulnerabilities these young people face and the prevalence of known offenders

•  Discuss the challenges faced by boys and gender-diverse youth when seeking help, including stigma and lack of trauma-informed services

•  Advocate for the importance of research and data collection to inform intervention and prevention strategies

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Street prostitution is deeply intertwined with substance use. Women who attempt to exit both prostitution and substance use often lack sufficient resources to do so, and they end up returning to substance use, prostitution, or both. Such a relapse into drugs or a return to prostitution is still often viewed as a personal failure. Low recovery capital has been used to explain relapse among certain marginalized populations. Recovery capital is a recent framework which refers to the individual’s sum of all internal and external assets that may assist in their recovery process. It includes four categories: physical, human, social, and cultural capital. However, this framework does not relate to the role of actual relapses in the recovery process, despite their common occurrence. In-depth interviews with 29 women formerly engaged in street prostitution and substance use in a large urban area were used to probe women about their relapse and recovery experiences. This study demonstrates the value of repeat recovery setbacks, what the presenter terms “cumulative attempt capital”: lessons learned from previous recovery attempts. The presenter argues that previous attempts improve women’s social and professional networks, help them learn from past mistakes, improve and maintain their health, and provide them with a sense of self-efficacy. This research expands our understanding of the positive role failed attempts play in one’s recovery. Such reframing by service providers can alleviate a sense of shame and low self-worth for women in street prostitution and substance use and has implications for policy and program development.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of the study of the facilitators and challenges of women’s exiting journeys out of street prostitution and substance use

•  Describe the framework of recovery capital for people who are recovering from prostitution and substance use

•  Introduce the new tool of cumulative attempt capital, which can be used with clients at intake, and demonstrate its utility and benefits for women exiting street prostitution

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We are at a conference dedicated to advocacy and social justice. Beyond people, populations, situations, and issues that demand advocacy and social justice, how do we actually do it? How do we go from seeing an issue needing addressed into positively doing something about it? How do we see people in need and effectively step up and help and/or support them? How do we start? Where do we start? What do we do? The Levels of Advocacy & Social Justice (LASJ) provide a framework to conceptualize and implement effective advocacy and social justice efforts. Expanding outward from a person or issue, the LASJ model depicts seven layers: individual, group, organizational, community, regional, state, and national. They further call upon us to take a self-inventory of our foci and abilities, coupled with our own self-care, in order to be the best advocates we can be. This presentation will aid direct service providers and concerned community members alike with foundational principles and practical tools to implement change through advocacy and social justice. The LASJ model will be provided in detail, with practical examples for each level. The accompanying self-assessment worksheet will also be provided for participants to evaluate their own strengths, goals, and self-care. All materials will be provided for free and can be immediately implemented. This in turn helps support conference attendees taking instantaneous action in areas they learn more about in other sessions of this conference.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Define and categorize the LASJ layers and their use in active engagement for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion

•  Distinguish and evaluate a personalized readiness self-assessment and strategies for self-care

•  Provide tangible tools and resources that can be used immediately to effective change

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Zambia's political institutions have publicly made declarations to dismantle the perpetuation of abuse and traumatization of children by ratifying several national and international treaties over the past several decades. The Anti-Human Trafficking Act No.11 of 2008 represents an attempt by the Zambian government to address the challenges of forced labor in a systematic way. It was designed to make human trafficking illegal, create preventative measures, and prosecute individuals who engage in the promotion of human trafficking. However, there is a disconnection between the magnitude of laws enacted and their subsequent implementation. Are these laws more performative in nature and how can the government effectively shift towards quality implementation? What are the long-term causes of failing to provide quality policy evaluation and policy analysis? With recent legislative developments, particularly the enactment of Amendment No. 16 in 2022 to the 2008 Anti-Human Trafficking Act, there is a pressing need for comprehensive research to assess its impact and identify areas for improvement. This presentation will uncover insights into the efficacy of implemented strategies, unintended consequences, and recommendations for enhancing the future outcomes of trafficked children. Attendees will walk away with a deep understanding of human trafficking in the Zambian context and how laws that are enacted without further implementation analysis do further harm than good for key stakeholders.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss risk factors of human trafficking for youth in Zambia

•  Highlight the Zambian government's attempt to address human trafficking

•  Suggest mechanisms to analyze policy implementation

•  Describe ways to mitigate human trafficking for child labor in Zambia

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The FOCUS (Finding youth, Outreach, Comprehensive assessment and immediate services, Unified long-term services, and Service evaluation) Project is a collaborative program in Lucas County, Ohio that involves working with community agencies to identify youth at risk for human trafficking through assessment and to refer those at risk to a human trafficking intervention and other related services as needed. This presentation will provide an overview of the FOCUS Project, including validation of the FOCUS-S assessment for youth, an overview of building a continuum of care, and a review of de-identified assessment data. Attendees will learn about the process of creating a validated screening tool for youth, understand the steps and lessons learned to building a continuum of care in collaboration with community partners, and review descriptive information regarding who is at risk and what the most prevalent risk factors were for youth involved in the project.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Review the process of creating a validated screening tool for youth through the utilization of research and measurement strategies

•  Describe the steps and lessons learned when building a continuum of care in collaboration with community agencies who work with youth

•  Discuss who is at risk for trafficking and other related services and what risk factors were most prevalent through a review of deidentified assessment data

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