Trafficking of Minors: What Schools Need to Know to Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of...
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Trafficking of Minors: What Schools Need to Know to Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of Students
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Transcript of Trafficking of Minors: What Schools Need to Know to Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of...
Trafficking of Minors:
What Schools Need to Know to
Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of
Students
Meet Your Presenters
Christina DukesNational Center for Homeless [email protected]
Melissa BrockieTumbleweed Center for
Youth [email protected]
About NCHE
• NCHE operates the U.S. Department of Education’s technical assistance center for the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program
• Website: www.serve.org/nche
• Webinars: www.serve.org/nche/web/group.php
• Helpline: 800-308-2145 or [email protected]
• Listserv: www.serve.org/nche/listserv.php
• Products: www.serve.org/nche/products.php
About Tumbleweed
• Arizona Partnership to End Domestic Trafficking- Six organizations within Maricopa and Pima County that offer training, education and direct services for survivors of human trafficking.
• STAR (Sex Trafficking Awareness and Recovery) Weekly psycho-educational group offered at Phoenix Youth Resource Center to discuss topics surrounding sex trafficking.
• Supportive program for all Tumbleweed clients to be able to access comprehensive case management, safety planning and meet clients unique needs.
Today’s Goals
• Gain a greater understanding of the issue of human trafficking and its prevalence in schools and communities
• Learn about indicators and warning signs of trafficking involvement
• Learn what schools can do to prevent and respond to signs of trafficking among students
• Know where to go for more information
Sex trafficking in the USA hits close to homeSeptember 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/09/26/sex-trafficking-in-the-usa/1595489/
What is Trafficking?
True or False?For an activity to be considered
trafficking, the victim must have been transported across county or state
lines.
What do you think?
Human Trafficking: The Basics
Human trafficking– Is a form of modern-day slavery
where traffickers profit from the control and exploitation of their victims
– Is a highly profitable global criminal enterprise, generating billions of dollars in annual profits
– Operates according to the dynamics of supply and demand, allowing for multiple entry points into combatting trafficking
Federal Law and Definitions
Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA), as amended– Sex Trafficking: The recruitment, harboring,
transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act
– Commercial Sex Act: Any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person
Federal Law and Definitions
Severe Forms of Trafficking• Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex
act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or• The recruitment, harboring, transportation,
provision, 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
*Movement across a geographical boundary is not needed for an activity to be considered trafficking
Trafficking VictimsUnder Federal Law
Minors (17 or younger)involved in a commercial sex act
Adults (18 or older)who are forced, defrauded, or coerced into committing commercial sex acts
Anyone (regardless of age)who is forced, defrauded, or coerced into various forms of labor or services
The Venues
• Online (social networks, Backpage, Craigslist)
• Strip clubs• Residential or commercial brothels• On the street via pimp- or gang-based prostitution• Fake massage or nail parlors• Truck stops• Hotels, motels, homes, etc…
The Numbers
True or False?It is estimated that 1/3 (33%) of youth
victims of trafficking are runaway, thrownaway, or homeless youth
What do you think?
The Numbers
Some caveats…Criminal elementDefinitional issues
Methodological issues
The Numbers
An estimated 100,000 children are traded for sex in the United States
each year
The Polaris Projecthttp://www.polarisproject.org/human-trafficking/overview
The Numbers
The number of 10- to 17-year olds involved in commercial sexual
exploitation in the United States each year likely exceeds 250,000, with
60% of these victims being runaway, thrownaway, or homeless youth
Congressional testimonyErnie Allen, President
National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrenhttp://judiciary.house.gov/_files/hearings/pdf
/allen100915.pdf
The Numbers
As many as one third of teen runaway or thrownaway youth will
become involved in prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home.
Congressional testimonyErnie Allen, President
National Center for Missing and Exploited Childrenhttp://judiciary.house.gov/_files/hearings/pdf
/allen100915.pdf
The Numbers
50%...The percentage of minors served by
Covenant House who engaged in commercial sex
for a place to stay
Covenant Househttp://
www.covenanthouse.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Covenant-House-trafficking-study.pdf
Polaris Project 2014 Statistics
http://www.polarisproject.org/storage/documents/2014statistics.pdf
Polaris Project 2014 Statistics
• 24,062 “signals” to the NHTRC hotline (calls, emails, webforms, texts)
Sex71%
Labor16%
Notspec’d
9%
Both4%
Questions?
The Traffickers
True or False?Trafficking victims usually know their
traffickers prior to their being trafficked (boyfriend, friend, family
member, etc.)
What do you think?
Traffickers come from
all walksof life
and often
know the victim
The Traffickers
Immediate family36%
Boyfriends27%
Friends of family14%
Employers14%
Strangers9%
Immediate familyBoyfriendsFriends of familyEmployersStrangers
Covenant Househttp://www.covenanthouse.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Covenant-House-trafficking-study.pdf
The Traffickers
• Individual pimps (male, female; young, old; any race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background)
• Gangs and criminal networks• Brothel and massage parlor owners• Intimate partners• Family members• Fellow students
Traffickers
exploitvulnerability
and
manipulate
The Polaris Projecthttp://blog.polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads//
2010/10/HT-PowerControl-Wheel.jpg
The Victims
True or False?A history of child welfare involvement is widely considered to be the most
direct contributor to increasing a minor’s vulnerability to trafficking.
What do you think?
“The themes of trauma, abandonment, and disruption, begun in
childhood, are central to the narratives of
adolescent girls trafficked into commercial sexual
exploitation. Girls describe having had a profound sense of being alone without resources.”
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/humantrafficking/litrev/
12 to 14…The average age at which girls first
become victims of prostitution
11 to 13…The average age at which boys and transgender youth first become
victims of prostitution
Federal Bureau of Investigationshttp
://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-bulletin/march_2011/human_sex_trafficking
Victim Vulnerabilities
• Homelessness*/running away
• Economic vulnerability (poverty, lack of education, poor employment opportunities)
• Age (inexperience, need to belong, self-esteem issues)
• Prior experiences of abuse
*Widely considered to be the most direct contributor to vulnerability to trafficking amongst minors
Victim Vulnerabilities
• Lack of a support network, including a trustworthy adult
• History of systems involvement (child welfare, juvenile justice)
• Disabilities
• LGBT
• African American / Hispanic / Native American
The Impacts
• Physical injuries/health problems due to physical and sexual violence (broken bones, untreated wounds, STDs, reproductive health problems, malnutrition)
• Mental and emotional health problems due to psychological trauma (PTSD, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, despair and hopelessness)
The Impacts
• Substance abuse forced on the victim by the trafficker or used by the victim as a coping mechanism for abuse
• Changed relationships with self and others (profound sense of shame and guilt, inability to trust)
• Unhealthy bond with the perpetrator (“trauma bond”)
Levels of Involvement
Party CrewsStill in school, beginning of the recruitment
Campus and Neighborhood ExploitationStill in school, truancy, decline in academic performance
Completely in “The Life”No longer attending school, runaway, on the track and circuit
Warning Signs
• Unexplained school absences/irregular school attendance
• Chronic running away• Homelessness• An abrupt change in attire, behavior, or
relationships• The presence of an older “boyfriend” or
“girlfriend”• Travel with an older male who is not a guardian• References to frequent travel to other cities• The sudden presence of expensive possessions
Warning Signs
• Unusual attachment to cellphone• Lack of control over schedule, money, and/or
proof of identification• Signs of psychological distress, such as
depression, anxiety, paranoia, and/or suicidal ideation
• Signs of psychological coercion, such as an overly submissive attitude or inability to speak for self
• Signs of physical trauma, including bruises, cuts, burns, and/or scars
Warning Signs
• Strange tattoos or other branding marks• Substance abuse or addictions• Poor health, as evidenced by sexually transmitted
diseases, malnutrition, and/or serious dental problems
• Inappropriate dress• “A reputation”• References to sexual situations beyond what is
age-appropriate
Schools
Train School Staff
• Support school staff in– Understanding the dynamics of trafficking
– Recognizing signs of trafficking involvement
– Responding in possible incidences of trafficking
• Train school social workers and psychologists on how to work with trafficking victims
Implement a Protocol
• Joint effort– School administration– Law enforcement–Mental health agencies– Child welfare– Victim services providers– Other community agencies
• What to do if…
Sample Protocol – Grossmont Union High School District, San Diego
Offer a Prevention Curriculum
• Students can be a part of the solution• See the Additional Resources section of
Sex Trafficking of Minors: What Schools Need to Know to Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of Students for sample curricula
• Choose developmentally appropriate resources based on the age group of the students
National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC)
In the case of an immediate emergency, call your local police department or 911.
In the absence of an established protocol, educators should contact the NHTRC at 1-
888-373-7888 to seek guidance.School personnel should not attempt to confront a suspected trafficker or rescue a
suspected victim.
Additional Resources
• Human Trafficking in America’s Schoolshttp://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/human-trafficking-americas-schools
• Sex Trafficking of Minors: What Schools Need to Know to Recognize and Respond to the Trafficking of Studentshttp://www.serve.org/nche/downloads/briefs/trafficking.pdf
• National Human Trafficking Resource Centerhttp://www.polarisproject.org/what-we-do/national-human-trafficking-hotline/the-nhtrc/overview
• Polaris Projecthttp://polarisproject.org/
• National Educations to Stop Trafficking (NEST)http://nesteducators.org/
Questions?
