Much research has highlighted the overrepresentation of LGBTQ, especially youth, in sex trading/trafficking. However, very little research explores the interplay of what sex buyers are seeking, victims/sellers’ sexual orientation and gender identities, and trauma. Furthermore, those within the LGBTQ community participate in sex trading along a continuum of experiences, some of which are considered sex trafficking. This presentation will explore qualitative data about the experiences of LGBTQ sex trafficking victims/individuals who trade or sell sex, and how homophobia and transphobia interact to create unnamed traumas for these victim/sellers. Data for this presentation come from a subset of interviews (N=156) conducted with social service providers and law enforcement personnel who work closely with victims of sex trafficking, sex buyers, and traffickers from across Minnesota (2015-2016). Participants described specific traumas related to LGBTQ identities: buyer preferences for transgender individuals as “fetish”; buyer preference for experiences with lesbian/bisexual women; LGBTQ victims/sellers who perform commercial sex acts outside of their own sexual orientation; and buyers who act violently to LGBTQ victim/sellers based on homophobia and transphobia. Understanding these specific unnamed traumas creates a more nuanced understanding of sex trading/trafficking that is more inclusive of LGBTQ experiences. Traditionally, sex trafficking has been viewed from a heteronormative and cis-gendered perspective and this can have unintended consequences for law enforcement investigations and social service provision. This presentation seeks to explore the ways that LGBTQ individuals face challenges specific to their identities within situations of sex trading/trafficking.
Read MoreThis presentation will include detailed information of what the sexual assault nurse examiner is able to do for victims of sexual assault. An explanation of the extensive training the nurse must complete to be considered SANE-trained will be discussed as well as how the patient benefits from a sexual assault exam completed by a trained SANE nurse. The team approach and what is included in a forensic exam will be explained. This presentation will conclude with a few case studies of patients that were seen and treated by SANE-trained nurses.
Read MorePersistence of human trafficking in Tanzania is reported to be exacerbated by many factors including patriarchal systems, poverty, peer influences, job opportunities and availability of social services to mention a few. Lack of knowledge and skills, has been thought to catalyze the situation more as compared to others. In a research study conducted in Arusha Municipality involving girls who are victims of human trafficking and other stakeholders; it was found that destitution of rural families, forced marriages, peer influences, broken families and gender based violence were among the root causes which led these young girls to become prey to traffickers. The study also revealed that these young girls faced a lot of challenges including being overworked and being unpaid, being tortured physically and emotionally. Some of these girls experienced other challenges such as sexual abuse and in some cases even contracted sexual diseases. In combating the situation, the study recommends more drastic measures from the Government and other stakeholders including increasing awareness on Human Trafficking for the general public and encouraging victims to report human trafficking cases. The study also recommends that children who are most vulnerable and at high risk of being trafficked be checked regularly and if possible be supplied with their basic needs.
Read MorePenal labor within the prison system is common, and has been subject to much controversy, especially in the last five years. While the debate is heated and complex, one commonly ignored aspect is the use of penal labor by private prisons. Private prisons make up 16% of federal prisons. Similar to federally-run prisons, private prisons use penal labor to perform “institutional maintenance” and to pay for “room and board”. Private prisons receive a static amount of federal funding to hire employees to do this work. This begs the question: How and to what extent can and do private prisons use penal labor to cut costs and increase their bottom line? This study seeks to answer this question by examining the use of penal labor in Federal Private Prisons and explores the connection between labor in these prisons and labor exploitation, forced labor, and human trafficking.
Presentation Objectives:
· Outline the debate surrounding the use of penal labor and the laws around the use of penal labor in U.S. federal prisons;
· Examine how private prisons make a profit and how that is connected to the use of penal labor;
· Explore the use of penal labor in private prisons and the connection with forced labor and human trafficking;
Outline action goals and tools to address this issue of forced labor and human trafficking in federal private prisons.
Read MoreMost victims of sexual violence experience some level of Post-Traumatic Stress. A majority are diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can include extreme levels of anxiety. The goal of the presentation is to determine if individuals with anxiety disorder diagnoses are more vulnerable to sexual trauma and also to examine the number of survivors that are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder after having been victimized. Presenters will discuss whether anxiety disorder diagnoses as a result of sexual trauma are appropriate, given that a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder involves symptoms of anxiety.
Both presenters come from a background of victim-centered care and will examine the aforementioned issues from both an advocacy and clinical standpoint. Issues will also be examined and discussed from a personal standpoint, as one of the presenters is a sexual trauma survivor that also suffers from a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The presentation will begin with this survivor’s story and explanation of how her story can be applied to the stories of many survivors. The program will conclude with recommendations for clinicians and victim advocates for trauma-informed care with anxiety disorders as a priority.
Presentation Objectives:
· To examine the prevalence of anxiety disorders amongst sexual trauma survivors.
· To create dialogue about the overlap between anxiety and victimization; before and after the incident(s) of sexual violence.
To be a cautionary tale about making diagnoses and recommendations too hastily; without fully examining the part that trauma may play in an individual’s symptom of anxiety.
Read MoreProstitution is often experienced and regarded as a form of oppression and abuse. In the last decade, it defined by a growing number of professionals, academics and politicians in Israel as a social problem requiring societal response. While many people in prostitution are seen as victims who deserve adequate social and therapeutic services, prostitution-centered intervention is rarely provided by social workers in public services in Israel.
The objective of this presentation is to share the findings of several studies conducted in Israel, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, aiming to learn about the response to and perceptions of prostitution by several groups of social workers.
Dr. Peled will first present the findings of a study of 215 social workers in the Administration of Social Services in the city of Tel Aviv.
The main research questions were:
(1) Do social workers in municipal public services serve people in prostitution?
(2) How do social workers explain occasions when clients’ involvement in prostitution is known, but there is no discussion of our intervention in that matter?
(3) What factors are related to social workers’ willingness to intervene with people in prostitution?
Secondly, Dr. Peled will present the main findings from a series of 4 qualitative studies aimed at understanding the perceptions of social workers regarding prostitution and people in prostitution. She argues that social workers' willingness, choice and ability to intervene with people in prostitution is influenced by their perceptions of people in prostitution as normative/deviant, as victims/ agents, and as subjects/objects.
Art is very helpful in learning to sense another’s experience. Creative writing or a painting, for examples, can encourage the social worker to feel, taste, smell and see the realities of marginalized lives. Because empathy and connection are often created at the level of the senses, art is uniquely suited as a way to learn. Empathy is not only important on a micro-level, is important to raising awareness about cultural disparities and injustices. This paper will look at the use of art as self-reflection, a way to encourage empathy between professionals and clients, and as a way to inspire social action.
Read MoreAny person whose identity, status, labor, or serostatus should have a range of remedies available to them to fight and to right the wrongs they face under systems of criminalization. Unfortunately, this is too often not the case. The remedies available to people profiled, arrested, and convicted due to their age, race, socio-economic class, gender identity, serostatus, and/or actual or perceived work in street economies or erotic trades, are composed of a web of esoteric rules and regulations, oftentimes lacking adequate publication or resources for those eligible to take advantage. This session will outline common problems faced by these communities, along with typical remedial models including: immunity, affirmative defenses, diversion, sealing, expungement, vacatur, and pardon, along with the drawbacks and benefits of each. The session will conclude with a group brainstorm and participatory discussion of how our communities and organizations can work to improve existing remedies and what other remedies we should fight to establish.
Read MoreWhat was I thinking? Bringing 24 survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation together for a weekend of healing certainly brought many challenges. I wanted to change their deep rooted image of being a sinner and make them feel saintly. Was it hard? You bet. Was it rewarding and life changing? You bet. Come listen to the results of our Survivor Retreat and how to help survivors thrive. Listen to other survivors who attended the retreat tell how it helped them grow. #Floresstrong
Read MoreAlthough hardly discussed, boy prostitution occurs in Sub-Sahara Africa. This study, which appears to be the only one of its kind, explored the characteristics of boy prostitution in a major city in West Africa. This study used a quantitative descriptive design based on a survey instrument. A convenience sample of 13 male minors participated in the study. The findings show that none of the participants were homeless or runaway children. Most of them lived with their families while practicing prostitution. Adverse life events respondents experienced prior to entering prostitution include sexual abuse, sexual assault, and family dysfunction. The findings do not show any criminal networks involved in boy prostitution. Respondents’ prostitution practices and the environment of such practices were explored. The findings show a high level of awareness of and protection against sexually transmitted infections among the respondents. Respondents experienced violence by clients, people in the community, and the police. They primarily relied on peer networks and non-governmental organizations for support and assistance. All the participants stated their intention to quit the sex trade. Implications for practice, policy and research are discussed.
Presentation Objectives:
· To show the prevalence and characteristics of boy prostitution in West Africa;
· To highlight the influence of environmental factors and culture on boy prostitution practices;
· To explore issues of protection against STIs and violence among boys in prostitution;
To discuss challenges boys in prostitution face in accessing assistance; and
To contrast the lessons learned from this research with the literature on boy prostitution.
Read MoreBackpage is the single biggest advertiser of commercial sexual transactions in the United States. Because the number of advertisements continue to grow, Backpage has become a target in both civil and criminal investigations. Many private plaintiffs have sued Backpage for its alleged role in advertising underage youth. Most of these lawsuits have been routinely dismissed on the premise that Backpage, as a website creator, does not have adequate control over the content of the advertisements to be liable for sex advertisements. Recent state court decisions, however, have allowed these lawsuits to proceed against Backpage on the basis that Backpage's "guidelines" facilitate trafficker's illegal practices. Government officials are lashing out against Backpage by urging credit-card companies to disallow any charges related to "escorts" or similar "adult advertisements". Finally, the United States Senate is currently investigating Backpage's role in furthering sex trafficking and recently issued a civil-contempt order against the company because Backpage refused to cooperate in the investigation. The prevalence of Backpage in the field of sex trafficking, the status of the legal proceedings involving Backpage, and the likely future of this website and similar websites will be discussed.
Read MoreAfter exiting their trafficking situation, trafficking survivors are in need of a variety of healthcare and social services in order to begin the journey to holistic healing and wellness. Thankfully, in the United States we see an increasing number of organizations dedicated to meeting these needs. However, the growing number of aftercare oriented organizations raise questions as to the most effective approaches to trafficking aftercare, both from a client-focused standpoint and in the realm of organizational barriers and effectiveness.
Summarizing the findings of four years of doctoral research with multiple aftercare organizations, this presentation will focus on several outcomes.
Presentation Objectives:
· Have a clear understanding of the needs and barriers survivors face in aftercare,
· Have an up-to-date view of systemic barriers to success programs are reporting,
· Develop an awareness of the existing structures and guiding philosophies employed in the field,
· Explore how power dynamics are impacting the success and failure of aftercare,
· Discover how lack of collaboration and distrust between providers may be impacting everyone, especially survivors, and how we can contribute to a solution.
Additionally, this presentation will also address other issues revealed by field research, such as: survivor harm caused by trafficking organizations, problematic relationships with law enforcement, road-bumps experienced with survivor led initiatives in aftercare, and the split between faith-based and non-faith based aftercare initiatives.
Presentation Objective:
To have a solid, data-based understanding of these critical issues-- which impact not just aftercare programs, but the entire movement. Presentation Objectives:
· To show the prevalence and characteristics of boy prostitution in West Africa;
· To highlight the influence of environmental factors and culture on boy prostitution practices;
· To explore issues of protection against STIs and violence among boys in prostitution;
To discuss challenges boys in prostitution face in accessing assistance; and
To contrast the lessons learned from this research with the literature on boy prostitution.
Read MoreThis study focused on the impact of client suicide and suicide attempt on clinicians, organizational responses, and effects on future clinical practice. Participants involved in the study were clinicians based in various regions in Ohio that experienced at least one suicide or attempted suicide. The purpose of the study was to better understand the experiences of clinicians and to recommend appropriate formal and informal responses to support them. Confidential qualitative interviews lasting between one and two hours each were conducted with 60 clinicians from various regions in Ohio. Clinicians were asked to discuss their most distressing case, why it was the most distressing, how they were affected, how it affected their practice, the types of supports they received, and recommendations for clinicians, supervisors, and administrators. Findings include a number of experiences, effects, and recommendations.
Objectives:
· To provide information on the impact of suicide/suicide attempt on clinicians.
· To provide information on a range of helpful and least helpful organizational responses.
· To provide recommendations for providing support for clinicians that experience a suicide or suicide attempt.
Read MoreOnce a victim has made the deadliest choice of their life, to leave their abuser, the daily task of staying alive, maneuvering through court systems, community programs and their personal health are only the beginning stages to becoming a survivor. We will bring to light the realities a victim faces from the moment they leave through attendee interaction. We will present my (TSM) personal story along with having the audience participate in a victim's challenge.
A victim profile will be presented to each of the attendee's. To which at the moment they receive the profile, they are that victim and they are to utilize what information they have to go from victim to survivor.
Read MoreViolence against American Indian women has been well documented, with Native women being the most frequent victims of physical and sexual violence in the United States when compared to other racial and ethnic groups (Pierce & Koepplinger, 2011). Although research about sex trafficking has well encompassed the methods of how victims are recruited and exploited (Baker, Dalla, & Williamson, 2010; Dalla, 2006; Dalla, Xia, & Kennedy, 2003; Greer, 2013; Farley et al., 2011; Johnson, 2012; Kennedy et al., 2007; Kennedy et al., 2012; Pierce & Koepplinger, 2011; Pierce, 2009; Roe-Sepowitz, Hickle, Cimeno, 2012; Roe-Sepowitz, et al., 2011; Williamson & Cluse-Tolar, 2010; Williamson, 2005; Williamson & Folaron, 2003), only a handful of studies have focused on the sex trafficking experiences of American Indian women. This study sought to collect and disseminate new knowledge about sex trafficking among and within American Indian communities in Arizona, and to discover the unique vulnerabilities and intervention needs of American Indian persons. The sample was derived from surveys that were completed from January 2011 through June 2015 by 784 individuals participating in the city of Phoenix Prostitution Diversion Program. Thirty-three (4.4%) of the respondents identified as American Indian. Results demonstrate significant trauma histories and abuse experiences, as well as new insight into the specific vulnerabilities and exploitation experiences of American Indian women. Results and further research plans will be discussed.
Read MoreAn existing hiatus in empirical research related to the use of ‘juju’ rituals as a spiritual or psychological control mechanism by perpetrators to subjugate victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation has underscored the need for further exploration. The phenomenon is shrouded in secrecy and little is known as to what juju entails and how it is used to subdue victims. The presentation will focus on knowledge gained in the South African context whilst illuminating some of the multi-layered complexities associated with the use of juju as a control mechanism. In-depth interviews with participants in the field contributed to the unveiling of this phenomenon in the South African and broader counter-trafficking context. Juju is a reality that numerous victims of Nigerian traffickers have to contend with. The presentation will show how traffickers use juju rituals as an effective control mechanism and catalyst to instill profound fear among victims, whilst compounding efforts by response agencies and criminal justice practitioners to combat human trafficking. Suggestions for counter-trafficking activities and recommendations for future research are offered. Finally, acknowledging the experience deficit among criminal justice practitioners in responding to arcane methods used in the human trafficking process, the presentation will underscore the importance of perspectives from, among others, sociology and African Traditional Religion to be included in research and human trafficking combating efforts.
Read MoreEHTP is a coordination of programs which seek to make awareness about Human Trafficking (HT) on college campuses. The EHTP program facilitates a cooperative network of students and faculty to inform the community and facilitate students taking a role in breaking the chains of modern day slavery. This collaborative project creates original materials designed to speak to fellow college students and empower students to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. EHTP is a campaign to design a program to raise awareness against Human Trafficking on college campuses to lead youth to produce their own materials to educate other youth about Human Trafficking. This movement is called, “the Yellow Butterfly Campaign”. Youth are the next generation of leaders for our communities and deserve every chance and opportunity, which might assure them a better life in the future. Through the Yellow Butterfly Campaign, youth at college level will be facilitated to use their skills and cultural knowledge to transfer and translate a message and facts about human trafficking to different mediums to speak to other youth. In other words, this project may be called, “Youth gets empowered for and by Youth against Human Trafficking.”
EHTP encourages learners and educators to work cooperatively on human trafficking issues and enables youth to understand the complex realities and processes of today’s modern day slavery to develop values, attitudes, knowledge and skills, which will allow them to face the challenges of an interconnected world of crime, corruption, and chaos.
This paper provides a critical analysis of the law and practice on human trafficking in the Commonwealth Caribbean. More specifically, it provides a socio-legal critique of the gaps in implementation of anti-trafficking law, drawing on empirical research conducted in four Commonwealth Caribbean countries. It identifies, in particular, the shortfalls currently being experienced between law and practice from a normative, institutional and rights-based perspective. It also considers nuanced approaches in other jurisdictions, and argues for a more synergistic response to human trafficking in the region, in the interest of protecting victims, preventing the rapid growth of the phenomenon, and prosecuting perpetrators.
Read MoreThe workshop will show Willie Knighten’s TED talk on the inconsistencies of the criminal justice system and how to advocate for people returning to our communities who leave our jails and prison systems (Returning Citizens). Willie will share his personal triumph over incarceration and criminal lifestyle. Individuals should learn the barriers and hardships for people leaving jail and prisons, the need for criminal justice reform, and the mentality of people in and out of prisons. The workshop will provide service providers the key when working with this particular population.
Read MoreDavid is the author of “Reconciled…#I Got Well”. Being a person in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder, he has been inspired to share how the spiritual side of recovery is the foundation of holistic wellness. Reconciled exposes the relationship between God and man, solidifying the intimacy needed for long-term recovery. He has assisted in the development of the recovery coach/peer specialist duties and task as a paraprofessional in the state of Ohio, along with being one of two recovery coach trainers-of-trainers in Lucas County. This workshop will create a positive atmosphere to challenge the most misunderstood health disparity in America. Individuals will learn the stigma associated with addiction and how it prevents people from staying abstinent. Attending this presentation, participants will hear a story of recovery that will keep social workers, health care providers and concerned citizens striving for more social justice! “I am not an addict, addiction was my chronic condition, I am a man…. #I Got Well!”
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