The world is harder for girls than it has ever been. Data released in 2023 from the CDC revealed that nearly 60% of high school girls reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless, 30% have seriously considered suicide, and 20% experienced sexual violence. While these statistics are alarming, there is increased concern when taken into consideration with vulnerabilities associated with exploitation. Research shows that when girls have low self-confidence, decreased connection and support, and lack of access to accurate information, they are at an increased risk for exploitation. The CDC findings are a signal that precise attention be paid to the health, safety, education, and empowerment of girls. Calls for programs, interventions, and efforts that increase girls’ connection to school, sense of belonging, and coping skills have made clear the necessity of programs and organizations like Ruling Our eXperiences, Inc. (ROX). ROX is the national leader in programming, research, and education focused on girls. Their mission is to create generations of confident girls who control their own relationships, experiences, decisions, and futures. ROX uses the best practices in research to implement evidence-based empowerment programming in schools, conduct large-scale national research, and educate the community on the issues impacting girls. This presentation will highlight the ROX 20-week evidence-based program which is delivered in schools across 33 states with girls in grades 5-12. Attendees will gain an understanding of the skills, competencies, and support needed to reduce vulnerabilities and will leave with specific strategies for protecting and empowering girls.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss risk factors for exploitation of girls

•  Describe the skills, competencies, and supports necessary for reducing girls’ vulnerabilities

•  Provide specific strategies for empowering and supporting girls

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Attendees will learn the importance of shared language, building relationships, and fostering trust. They will gain knowledge about a collaborative communication approach that encourages input from victims and survivors to build safety and trust in relationships. By learning to communicate with commonly accepted terms across disciplines, attendees can adapt language that reduces stigma and bias to overcome barriers. They will also gain insight into advancing individual-centered outreach and support services through civic engagement, non-government, and government partnerships while combatting human trafficking at the local, state, and federal levels. Carolyn Kinkoph will explain how the victimization of her daughter, Courtney, and ongoing advocacy efforts as a co-founder of the Alliance Against Human Trafficking (AAHT) highlight the need to utilize meaningful shared language and individual-centered strategies that support victims of human trafficking without stigmatizing, revictimizing, and retraumatizing them. Carolyn’s experience, ability to collaborate, and education provide insight into various anti-trafficking strategies for human trafficking prevention from human rights, criminal justice, social justice, and healthcare perspectives. The complexities and intersections of human trafficking along with the failure of several systems drive Carolyn’s determination to command change. She will share how encounters with providers, law enforcement agencies, survivors, and professionals in several disciplines further her ability to educate and partner with others. Attendees will learn about the importance of utilizing a proactive approach to break silos, coordinate efforts within and across systems, build multidisciplinary teams, and use shared language to promote trauma-responsive comprehensive care for victims and survivors of human trafficking, exploitation, and abuse.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the role of language relative to the victimization of individuals and interactions with others from different perspectives

•  Explain how to apply what individuals learn from experiences and the importance of using shared language

•  Describe the various resources that have the ability to assist a victim of trafficking using trauma-informed, individual-centered strategies

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In this presentation, Jarrett Davis and Wendy Stiver explore the ethical application of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance survivor-led research. The presentation begins by providing an overview of the critical ethical issues related to AI that must be addressed to responsibly incorporate this technology into research and society. Best-case and worst-case scenarios, likely outcomes, and necessary policies and processes to proactively address potential risks while harnessing AI's benefits are examined. The focus then shifts to practical applications of AI to enhance survivor-led research, particularly in qualitative data analysis. Using sample interviews, Davis and Stiver demonstrate how AI-powered thematic analysis tools can efficiently synthesize qualitative data while allowing for human verification and triangulation. This approach has immense potential to empower survivors to shape research and uncover impactful insights without the typical barriers in qualitative work. Attendees will gain an understanding of key ethical considerations in practical knowledge of leveraging AI to enhance qualitative research and inspiration for thoughtfully harnessing new technology for social good in a survivor-centered way. The accessible live demonstration aims to spark ideas for responsibly integrating AI into attendees' own work supporting and empowering survivors.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of key ethical considerations in applying AI to survivor-led research

•  Summarize currently available models and their differing approaches and applications, along with limitations applied to survivor and community led research in the development field

•  Demonstrate how AI can facilitate proposing qualitative research and analysis in a more accessible, holistic, and accurate developing survivor-led research

•  Inspire attendees to thoughtfully leverage AI for social good in a survivor-centered way

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This training equips professionals with the skills to establish Peer-Led Support Groups tailored for survivors of trafficking, specifically focusing on leveraging virtual spaces to enhance accessibility. Participants will learn effective strategies for creating a supportive online environment where survivors can connect, share experiences, and foster a sense of community. Attendees will gain practical insights into facilitating meaningful discussions, utilizing virtual tools, and addressing potential challenges unique to online platforms. This training aims to empower participants with the tools needed to build a virtual community that enhances support, connectivity, and healing for survivors of trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe virtual tools for support groups

•  Discuss gains and challenges of virtual spaces for support groups and how to effectively facilitate using these platforms

•  Discuss ongoing program evaluation and lessons learned by Restoring Ivy Collective

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This study examined the gap between the needs of trafficking victims in Zimbabwe and the country's National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons 2023-2028 (NAPLAC) (re)integration strategy. This research employed a qualitative approach, focusing on in-depth interviews with key informants. To ensure reach to the most relevant participants, it used purposive sampling and a snowballing technique due to the sensitive nature of the topic to identify critical issues and needs largely unaddressed by NAPLAC’s superficial provisions. The research complemented the primary data by conducting document reviews of international and regional guidelines, policy frameworks and laws which will include the National Plan of Action 2023-2028, Trafficking in Persons Act, IOM Guideline for Assisting Victims of Trafficking, and Oxfam Good Practices on (Re)Integration of Victims of Trafficking. Findings highlighted the importance of a victim-centered approach recognizing unique experiences and vulnerabilities. Comprehensive support services are needed encompassing housing, healthcare, psychosocial support, education, vocational training, and livelihood opportunities. Targeted interventions to enhance economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods were recommended. Regular needs assessments and incorporation of victim voices into reintegration strategies were also suggested. Strengthening legal frameworks consistent with international standards along with accessible services tailored to individual needs were identified as crucial. Addressing socio-economic contributing factors and implementing recommended measures will empower victims and facilitate successful (re)integration.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Present a critical analysis of the gap between the needs of trafficking victims in Zimbabwe and the reintegration strategy outlined in NAPLAC 2023-2028

•  Identify crucial needs of victims that are currently not adequately addressed by NAPLAC's provisions

•  Emphasize the importance of a victim-centered approach to reintegration, recognizing the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of each victim

•  Propose a framework for comprehensive support services encompassing housing, healthcare, psychosocial support, education, vocational training, livelihood opportunities, and economic empowerment initiatives

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This presentation will help attendees understand the role of drugs and alcohol in the abduction and trafficking of missing and murdered Native Americans. Overall, 1.5 million Native American women have experienced violence in their lifetime. Indigenous people in the United States have rates of murder, rape, and violent crime higher than any other group. Indigenous women make up a significant portion of missing, murdered, and trafficked individuals. In many cases, alcohol and drug misuse, or the deliberate use of incapacitating substances by traffickers to aid abduction and compliance with abusers. Attendees will learn to recognize signs of trafficking, the prevalence of trafficking among missing and murdered indigenous persons in the United States and Canada, the identity and methods of traffickers, the role of substance misuse, and trauma-informed counseling strategies to aid survivors in recovery.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss dangers indigenous clients may be exposed to in terms of trafficking

•  Describe the significant types of trafficking and MMIP in their area

•  Identify the role forced and voluntary substance use plays in trafficking

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The London Abused Women’s Centre and Salvation Army Correctional Justice Services in London, Ontario, Canada have partnered with the tertiary care facility, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada, to deliver tailored training to medical residents, as well as specialty-specific training to pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology, emergency department, and psychiatry. Other providers present include nurses and social workers who may come in to contact with a victim of human trafficking. Research shows that a victim’s first point of supportive contact is often through a health agency. Through CARES (Consortium of Anti Human Trafficking Research and Education), this model demonstrates the importance of using a wraparound approach to leverage the skills, knowledge, and abilities in each respective profession to be able to identify signs of human trafficking and to know how to intervene. The CARE team trains front line workers on how to be aware of the signs of trafficking, how to respond, who to report to, and how to manage vicarious trauma. The team relies on both front-line workers and lived experience experts to inform the process and to ensure the community is knowledgeable of, and responsive to, the growing plague of human trafficking. The call to action of the CARE team is to inform and educate every sector that may come into contact with a victim of human trafficking with the goal of prevention and early intervention. Attendees will understand the benefit of a cross-sectoral collaborative approach to networking, educating, and training about human trafficking for front line workers in medical and other human service industries.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the importance of educating health professionals and other first responders

•  Discuss risks and challenges for victims of sex trafficking who seek service, and what front line service providers need to know

•  Discuss wraparound service model to meet the needs of victims of sex trafficking

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a concerning rise in human trafficking cases involving online forced criminal activity resulting in dual victimization. The extent of criminal activity, thousands of human trafficking victims, and the number of countries where such operations have occurred are a cause for concern and necessitates increased regional and international action. The breadth and depth of such criminal activities are enabled by criminal networks’ exploitation of the pandemic, job losses, the culture of migrant work specifically in the Southeast Asia region, and the ease of conducting illegal activity in Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has passed a number of Conventions and Declarations to address the issue and follow-through has begun with implementation in various countries, but there is still much to do. The severity of the situation requires strengthening efforts at an international level including the financial and technology sectors to increase safety online and cooperate for the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. An effective response requires the cooperation of various governments, regional and international efforts beyond Southeast Asia which include the financial and technology sectors to extend assistance and prosecute such criminal networks. This means having comprehensive efforts targeting both physical and online spaces as a better response for human trafficking prevention, protection and prosecution, effectively addressing not just sex trafficking but also labor trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss new risk factors of human trafficking

•  Describe ways to strengthen efforts to address this new type of human trafficking

•  Facilitate discussion on possible policy actions or measures that can be done from their states/locations

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The presenter will use both personal experience and professional expertise to shed light on a subject that demands our attention. It’s precisely because of her journey that she will stir up a whirlwind of emotions, showing why it’s crucial to lean into those feelings. That is where change begins and where the harsh realities of why this happens to regular, everyday people become apparent. As a mother of a trafficking survivor, Lynda realized she missed three crucial elements and will share them in this presentation, not to dwell on past mistakes but to illuminate the blind spots we all might have and to learn from them to prevent similar tragedies. The primary part of her presentation will be unveiling domestic sex trafficking and abuse. Fueled by cinematic portrayals like ‘Taken’ or ‘Sound of Freedom,’ international sex trafficking captures headlines, while domestic sex trafficking often hides in plain sight. Once oblivious to the possibility of such horrors befalling her children, Lynda aims to debunk common misconceptions surrounding domestic sex trafficking, shedding light on how seemingly normal relationships can cancel trafficking dynamics. During the presentation, attendees will gain insight into: 1) the true identities of traffickers compared to the cinematic stereotypes, 2) the demographics targeted by the trafficker and their underlying motivations, 3) vulnerabilities exploited by traffickers and who manipulate them to control the victim, 4) subtle indicators of trafficking, empowering attendees to recognize potential trafficking situations effectively, and 5) how individuals who have endured trafficking often perceive themselves as having consented to their exploitation. Lynda will outline the four essential criteria to address this misconception of consent, giving relatable examples.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explain how our belief in what we thought sex trafficking looked like was the cause of the presenter’s daughter being a victim

•  Discuss what the presenter learned about who the traffickers are

•  Explain the differences between international and domestic sex trafficking

•  Describe how the presenter has moved on by turning her pain into purpose by educating others on prevention

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Initiatives such as “End Demand” oversimplify the multifaceted experiences of those involved in the sex trade. Rather than acknowledge the unique realities people have lived, the response is often to funnel them into the “Viminal Space.” This is a paradigm of state-imposed marginalization, situated between victimhood and criminality. Such black-and-white categories fail to recognize the diverse intersectionality within the sex-working communities, particularly among those from 2SLGBTQIA+ and BIPOC backgrounds. By over-policing individual livelihoods or trying to “save” people for their own good, “End Demand” fails to recognize victimization as it occurs in real-time. The presenters will speak to the limitations of initiatives such as “End Demand”. Outdated programs of this caliber have failed at meeting the complexity of individual needs for holistic recovery. They advocate for nuanced strategies that offer comprehensive support and viable pathways forward. In doing so, the presenters recognize and honor the diverse experiences of everyone involved in the sex trade. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the intersectionalities within sex work, as well as an awareness of the negative consequences that over-policing and rescue have on the well-being of citizens. As a call to action, the presenters advocate for policies and initiatives that integrate nuanced responses. Programs should honor the dignity, worth, and autonomy of the individuals they are representing. The presenters are committed to collaborations that provide comprehensive resources and support for individuals involved in or exiting the sex trade. Through education, they hope to inspire others to advocate for unbiased support and comprehensive resources for a brighter future.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide a basic overview of the four models of criminalization

•  Discuss why it is crucial to study the effects of the “End Demand” initiative on vulnerable populations within the context of complex social issues

•  Explain the economic theory of supply and demand as it applies to sex workers and trafficked individuals

•  Define and evaluate the importance of addressing the root causes of trafficking

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Since the early 2000s, there has been a growing focus on human trafficking, with scholars, advocates, policy makers, and survivors increasingly contributing to the narrative. The International Human Trafficking & Social Justice Conference has encapsulated two decades of national and global discussions on human trafficking and social justice issues. For this presentation, conference abstracts from 2004 to 2023 were analyzed using thematic analysis. The researchers reviewed and coded each abstract. Using inter-coder reliability, differences were resolved through discussion to establish consensus. Themes were developed inductively as they emerged from the abstracts. The two presenters would like to thank Anna Schramm for her contribution to the analysis of conference data and findings. This presentation sheds light on those enduring narratives, the evolving discourse on intersectionality, and the changing landscape of national and international dialogues surrounding human trafficking. It prompts reflection on our collective learnings and encourages deliberation on the future trajectory of the international conversation in this crucial area.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe the trends and shifts in the narrative on human trafficking

•  Synthesize the lessons learned and identify gaps for the future years

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Ethical survivor engagement is a necessity in the fight against human trafficking, be it in serving the sector as an advocate or in any other capacity that involves what constitutes “work” within the setting of prevention, intervention, or aftercare. Survivor voices are needed to expand community knowledge and to maintain accountability. In this presentation, attendees will hear from two survivors who will be sharing their experiences working in the anti-trafficking field; where they see strengths and where they see room to grow within the sector. Drawing from their experiences and observations, they will walk through some common pitfalls and ways that organizations can avoid these so that survivors can be strengthened by their time working in this space, instead of feeling re-exploited. This session will specifically highlight the ethics surrounding organizational preparedness, compensation, and the ongoing professional development of survivors. With a combined professional background of over 15 years in the anti-trafficking and domestic violence sphere, their experiences will illustrate progress that has been made and setbacks that have been experienced. Survivors help to create organizational resilience when they are empowered to use their voice in an ethical way. With a focus on shared accountability that educates and empowers organizations, attendees will leave this session better equipped for working and engaging with survivors.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss how ethical survivor engagement leads to organizational resilience

•  Discuss deficits and where there is opportunity for growth within various areas of the sector

•  Inspire survivors that their professional development is essential to the health of this space

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Survivors of sex trafficking are resilient individuals capable of employing strategies when needed to manage situations of marginalization and oppression such as gender oppression, racism, and poverty. Nonetheless, trafficking-related research and services has most focused on risks, deficits, and vulnerabilities. This leaves researchers and practitioners with little knowledge for understanding and supporting survivors’ preferred resilience strategies. In this presentation, the researcher answers the question, “How do survivors manifest and maintain resilience?” through a participatory constructivist grounded theory method (Charmaz, 2014) where participants engaged in data interpretation. Data comprised 75 in-depth interviews with 44 other survivors of sex trafficking, and was analyzed with a community co-analyst. Findings showed that the core of resilience was the ability to make preferred choices amidst very limited options that: (1) brought participants closer to goals, (2) did not move them further away, or (3) moved them away as little as possible so they could recover as quickly as possible when there was an opportunity. Choices were facilitated by four elements: hope, purpose, values, and assets. These elements revealed how participants’ personal agency interacted with structural inequalities, foregrounding personal power, and implicating social services and other sectors in their experiences of risk and opportunity. Participants noted they needed the most support for making choices during the period immediately after trafficking. Participants recommended that this resilience knowledge be used to create training materials, self-help materials, and a resilience-enhancing app. The presentation concludes with recommendations for community-engaged, participatory research for improving resilience-enhancing services for survivors.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe the study and highlight the importance of acknowledging survivors’ resilience strategies and supporting and partnering with these strategies

•  Describe survivors’ strategies, (i.e., how they use hope, values, purpose, and assets) to navigate situations of constrained choices amidst structural inequities

•  Discuss implications and recommendations for integrating this into practice

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The intensity of climate migration across South Asia will undergo a triple multiplier effect by 2050. Climate change-related disasters are amplifying channels of human trafficking and the consequent illicit economy of exploitation, with a particular increase in Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). India has been the epicenter of Trafficking in Persons across South Asia. This presentation questions how the double whammy of climate change and climate migration displacement can enmesh vulnerable stakeholders into a globalized illicit economic system within South Asia. Using desk-based secondary literature review of academic articles, news reports and grey literature from global and regional civil society publications, the study will be descriptive and qualitatively analyzed. In “Securitization Matrix in South Asia: Bangladeshi Migrants as an Enemy Alien”, Priyankar Upadhyaya elucidates how both forced and voluntary migration are ascending issues in the context of intra-regional demographic dynamics of South Asia, given the problematic cross-border flows of indigenous women being precariously positioned within the trafficking asymmetry of South Asia. One cannot categorize a preventive or anticipatory migration of a household due to the onset of a cascade of climate-disruptive events into a binary of voluntary and involuntary displacement. It reflects a reluctant dislocation, with the outer seemingness of willingness to undertake displacement. The nature of the classification of such migration is breaking binaries and thus can be called queering of studying climate disaster impacts. This particular lens must be applied to climate-related events in South Asia to consolidate changes in disaster management approaches in policy execution.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Establish the human trafficking nexus at the regional level exacerbated by climate-related voluntary and involuntary migration

•  Explore linkages between foreign policy objectives of the government in case of transnational displacement involved in human trafficking networks

•  Underline the gendered-disproportionate consequences of climate crises and disasters leading up to and consolidating illicit flows of human trafficking

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Many survivors of human trafficking are parents who face unique needs and real challenges in dealing with child welfare and family court after exiting their trafficking situation due to the stigma and misunderstanding of their trafficking experiences that survivors face in these systems. In Polaris’s First National Survivor Study, sex and labor trafficking survivors participated in focus groups, interviews, and a final survey with 457 participants. In their analysis, the researchers looked at the unique needs of parenting survivors and their considerably higher service needs, notably in childcare, education, job training, and mental health services. The findings underscore the necessity for comprehensive support systems and policy reform to facilitate their recovery and safeguard their children’s welfare. Survivors made it clear that their children and maintaining custody of them were chief among their concerns, and many detailed disputes they had faced in keeping their children with them. In particular, custody disputes with child welfare and with their exploiters are exhausting and traumatizing. Traffickers have used the court system and custody disputes to discredit survivors of trafficking and as a result, the justice system is being exploited to further victimize survivors. This study is one of the first to highlight the need that survivors have reported themselves on issues with custody and to look at the unique needs parenting survivors face after exit. Attendees will learn how to effectively engage with survivor parents and to advocate for their needs in various anti-trafficking settings.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the effect of systems on parenting survivors’ access to childcare, housing, education, and employment

•  Explain the needs of survivors as related to children after leaving exploitation experience

•  Discuss ways to address this issue including in support systems for survivors and policy reform

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This presentation explores how the tool of narrative can be used to raise awareness, foster empathy, and ultimately combat human trafficking. When the author began her novel writing journey, she didn’t know how close to home the massively far-reaching and complex world of human trafficking lurked. What she learned about human trafficking enraged her, devastated her, and confused her. How could this nightmare scenario be a reality for so many? How could she know so little about it? She was at a crossroads: leave the story to someone else, or get involved in the fight against trafficking. Thanks to the shared stories of survivors, caregivers, and law enforcement, she began her journey of writing a story not her own in order to share the stories of many. Fiction offers a platform to amplify the often-unheard voices of the marginalized and vulnerable. Using storytelling as an advocacy tool opens the door to the world of human trafficking for an otherwise immobilized audience to join the fight happening just out of sight. Those wanting to learn more can become familiar with the crime and the impact on society, the economy, and the human race through “fictional” characters with common origins.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explore the journey from uninformed, inspired, exploring, to advocate

•  Highlight how empathy can be used to bridge the gap between survivors and audience through storytelling

•  Discuss the potential of fiction to inspire connection and action

•  Explore real-world interventionists using storytelling as an aid in their fight against trafficking

•  Provide resources to help move one from exploring to advocacy

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At last year’s IHTSJ Conference, a group of Kenyan Survivor Advocates shared insights about becoming and being survivor advocates. One year later, the counter-trafficking movement in Kenya is noticeably changing. Survivor advocates and leaders are building their own networks. More organizations cooperate with survivor leaders and advocates in a systematic way, putting survivor advocates at the center in community, media, internal, and political engagements. All presenters are volunteer members of the HAART Survivor Advocates Group and/or the HAART Survivor Advisory Board; the presentation draws from their experiences on that journey. The HAART Survivor Advisory Board built on previous programs for survivor advocates and took it one step further, systematically including experts with lived experience in organizational procedures, external interactions, and program designs. Other organizations have formed committees, and survivor networks receive more attention from donors. Yet, a lot more remains to be done. Based on their personal experiences and gained expertise, the presenters want to encourage fellow survivors to join the counter trafficking movement. They wish to share with them and other stakeholders the variety of survivor engagement that goes far beyond sharing of personal experiences. On an institutional level, they will give recommendations for counter trafficking organizations, donors, and academia on how to achieve more systematic inclusivity of experts with lived experience.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Promote more survivor inclusion and engagement

•  Show the impact of being an empowered survivor advocate/leader

•  Provide recommendations stakeholders on how to practically aim at more meaningful survivor inclusion

•  Give others the opportunity to get to know survivor leaders and advocates better

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Human trafficking, a $140 billion global industry, preys on marginalized persons, treating them as commodities. Global Slavery Index estimates that 49.6 million people are in modern slavery, with 6.3 million (23%) trapped in sex trafficking, predominantly women from low socio-economic backgrounds. Drugs and sex trafficking are two complex forms of crimes, forming a complex criminal web that exploits vulnerable lives, with drugs coercing victims into transactional sex, fostering a cyclical relationship. This presentation delves into intricate methodological challenges in researching these crimes, drawing upon ongoing empirical research undertaken by a PhD scholar at TISS in Mumbai, India. Employing an exploratory qualitative design approach, the study utilizes in-depth interviews and unstructured focus group discussions to explore relationship between drug use and sex trafficking and subsequent victimization by involving diverse adult participants through purposive and snowball sampling including trafficked victims, offenders, caregivers, drug and law enforcement officials, and NGO/people servicing centers at exploitation sites. It delineates methodological challenges inherent in researching the concurrent complexities associated with drugs and sex trafficking. Challenges encompass ethical considerations; securing government permissions to access custodial settings; surmounting barriers to gain entry to victims through gatekeepers; and addressing participant’s fear, reluctance, reservations, and denial to engage in the study and hesitancy regarding interview recordings due to terminologies associating drugs and sex. Researcher’s struggles included establishing trust, reflexivity, navigating feelings of isolation, and negotiating complex systems for data collection. Field experience emphasize the importance of innovative research methods for sensitive topics, particularly in amplifying the voices of hard-to-reach populations.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explain how field learnings and personal experiences are instrumental in shaping this research topic.

•  Explain the context of the study, significance, and concept used in the study

•  Discuss the importance of methods in researching sensitive topics.

•  Synthesize the insights from the field (i.e., “what is field teaching her as a researcher”)

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This presentation will begin with defining sex and labor trafficking according to federal and state laws. Legislation related to the age of the human trafficking survivor will be reviewed as well as the obligations of mandated reporters. The Action, Means, Purpose Model will be shared along with details of who is recruiting trafficking survivors. Red flags and indicators of sex and labor trafficking will be discussed as well as how and where these types of trafficking can occur. Recruiters, customers, and traffickers and their roles “in the game” will be shared along with myths regarding “anybody can be trafficked.” Grooming practices will be shared along with a discussion of Stockholm syndrome. Myths will be reviewed about what is considered sex trafficking, labor trafficking, or both. The National Human Trafficking Hotline will be featured throughout the presentation. The presenter will define familial trafficking and who plays important roles in this type of trafficking. Online trafficking and protecting youth online will be discussed. Different types of apps, games, social media sites, the age of survivors, and their role in being trafficked will be reviewed as well as things parents can do to protect their youth from traffickers. Attendees will learn the basics regarding human trafficking and the importance traffickers place on building a relationship with their victims. Attendees will be able to go back to their communities and ensure that others receive training and can identify survivors.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of human trafficking focusing on sex and labor trafficking

•  Describe signs of trafficking and the indicators of trafficking

•  Explain why victims might not seek help and how everyone can join in anti-human trafficking efforts

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Amidst the collective efforts to combat human trafficking, this presentation seeks to introduce a fresh perspective aimed at reducing the vulnerability of individuals to becoming traffickers. The concept of vulnerability has been applied to people who become victims of human trafficking, but rarely to the people who perpetrate the abuse, exploitation, and coercion that constitute human trafficking. Grounded in the acknowledgment of the complexity of the issue and the need for innovative approaches, this presentation develops an approach to identifying the underlying factors that drive individuals to perpetrate trafficking. Understanding that motivational ecology enables us to develop more effective prevention strategies. The anti-trafficking movement needs a paradigm shift towards perpetrator-focused interventions, emphasizing the importance of addressing both external and internal factors that contribute to perpetrator vulnerability. This presentation proposes what those key external and internal factors might be. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs helps us understand how unmet physiological and safety needs contribute to vulnerability. Insights from the Global Slavery Index and an examination of vulnerabilities such as poverty and marginalization, highlight the interconnectedness of systemic and individual factors. The presentation calls for a holistic approach to combating human trafficking that integrates perpetrator-focused components into existing anti-trafficking efforts. By recognizing and addressing the vulnerabilities that lead individuals to become traffickers, we can more effectively prevent trafficking and protect vulnerable populations.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the various uses of the term "vulnerability" in the context of human trafficking

•  Apply the notion of vulnerability to the people who abuse, exploit, and coerce

•  Propose a range of internal and external factors that contribute to the motivational ecology of human trafficking perpetrators

•  Suggest interventions that could reduce such vulnerability

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