This presentation aims to educate professionals working with young people on the issues of sexual assault, dating violence, and reproductive coercion. The target audience for this program are educators and professionals working with an adolescent population, domestic violence workers, and sexual assault advocates. This presentation sheds light on the prevalence of sexual abuse and reproductive coercion within already violent intimate partner relationships. As part of this educational session, information will also be provided regarding victim rights and services available to victims of these crimes.

During the program, observers will learn the legal definitions and basic facts about dating violence, sexual assault, and reproductive coercion. Observers will also be given an in-depth explanation of the Ohio Statutory Rape Law and how this law is relevant to the issues of dating violence and reproductive coercion. Observers will also be advised of the appropriate protocol for dealing with disclosure of these crimes as well as the various options afforded to survivors regarding the legal process, advocacy, and seeking medical treatment.

Participants will be provided with statistical information regarding these three types of violence and how they are related to each other. Statistics included in the presentation are: statistics regarding survivors’ relationships to their offender, the common age ranges of survivors, the amount of male and female survivors, and the prevalence of unreported incidents. In closing, observers will be given contact information for local advocacy services.

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Sex og Samfunn (Medical Center of Adolescent Sexuality) is the biggest clinic for sexual health in Norway and it has approximately 25.000 patients annually. Sex og Samfunn works mainly with testing and treatment for STI`s and contraceptives for adolescents up to 25 years.

Currently they have a project at the clinic that focuses on prevention with people who buy sex. The service offers testing of STI`s and therapeutic treatment for those who want to quit buying sex or just want to talk about their experiences with buying sex. The service is open for all sexes, ages and for partners to people who buy sex.

In addition, the clinic offers an interactive chat on their website where people who buy sex anonymously can write questions and get answers. This service is funded by the Department of Justice in Norway and is an action to prevent prostitution, human trafficking and the spread of STI`s. In Norway, it is legal to sell sex, but illegal to buy sex. The service aims to help the ones who want to quit buying sex to find alternatives to buying.

The clinic believes in meeting the sex buyers free of judgment. This opens a rare opportunity to talk about difficult subjects and enables the sex buyers to reflect upon their own practice and behavior. The clinic works systematically to obtain knowledge about people who buy sex and try to provide for their physical and mental health, with the aim to reduce the amount of people who buy sex in Norway and reduce the spread of STI`s. To achieve these goals Sex og Samfunn collects data from their patients so that we obtain more knowledge and information about this group. The idea is that this data will give a better foundation for knowing how to provide the best service, to address prevention.

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This session is most appropriate for those new to the field of human trafficking and provides a basic overview and refresher of human trafficking. From an American perspective, presenters will focus on both domestic and foreign trafficking as well as labor and sex trafficking occurring in the United States. Estimates on the number of victims, their experiences, the indicators for victim identification, the business of trafficking, where and how to report suspected trafficking, and the importance of accountability of customers and traffickers will be discussed.

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There are cases where survivors have had children with their traffickers. While these case are low in numbers there is every reason to believe they will increase in the future. This is an issue as traffickers may attempt to use family court as a means of intimidating survivors for a variety of reasons. Traffickers fear her testifying or providing information to law enforcement regarding being trafficked. Traffickers may threaten women with seeking custody and/or parenting time in their state.
In Michigan, Family Court primarily deals with custody and parenting time issues. If the trafficker is the biological father in unmarried cases or if they were married and/or divorced, he has the right to seek contact with their common child.
This workshop will focus on the trafficking context as it relates to Custody and Parenting Time laws of Michigan with the focus on the power, control, manipulation and fear factor. Survivors would naturally be fearful of their trafficker having any form of contact with their child, especially related to the fear of similar acts being forced unto their child and/or the use of the child as a means of continuing to have control over the woman’s life.
Objectives:

1)       Attendees will gain understanding of the legal system related to custody and parenting time.

2)       Attendees will be able to recognize the role of power and control as it relates to potential court cases.

3)       Attendees will be able to formulate concepts of how to address these issues in future court cases.

Attendees will have a greater understanding of examining their state’s custody and parenting time laws related to HT survivors.

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The Green Dot Strategy is a comprehensive approach to violence prevention that is capsulized on the power of peer and cultural influences across all levels and ages of the Socio-Ecological model. Informed by the social change theory, the model targets all community members, as potential bystanders, and seeks to engage them, through awareness, education, and skills-practice, in proactive behaviors that establish intolerance of violence as the norm, as well as reactive interventions in high risk situations- resulting in the ultimate reduction of violence.

A Green Dot etc. training is distinct from a typical conference experience. In addition to learning the core curriculum, the Green Dot etc. training engages participants in skill-building and analysis focused on fostering authentic relationships, personal connection and mastery of skills and knowledge necessary for effective persuasive communication.

A foundational tenet of the Green Dot etc. violence prevention strategy is the belief that we cannot expect others to engage in a process we are not willing to engage in ourselves.

Objectives:
1) Gain an understanding of the Green Dot etc. 

2) Engage in an in-depth examination of their personal and professional connection to the issue of violence prevention.
3) Understand personal, cultural, and societal obstacles to action.
4) Equip bystanders with the knowledge and empowerment to become an educated active bystander.

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Shadow on the Heartland is a 30 minute film on sexual trafficking in Ohio. It features Rep Teresa Fedor, Gov. John Kasich, Dr. Celia Williamson, Judge Paul Herbert, survivors, an ex pimp and two undercover police officers. The film is designed to show to children and teens in schools and youth groups to educate them about this crime and learn how to prevent becoming a victim. The film also can raise the awareness of this crime among the general public. The film can be used as a resource tool for organizations fighting sexual trafficking. Camille & Haley Harris, two young recording artists, from Tulsa narrate the film and present their song "Slavery" which will likely become the banner song of the anti-sexual trafficking movement.

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Little is known about the sex trafficking experiences of homeless young adults in the state of Arizona. The chaotic and unpredictable nature of homelessness puts individuals at heightened risk for sexual exploitation due to survival strategies such as sex trading or survival sex. The life experiences of a random sample of homeless young adults in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona were collected through paper and pencil surveys administered from drop-in centers and street outreach efforts (N=246). Results of the initial study demonstrated that 25.6% of study participants reported a history of sex trafficking. LGBTQ young adults were significantly more likely to report a sex trafficking experience (33, 38.4%) than heterosexual young adults. Sixty-five percent of study participants who had a history of sex trafficking also reported having a sex trafficker at one point, with nine participants reporting having a sex trafficker at the time of the study. The childhood, behavioral and untreated issues that created risk factors for sex trafficking vulnerability were extensive. In the majority of the comparisons between the sex trafficked and non-sex trafficked young adults, significant differences were found with the sex trafficked group having many more negative experiences, behaviors and untreated issues. Techniques used to address these issues and the challenges of providing services to homeless victims of sex trafficking will be discussed.

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Coalitions are easy to initiate but sometimes have great difficulty becoming effective because they do not have the capacity (knowledge, skills, or resources) to attain their goals. Along with creating effective organizational structures, the organization's capacity to plan, manage, implement prevention programs and policies is essential. We will discuss the model set up by the NYC Faith-Based Coalition Against Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence which launched the Not On My Watch! Movement which focuses on bringing awareness and advocacy through training and education; learn how to build-bridges between houses of worship and community-based organizations, elected officials, federal reps, city agencies, service providers, and grassroots organizations; we will discuss the successes and shortcomings. It is important that coalitions are "action" oriented and not just monthly meeting gatherings. Coalitions want to be recognized in the community/city as having a voice that will be heard by the powers that have the capacity to change policy as well as media. Significant impact should be realized through coalition efforts. In this session participants will learn how to build, launch and sustain a coalition with impact in combatting human trafficking. Faith leaders are highly encouraged to attend.

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Research across disciplines shows homeless youth are uniquely vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation. Yet few studies have explored how youth view sexual exploitation. This qualitative study uses participatory methods to explore how young adults define sexual exploitation, pathways into involvement, and opportunities for prevention and intervention. Twenty-four female-identifying young adults (ages 18-23) currently or formerly experiencing homelessness were recruited from a youth serving agency in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The sample is diverse with respect to race/ethnicity, including African American, Latina, Native American, and Caucasian participants. Participants described experiences in line with documented pathways including desperation, immaturity, the strong role of peers, and violent romantic relationships. Uniquely, participants connected survival sex with participation in the commercial sex industry and pimp-mediated sex trafficking. Results yield novel perspective on the continuum of sexual exploitation experienced by youth, connecting constructs previously thought of as distinct. Participants also shed new light on how this shift in perspective affects intervention. Paradoxically, accessing homeless youth services may flag youth as more vulnerable to exploitation. Findings indicate that all youth experiencing homelessness regularly confront solicitations and experiences around sexual exploitation. From the youth perspective, intervention efforts must engage the entire homeless youth community.

Objectives:
1) To better understand the spectrum of sexually exploitative situations homeless youth navigate.
2) To better understand the pathways/recruitment methods that lead to sexual exploitation for the purpose of recognizing those pathways and being able to intervene.
3) To apply this knowledge to prevention and early intervention efforts among the homeless youth population.

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Research shows that approximately 70% of workers who deal regularly with trauma stories are likely to experience symptoms of secondary trauma transferred to them from the disturbing material, such as a worker experiencing nightmares reflecting the experiences as reported to them by a trafficking victim. Source? The helping field has gradually begun to recognize that workers are profoundly affected by the work they do, whether it is by direct exposure to a traumatic event (paramedic or police officer), or secondary exposure (hearing clients talk about trauma they have experienced). Compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma have been described as the cost of caring for others in emotional pain and can strike the most dedicated worker. Ironically, helpers who are burned out, fatigued and traumatized tend to work more and work harder. As a result, they go further down a path that can lead to serious physical and mental health difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, stress related illnesses, and even suicide.
Breaking the Stigma: Understanding Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma is an educational awareness presentation for front line workers who deal with a traumatized population.
Objectives:

1)       Educate workers on the different definitions and forms of trauma they can experience during their careers as well as the symptoms they may suffer.

2)       How to build resiliency when dealing with work related trauma as well as the effects on our loved ones.

3)       How to get help for symptoms relating to compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.

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The global issue of human sex trafficking is well­ known. Yet America, one of the richest countries in the world, fails to recognize the vast number of males that are affected by this abusive phenomenon. Simply stated, such atrocity cannot be tolerated. We must bridge the gap and offer reconciliation. "BOYS?" speaks to just that, answering the gruesome facts concerning male sex trafficking and speaking to the question of what hope looks like for survivors. Restore One has crafted something unique. As they are opening The Anchor House, the first safe home in the nation for boys who've been sexually trafficked. Their programming is one of a kind. The recovery model, titled The HOPE Model, walks boys through their story of trafficking by allowing space to grieve and rage over the harm done to their heart and body. The HOPE Model uses poetry, yoga and art as gateways for the boys to heal and express emotion. "BOYS?" teaches about what care for boys who've been sexually trafficked looks like and how care providers can make tangible steps to offer help and healing. Visit RestoreOneLife.org to learn about Restore One

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6/12: client severely injured Amanda and Jill due to extreme negligence as a private pilot, and also raped Amanda twice while recovering from a broken neck and brain bleed.
7/12: Client has: paid representatives to send death threats to Jill via email and voicemails; paid men to assault Jill on three separate occasions; hired hackers who committed credit card fraud and identify theft against Jill and threated legal actions.

4/14: Final attacks were extremely violent and medical complications from those attacks have created a terminal blood-clotting disorder. Jill also suffers brain damage from the repeated head injuries.

The first attack was not reported to the police. The last two attacks and credit card fraud were reported to the police, who did not investigate and “lost” the incident reports.
Jill does not have a criminal record of prostitution, but has been reported to police as a prostitute and suffered police harassment ever since and therefore chooses not to report.
The stigma of sex work has prevented the women from being able to access legal aid, justice, proper medical care, and both are vulnerable to stalking, threats, and violence. They no longer live in the US for safety concerns.
The client, as an attorney, can play the system with impunity. As sex workers, the women have been disbelieved, questioned, and scrutinized.

Objectives:
Listen to sex workers when they talk about any violence they experience. Violence can happen to any sex worker, even if they're a fully-consenting sex worker.
Identify resources or lack thereof for sex workers.
Understand why sex workers are reluctant to go to the police.
How the criminalization of sex work allows this to happen.
Violence has a profound impact on a sex worker's life because the stigma of sex work overshadows the real violence done to them.

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Sexual abuse has profound and devastating effects on the cognitive, emotional, and relational functioning of children. This training will explain how recent brain research has informed the new DSM-5 model for PTSD, resulting in a more accurate conceptualization of this diagnosis. In particular, this training will explain in simple language how traumatic events in general—and especially sexual abuse in particular—affect the developing brains of young children, resulting in symptoms of PTSD. Even after the original trauma has long ended, the after-effects of traumatic events sometimes take on a life of their own. This presentation will include case studies of severely traumatized residential adolescent clients who have survived the effects of human trafficking (both abroad and domestically).

Outcomes:
1) Participants will learn specific ways in which sexual trauma affects the neurological functioning of the brain.
2) Participants will learn the classic DSM-5 symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
3) Participants will learn how sexual abuse in particular especially generates and exacerbates PTSD symptomology.

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Ethiopia is recognized as a hotspot for human trafficking. Survivors of trafficking in Ethiopia face many barriers in accessing and receiving rehabilitation and reintegration services, including posttraumatic mental health disorders, legal or economic issues, and cultural barriers, particularly in regards to stigma around mental health. Furthermore, very few trafficking-specific services are available in Ethiopia.

Using the results of a situational analysis participants will:
Identify gaps in service delivery for survivors of human trafficking in Ethiopia,
Describe how to form international, interdisciplinary partnerships to provide survivor services.
Explain optimal service delivery models for trafficking survivors in Ethiopia.
       We conducted a situational analysis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to address the service needs of human trafficking survivors by incorporating: (1) a systematic review and (2) semi-structured interview with key stakeholders. The purpose of the situational analysis was to identify gaps in service delivery for survivors of human trafficking in Ethiopia using an international, interdisciplinary, survivor-centered partnership and to develop a collaborative plan for addressing those needs. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify gaps in service delivery. Students and researchers from the University of Michigan in the U.S. and from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia conducted semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in Ethiopia.
         There was a paucity of research on human trafficking in Ethiopia, and adequate recognition of and response to the problem has not yet been achieved. Overall, the situational analysis suggested that all survivor services in Ethiopia are limited, but that mental health services in particular need expansion. Peer support and nurse-delivered models emerged as optimal frameworks for providing survivor services, given the cultural stigma around mental health and the limitations of mental health services available in Ethiopia. This project aims to create a sustainable, culturally appropriate, survivor-driven clinic in Ethiopia that offers comprehensive legal, health, and social services.

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A method that systematically quantifies the number of people sold online for sex, and tracks their basic demographics, is a critical initial step to document the commercial sex market locally in communities. By analyzing patterns of commercial sex markets in the United States, important inferences can be made about sex buying trends. As such, this presentation will describe a data mining study that tracked online sex selling in target regions of Massachusetts, conducted in collaboration between RIA House, the Imagine Foundation, and William James College. The study’s main objective was to describe online patterns of supply within commercial sex markets specific to key Massachusetts regions, with the understanding that supply is dramatically underestimated and often hidden within the regions. This presentation will include data on the number of people sold for sex online for a period of three consecutive months in target Massachusetts regions. The presenters will conclude with examples of practical applications derived from the findings of other online sex selling data mining studies. Specifically, how the findings can clarify trends in demand for online sex, and how local data can also support community efforts to respond to the needs and interests of the people being bought and sold in the online sex market will be discussed.

Objectives:
1) By the end of the presentation, the audience will understand one specific data mining method to quantify the online commercial sex market in their communities.
2) By the end of the presentation, the audience will be able to identify and analyze trends in a local commercial sex market.
3) By the end of the presentation, the audience will begin to think about how a data mining project such as this could help them develop a comprehensive response to a local sex market.

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Numerous women in our culture have experienced shame, degradation, and despair as a result of having been sexually traumatized early in life. Some women end up in unhappy marriages or abusive relationships; some fall prey to a variety of addictions, silently or publicly; and some end up working as activists, social workers or sex workers. For many, these paths converge and cross. And for many other women, their situations—and the reasons that have brought them there—are secrets that have no voice.

This workshop will provide information on healing sexual trauma through myth, art, and metaphor. It will also outline steps into building solidarity with others in order to enhance the personal and collective voice of oppressed girls and women. There is a huge need to understand the complexities that underscore our human trafficking movements, and to build camaraderie with sex worker activism. The united voice that understands the roots and history of patriarchal thought and violence against women is far stronger than the lone voice. It is through deeper understanding of the interplay of race, class, gender, and socioeconomic status that we can begin to address the roots of the problems that we face, and find solutions through collective work and consciousness shifts. Participants will gain insights and practice into using transformative elements and skills that convert personal story and pain into art, ritual, and inclusive power.

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Awareness and media coverage of human trafficking has increased substantially in the last decade causing an unprecedented number of people desirous to engage in efforts to combat human trafficking (Countryman-Roswurm, 2015). While most involved in the anti-trafficking movement are well intentioned, often times the behaviors and actions undertaken by these allies are harmful to the very survivors they are trying to serve (Countryman-Roswurm, 2015; Douglas, 2013; Lloyd, 2013; Smith, 2014). Within the anti-trafficking movement, more and more survivors are being used as propaganda. They are asked to share their stories in the media in order to raise funds or awareness with little thought to the effects of reliving the trauma and the significant impact this may have on the post-traumatic stress disorder most survivors deal with (Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, 2011; Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls and Young Women, 2012). In addition, rather than being recognized and/or compensated as experts and leaders in the anti-trafficking movement, survivors are being taken advantage of in the pursuit of a story that has emotional pull (Countryman-Roswurm, 2015; Douglas, 2013; Lloyd, 2013; Smith, 2014). Presenters will discuss ways in which media portrayals of survivor’s stories and the portrayal of human trafficking as a whole can be both harmful and beneficial. Presenters will also provide guidelines and best practices for sharing the message of human trafficking in a manner that does not exploit survivors but rather empowers and puts their needs first.
Objectives:
1) Explore the harmful and exploitive practices used by media, service providers, and advocacy groups to share the message of human trafficking.
2) Understand the risks of asking a survivor to share their story.
3) Learn practical tips to share the message of human trafficking in a manner that empowers and respects each survivor’s unique story and healing journey.

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There are very few empirical examples of research pertaining to convicted sex traffickers. This is due, in part, to limited research access by both the Bureau of Prisons, and Institutional Review Boards. To overcome this lack of access, Dr. Jesse Bach conducted an in-depth qualitative analysis of court documents, transcripts and courtroom interviews pertaining to the sex trafficking trials of Northern Ohio—resulting in a conviction, from 2010-2013. This presentation will examine the lived experiences, recruitment techniques, methods of victim/survivor control, and financial arrangements pertaining to convicted sex traffickers. It will provide unique insight to who traffickers are, how they came to be involved in sex trafficking, and how they gained access to victim/survivors. The implications of this research go beyond the advocacy world and into the development of preventative measures constructed around the warning signs and at-risk behaviors of potential traffickers—before they become involved in the crime.

** Trigger Warning**
Discussions of domestic minor sex trafficking, sex traffickers, physical abuse, psychological coercion, drug addiction, and prostitution.

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One of the most challenging issues in combating human trafficking is working with adolescent victims of sex trafficking. Lawn force meant and medical personnel often do not recognize them as victims, and no national standard exist on how to conduct initial forensic interviews. Police and prosecutors indicate that conducting this initial interview properly is critical to identifying these victims, prosecuting their predators, and assisting them in their recovery.

 

Most evidence – based work on forensic interviewing has given attention to cognitive issues involving the ability to recall events. Particularly with adolescent victims of sex trafficking, motivational issues may adversely affect their willingness to report events to authorities. In this talk, I will review the body of research on rapptor building during forensic interviews. I will highlight what we know, what we do not now, and what we need to know in order to create evidence based interviewing practices. While studies have begun to investigate rapptor building, few experimental studies exist. No scientific studies exist to date to provide guidelines for rapport building with adolescents suspected of being involved in sex trafficking. I will conclude by making recommendations for research and practice during forensic interviews with possible victims of trafficking

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