Prayas is a field action project of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, India that journeys with women formerly exploited for commercial sex towards reconstructing safe and violence-free lives. The Indian government’s imposition of a lockdown to control the COVID-19 spread led Prayas to undertake a needs assessment study to examine immediate and far-reaching impact of the lockdown and strategize future intervention. The lockdown challenged women’s access to basic necessities like food, shelter, water, child support, and medical care. Their distress, largely invisible to the state, civil society, and community, was compounded by their exclusion from relief and welfare measures. They were considered less deserving of support, or they isolated themselves knowing that their departure from family and community would invite social ostracism. Experiences with loneliness, social exclusion, and threats from traffickers apart, a few women deliberated engaging with exploitative agents like pimps and money lenders; this time, with “consent”. Having been stigmatized and socially distanced from family and community for many years account for their non-normative gender pathways and coping strategies, and their predicaments during the pandemic were aggravated. Based on voices of seventeen (17) respondents of the study, and another ten (10) women who reached out to Prayas for support, this presentation discusses how women navigated through the COVID-19 pandemic, and their journeys to reclaim agency over their lives and choices. Juxtaposing women’s experiences of social distancing during the pandemic with that across their life stages, it argues for socially just rehabilitation and inclusive intervention strategies.

Presentation Objectives:

· Voice the circumstances of women formerly exploited for commercial sex, and make visible their challenges, distress, and agency

· Highlight the need for state and other social supports to socially distanced and stigmatized individuals, groups, and communities

· Lend insight into pathways for intervention to protect women from leading aggravated marginalized lives in crises and prevent re-trafficking

Human trafficking for the purpose of organ removal (HTPOR) has remained a subject of unconfirmed reports but since the 1980s, a growing body of research by medical anthropologists, journalists, and academics has shown that it is a global phenomenon (OSCE, 2013). However, a large proportion of debate on the crime has focused on addressing the shortage of organs by developing systems to promote altruistic donation of organs, leaving behind a wide gap in the body of research that focuses on the serious human rights abuses faced by victim-donors, and the need to protect and promote these rights. This presentation seeks to highlight and address this gap by answering the question: "What rights do HTPOR victims have and how can they be protected?" A desk-based methodology analyzing a broad selection of journal articles, cases, and newspaper reports, alongside a human-rights based approach is used. This approach acknowledges that trafficking in persons is first a violation of human rights to which everyone is entitled (UN. OHCHR, 2015). Findings focus on the trends and patterns of HTPOR; operations of organ trafficking networks; consequence of HTPOR on victim-donors; the inherent human rights violations suffered by victim-donors; and five case studies highlighting active organ black market where victim-donors are sourced. Findings show that processes involved in HTPOR infringes on one or more rights of victims involved. This presentation concludes with recommendations for the international and regional community to set up needed support mechanisms for victim-donors to exercise their human rights in the face of such cruel and degrading treatment by organ traffickers.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe "Human Trafficking for the Purpose of Organ Removal" (HTPOR)

· Discuss the research that was conducted using a desk-based methodology, with in-depth study and analysis

· Showcase and draw the attention of the international community to the human rights abuses faced by HTPOR victim-donors, with the aim of reigniting conversations around the promotion and protection of their rights

This presentation will provide a basic overview of human trafficking, focusing on both domestic and foreign trafficking as well as labor and sex trafficking. Topics will include the definition of human trafficking, how traffickers recruit, indicators for victim identification, the impact of social media, and how individuals can make a difference in helping to combat and end human trafficking. Using the most current research and resources, the presentation is designed not only to educate but empower the participant.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide responsible facts about human trafficking

· Educate about current laws

· Identify labor and sex trafficking concerns

· Empower participants to make a difference

Child exploitation and trafficking in Vietnam, particularly children living in the streets and children with disabilities, presents in the form of forced street hawking/begging, labor trafficking, and sex trafficking (US State Department, 2016). Children and youth who have experienced these types of traumatic events are at increased risk of long-term mental health conditions: brain changes, emotional disorders, impaired cognitive functioning, general physical development, and social dysfunction. Yet, psychological and social work services for trafficked children are extremely limited in Vietnam. Approximately 235,000 social welfare personnel, of which 35,000 are professional social workers and 200,000 are welfare staff with no professional background or training, are responsible for addressing this issue (MOLISA, 2020). To address the dearth in trained professionals, Health Right International (HRI) and its local partner, Research and Training Centre for Community Development (RTCCD), successfully implemented a project dedicated to building the local capacity of key stakeholders to support vulnerable children and families to deal with the psychosocial consequences of trafficking. Further, the project involved direct psychological interventions, both individual and group therapies, to enhance child mental health and well-being. Due to COVID-19 precautions, 2021 project adaptations will utilize an online platform for upskilling social welfare personnel, considering IT limitations in some areas of the country and staff movement restrictions. This presentation is intended to provide attendees with information on the lessons learned related to upskilling child protection providers. This includes training results, participants’ feedback and shared experiences, and further training/intervention needs.
Presentations Objectives:

· Describe the risk factors that make children more susceptible to sex/labor traffickers

· Discuss content development for training welfare staff engaged in supporting child protection and the survivors of human trafficking

· Explain training evaluation and assessment methods for upskilling providers to support young survivors of trafficking and exploitation

The Journey of Grace retreats are specifically designed for trafficked survivors. It is the only weekend, therapeutic program offered completely free of charge to women who have endured domestic sex trafficking. The presentation will address best practices in working with the deep seeded issues of trauma associated with trafficking through mind, body, and soul activities. The presentation will discuss evidence based therapeutic needs of survivor’s mental health and recommendations on helping survivors heal. The presenter will explain how to utilize survivor leaders in helping survivors move past their life-long hurts while living in this world. This presentation will provide the learner with data on the complexities of trauma to better understand the mental health needs of survivors. It will also provide examples of sessions and the reasoning behind each class offered. Finally, the presenter will discuss the importance of “play”, choices, accessing the “inner child”, trust exercises, and how to have healthy relationships.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the complexities of trauma and how it manifests itself

· Offer recommendations on how to help survivors of human trafficking heal and move past their trauma

· Explain how the retreats address the deep seeded issues of childhood trauma

The CDC offers specific guidance for a public health approach to violence prevention across multiple forms of violence. Still, many human trafficking advocates are often unsure what works as a “best practice” in trafficking prevention, say there are no “best practices,” or struggle to apply the public health approach to violence prevention in meaningful ways. In 2020, the NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault began developing additional resources to support human trafficking prevention work specific to sexual violence that occurs in the context of trafficking within commercial sex or other labor settings, including a Human Trafficking Prevention Toolkit and the Reframing Human Trafficking Prevention intensive training. In this presentation, attendees will receive an overview of the Human Trafficking Prevention Toolkit, learn strategies for incorporating elements of the toolkit into effective prevention strategies, and will learn more about the Reframing Human Trafficking Prevention training model.

Presentation Objectives:

· Introduce the public health model of violence prevention

· Discuss how effective prevention with an anti-oppression lens requires shifts in framework and worldview in addition to skills and awareness

· Review an effective model for training prevention educators

There has been an increased focus in recent years on the provision of specialized community-based and residential services to survivors of human trafficking (HT). This includes multiple state/federal legislative initiatives to address the challenges of service needs, trauma, policy, and funding. As a result, there has been a growth in providers specializing in serving this population; however, there remains limited research towards best practice. The presenters believe in the value of clearly identifying best practices and providing guidance for service provision as a resource for providers, community partners, funders, and others addressing policy and practice related to HT. To address the gap in information on best practice in serving sex and labor trafficking survivors, the Administration for Children and Families Region 4 HT Advisory Group developed a best practices framework to guide and evaluate agencies providing services to this population. Pulling from existing research on best practices in victim services and other key sources (e.g., OVC), authors included 15 key principles with resources and strategies for application along with an assessment tool. This presentation provides the history and purpose of the Guiding Principles. It addresses each of the 15 principles, their practical application in the field, and an overview of the Self-Assessment Tool. Attendees will be able to assess their agency/community/state policies and practices across the focus areas and build a plan for applying the principles in their work. Participation will facilitate building capacity for service providers who are new to the field and enhance service structures for experienced providers.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the history and purpose of the Guiding Principles for Agencies Serving Survivors of Human Trafficking

· Examine the intention and practical application of each Guiding Principle

· Show how the self-assessment tool can be used to evaluate capacity to provide services to survivors of human trafficking

· Provide existing resources to support organizational change

National Crime Records Bureau in its crime report for India in 2018 reflected a continuous increase in the number of cases of human trafficking from 918 (2016) to 1127 (2017) to 1313 (2018) (NCRB, 2019). The research study focuses on scheme initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India in 2007 with Rehabilitation & Protective (R&P) Home. Participatory action research was utilized for the study including active participation with the beneficiaries of R&P homes. The sampling was used to answer three research questions: 1) What are the factors that facilitate effective rehabilitation at R&P Homes? 2) What are the factors that deter effective rehabilitation at R&P Homes? and 3) What are the factors that facilitate effective re-integration post their exit from R&P Homes? Eighty-three (83) women who were victims of commercial sexual exploitation residing at 14 R&P homes in 7 states in India were interviewed between the years 2018 to 2021 through conversational interviews. The findings of the research focused on four main factors: 1) lack of psychological assistance, 2) prevalence of maladaptive coping mechanisms, 3) absence of financial independence, and 4) victimization by stakeholders of the anti-trafficking mechanism. The results of the study indicate that victims of commercial sexual exploitation residing at R&P Homes required dedicated financial and psychological assistance for holistic rehabilitation. This presentation concludes with recommendations for a Holistic Victim Inclusive Rehabilitation for victims of commercial sexual exploitation dedicating the role of every stakeholder of the anti-trafficking movement towards effective rehabilitation and reintegration.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methodology, and findings

· Explain the implications and recommendations of the research

Screening victims of human trafficking presents challenges for both law enforcement and social service providers, especially when immigration status is involved. Nevertheless, immigration questions should not be avoided, and instead leaned into, as a way to increase positive outcomes for both law enforcement and survivors. As such, the presenter believes anti-human trafficking screeners should be aware of immigration issues, but the inquiries must be presented in a trauma and immigration informed way. The T Visa provides immigration relief for human trafficking victims. If granted a T Visa, the foreign national obtains legal status for four years, a work permit, and the opportunity to apply for a green card. In order to receive a T Visa, an applicant is usually required to reach out to law enforcement and comply with their investigation. This benefits both human trafficking survivors by finding immigration relief and assists law enforcement with trafficking investigations and prosecutions. The government allotted 5,000 T Visas for 2020. Unfortunately, the T Visa is underutilized, with just 500 granted in 2019 (2020 Trafficking in Persons Report). The reasons surrounding this dismal grant ratio are many; however, if screeners are asking trauma and immigration informed questions, and making appropriate referrals, the approval rate for the T Visa, and the prosecution rate for traffickers, will rise. This presentation will educate screeners on how to screen human trafficking victims in a trauma and immigration informed way, to improve outcomes for both survivors and law enforcement.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss risk factors and available relief for immigrant trafficking victims

· Describe trauma and immigrant informed screening for trafficking victims

· Provide recommendations on referrals and services for positive screens

The Black Lives Matter movement poses some serious challenges to the anti-trafficking movement. Putting clinical and judicial experiences with human trafficking survivors in conversation with academic theory and reflection, this presentation will explore some of the racialized history of today’s anti-trafficking movement through attention to the influence of the social purity movement, and especially its preoccupation with “white slavery” on today’s anti-trafficking movement (Blakemore, 2019; Clark, 1991; Dozema, 2000, 2010; Irwin, 2000; Pascoe, 1990; Zimmerman 2013). In light of the need to address systemic racism, attention will be given to the ways the movement continues to be impacted by racism (Banks, Duren & Kyckelhahn, 2011; Butler, 2015; Kim, 2020; Ritchie & Jones-Brown, 2017). Participants will be invited to consider their own biases and blind spots when it comes to the movement, with the goal of developing antiracist practices of activism and advocacy.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe some of the overtly racist history of the modern anti-trafficking movement, and modern-day implications

· Discuss next steps for service providers and the agencies for whom they work toward equitable postures, policies, and practices

· Explain the intersection of anti-human trafficking with other social justice movements including today’s Black Lives Matter movement

This session presents the findings from interviews with sex workers about their experiences of violence and trafficking in the sex industry in New Zealand, a country where prostitution is decriminalized. As a community-based participatory research project, sex workers led the research process to gather information and answer the following research questions: 1) How does decriminalization of prostitution impact violence, exploitation, and trafficking in the sex industry? and 2) What can sex workers do if they encounter violence, exploitation, or trafficking? The study’s findings reveal how decriminalization of prostitution impacts exploitation and trafficking in the sex industry. In particular, sex workers identified and discussed violence, safety, and their access to resources if and when they encounter violence or coercion. Also included is a discussion about sex workers’ experiences with the police and the community organization, the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective, when they do encounter violence or exploitation. And finally, participants explain how this legislation can help to reduce violence against sex workers. This research draws on interviews with 33 sex workers and 34 individuals who work closely with sex workers (including brothel operators, clients, social service agents, health professionals, and others, many of whom were also sex workers or had been sex workers in the past) (total=67).

Presentation Objectives:

· Reveal an impression of the level of violence, exploitation, and trafficking that sex workers experience in a country where prostitution is decriminalized

· Bring to light strategies that sex workers use to combat or reduce the level of violence that they may be subjected to (including trafficking), and to make known the amount of control sex workers have over the services they provide

· Describe how New Zealand’s legislative model enhances or impinges on sex worker’s health, safety, and well-being

· Uncover and identify any structural or legislative changes that may be needed to further reduce violence and trafficking against sex workers

· Reveal an impression of the level of violence and trafficking overall that sex workers may be experiencing in a decriminalized environment

Digitalization has given rise to trafficking for ransom through use of extortion via mobile phones. This type of trafficking currently affects many refugees, mainly in Libya. The link between digitalization and human trafficking has been described, but not yet explained. Refugees often traverse “black holes” in the digital landscape, depending on “gatekeepers” for information and services. Qualitative research is used to answer the question: How does the concept of gatekeeping explain the effect of digitalization on human trafficking trajectories of Eritrean refugees on the Central Mediterranean Route? Particularly violent modus operandi have emerged with increasing amounts of victims and money involved (Van Reisen & Mawere, 2017). For example, refugees frequently are affected by extortion for ransom, being forced to call their relatives to pay under torture and threats of death (Van Reisen et. al., 2019). This research looks at the experiences of Eritrean refugees through ethnographic interviews and makes sense of the data through the theoretical lens of gatekeeping theory. The research has so far shown that Eritrean refugees are a “gated” community which is affected by lack of informational tools, but also physical alternatives, which perpetuates their vulnerability to trafficking. Lack of understanding into complexities of digitalization leads to policy approaches which do not fit the reality. Digitalization is a driver of new forms of trafficking, threatening to lead to increasingly risk-free environments for traffickers, as the refugees form a fully closed-off, “gated” community. Without adequate understanding of this in policy making, traffickers remain free to exploit this situation.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including the main questions, methodology and findings

· Emphasize the importance of participant experiences in this type of research

· Illicit thoughts and discussion about the role of digitalization in human trafficking through the case study presented in this research

The sexual exploitation of Indigenous women and girls has historical implications from early settler contact in Canada. Indigenous women have been the targets to break down a nation of people and build the backbone of Canada through patriarchal policies and laws that continue to oppress and marginalize Indigenous people (Stevenson, 2011). They have experienced and continue to experience many forms of abuse, violence, discrimination, and racism because these forms of oppression are deeply rooted in Canada's colonial structures (Razack, 2000). The research question that guided this study is: How do Indigenous ceremonies and teachings contribute to the healing needs of sexually exploited women? 10 Indigenous women took part in a time commitment that included gathering on four days during the research process to explore how traditional Indigenous teaching and ceremonies could help in their healing journeys. Data gathering was comprised of multiple recorded talking circles, participatory research engagement through relationship, and one-on-one interviews. The findings shed light on the importance of how 1) Indigenous epistemes contribute to the healing needs of women who experience sexual exploitation, 2) the complexities involved in healing, 3) the critical role of ceremonies in preventing this form of violence, and 4) the development of support and therapeutic programming based on traditional ceremonies and teachings. This presentation concludes with policy recommendations focusing on decolonization, survivor engagement policies, social work recommendations, decolonizing curriculum, decolonizing social work practice and theory, non-judgmental social work practice, and centering Indigenous methodologies within mainstream research and academia.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, include Indigenous approaches to research, methods, methodologies, and findings

· Provide implications and recommendation based on the research that supports decolonizing social work practice and research within and for Indigenous populations

As a child and teen, Frances developed a hyper-sexualized persona, and after leaving the world of trafficking, struggled to relate outside of the context of sex. This left her feeling isolated, rejected, and vulnerable to re-exploitation. Frances wanted to find her unique identity and realized she could not do this alone - she needed the support of allies. In this session, Frances will offer real-life examples of how she learned how to see herself and operate as a whole person, build positive connections within her community, and leave a hyper-sexualized persona behind - all with the help and encouragement of survivor allies. Frances will share three specific ways that allies can support survivors who are experiencing these particular challenges: modeling healthy relationships, choosing the survivor, and acknowledging the recovery process. These practices encourage survivors like Frances to discover and shape their new identities. She will explain what was modeled in relationships with her allies, as well as what being chosen meant to her and how it helped in developing a healthy identity. She will also dive into how she found the tenacity to move forward in recovery as her allies acknowledged her healing process. Frances will highlight the transformative power of offering a different perspective to survivors like herself. Finally, she will provide creative ideas for challenging harmful and reinforced self-concepts. Attendees will leave the session with practical insights that will be helpful to both survivors and their allies as they relate in empowering, genuine, and new ways.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe how a hyper-sexualized persona can create barriers to flourishing after leaving the life

· Identify common mistakes in relating with survivors that discourage, isolate, and disempower

· Discuss ways in which allies and helpers can effectively come alongside survivors as they reshape their identities from victim to thriver

Increased understanding and awareness of the issue of human trafficking has been identified as an important first step to engagement in anti-trafficking efforts (Busch-Armendariz, Nsonwu & Heffron, 2018). However, Countryman-Roswurm & Brackin (2017) argue that human trafficking awareness efforts are rarely intentional and can sometimes be harmful in re-exploiting survivors. Organizations leading anti-trafficking efforts who intentionally and meaningfully promote human rights approaches may utilize digital activism strategies to increase visibility of the issue, to build community in support of solutions, and to encourage planning and capacity building behind the movement (Jenkins, Ford & Green, 2013; Tufekci, 2017). One women’s civic leadership nonprofit organization, the Junior League of Greater Orlando (JLGO), sought to raise awareness of human trafficking across Florida’s Interstate 4 (I-4) Corridor via a campaign in partnership with the Junior League of Daytona Beach and the Junior League of Tampa. This Coast-to-Coast campaign ran each day in January 2019 for human trafficking awareness month. Each post featured an image of a community leader with a corresponding anti-trafficking quote. JLGO’s Facebook analytics revealed an increase in page views and reach while Instagram analytics similarly increased in reach, actions taken, and impressions. This presentation describes the creation and execution of the Coast-to-Coast campaign and outlines its positive results. Attendees will better understand how to partner with other organizations across geographical boundaries to raise awareness of human trafficking via a social media campaign. Lessons learned will allow for more successful digital activism in the future.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss benefits and drawbacks of digital activism

· Describe ways organizations can create and execute human trafficking awareness campaigns

· Explain lessons learned and next steps

The presentation will focus on sex and labor trafficking of individuals with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and their vulnerability to traffickers. Risk factors will be discussed, as well as signs of victimization, trauma, and prevention. Attendees will learn how human trafficking affects individuals with IDD physically and behaviorally. The presenters want to assist you in how to develop, establish protocols, and supports within the DD system. They will also discuss how to implement community integration in a safe and planful manner to protect our individuals from labor trafficking. The presentation will also showcase some labor trafficking stories as examples to protect the DD population from employers who have immoral practices. There will be some cases discussed based on real life experiences, factual data gathered from Disability Right Ohio research, a Disability Fact Sheets, and a powerful video called “The Boys of Atalissa”, IA. Attendees will take away how their individual vulnerabilities have made them targets in the United States as well as overseas.

Presentation Objectives:

· Inform the community that IDD individuals are being targeted for human trafficking

· Describe risk factors of human trafficking within the IDD population

· Assist with how to develop, establish protocols, and supports within the DD system

· Discuss how integration in the community can have risk for IDD individuals to be labor trafficked

Recent studies (Lederer & Wetzel, 2014) reveal near 88% of trafficked victims are examined in a healthcare facility while in servitude. Several researchers (Becker & Bechtel, 2015; Shandro et al., 2016; Gibbons & Stoklosa, 2016; Mumma et al., 2017) identified the following health issues occurring to trafficked victims: physical injuries, infections particularly urinary tract, head trauma, untreated chronic health conditions, diseases from unsanitary housing and dirty needles, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, OB/GYN issues, and psychosocial distress. Unfortunately, only a limited number of victims are identified even though health professionals, especially nurses (currently 3.8 million), have the opportunity to assess the victims in a private and safe examination environment. A three-contact hour continuing education course on human trafficking, including recommendations from the Florida Board of Nursing and Sevens & Berishaj (2016), was developed and piloted by twelve nurses. From the initiation of the human trafficking course in July 2018, 1,250 nurses participated in the course. A pre-and post-test using Survey Monkey regarding confidence in assessing patients for signs and symptoms of trafficking was added to the course. Data were collected until 100 participants had completed the surveys. A 3 to 6 months post course Survey Monkey questionnaire about applying the information from the course in the clinical area was carried out and is ongoing. Data analysis demonstrated a pre-course knowledge base deficit with a post course significant increase in knowledge and desire for action (Lawrence, 2010). When trafficked victims come into emergency departments, urgent care clinics, and doctors’ offices, a nurse is there. This talk includes a discussion about collaborating with nurses and nursing organizations to identify and assist trafficked victims.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the knowledge base of nurses before and after a human trafficking continuing education course

· Discuss how confident nurses are after taking a human trafficking continuing education course

· Describe how nurses assess for trafficked victims in their clinical practice area after taking a continuing education course

The U.S. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act requires the U.S. government to evaluate other countries' anti-trafficking policies and impose economic sanctions on those countries which are not making significant efforts. Sanctions have been controversial, with some scholars arguing that they are counter-productive (e.g., Chuang 2006). Until now, no scholar has tested whether the threat of sanctions has encouraged desired policy outcomes. This study asks: Has the threat of U.S. sanctions promoted anti-trafficking policies? To overcome selection bias, the researcher first models whether a country eligible for sanctions is, in fact, sanctioned, and then estimates the credibility of the threat of sanctions for other countries in danger of becoming sanctionable. Survival analysis is used to estimate the influence of the threat of sanctions on the time to the introduction of six anti-trafficking policies: criminalization, any revision to the trafficking legal regime, first institutionalization of an intersectoral coordinating body, initiation of a national action plan, formalization of a National Referral Mechanism, and institutionalization of a victim reflection period. The analysis controls for the influence of reputational concerns, the actual imposition of sanctions, and many other factors. Findings indicate that the threat of sanctions has promoted criminalization, intersectoral coordinating bodies, and national action plans, but not other legal change or victim protection policies. In general, countries which have lower sanctions credibility are more likely to introduce the desired policy, suggesting that uncertainty is encouraging policy change. The presentation concludes with recommendations for further research, policy advocacy, and for the conduct of U.S. diplomacy.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study (existing literature, research question, method, and findings)

· Discuss implications for policy advocacy and U.S. diplomacy

Enacted in 2015, the Modern Slavery Act (MSA) is the United Kingdom’s response to ending modern slavery on a global scale. But how did it come to be? And what does the history of anti-trafficking law in the UK tell us about how the MSA is implemented today? Going back to the movement against white slavery in late nineteenth century London, this presentation will examine how anti-trafficking policies have shifted over time to produce tactics, such as border monitoring, employed in the MSA (Lammasniemi, 2017). First called white slavery, a phrase used by early campaigns to refer to young women forced into prostitution (Faulkner 2018; Knepper 2010), trafficking individuals has been a crime that both defies and defines international borders. This project uses discourse analysis and archival research to study how these early conceptions of human trafficking influence the MSA today. By examining the archives of the National Vigilance Association (NVA), a social reform group dedicated to ending white slavery, the presenter has found that race and gender were used to personify victims and perpetrators alongside personal accounts (Attwood 2015; Kempadoo 2015; Laite 2017). This encouraged the NVA to call for increased immigration monitoring networks and stricter border control. Now a bedrock of UK anti-trafficking policy, these approaches to curb trafficking often recycle – knowingly or not – white slavery discourse. Although this work focuses on the UK, fears over white slavery spread to the U.S. These discussions are relevant to all those working against human trafficking globally because it challenges today’s assumptions about survivors and perpetrators using a historic lens.

Presentation Objectives:

· Introduce the history of white slavery panics in the UK and U.S. to the audience

· Demonstrate how early formations of victims or perpetrators are racialized and gendered

· Discuss how these conceptions might influence policy today, like the UK Modern Slavery Act of 2015

The phrase "Nothing About Us Without Us" has become a rallying cry for the inclusion of marginalized communities in research, programming, and dissemination. While this tenant is fundamental, it poses challenges when engaging with vulnerable populations. In their work with the coalition, the presenters create opportunities for people with lived experience to hold compensated professional roles without the expectation that the individuals disclose lived experience or the details of that experience. While this may sound obvious, it is not a blanket approach. We often see the concept of lived experience used to provide legitimacy and value. Moreover, that value is usually derived from trauma porn or the expectation that having lived experience means sharing that experience with others freely and often. This approach contributes to an emerging dichotomy of "professionals" vs "people with lived experience" as if they are not one-in-the-same. All this begs the question: How do we ethically navigate engaging people with lived experience in the work? In this presentation, the presenters will explore the ethical challenges of engaging people with lived experience, the importance of ensuring those who do engage in the work feel valued beyond their lived experience, and how to provide support and recognition of the work done by experiential voices without requiring disclosure. They will do this by drawing on their work with the Empowering Voices of LiVed Experience (EVOLVE) program for survivor leadership and the coalition. Attendees will reflect on the ethics underlying how they engage people with lived experience.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the importance of engaging people with lived experience as experts in sexual exploitation

· Explore the ethical tensions that are inherent in engaging experiential voices without expecting discloser or identification

· Explain how the presenters navigate these tensions within their program and the challenges they continue to face

· Offer recommendations for more ethical engagement and provide space for reflection

Education is a vital dimension of the human trafficking prevention toolkit. Many of the highest-risk sex-trafficked populations are school-age youth (U.S. Department of State, 2019). Among these youth, Black girls are disproportionately vulnerable to sex trafficking. This is attributable to the complex trauma experienced because of systemic racism and a legacy of colonial body politics. The modern fetishization of Black bodies is a product of European colonial expansion. The hypersexual scripting of the Black body helps explain why sex trafficking impacts Black girls at higher rates than other groups. The notion of sex-trafficked Black girls as a victimless crime stems from these historical narratives where these girls are perceived as sexually promiscuous and incorrigible (Phillips, 2015; Morris, 2015). Data reveals that when sex trafficked Black girls are identified, the criminal justice system treats them more harshly (Phillips, 2015). These same racial and sexual stereotypes have created a culture of punishment within schools, wherein youth of color are more likely to experience exclusionary discipline in comparison to their White counterparts. Presenters connect the disproportionate impact of sex trafficking to reporting barriers and the often harsher, exclusionary discipline and punitive treatment of Black girls experienced in the K-12 setting. This presentation calls attention to the pivotal role educators and educational leaders can play in identifying and preventing the exploitation of Black girls.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the history of racism in the U.S. as it relates to the hyper-sexualization of the Black body

· Note how racial disparities heighten the risk of sex trafficking among Black girls

· Discuss how trauma and generational trauma impacts sex-trafficked youth

· Highlight the role of schools as it relates to mandated reporting and what educators and school leaders can do to help identify and protect sex trafficked Black girls

Too often, well-meaning care providers participate in a system that re-traumatizes survivors of childhood abuse and interpersonal violence (Elliot, Bjelajac, Fallot, Markoff, & Reed, 2005). Providers often misunderstand the presentation of trauma, misattribute behaviors to apathy or defiance, and focus disproportionate attention on the choices of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) victims instead of on oppressive social structures and practice standards that recreate their harm. DMST victims’ responses to their trauma, like cursing and insulting, can cause significant discomfort for providers, who respond in ways that echo the autonomy-limiting, dignity-denying patterns DMST survivors have learned to avoid. As social workers who observed our DMST survivors’ interactions with countless providers, we propose a relationship-based lens for applying trauma informed care. A relationship-based lens examines the provider’s relationship with their clients, and their relationship to the social obstacles that trap clients before, during, and after their exploitation. Specifically, we recommend leaning into one’s discomfort to better understand DMST survivor needs, applying specific interpretive and communication skills when a survivor’s cursing and trauma-informed behaviors escalate. Through active listening and consistent expression of regard, providers can more effectively recognize client-centered narratives and model new, healthier relationships which survivors can reference during their recovery. This presentation will assist providers who want to develop and apply skills to understand DMST’s client-centered narratives can help victims overcome their hesitancy to engage and begin to build trust, possibly for the first time.

Presentation Objectives:

· Educate attendees about how DMST survivors and victims present for care, given their exposure to compounding traumas

· Invite providers to identify their internal biases that can hamper client recovery

· Provide specific clinical tools to help providers engage appropriately and effectively with domestic minor sex trafficking survivors and victims

Over the past 20 years, there has been increased attention on the involvement of strangulation within interpersonal violence and sexual violence situations from law enforcement and medical professionals as the prevalence, lethality, and near invisibility of the evidence has emerged. Little research has been done to explore the use of strangulation by sex traffickers. From a nine-year study of 725 police records in Las Vegas, 118 (16.3%) reported experiencing strangulation during their sex trafficking victimization. Non-fatal strangulation was more often reported by adult victims when compared to minor victims. Victims who reported non-fatal strangulation were more likely reported along with experiencing kidnapping, their sex trafficker had a weapon, and were more likely to report having been recruited through romance. The implications of this study are critically important to how society views sex trafficking victims and their forced criminal behavior.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of non-fatal strangulation in interpersonal violence relationships

· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methodology, and findings

· Discuss how this information can be used by practitioners, law enforcement, and prosecutors

For survivors working to regain a life post trafficking and learn ways to help their mind heal from trauma, bodily healing is just as important. It's not only good mental health practices, but also physically restorative practices that will bring survivors from surviving to thriving. This session will teach participants the positive impacts of fitness and wellness programming for survivors of trafficking. They will learn about approachable activities well suited for survivors to take part in, ways to encourage others to pursue activity to bolster their healing journey, about trauma informed fitness instruction, and helping survivors find their “fit.”

Presentation Objectives:

· Offer compelling and meaningful messaging to survivors and service providers, encouraging them to pursue health and wellness activities

· Discuss wellness activities that are appropriate, effective, and sustainable for survivors

· Identify qualities of an affective instructor and ways to help the instructor be trauma informed in their role

· Address vicarious trauma/self-care for providers

This presentation strives to expand healthcare providers’ understanding of what sex work is and how to provide effective, comprehensive, compassionate care. Sex workers are a group of patients incredibly varied in their backgrounds, experiences, and needs. Studies and collected oral narratives have proven sex workers in the United States have a difficult time accessing healthcare and caring for their health. This disparity is largely the result of their criminalized status and stigma. “Sex Work” is an umbrella term that describes trading economic markers of value for sexual or erotic labor through performance or physical engagement. Some forms of sex work are legal, other forms are criminal. Legal forms include pornography, stripping, BDSM, phone sex, and camming. Illegal services in the United States include escorting, working in a brothel, massage, and other similar exchanges of sexualized services for money that may leave individuals vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis, and HIV/AIDS. As a previously incarcerated felon defined as a child bride and youth sex trafficking victim, Bella Robinson knows all too well the barriers sex workers face. In the 1980s in foster care, she experienced classism and stigma as a result of poverty. As an adult, she was at the mercy of prison doctors and emergency response triage teams. The stigma sex workers face accessing non-judgmental, compassionate care weighs heavily on her heart and hits very close to home. Her Continuing Medical Education (CME) modules teach service providers best practices for helping “people involved in the sex industry” access non-judgmental and compassionate health care services.

Presentation Objectives:

· Show CME video module material while speaking about the content

· Expand outreach for sex workers

· Create national access to non-judgmental and compassionate medical services

· Allow for sex work-friendly services to be implemented

In India, numerous castes practice customary prostitution (Dolson, 2014; Jha & Sharma, 2016) that is either based in traditional religious practices (e.g., Devadasi) or the more recently developed tribal based prostitution that developed out of economic need (e.g., among the Bacchara, Perna, Nat, and Bedia for instance). Research is limited on sex work among these unique populations--but common elements tend to be early age of entry (roughly around age 14 or 15), female participation only, inter-generational familial involvement, and social sanctioning. These elements characterize how the commercial sex industry (CSI) has manifested among the Bedia. Data collection involved in-depth, open-ended, personal interviews with 31 Bedia females either currently involved or recently exited from the CSI. Participants were then divided into three groups based on age as follows: those less than 25 years of age (n = 12); those aged between 25 and 40 years (n = 11); and those aged 41 years or older (n = 7). Data from each was analyzed separately. Common themes among all surrounded: making sense of life within the CSI, intimate partnerships and social support, and children. Despite common themes, the manifestation of each varied considerably based on age and experience within the CSI. This investigation highlights the inherent value of small-scale, micro-studies for revealing the complexity of human trafficking across cultures and geographies. Implications for continued research will also be discussed. Other members of the research team included Kaitlin Roselius, MS; Victoria Johnson, PhD(c); Jessie Peter, PhD; Trupti Jhaveri Panshal, PhD; Ramani Ranjan, MSW; Mrinalini Mishra, PhD(c) and Sager Sahu, MS.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methods, and results

· Describe the implications of the research for practice and continued scholarship

· Discuss implications of studying sex trafficking in culturally unique, difficult-to-access populations

Native peoples across the United States are experiencing tremendous violence. Recent statistics indicate that over 80% of Native peoples will experience violence in their lifetime (Rosay, 2016). Homicide is the third leading cause of death among Native women and girls which is a rate ten times greater than the national average (Joseph, 2021; Lucchesi & Echo-Hawk, 2018). Across North America, there are an unknown number of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People. While little formal attention has been given to this epidemic, grassroots efforts are centering the voices of Native people to understand this current social problem. This qualitative research study used data from 15 Native participants in focus groups and interviews to understand the victimization experienced in Native communities within the Great Plains. Thus, helping to answer the research question, what are the underlying causes of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People? Using grounded theory, this study identified the impact of historical trauma from colonial practices such as forcible removal from lands, sexual violence, and boarding schools on contemporary victimization among Native communities. Additionally, this presentation discusses the need for future research to be Indigenous-led and center on the voices of Native people. This research was conducted with two other non-presenting research partners, Abi Montgomery and Anna Doering. It is in gratitude that this research team acknowledges this project would not have occurred without the trust and support of the many Native people who shared their experiences, knowledge, and time with this team.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define the term "missing" as it pertains to Murdered and Missing Indigenous People

· Explain the relationship between historical trauma and Murdered and Missing Indigenous People

· Discuss the connections between other forms of violence, historical trauma, and Murdered and Missing Indigenous People

America is at a crossroad of demographic shifts and stark racial economic disparities. A 2020 Census Bureau report stated that by 2045, Whites will no long make up the majority of the U.S. population. As the U.S. becomes more racially and ethnically diverse, it continues to grapple with racial economic disparities. Systems need to change to yield better outcomes for a growing percentage of the U.S. population. There is a leadership role for lawyers to play in advancing the creation of systems that yield equal access to economic opportunity. Research was conducted through evaluating historical laws, policies, Census data, Federal Reserve research and labor statistics. This research was used to answer the following questions: (1) What role has law and policy played in creating systems that continue to yield racial economic disparities between Blacks and Whites? and (2) What leadership roles may lawyers play in changing and building systems that advance social justice. Findings focus on three main areas: (1) income and wealth disparities; (2) the effects of incarceration on economic opportunity and generational economic mobility; and (3) relationship between socioeconomic status and healthcare access. Results indicate that law and policy have contributed to persistent generational racial economic disparities. Since lawyers are involved in creating laws, upholding laws, and helping people navigate our systems, lawyers have a critical leadership role to play in changing systems. This presentation concludes with recommendations on alternative lawyering approaches to advancing social justice and strategies for equipping the next generation of lawyer-leaders.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the scholarly and legal research conducted

· Describe recommendations for solutions to persistent racial economic disparities and the role that the legal profession may play

Due to COVID-19, programs for survivors of prostitution were shut down, increasing the risks of violence, poverty, and isolation that they already face (Noble et al., 2020; Tracia’s Trust Strategy to Prevent Sexual Exploitation and Sex Trafficking, Manitoba Government, 2019). Getting Out: A National Framework for Escaping Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Canada, asserts that, “Communities can provide natural supports and fulfill a fundamental psychosocial need (Noble et al., 2020, p.69)” for survivors. Recognizing this need, Survivors United envisioned a peer-led, peer-operated, and ally-supported network of survivors in which peers could support each other as a community. Survivors United was designed to reduce isolation and facilitate peer support in response to COVID-19-related disruptions to health and social services. This initiative was facilitated by several Lived Experience Leaders of the Manitoba Tracia’s Trust Advisory Council of Knowledge Keepers through social media and a series of theme-based videoconferencing peer support groups. Program goals were peer support, capacity building, role modeling, mentorship, and bridging organizations to survivors to facilitate warm hand-offs and smooth transitions, and fostering availability and accessibility to survivor communities and supports. Based on member feedback, Survivors United succeeded in achieving many of its goals. Survivors United believes that, through the use and expansion of existing resources via strategic partnerships, this platform could provide an online hub of resources, professionals, and programming. This presentation will outline the program, its results, and supporting research as well as recommendations for its adaptation.

Presentation Objectives:

· Share an innovative peer-led response to COVID-19 lockdowns and disruptions to services

· Provide an overview of online peer support programming for survivors

· Demonstrate ways to increase the availability and accessibility of social services to marginalized groups through online services

· Discuss the importance of ally organizations in supporting peer-led initiatives

Child labor trafficking in the U.S has proven to be difficult to research and very little is known about the scope, severity, or common characteristics of child labor trafficking situations. The goals of this study are to: gain insight into the factors that contribute to children becoming victims of child labor trafficking in the United States; explore the outcomes of arrest cases of labor traffickers of children and trends of victims’ involvement in cases; and add to the literature regarding the vulnerabilities of migrant and domestic workers exploited by child labor traffickers. This study explores 34 cross-section child labor trafficking criminal cases in the U.S. between 2011 and 2018. The majority of the cases (73.5%, n = 25) were child labor trafficking only while 26.5 percent (n = 9) were both child sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Fifty-eight percent of the victims were children from foreign countries. Techniques for recruitment and retention used by the traffickers included psychological, physical, and sexual violence along with offering shelter to the victims. Recommendations include the need to increase research and awareness about child labor trafficking in the U.S. and to improve child victim benefits and compensation in the United States.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, methods, and findings

· Provide recommendations to increase research and awareness about child trafficking in the U.S.

Though limited research has explored trafficker relationships involving family members as perpetrators, it is well documented that some victims of child trafficking are exploited by a family member or by a non-relative facilitated by a family member. This study utilized administrative data from the United States’ Kentucky child welfare system to examine how victim characteristics, case factors, system responses, and case outcomes are related to whether a child is trafficked by a family member perpetrator versus non-relative (only) perpetrator. Analyses were based on 698 alleged victims of child trafficking reported between 2013 and 2017. Findings suggest that victims of family-controlled trafficking were more likely to have a higher number of perpetrators, live in rural communities, and be younger. Further, instances of family-controlled trafficking were found to be more likely reported by anonymous, non-relative community members, and relative reporting parties compared to reporting parties of professionals, law enforcement, courts, and juvenile justice, as reflected in previous literature. Important findings revealed that having a family member involved as the perpetrator of trafficking predicted that the case would not be substantiated and/or founded, compared to cases not involving a family member. Implications for future research regarding the dynamics of family-controlled trafficking cases will be discussed. Findings suggest opportunities for enhanced practices, training, and capacity in rural communities. To make a significant impact on the reduction of family-controlled trafficking, this presentation sheds light on the need for enforced penalties for family members as traffickers.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define family-controlled trafficking

· Describe the issue of family-controlled trafficking in Kentucky

· Describe the risk factors associated with family-controlled trafficking

Over the last decade, thousands of domestic sex trafficking victims have been identified and offered services. Though there is little evidence-based research on the mental health treatment of victims of human trafficking, one disturbing trend cannot be ignored: victims oftentimes exhibit strong attachments to their trafficker and/or the lifestyle of commercial sexual exploitation. Whether resolute to return, wavering in ambivalence, or desperately trying to suppress a desire to return, many victims experience some level of attachment to traffickers and/or “the game”. It is a troubling and perplexing reality that many victims feel powerless to combat. One resource, a survivor-written coercion-resiliency curriculum, is being utilized in over 100 victim-serving facilities in 38 states with extremely promising results in minimizing victims’ bond to traffickers and the lifestyle of commercial sexual exploitation. Ending The Game (ETG) educates and empowers sex trafficking victims by providing a structure and framework to uncover harmful psychological coercion (a.k.a. “The Game”) that victims may have been subjected to during their exploitation. It was recently praised in the Journal of Women & Criminal Justice (March 2021) for showing “…positive trends in improvement of regulatory capacity, relational capacity, sense of self, and future orientation.” This workshop will explain key foundational knowledge about psychological coercion in human trafficking and familiarize participants with the ETG Curriculum.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide foundational knowledge concerning coercion in trafficking and its role in recidivism

· Explain why victims exhibit strong attachments to their traffickers and/or “the game”

· Describe Ending the Game, a first-of-its-kind “coercion resiliency” curriculum that reduces feelings of attachment to traffickers and/or “the game”

· Describe The Cool Aunt sex trafficking prevention talk series for youth

This presentation will discuss the research that supports the use of expressive arts and play therapy interventions for individuals who have experienced a traumatic event (Rappaport, 2015), such as human trafficking. Traumatic events will be defined, as well as specific triggers for some of these events (Kalmanowitz, 2012). Expressive arts and play therapy interventions will be facilitated with participants to enhance their work with this population (Harte; Hamilton; & Meston, 2013). Clinicians, graduate students in counseling, and other related mental health professionals should be well equipped with interventions to work effectively with this population. The mental health field will benefit from additional effective interventions with a targeted population if clinicians and students can develop effective interventions for working with clients who have experienced trafficking (Perryman; Blisard; & Moss, 2019).

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe play therapy and expressive art interventions for individuals who have experienced a traumatic event, such as human trafficking

· Provide examples of expressive art and play therapy interventions that are effective with individuals who have experienced trafficking

This is a first-hand account of efforts made to expand a social justice writing mentoring internship during the COVID-19 changes to universities and public schools starting March of 2020. Fearless Writers was created 5 years ago as a way to introduce interprofessional college students to the lived experience of people from different neighborhoods with the hope of countering the impact of neighborhood segregation common within the United States while also fostering high school student voice and advocacy. Fearless Writers serves as a creative writing community and a space for youth research on topics like neighborhood segregation, gun violence, and the historic contribution of the Black community to the Toledo area. Over the past year, the group created small written pieces as evidence of thoughts and feelings shared by members during a time of health and racial crisis. The presenters will reflect on the experience of continuing Fearless Writers in a virtual format for academic year 2020/2021 with the risk of not knowing what would happen to the project that was constantly shifting while the local and state government were scrambling to plan for community safety. The audience will have an opportunity to consider the importance of youth voices to an understanding of social injustice and learn about creative solutions to raising awareness about important issues to youth in our communities.

Presentation Objectives:

· Consider the importance of creative expression to developing political agency

· Discuss the importance of youth perspective on healing after an international health crisis

· Describe the impact a writing community can have on social separation and act as an intervention to raise awareness about implicit bias

This presentation will be conducted by Anne and Melissa, who are Human Trafficking Navigators that have worked together in bordering communities for the last three years. Through their experience, cases of human trafficking and providing person-centered and trauma-informed responses to victims are more successful when there is a healthy, functioning team response. The presentation will cover ideas for creating and maintaining successful multi-disciplinary teams and includes components in each section of the training specific to communities bordering state lines and/or communities that border a reservation where trafficking cases may overlap. Anne and Melissa will discuss what they have learned through team development and provide ideas for ongoing rapport building within the team, how to increase trust, how to navigate dynamics of local teams, the importance of proper education, and concepts for managing conflict. Attendees will learn new ideas for team engagement with an understanding of the importance of including trauma-informed and socio-ecological concepts when creating and maintaining their local teams. The goal of this presentation is for teams to understand potential barriers to victims receiving efficient services and responses to their trafficking experience, with an emphasis on the additional barriers and dynamics when involving bordering communities and reservations. Attendees will gain perspective on the importance of prioritizing relationship-building within their team and communities to ensure success in these cases and, more importantly, victim recovery.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of local multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) and their importance in human trafficking responses

· Discuss personal experience in creating MDTs, including the successes and conflicts/barriers that arise and how to navigate them

· Explain the importance of proper education and incorporating trauma-informed and socio-ecological concepts within team development and maintenance

· Provide ideas for implementation strategies to utilize while engaging local MDTs in bordering communities and on reservations

Sex workers are denied or forcefully deprived of their very basic rights which are required to live as a human being (i.e., education, health, privacy, and most importantly dignity or self-respect). The very simple understanding of the universal definition of “human rights” is that every human being, irrespective of his/her sex, caste, creed, religion. or any form of identification, has certain basic rights which is a priori (George, Vindhya & Ray, 2010). But when it comes to sex workers, the principles of human rights are ignored, and their profession is labeled as immoral. In the Constituent Assembly Shri Brijeshwar, Prasad argued in favor of legalizing prostitution considering it to be an “old institution” which according to him cannot be abolished. If it is done, it will create a black market and will go underground (Glanville, 1990). The presentation will focus on the following points: 1) Who is a sex worker- legal status in India in the past & present. 2) Society, Morality, and Prostitution: There is something “right” about prostitution, which the law violates by criminalizing it (Shrage, 1994). The role of society in making sex workers untouchables/miserable and promoting discrimination (socially, economically, and legally). 3) Legality of Prostitution in India, and the role of intermediaries in trafficking, corruption, and violence. 4) Health issues in the Red-Light areas in India. 5) And finally certain basic suggestions and recommendations for the same.

Presentation Objectives:

· Identify and describe the socio-legal status of sex workers in India

· Describe the consequences legal loopholes in Indian legislation relating to prostitution

· Propose the proper action plan and policies containing minimum standards of living to all including sex workers

The worldwide collateral effects of COVID-19 are unequally and disproportionately affecting vulnerable and marginalized populations, among them people in the sex trade. Aid organizations are forced to quickly adapt to this new pandemic reality. Thus, the crisis creates new challenges and exacerbates existing hardships for both the people in the sex trade and aid organizations. Accordingly, the main research question was: "What are the experiences and challenges faced by Israeli people in the sex trade and the aid organizations aiming to help them during the COVID-19 pandemic?" Findings are based on a thematic analysis of naturalistic qualitative interviews conducted during May to December 2020, with representatives of 23 Israeli aid organizations and 20 people with sex trade experience. The interviews with aid organizations' workers revealed an increase in referrals and material and emotional needs among their clients. Focusing on provision of materiel needs while neglecting psychotherapeutic, medical, or advocacy interventions has inevitably influenced aid-work in three central areas: therapeutic relationships, self-perception and self-worth of aid workers, and in revealing organizational strengths. Interviewees in the sex trade described how and to what extent working in sex helped them to cope with COVID-19 related needs, and the obstacles and facilitating factors met when trying to secure aid. Both groups related to the role of online and distance therapeutic interventions during the crisis. The implications focus on policy and direct service recommendations directed at the alleviation of obstacles to providing people in the sex trade with the required assistance in times of crisis.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including main questions, methodology, and findings

· Describe research implications for policy and practice

Human trafficking survivors often face considerable difficulty securing safe, sustainable employment upon exiting human trafficking and returning to the community. Without safe employment that pays a living wage, people who have been trafficked remain highly vulnerable to ongoing exploitation (Tran et al, 2017). Regenesys BPO is a social enterprise operating in the Philippines for over seven years that provides supported, technology-based employment to survivors of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and intimate violence, together with other vulnerable young people. The company aims not only to provide a living wage through enhanced technical skills and stable employment, but also a context in which survivors can progress toward achieving full and sustained reintegration. Research pertaining to vocational training and supported employment is lacking within the literature on trafficking specific services. Therefore, Regenesys BPO has needed to significantly adapt existing resources and innovate new approaches to ensure survivors can be successful in a competitive work environment. Strategies which are embedded within the workplace include an open, supportive, and nurturing workplace culture, trauma-informed performance management, formalized educational programs addressing physical, mental, social, and financial wellbeing, and workplace counseling (Gill & Tsai, 2018). The enterprise’s accumulated experience and emerging research demonstrate sustained improvement in mental health outcomes, increase personal empowerment, and strengthening of personal identity, self-esteem, and core capabilities (Poveda et al, 2019). Attendees will gain a deep appreciation for the significant role of higher skilled and supported workplace environments in survivor recovery and the specific dynamics and strategies within the workplace that support this outcome.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the importance of sustained, decent employment for survivors

· Describe the role of the workplace in survivor recovery and reintegration

Within the last few years, the healthcare field has begun to address human trafficking by identifying and responding to patients who may have experienced trafficking. Innovative work has identified red flags that healthcare providers can look for and training has been developed on trauma-informed care. For the survivors who receive these services, the care can be life changing. In public health, the border of health work extends beyond treatment to also include prevention, like promoting healthy eating and physical activity to prevent diabetes. The same can be done in the area of human trafficking, looking upstream for ways to prevent trafficking from happening, protecting people from the abuse and trauma. One way that healthcare can prevent trafficking is through addressing forced labor in the production of medical supplies, especially in Asia. Labor trafficking is involved in the production of many goods that are used every day by consumers and businesses. Some progress has been made in the apparel and electronics industry regarding forced labor, and healthcare also has a role to play. In response to this need, CommonSpirit Health is developing a program to identify high risk products and work with suppliers to create safeguards for workers to prevent labor trafficking. Other healthcare systems are invited to join this work so that no harm will be done– to either the patients or those who make the products needed for patient care.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of labor trafficking in supply chains generally

· Describe how the supply chain of healthcare products are also part of this system

· Explain how the healthcare field can address this issue, thereby reducing labor trafficking

Given the international nature of offenses about child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), the current presentation highlights the importance of conducting a comparative analysis of this offending group across the Australian and U.S. federal court jurisdictions. The researchers note that compared with the literature on victims of child exploitation, limited research has explored the characteristics of CSEM offenders. Further, little research has explored the messages delivered by the judiciary during sentencing regarding CSEM offenses. Exploring this data source offers substantive information about the offender, victim, and broader community and offers insight into the harmfulness of the crime. The objectives of this presentation are to: (1) identify any differences in the demographic characteristics of the cases (e.g., age, race, occupation, ethnicity), (2) explore the differences in the messaging of judicial sentencing remarks, and (3) obtain a deeper understanding on the characteristics of CSEM offenders and explore the censure sentencing judiciary impart. This presentation is an extension of the earlier studies conducted by the presenters in their respective jurisdictions and will discuss the current literature, which draws from the two prior studies to present hypothesized results and implications. This presentation should further contribute to an international perspective about both the characteristics of this offending group and the judicial censure delivered. In turn, the information within this presentation can be used to develop a more global holistic approach for preventing and treating CSEM offenses. This research is a valuable resource across multiple disciplines such as psychology, social work, criminology, law enforcement, and the legal professions.

Presentation Objectives:

· Identify differences in the demographic characteristics of the cases

· Explore differences in the messaging of judicial sentencing remarks

· Provide a deeper understanding on the characteristics of CSEM offenders

· Explore the censure sentencing judiciary impart

Scholars generally agree that exiting street prostitution is a complex process (Dalla, 2006; Baker, Dalla & Williamson, 2010). Unfortunately, women are rarely successful on their first exit attempt. However, studies of prostitution exiting have not adequately addressed women’s difficulties in asking for help in this arduous process, which may explain part of its challenge. This research project explored the concept of asking for help among a sample of 29 substance-using adult women exiting street prostitution in five programs in the greater Philadelphia area. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were analyzed to solicit women’s own understanding of their need for help in the process of exiting. Results indicate that most women found it difficult to ask for help in their exiting process, even though they knew they needed this help. Previous negative experiences with both kins and professionals, shame, and fear of stigma, as well as pride may hinder women from asking for help and serve as barriers to exit. A possible solution lies in taking example from peers with similar lived experience (Deer & Baumgartner, 2019; Hotaling et al., 2004; O’Hagan, 2009). Peers are able to relate to women’s past experiences in prostitution, serve as role models and show women the benefits of asking for help. In conclusion, by closely examining women’s narratives, this presentation sheds light on the neglected issue of asking for help; the study recommends incorporating peer support as role models in programs assisting women who exit street prostitution, similar to how it has been done in the fields of substance abuse treatment (Bassuk et al., 2016; Eddie et al., 2019) and mental health (Gidugu et al., 2015; O’hagan, 2009; Walker & Bryant, 2013) fields.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study of the influence of support on women's exiting journeys out of street prostitution, including main research questions, methodology, and key findings

· Describe the implications and recommendations related to adopting peer support strategies in programs that assist women exiting street prostitution

This session presents an overview of human trafficking and illicit massage businesses (IMBs) in Ohio and provides detailed policy recommendations aimed at reducing commercial sexual and labor exploitation within this sector. The study consists of original research that builds upon recent research on IMBs conducted by Polaris (2018), Heyrick (2020), and others. Ohio is unique in the U.S. in that massage therapy is licensed and regulated by the state medical board, but non-therapeutic or “relaxation” massage legally exists with nearly zero oversite or regulation. This loophole in the law has contributed to the spread of IMBs that often exploit primarily foreign workers for commercial sex or forced labor. This study examines the many intersectional causes and effects of this exploitation (e.g., race, culture, class, migration) and offers an overview of currently proposed state legislation (SB 55, HB 81), content analysis and coding of municipal ordinances from 28 different Ohio cities, an examination of Ohio-based IMB advertising and reviews from commercial sex web sites, quantitative analysis of four decades of Ohio media reports accessed from Lexis-Nexis, and formal interviews conducted with seven experts with IMB-related experience in Ohio (including: law enforcement, researchers, advocates, and massage therapists). Findings include an overview of IMBs in Ohio, an evaluation of existing municipal codes relating to IMBs, a set of policy recommendations, and an advocacy strategy and for community activists to create positive change.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of the study, including main questions, methodology, and findings

· Describe the implications and recommendations based on the research

Even though the case management credo is to walk along survivors toward healing and restoration, many advocates are not familiar with how to effectively work with survivors from the beginning of the professional relationship to the end. Even when the general practice of case management is understood, effective and successful case management with human trafficking survivors is not well understood. This session will provide case managers and those that desire to work directly with survivors with key information to increase your level of knowledge, decrease your doubts, and increase your potential to be more successful in your work with survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the components of case management practice with human trafficking survivors

· Describe the barriers and fears of many case managers working with human trafficking survivors and how to counter those

· Explain the components leading to more successful outcomes with survivors

Human trafficking has been increasingly recognized worldwide as a major public health problem. It is a crime based on exploitation of the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals of any community and is a violation of human rights. Children are especially at risk of victimization and may experience considerable physical and mental health consequences. Adding these problems to pre-existing vulnerabilities and adversities makes human trafficking a complex health issue that needs to be addressed by a multidisciplinary team including health care providers. Professionals working with children have the responsibility to screen and report suspected child trafficking and offer services as appropriate. This presentation will focus on what makes children, in particular, vulnerable for being trafficked and how to prevent trafficking in children. It will help the attendees recognize child victims of human trafficking and address their needs in a trauma sensitive approach. It will also focus on what the medical evaluation entails and why it is important in high-risk children to address the health consequences of being trafficked. It will be case based, and attendees will learn from different examples and cases throughout the session.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define human trafficking, specifically in children

· Describe child victims of human trafficking

· Explain the health consequences of human trafficking

· Identify tools for medical providers to use for victim identification and assessment

· Explain the health care needs of child victims

Homelessness is a complex issue, affected by individual, familial, social, and structural factors (Mago et. al., 2013). To be effective, interventions should be customized to address individuals’ needs (Woodward & Johnston, 2008). Such customization requires coordination among social services agencies. This presentation will describe a successful community organizing effort in a rural/suburban county to provide services to the homeless population. Starting in 2013, agencies and community groups in the county utilized an Asset Based Community Development framework to collaborate in developing Project Homeless Connect (PHC). For this annual event, area service providers collaborate to serve individuals/families in need and to raise awareness of homelessness among community members. PHC has helped the community and service providers to foster stronger relationships, work interdependently, and have a positive impact on each other. Nearly 50 community agencies participate in PHC to serve 300 homeless and at-risk clients/year. The average age of participants was a little above 40 years, 75% of them were White/Non-Hispanic, approximately 70% were females, 42% were single, 18% had previously been evicted, 29% did not have reliable transportation, 18% reported having criminal records, and the average number of services that participants wished to be connected to was 5. Evaluation of PHC indicates that clients are helped during the event and throughout the year via referrals to community services. The event also has impacted community organizations, with 62% of providers reporting that their understanding of homelessness has changed as a result of their participation in PHC.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe common challenges experienced by homeless individuals in a rural/ suburban geographical area

· Identify strategies to connect homeless population to various resources utilizing PHC model

· Utilize theoretical framework to engage community and various stakeholders in the community organizing initiative

Juvenile delinquency continues to be a concern for parents, schools, communities, and the various systems (criminal justice, behavioral health, child welfare, and education to name a few) that collaborate to support, rehabilitate, and develop healthy, productive young adults. One method that many consider, although others question its effectiveness, is a restorative justice approach to juvenile criminal matters. Restorative justice intervention can directly contribute to the youth’s ownership of behavior and harm to others and the community. As youth discover new skills through restorative justice intervention, they learn how to more appropriately respond to various stressful, pressured, or unhealthy situations and avoid re-offending behavior in the future. There is room at the table for alternative approaches to be considered as youth and their families should not be “boxed into a one size fits all approach”. One goal of this research was to understand how youth internalize positive change in behavior. The various stakeholders: youth, parents, community members, and the legal system, will gain alternative avenues that support youth long-term in developing pro-social skills. This can also be helpful to justice practitioners working in organizations that try to help offenders following an offense.

Presentation Objectives:

· Review how youth gained pro-social skills as a result of the intervention

· Examine the case studies and data gathering instruments

· Discuss the structure for conflict mediation with youthful offenders and their victim(s)

The purpose of this presentation is to critically examine multinational oil companies’ (MOCs) corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of its global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on the surge of children in street situations in the oil-producing communities. A total of 2,400 respondent households were sampled across the communities of the Niger Delta. The results from the use of a combined propensity score matching (PSM) and logit model indicate that GMoU interventions generate significant gains in the household struggle against the surge of children in street situations, and if enhanced, will lift many children out of the street. It implies that if the host communities do not feel that the GMoU interventions will create sustainable child welfare and social service systems, they will keep neglecting household members taking to the streets, which breeds violence and creates a hostile environment for multinational enterprises (MNEs). This research adds to the literature on child abuse and neglect from a CSR perspective and rationale for social projects demands by host communities in developing countries. It concludes that businesses have an obligation to help in solving problems of public and global concerns.

Presentation Objectives:

· Show the mapped out spread of street children along sex and age across the cities of host communities

· Examine the level of interventions of the multinational oil companies (MOC’s) CSR in providing welfare in the cities of host communities

· Analyze the impact of MOC’s CSR on reducing the surge of streets children in the host communities

Human trafficking survivors face a diverse range of legal obstacles that arise from the circumstances of their exploitation, including criminal record impediments, family law obstacles, and immigration challenges. Yet, they often lack the knowledge and the financial means to secure skilled legal representation. Known as the “Justice Gap,” this inability to secure legal assistance often impedes survivors from moving toward a brighter future. In this presentation, Nate Knapper discusses the urgent need to close the Justice Gap through the establishment of a national network of “Legal First Responders” -- an army of attorneys committed to servicing the legal needs of human trafficking survivors on a pro bono basis.

Presentation Objectives:

· Familiarize attendees with the most prevalent legal needs of human trafficking survivors

· Describe the severity of the Justice Gap among the survivor population

· Propose a solution that will close the Justice Gap among survivors wherever they are encountered

A persistent challenge in addressing labor trafficking is the lack of training and awareness among law enforcement of how to identify and effectively respond to potential labor trafficking cases. Minnesota is building on its strong track record in addressing sex trafficking by improving its response to labor trafficking and working with law enforcement as a key component of that response. The Minnesota Human Trafficking Investigators Taskforce (MNHITF) is in the middle of a multi-year project to develop a protocol for state and local law enforcement on responding to and investigating labor trafficking. In collaboration with a working group of law enforcement, prosecutors, civil enforcement agencies, victim advocates, survivor leaders, service providers, and researchers, the MNHITF is drafting a protocol including materials for patrol officers, investigators, and administration. The presentation will explore the process of developing the protocol and the content of the protocol itself. Presenters will share the challenges and successes of the working group and how they were addressed. The presentation will also provide a look forward at the implementation stage where the working group will analyze how the protocol was used in a pilot case. Participants will use the framework of the Minnesota process to evaluate how they could conduct a similar process in their own community.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss how Minnesota is working to develop a labor trafficking protocol for law enforcement

· Identify the key stakeholders, issues, and lessons learned during the process

· Provide space for attendees to evaluate how a similar process could work in their own communities

While raising awareness is an important step to ending human trafficking, little is known about the extent of public awareness of the phenomenon. A Google search reveals no data, only the push of anti-trafficking campaigns to increase awareness. General education courses, a degree requirement for most colleges and universities, offer a unique opportunity to raise awareness about human trafficking among undergraduate students. Additionally, anecdotally, undergraduate student interest in the topic has greatly increased in the past two decades, creating a perfect condition for offering such courses on college and university campuses. A global studies, general education course on human trafficking was developed to meet these needs. While meeting the university’s requisite student learning outcomes for such courses, it additionally promotes student understanding the type and scope of human trafficking globally, the biopsychosocial impacts on persons who have been trafficked, and ways students can address this complex human rights and social (in)justice issue. An unintended consequence is increased student interest in working in the anti-trafficking field. This presentation will describe the process of developing the course (e.g., research, informational interviews with service providers and students), review the course format and content, explore opportunities for educators and community providers to collaborate on public awareness efforts, and share students’ reactions to the course and materials. Presenters include the instructor, a Graduate Teaching Assistant from the class, and two community provider guest speakers. Each will provide her perspective of the collaborative experience of co-creating these awareness opportunities and the value of such content.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide an overview of course development

· Describe course content and learning modules

· Discuss collaborations with community partners

· Share student reactions to the course and content

Child welfare is a key part of a comprehensive systems-level response to human trafficking. In recent years, child welfare agencies across the U.S. have initiated or strengthened strategies to address sex trafficking of children and youth in their states. Much of this work has been in response to requirements within federal legislation, such as Family First Prevention Services Act, Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, Preventing Sex Trafficking and Trafficking Victims Protection Act. While federal mandates create commonalities in required actions across states, child welfare response models for addressing sex trafficking of children and youth vary greatly. State-level responses have included policy and practices related to training, screening, child protective investigations, case management, multidisciplinary approaches, specialized services, and more. Having worked on developing responses within their respective states, the presenters have seen the importance of ensuring child welfare professionals, service providers, and other stakeholders understand child welfare’s role in serving youth who have experienced trafficking and responses that have been developed for identifying and serving these youth. This understanding can enrich collaborative responses at both the state, community, and case levels. This presentation will address child welfare’s role in responding to CSEC through the lens of federal requirements and the broader lens of safe harbor principles. Presenters will discuss common questions about child welfare’s response, including information on child welfare’s roles, responsibilities, and jurisdiction. To highlight variance in child welfare responses at the state level, presenters will also provide a comparative analysis of two differing response models in Florida and Minnesota.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide a better understanding of the relevant intersecting federal laws directing child welfare’s role in serving CSE children and how these federal requirements are being implemented at the state and local level

· Discuss common questions about the role of child welfare in responding to CSEC

· Highlight/compare the distinct response models for CSEC, including policy and practice in Florida and Minnesota

Social workers (RSWs) are on the frontlines of responding to vulnerable and marginalized individuals, including those who are experiencing human trafficking and gender-based violence (Mahapatra, Faulkner, & Schatz 2016). It is therefore increasingly important that RSWs are adequately trained to 1) recognize risk factors associated with human trafficking, 2) provide immediate and appropriate support after identification, and 3) aid and advance long-term recovery (Dell et al., 2019; Donnelly et al., 2019; Hodge, 2014). The Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW) online education programming aims to address knowledge and practice gaps by providing social workers with targeted knowledge on identifying and supporting persons who have experienced human trafficking. This evaluation study seeks to identify what differences, if any, these online training opportunities made to the knowledge, confidence, skills, and practice of social workers in the context of human trafficking. Using Donald Kirkpatrick’s evaluation framework of continuing education for adults, the evaluation is comprised of: (1) a post-webinar survey to assess change in knowledge, satisfaction, and intention to change practice; and (2) a 3-month follow-up survey to assess how change in knowledge is retained and used in practice. Early findings from participants are overwhelmingly positive. Participants report increased knowledge (91%) of different types of human trafficking, supporting the process of exiting human trafficking (81%), and increased confidence identifying signs of human trafficking (91%). Additional analysis from follow-up surveys will be shared. Future directions for social work education and how to eliminate practice gaps for social workers in supporting human trafficking survivors will be discussed.

Presentation Objectives:

· Highlight the increasingly critical front line role social workers play in supporting persons experiencing or exiting human trafficking

· Review the importance of social workers being equipped to identifying signs of human trafficking, facilitate safe and appropriate exit from human trafficking, and support long-term recovery of survivors

· Share findings from a recent program evaluation study on virtual education offerings aiming to increase skills, knowledge, and confidence of social workers working with individuals who are experiencing or have experienced human trafficking

In 2015, the North Carolina General Legislature passed Session Law 2015-279, mandating the inclusion of “sex trafficking prevention and awareness” in reproductive health education in North Carolina schools. With a state mandate in place, North Carolina school districts were responsible for selecting a human trafficking prevention curriculum for their district. Current human trafficking prevention curriculums are variable, as curriculum is developed and created by organizations with differing lenses and levels of experience with violence prevention. Curriculums also vary in their foundation in and adherence to best practices for violence prevention education. With a multitude of available curriculums that have differing lenses or elements, school districts planning to implement human trafficking prevention education are left to identify which prevention curriculum would be best to use in their schools. In 2020, in partnership with the NC Sexual Violence Prevention Advisory Council of the NC Department of Health and Human Services, NCCASA developed a “Human Trafficking Prevention Curriculum Matrix” to assist NC education agencies in determining an appropriate curriculum. This presentation will explain the process used to create the matrix, present the findings of the survey process, and provide recommendations for the future of human trafficking prevention curriculum development.

Presentation Objectives:

· Explain the need behind the matrix and the gap that it fills

· Provide an overview of the process of creating the matrix

· Review the findings and final product of the matrix

· Describe lessons learned in the process of creating the matrix and recommendations based upon those lessons

This session will lay the foundation for understanding familial sex trafficking or when a child is commercially sexually exploited by an immediate family member. The session will explore how familial trafficking relates to but is distinct from incest and briefly how laws help or hurt our identification of this type of trafficking. The presenter will summarize the limited body of knowledge we have on the profile of victim and perpetrator(s) and explore the relational dynamics between the child and familial trafficker, pre-, peri, and post-trafficking. The session organizes around the justice processes of case identification, investigation, prosecution, and victim services, understanding how this type of trafficking presents unique challenges in each of those areas. This presentation is based on the work of Sprang & Cole (2018); Reid, Huard, & Haskell (2015); and a research study conducted by the presenter to be published in Criminal Justice Review in 2021.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define familial trafficking and help attendees understand how it relates to but is different from incest

· Give attendees a general understanding of the prevalence of familial trafficking

· Give attendees a basic knowledge of the profile of the victim and perpetrators of familial trafficking

The sexual exploitation of young men has been largely neglected. The main research question of this study is “What is the evidence that young men are exploited?” A series of research projects have been conducted in Cambodia, Thailand, and the Philippines by up” International using ethically considered mixed method surveys. Interviews are conducted by local social workers who are trained in doing research with male sex workers and street boys. All of the research papers indicate a high level of sexual and physical violence, stigma, and discrimination against young men providing evidence that they do sex work for survival similar to their female peers. Cultural misunderstandings continue to abound that imply young men are not at risk of sexual exploitation and that if they do sex work, it is relatively safe due to their inherent resilience; that they choose to do it rather than be forced into it as is perceived of their female counterparts. Social workers and Non-Profits working in this sector need to consider how they can support young men in prevention and aftercare. Funders and researchers need to include and not deliberately or otherwise exclude young men/boys in their programs and research. Funding needs to be available to determine prevalence and proportionate resources provided.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the cultural misunderstandings of why young men are not adequately considered in programs and research addressing sexual exploitation

· Provide evidence of how young men are exploited in SE Asia and so should be considered in research and programs addressing sexual exploitation

According to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (2015), 75% of counties are classified as rural, with one quarter of Americans living in communities with populations lower than 2,500. Yet so much attention and funding for anti-trafficking work is focused on large, urban areas. Since 2012, Fierce Freedom has worked to navigate through a sea of rural communities in Western Wisconsin. Participants will hear a recent example from this past Fall 2020 when our team was asked to respond to the call from another rural, in-state agency who had an alleged victim of human trafficking that required direct services from our Survivor Advocate. The series of exasperating and somewhat chaotic events that unfolded that day will be shared with participants - and the Fierce Freedom team will identify the ways they collaborated well along with the steps they missed. Through this experience and others like it, attendees will learn practical strategies centered around navigating interagency relationships, finding a balance of leading from the head and the heart, and figuring out how to best offer direct services in an area of limited resources.

Presentation Objectives:

· Explain what front-end questions to ask when working interagency before getting involved

· Discuss how to maneuver the missteps many rural direct service agencies make and how to avoid them

Social service providers who are likely to encounter youth who engage in sex trading should be prepared to observe sex trafficking red flags and ask risk assessment questions. The goal of this research study was to understand whether and how social service providers observe sex trafficking indicators and screen for sex trafficking. A cross-sectional, web-based survey was disseminated to social service providers from organizations that are known to encounter youth at risk of sex trafficking: child welfare, youth justice, and non-profit social services (e.g., runaway youth, sexual violence). Participants (n=267) were asked to indicate whether they provided direct services to minors (n=245), adults (n=148), and families/foster families of minors (n=163). Participants were asked to determine the extent to which they asked clients sex trafficking risk assessment questions on a Likert scale, and how often they identified 45 sex trafficking indicators across 5 domains (e.g., behavioral health, physical health, client presentation, system involvement, social support/abuse). Assessment question means ranged from 1.4-2.5 (1=no clients, 5=all clients) across all questions and provider groups. The most commonly identified indicators across provider groups included behavioral health indicators (e.g., depressive symptoms, shame and guilt), history of child protective services, and weak ties/lack of social support. Least commonly identified indicators showed more variation between groups but generally included signs of torture, false IDs, and hotel involvement. Providers who work in systems that encounter youth who trade sex may not be consistently assessing for sex trafficking, even though they are consistently identifying sex trafficking indicators. Implications will be discussed.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide overview of a study of social service providers in a region of a Midwestern State

· Describe this sample’s perceptions of sex trafficking risk assessment questions and indicators

· Discuss implications and recommendations from the research study

In Haiti, one out of four women aged 18 to 24 years experienced at least one incident of sexual abuse as a child, about 4% of females aged 18 to 24 years received money, food, gifts, or other favors in exchange for sex prior to age 18 year, and more than one in 10 Haitian women have faced sexual violence at some point in their lives (CDC, 2015; DWB, 2017). Today, the number of girls and women who report experiencing sexual violence continues to be alarmingly high. Longer-term, safe, and secure shelter solutions remain one of the greatest and most urgent needs for a lot of survivors. The presenter will explore the importance of the mental health program of Nadege Inc., a non-profit organization that is implementing an empowerment center, focused on providing holistic care to women who have been trafficked and/or have experienced sexual exploitation in Haiti. He will investigate the five-phase system (acceptance, empowerment, creating safety, understanding, and community application) that is designed to help the residents move toward independent living and self-sufficiency. The healing services provided are focusing on psychological, physical, vocational, social, and spiritual well-being. The presentation not only describes the program and its positive results, but it also discusses risk factors of sexual violence for women survivors in the Haitian context, such as lack of social services for follow-up and protective care, inaccessible medical and psychological care for all rape survivors, political unrest, bad living conditions, insecurity, and the rise in kidnappings.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe process and strategies for providing holistic care to Nadege Inc. safe house survivors of sexual violence

· Discuss risk factors of sexual violence for women survivors in the Haitian context

Human trafficking investigations require collaboration not only within law enforcement, but also with other organizations such as social service providers and private organizations. Potential stakeholder organizations that have never been mentioned regarding collaboration with law enforcement agencies about trafficking investigations are private investigations agencies. There is no empirical literature about the knowledge of private investigators (PIs) in regard to the problem of human trafficking, and their ability to conduct investigations of trafficking cases and rescue trafficking victims. An exploratory, cross-sectional survey research design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. A total of 81 participants completed the survey. The findings show that most of the PIs in this study had substantial experience in specialties that are important for investigations of human trafficking. Most of the PIs were former law enforcement officers. The findings show that the majority of the PIs not only had a good level of knowledge of the problem of human trafficking, but also that they had the ability to identify trafficking victims. In addition, the findings highlight PIs’ professional skillset and experience to investigate human trafficking cases, which can be crucial contributions to efforts of recovering human trafficking victims and prosecuting perpetrators. Implications for practice, policy, and research will be discussed.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe what private investigators (PIs) are

· Describe PIs’ knowledge of human trafficking

· Explore skills that make PIs potential stakeholders in investigations of human trafficking crimes and the rescue of victims

There is a “growing body of research” documenting human exploitation being uncovered during disaster events, or displaced persons being exploited during the post-disaster recovery efforts. Our State and Federal emergency management agencies are trained and prepared to respond to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, fires, and pandemics. But they are not suitably trained to identify and respond to the criminal element that seeks to prey on the displaced and vulnerable victims of the disaster. This presentation will review illustrative case studies indicating trafficking activity related to Hurricane’s Katrina (2005) and Harvey (2017), The Haitian earthquake (2010), and the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The presenters will highlight how disasters can create or exacerbate victim vulnerabilities; how traffickers are quick to exploit these weaknesses; how emergency management agencies can better prepare to identify and respond to this threat through education out-reach and recovery contract review; and identify developing/emerging best practices by specialized task forces in pre-exploitation disaster environment intervention. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation for the interplay between disaster events and exploitation as well as emerging best practices for pre-exploitation disaster environment intervention.

Presentation Objectives:

· Articulate how traffickers exploit vulnerabilities during/post natural disasters

· Identify how emergency management agencies can prepare, respond, and protect vulnerable people from exploitation

· Identify basic awareness and identification of potential HT victims in a disaster

Child welfare (CW) agencies are working to create a continuum of care to address the needs of commercially sexually exploited youth (CSE) and youth at risk of CSE. A key aspect of this has been the development of residential services that specialize in serving CSE or at-risk youth, including shelter, foster, congregate, and residential treatment care facilities. The Families First Prevention Services Act has furthered efforts to define what high quality service standards are for residential settings and has created an opportunity for states to invest in programming that supports CSE youth and prevents initial or subsequent victimization. In interviews of two providers that serve CSE youth combined with a review of research on CSE programming responses that included 128 additional providers were used to answer the following question: What does it mean to provide quality supportive services in congregate care settings to children and youth who have experienced or are at risk of sex trafficking? The findings of this analysis focus on 4 main areas: 1) the impacts of sex trafficking on survivors, 2) challenges in defining a target population, 3) considerations for defining program standards for congregate care settings serving young people who are survivors or are at risk of sex trafficking, and 4) coordination by state actors. In addition to reviewing the research findings, this presentation also includes a comprehensive discussion on how this information is being utilized in the development and implementation of child welfare policy and practice related to standards of care in specialized residential facilities.

Presentation Objectives:

· Create understanding of the impact of Families First Prevention Services Act on specialized residential facilities for CSE youth

· Provide an overview of a study on standards of care and aspects pertaining to specialization in serving CSE youth in specialized residential settings, including methodology and findings

· Discuss the implications of this study on the development and implementation of child welfare policy related to standards of care

The restavék system is a form of forced child labor practices and child trafficking (Kennedy, 2015). Children in domestic servitude are also often deprived of food, have poorer education, worse sleep quality, do not have time to play or do their homework, and are forced to perform excessive labor (Cooper et al., 2012). In the worst-case scenarios, they are victims of physical and sexual violence (Cooper at al., 2012). As a result, restavék children are likely to experience worse mental health outcomes than children not in domestic servitude (Kennedy, 2014). The presenter will explain the need for more detailed research surrounding causes and outcomes of restavék populations. Haiti Now is a non-profit organization that focuses on supporting the needs of restavék children and understanding the underlying roots of the rise in restavék children. This presentation not only describes the programming that Haiti Now has accomplished, but also Haiti Now’s current research project investigating the following areas: domestic abuse, access to education, mental health, access to healthcare, and socioeconomic factors impacting the growth or decline of children in the Restavèk’s system. The presenter will explain how this research will contribute to the development of a residential school to support restavék children. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of the damage that results from the restavék system, some of the ways in which Haiti Now and other organizations have already intervened, and next steps for addressing this problem.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss the impact of the restavék system on youth educational and health outcomes

· Explain the root causes of the restavék system and challenges to intervening

· Describe how the development of residential schools could improve youth outcomes in Haiti

Dr. Navdeep Kang is a psychologist and thought leader for clinical best practices in mental health and addiction medicine. His experience leading teams within hospital systems and in specialty healthcare provide a well-rounded perspective on assessing acuity, managing care transitions, and ensuring long-term success for patients. Mental health and addiction are intricately interwoven with experiences of human trafficking, with substance use or mental illness frequently presenting as symptoms of trauma. People with past trauma, especially survivors of human trafficking, often face a multitude of psychological, social, and biological issues. Treatment modalities for survivors of human trafficking should include, at the very least, a full assessment of mental health and substance use treatment needs. It is also important to understand that psychological, relational, and social wounds are often chronic and rarely solved with a short-term program alone. Ongoing support and treatment are frequently the best way to ensure long-term success for patients after trauma. The objectives of this presentation are to: 1) empower audience members to identify symptoms such as PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and substance use disorder that are common diagnoses of trauma survivors, 2) assist the audience in managing the care transition to evidence-based providers with long-term plans for patients, 3) highlight appropriate language when working with this population to reduce stigma, and 4) introduce some concepts from addiction medicine to help survivors understand their legal rights, create support systems, connect with local resources, and rebuild relationships post trauma.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss trauma and mental health issues as they relate to human trafficking and post rescue

· Describe Substance Use Disorders and why they are so connected

· Explain trauma signs and best practice treatments for MH and SUD issues

Learn from the only former Pimp willing to speak out, has transformed his life, and is now dedicated to helping sex trafficking survivor advocates and others from going down his same path. Across the United States, awareness for sex trafficking is spreading like wildfire. With this new awareness, a new criminal element has been identified and laws are becoming stricter on the “Trafficker”. With this new awareness comes many questions that have remained unanswered. With unanswered questions, many experts have come up with their own answers and hypotheses to fill the void. The problem with this is the answers and conclusions that these “experts” have come to are incomplete and oftentimes misleading and/or over-sensationalized. This presentation brings a voice to the table that has gone unheard during this time of awareness. A voice that needs to be at the table if we, as a whole, are going to fully combat domestic sex trafficking. This presentation on domestic sex trafficking will finally enable the listeners to dispel the myths on this issue that have been put out and have gone undisputed. Listeners will be able to go into the mind of a trafficker, gain knowledge to better combat the issue, and be able to move from awareness to action.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe how the “Trafficker/ Pimp” enters the life of being a trafficker and why they do what they do

· Discuss the start of the epidemic and the true current state of domestic sex trafficking

· Help attendees identify the myths and their own subconscious bias when it comes to domestic sex trafficking, survivor advocacy, and the trafficker

Service providers or caregivers to people with the lived experience of human trafficking need tools to effectively manage their own trauma. Often, the service providers have lived experience, and many times, they are allies that do not have the experience. In either case, the toll that is taken on service providers as well as the individuals themselves can leave them depleted, which often leads to burn-out or vicarious trauma. You love what you do, but you need to take care of yourself to re-energize for the next level. This session will help you identify where you are and give you tools to re-enforce and rebuild your personal resilience. You cannot feed anyone from an empty plate. It is important for you to learn how to digest what you hear, manage the effect it has on you, and develop a plan to recover. Self-care is not a luxury, it is an absolute necessity. The American Psychological Association published “Self-care has never been more important” in July 2020 encouraging service providers to take care of themselves. The first line on the National Association for Mental Health’s page titled “Taking Care of Yourself” states - “To be able to care for the people you love, you must first take care of yourself”. We often overlook self-care or think it is unimportant. Building personal resilience is a must to help us keep moving forward and providing effective care. You need to take make taking care of yourself a priority.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the stages of Compassion Fatigue

· Explain the importance of self-care

· Provide instruction, examples, and tools to establish a self-care program/routine

Anecdotal reports from the front lines of the COVID-19 tell of a spike in human trafficking due to the pandemic. This analytic research explores the intersection between human trafficking and COVID-19. The main research questions are how to measure the impact of COVID-19 on human trafficking, which changes from the pandemic are changes are temporary (e.g., a spike in homelessness) and which are long-term (e.g., more online recruiting), and how to adjust policies and programs to respond to these changes. Much of the literature published so far, such as a special issue of the Journal of Modern Slavery, offers views from experienced experts (UNDOC) and anecdotal reports from field workers (G. Byrne, et. al., 2020), but little hard data. In this study, a data-driven approach compares year-over-year changes in human trafficking in the United Stated with the pre-COVID baseline to assess the impacts. Changes in key drivers due to the pandemic are analyzed to assess their impact on trafficking. The study finds that drivers of human trafficking most affected by the pandemic include increases in poverty, disproportional impact on marginalized communities, affluence and financial support for trafficking, and commoditization of labor and debt bondage. Housing instability has decreased during the pandemic, temporarily reducing this driver. In conclusion, COVID-19 has worsened human trafficking through financial disruption resulting in more victims, a temporary rise in online sexual exploitation, and likely permanent increases in online recruiting, selling, criminal funding, and management. Focus is needed on locations with the greatest increases and developing resources for the growing online marketplace for trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Use a statistical analysis to show attendees what groups of people are most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States

· Show which risk factors have been aggravated by the pandemic

· Discuss which consequences of the pandemic should be short-term and long-term

IN OUR BACKYARD (IOB), a national anti-trafficking nonprofit that links arms across America in the fight against human trafficking, was established in 2009. IOB operates seven programs focused on education, mobilization, and partnership. Bringing awareness to four million people daily was accomplished through one of IOB’s seven programs, Convenience Stores Against Trafficking, which equips communities to respond to and prevent human trafficking in 49 states. IOB developed the Convenience Stores Against Trafficking program in 2015 to drive over 500,000 IOB Freedom Stickers now placed across all 50 states. Freedom Stickers contain the National Human Trafficking Resource hotline to reach survivors safely inside a public restroom. Together, IOB links arms with convenience stores, government agencies, law enforcement, partner nonprofits, and the local community to stop this atrocity through its cost-free programs. Communities across America are invited to link arms with IOB to prevent and respond to human trafficking through industry-specific strategies such as Convenience Stores Against Trafficking to reach over half the U.S. population daily.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss why convenience stores care

· Provide documented recoveries through convenience stores

· Explain how to implement a community outreach through Freedom Stickers