The Fight Against Human Trafficking Celia Williamson, PhD Professor, Social Work Director, Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute University of Toledo
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA 2000) Federal Definition Sex Trafficking Recruitment, harboring, transportation, providing or obtaining of a person for a commercial sex act, in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; and Labor Trafficking Recruitment, harboring, transportation, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. (Fact sheet, 2012) 2
Photo credit: http://www.scribd.com/ Labor Trafficking Forced Labor factories, hair braiding, construction, begging, housekeeping, nanny, agricultural Child soldiers, mining, brick kilns, fishing an more. Photo credit: brightfunds.org Photo credit: http://www.mrmichaelstuart.com/ Photo credit: http://beforeitsnews.com/ 3
Sex Trafficking aka Commercial Sexual Exploitation Prostitution Pornography Stripping Live-Sex Shows Mail-order Brides Child Brides Sex Tourism Online Photo credit: http://www.express.co.uk/ Photo Credit: http://aatopchicago.blogspot.com Photo credit: informationng.com 4
Prevalence rates (In question) 20.9 Mil (International labor organization, 2012); 40 Mil Global Slavery Index (2016) 600,000-800,000 14,500-17,500 (U.S Dept of State, 2006) 244,000 at risk youth (Estes and Weiner, 2002) 100,000 trafficked into sex trade (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
INTERNATIONAL VICTIMS Photo credit: inamerica.blogs.cnn.com 6
International Trafficking Operates across national boundaries: Recruitment Countries Destination Countries Bi-directional Countries Push-Pull Factors (U.S. Department of State, 2010; Global Slavery Index, 2013) 7
Living Conditions & Debt-Bondage System Deplorable living conditions Victims owe traffickers. Trafficker sets the amount to be repaid Photo credit: tribune.com/pk 8
Support and Restoration for Foreign Victims T-Visa o o o o To protect human trafficking victims. Allows victims to remain in the U.S. to assist in an investigation or prosecution of human trafficking o No deportation Option of staying in U.S. Family may be bought to U.S. Victims will receive social services and resources: Counseling Family reunification Healthcare Housing Legal representation Employment assistance, etc. http://www.uscis.gov/ 9
Every purchase counts: http://slaveryfootprint.org/ http://fairtradeusa.org/ Photo credit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ 31
DOMESTIC MINOR VICTIMS Minors an be trafficked for labor or sex or both
Child Sex Trafficking Demographics Average age of recruitment in the U.S. is between 14-15 years old. Youth are recruited from inner cities, suburbs, and small towns. 12
Common Denominator = Vulnerability 13
Gang membership or affiliation Risk Factors for Youth Involved with child protection Involved with the juvenile justice Substance abuse disorder Homeless youth Engaged in survival sex at least once Noncitizen foreign-born Family in the commercial sex trade Friends in the sex trade Runaway Boyfriend 4 or more years older LGBTQ Youth Experienced domestic violence Mental health diagnosis Involved with negative, anti-social peers Youth with disabilities Low income Youth of color Youth with poor school performance
Sex Trafficking Business Model Traffickers Bottom Recruiters, Groomers, Security Connectors, Watchers (Williamson et al., 2012) Trafficking is a business for traffickers. 15
Photo credit: http://foreveryoungadult.com/2009/10/15/perfect-you/ Where Recruited: Open Spaces... Shopping malls High schools Groups Juvenile Detention Internet/Social Networking Websites After recruitment, victims are transported to high demand areas. (Clawson, et al., 2003; Hardie & Swartz, 2012; Polaris Project, 2014) 16
Who is Recruiting? Girls/Women Boys/Men
Where Sold: Secret Places. Photo credit: http://blog.hightoweragency.com/ways-to-recruit-drivers-at-truck-stops Street-level prostitution Strip Clubs/Private dancing Massage/Escort Services Convention Centers/Sporting Events Online to hotel rooms & houses Truck Stops 18
Recruitment Recruitment strategies Manipulation=95% Gifts and compliments Build up self- esteem Seasoning : Breaking down process Aim for complete control using physical, mental, and emotional abuse Renaming Creating dependencies 19
Photo credit: http://nreionline.com/ Demand: Who Are the Customers? Truck Drivers Teachers Lawyers Healthcare Professionals City Employees Drug Dealers Law Enforcement Judges Social Services Professionals State Employees Politicians Professional Sport Athletes 20
Feelings Associated with Being Victimized for an Extended Period of Time Helplessness Denial Shame Humiliation Photo credit: http://thinkprogress.org/ Trauma Isolation 21
The Making of a Girl https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvnryte3pak
Why is it difficult identifying foreign or domestic victims? Why don t victims seek help? Trauma Bonding Controlled by trafficker. Frequently moved to escape detection. Trained by trafficker to tell lies. Denial http://www.ukpreppersguide.co.uk/ Accompanied by a controlling person. Missing or controlled identification. Do not speak the language or unfamiliar with culture. Distrust in general, but of law enforcement and/or service providers as well. 23 Photo credit: glogster.com
Asked Trafficked Youth: What can adults do to help kids? 1 2 3 Keep us safe Keep us busy and positive Talk to us when we re 10 and not when we re already in it
Identifying Victims
Division of Motor Vehicles You see almost 100% of the adult/older minor population. If every BMV employee in Colorado is trained, that s 490 pairs of eyes watching but it only takes one.
BMV Staff Skills You are the eyes and ears. Public doesn t know that you are watching. You ve seen things you could write a book about. You know human nature and human behavior. You know what it s like to work with a difficult population. You are good at assessing others. You know how to remain polite, on task, but think differently. We re just asking you to do what you already do But with a human trafficking focus and to report it!
Red Flags in BMV Withdrawn, minimal eye contact, fearful, Dressed inappropriately Accompanied by someone controlling (female or male) Bringing several people to get license Language daddy, wife-in-law, out-of-pocket I.D. doesn t match possible visual age Controlling person pays or answers questions or submissive person looks at controlling person for the answer/permission to answer before speaking Controlled person is Non-English speaking Roughness or inappropriate interactions between the two Controlling person may be holding the documents
General Red Flags for Domestic Minor Victims Manipulated or forced into selling sex Hotel room keys Numerous school absences False ID s and lying about age Teen s dating much older, abusive, or controlling men Having large amounts of cash, jewelry, new clothes Recurrent STI s/std s and/or need for pregnancy tests Signs of physical assault including: branding or tattooing, broken bones, black eyes, etc Stockholm Syndrome/Trauma Bonding Threatened or family threatened Trading sex for money, drugs, items, or place to stay
General Red Flags: Foreign Victims Is fearful, anxious, depressed, submissive, tense, or nervous/paranoid Exhibits unusually fearful or anxious behavior after bringing up law enforcement Distrusts authority Not being paid or paid very little Can t leave job Being lied to about the type of work/job hired to do Owing large debt Sleep deprivation May feel accountable for their situation Foreign born victims may be fearful of deportation/threatened with deportation Possibly experiencing Stockholm Syndrome or loyalty to their captors Signs of physical assault or neglect Threatened or family threatened in they try to leave Eat and sleep in inappropriate areas
Colorado Responses Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking The Colorado Network to End Human Trafficking (CoNEHT) was formed in 2005 as a statewide collaborative of organizations that support the mission to provide a safe and appropriate response to human trafficking in the state. The Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance Up-end human trafficking https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xk7xxnv6es Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking
Anti-Trafficking Coalitions Awareness Building/ Educating the professional and general community Support the passage of laws Build continuums of care and treatment protocols
CALL National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 800-843-5678 (800-THE-LOST) National Human Trafficking Resource Center 888-3737-888 Photo credit: http://www.unitedforsocialjustice.org/ 36
Economy Conventional Economy Underground Economy
Business Model Trafficker Distribution Victims Supply Demand Customers 39
Criminal Justice System
Educational System History of Slavery Modern Day Slavery
Social Services Generalized Menu of Services Population Needing Highly Specialized Services
Mental Health Services Social Services Offers support 2-4 hrs wk Trafficker offers support 24/7
Child protection Child Trafficking is Child Abuse Child Trafficking is a Juvenile Court Issue
Child Protection: Improve Responses for Foster Youth 1 in 6 reported runaways likely trafficked 86% from foster care National Center for Missing &
Media
Kidnapped Cousins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bu0yn4b5jy
What is Trauma? Individual trauma results from an event, series of events, or set of circumstances that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the individual s functioning and mental, physical, social, emotional, or spiritual well-being. 48
Typical Interventions Typical Interventions Street Outreach Case Management & Wraparound Services Trauma Treatment Counseling Safe Houses, Drop In Centers Provided by Social Workers Peer Survivors Counselors/Therapists Paraprofessionals Health Care Providers
PATH Model: Victims to Thrivers Crisis Counseling Shelter Survivor Trauma Treatment Foster Care/Group Home Mental Health Maintenance Permanent Housing/Emancipation Victim Thriver 50
Change Language to Change Narrative Pimp Juvenile Prostitute Juvenile Prostitute Trafficker Child Sex Trafficking Victim Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) John Child Molester/Sexual Predator
Photo credit: http://www.seniorreligion.com/ A Visual Timeline of the Physical Trauma With the young girls, you promise them HEAVEN, they ll follow you to HELL. Harvey Washington, a convicted trafficker 52
By Laura Coulter
What you can do. Take the chance Identify.Report Learn more.educate Yourself & Others Connect with your local coalition Decide what you will contribute
Social Change & Human Rights
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Photo credit: utoledo.edu The Human Trafficking and Social Justice Conference 15th Annual International Conference Thursday- Friday, September 20-21, 2018 More info/registration at: www.traffickingconference.com 60
THANK YOU!!! HTSJINSTITUTE@UTOLEDO.EDU Follow on facebook, Instagram, twitter celia.williamson@utoledo.edu Instagram: celiaw419 61