Posts in 2022
Occupational Therapy’s Role in Human Trafficking Survivor Restoration

Occupational therapy (OT) interventions provide a means of empowering human trafficking survivors through the integration of OT process, theories, and models of practice while enabling survivors to understand and process through the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers of achieving increased overall well-being and occupational performance (Cerny, 2016). OT practitioners provide client-centered interventions that concentrate on the value of active participation and engagement in healthy occupations. Interventions provided to survivors take place in many settings, including community-based programs, community clinics, hospitals, mental health centers, rehabilitation centers, and schools. The purpose of this program is to integrate the holistic approach of providing occupation-based interventions, where we live, into the restoration process for human trafficking survivors. In order to integrate, OT and health care practitioners will be provided with education regarding assessments and interventions to be utilized. Skills learned during this session will equip participants to facilitate occupational justice/rights of survivors to access opportunities and resources to engage in their chosen and meaningful occupations and to create a new narrative by forming new habits, routines, and roles. Areas of restoration to be specifically addressed are conflict resolution, coping, budgeting, sleep restoration, time management, healthy leisure skills, meal planning and health and wellness.

Presentation Objectives:

· Identify appropriate assessments for human trafficking survivors in order to establish plans of appropriate intervention

· Identify the role of OT in addressing the needs of human trafficking survivors

· Provide insight and education to OT practitioners, social workers, case managers, counselors, and volunteer staff regarding human trafficking survivors

Read More
Traffickers, Slaveholders, and Other Perpetrators: The Key to Ending Human Trafficking

A lot of anti-trafficking activities focus on victims/survivors, public policy, law enforcement, and more recently on the integrity of supply-chains. But what about the people who perpetrate the horrendous acts of abuse and exploitation that constitute human trafficking and modern slavery? Following on from the Emancipation Nation Episode 98 and the article, "Perpetrator-Centric Strategies for Addressing Modern Slavery" published in the Journal for Human Rights Practice, this presentation considers the importance of understanding and engaging with the people who perpetrate human trafficking. The group most directly involved in abuse and exploitation are rarely the focus of anti-slavery research or practice. Who are the traffickers? What's their demographic, cultural, and personal background? What external drivers influence their behaviors? What are their internal motivations? How do perpetrators interpret the abuse and exploitation they impose on others? Most importantly, what would it take to undermine or redirect those external drivers and internal motivations so that perpetrators changed their behaviors? Is increasing the threat of incarceration the most effective approach? This presentation argues that addressing such questions is an essential prerequisite to ending human trafficking. Examples of research and practice that do focus on perpetrators will be highlighted. Implications for our theory of change and strategic planning will be discussed, including data from a global survey of anti-slavery organizations. At the end of this presentation, attendees will understand the shape and intention of perpetrator-centric strategies for ending human trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Highlight how little we know about the people who perpetrate the abuses and exploitation of human trafficking and modern slavery

· Describe what a perpetrator-centric approach to ending human trafficking means

· Explain why such an approach is important

Read More
HEMAD: Men Taking a Visible Stand Against Human Trafficking

The largest part of the customer base for the commercial sex trade is male. Human trafficking occurs when individuals use force, fraud, or coercion to facilitate these activities. Are men really silent? Do all men think this is okay? Often, men are unaware that some of their actions may be contributing to human trafficking. Men have requested a way to show that they take a stand against people being trafficked. For example, during presentations and informal conversations with staff at the Convergence Resource Center, men have asked how can they get involved and how they can help. Additionally, women involved in the fight need a way to include the men in the fight. The presenters provide a way for men to visibly show that they do not agree with or co-sign human trafficking. Men are educated, awareness is raised, a pledge is taken, and men take a stand to show that they stand against these illegal activities. Men wear apparel, including shirts and bands, as conversation starters. They use these to encourage and educate other men. These items will be shown during the presentation. How did we get over 65,000 men in 11 states and 3 countries to visibly say “no’ to human trafficking? Information, methods, and techniques used will be shared. The opportunity for men to join this fight and take a stand will be provided.

Presentation Objectives:

· Raise awareness to behaviors that contribute to human trafficking

· Share methods to involve men in the fight against human trafficking

· Provide an opportunity for men to take a stand

Read More
A Qualitative Multiple Case Study Analysis about Elopement from Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST)

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking (DMST) is the fastest growing crime in the United States (Country-Roswurm & Bolin, 2014). Vulnerable adolescents are primary targets of sex traffickers (Fedina, 2019). DMST delays adolescent development following their treatment during and environmental conditions while in the life (Busch-Armendariz et al. 2014; Hopper, 2017; Le, 2017). The research question for this study was, “What is the elopement process of adult survivors of sex trafficking during adolescence?” The multiple qualitative case study design employed semi-structured interviews, participant observations, participants’ voluntary elicited text, and member check. The thematic analysis within the cases and across the cases identified the major theme “Out of the War.” Two related themes were “The War” and “Conquering the War.” This qualitative study reveals elopement decisions are fraught with barriers to elope and seeking safety. The research uncovered a non-linear process that affects their development, as yet described in the conceptual models: The War MAZE© and Conquering the War MAZE©. These new insights help healthcare providers identify readiness to elope and elopement victory by recognizing the adolescent’s barriers to elopement. The results explain DMST elopement from a developmental perspective by analyzing qualitative data from survivor voices, which supports gender equity and empowerment of women. The findings inform healthcare providers in planning inclusive trauma-informed care approaches and unbiased research designed to safeguard DMST survivors during their recovery processes.

Presentation Objectives:

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

· Introduce a new, non-linear elopement process from DMST

· Describe the implementation of trauma-informed care approach and trauma-focused interventions based on the research for healthcare providers

Read More
Anti-Trafficking Organizations and the Ethical Engagement of Survivor Leaders in Practice

Anti-trafficking organizations, in recent years, have increased their use of survivor voices in fundraising, hiring of survivors, and increased survivor visibility within organizational teams. While empowerment is the goal, tokenism can be the outcome when organizations do not engage survivors ethically. This session, led by sex trafficking survivor and professor Dr. Beth Bowman, and Safe House Project COO Brittany Dunn, seeks to improve survivor engagement practices in organizations. Recommendations for avoiding re-exploitation by ethical survivor engagement, inclusive practices which benefit both survivor leaders and organizational mission, and organizational culture and power dynamics will be reviewed. The target audience for this workshop is organizational leadership at agencies which may serve trafficking survivors (or overlapping populations such as DV, child welfare, or criminal justice).

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe current efforts to engage survivors in informing policy and practices

· Define the concepts of ethical engagement, trauma-informed, empowerment-based, and organizational culture

· Discuss research related to ethical engagement of survivors as staff in anti-trafficking work

· Describe recommendations for practice

Read More
Survivor-Led Collaborative for Effective Policy Change

The Trafficking Victim Protection Act (TVPA) was enacted over 20 years ago; however, the anti-trafficking work has been heavily focused on sex trafficking with less effort to uncover labor trafficking (Farrell, A., Bright, K., de Vries, I. et al., 2020). The Enitan Story (TES), building on a grant from The Bush Foundation Community Innovation Grant to raise the consciousness of Minnesotans and effect a change at the state level to meet the needs of labor trafficking victims and survivors, began the process of changing legislation. Partnering with state agencies like MDH and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, allowed TES to highlight their expertise while seeking guidance on approaching the legislators. If passed, this bill will create a multidisciplinary workgroup to study the need for a statewide labor trafficking response and provide recommendations to the legislature. Survivor leaders are an important and critical part of efforts to end human trafficking. This project shows how survivor leaders can effectively harness the systems knowledge and experience of state personnel to move the industry and the states forward.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the effect of nonprofit and government agency collaboration to influence policy change for better outcomes for victims and survivors of trafficking

· Explain how to combine the strengths of Subject Matter Expert Survivor Leaders and that of state agency staffs for effective collaboration in the anti-trafficking work

· Help Subject Matter Experts learn how to find and choose the correct partners for policy change

Read More
Strategies for Successful Outreach: A Research Report

Outreach is an important part of the anti-trafficking efforts to increase awareness and referrals to the service providers so that they can find additional human trafficking cases and connect the victims to services. Unfortunately, there is limited funding for organizations to conduct outreach, especially targeted outreach. Moreover, benefits from website visits are highly uncertain and change based on the correctness of the site information, safety of the site for the outreach specialist to enter, and the workers’ willingness to talk with the outreach specialists. Thus, organizations have to be effective in their planning to deploy successful outreach strategies. Assessing the impact and effectiveness of anti-trafficking interventions is also a complex issue. Through twenty-eight semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed in NVivo using a hybrid approach with two coders, the presenters investigate the definition of success for outreach, the factors impacting the outcome of outreach, and how to measure the success of outreach operations for planning. The interviews cover insights from as many industries as possible to comprehensive strategies for organization working in different forms of trafficking and different populations. They present an outreach planning example utilizing the best practices accumulated by interviews along with using potential data applications. Based on the research, attendees will gain an understanding of the suggested recommendations to create an optimal outreach plan for their operations and service areas.

Presentation Objectives:

· Present definitions of success for outreach

· Introduce success measures for outreach efforts

· Describe best practices for outreach planning and highlight gaps and opportunities for planning state-of-the-art outreach strategies

Read More
How Smart Technology Can Help Victims and Witnesses Safely Report Misconduct & Power Abusers

Speaking up and reporting power abusers, whether it is in the workplace, on campus, or in the family context, is very complex for many reasons. #MeToo highlighted an epidemic of not only harassment, but also power abuse and misconduct of all kinds. Our tech solution that has been used by thousands of people to report issues, the #NotMe app provides the most empowering and practical tech solution to prevent and address these abuses. How? By making it easier for individuals to safely speak up and for organizations to become aware and respond— earlier. #NotMe is not a faceless bot, not just another piece of software. The mission is to bridge the gap between victims or witnesses of abuse or misconduct and organizations that can help them by empowering them to report and address the misconduct they’ve experienced or witnessed. Whether it be harassment, discrimination, sex trafficking, bullying, and more, this is the easiest and best way to speak up, report, and get help. Speaking up and reporting abuse and/or misconduct is incredibly difficult. Oftentimes, victims cannot put words on situations they experience. Tools for reporting are not very user friendly, are mostly archaic, and require a lot of efforts on the part of the victims and witnesses. #NotMe, with its smart and easy-to-use mobile app, takes down as best as possible obstacles and barriers to reporting and provides the safest and most trusted speak-up experience to individuals who want/are ready to speak up and report. Technology can be a force for good and change. #NotMe does that by helping people speak up and report power abusers and by allowing them to tell their story, safely through smart technology.

Presentation Objectives:

· Increase awareness of the #NotMe app

· Explain how the app can be used for reporting of human trafficking and other abuses by victims or witnesses so they can get the help they need

Read More
A Grassroots Human Trafficking Info Hub Built Upon Human Rights, Intersectional Feminism, and Equity

Aura Freedom's Human Trafficking (HT) Info Hub is an online resource created to prevent sex trafficking in Canada. It is built on extensive grassroots frontline work and activism with the focus of addressing root causes to prevent sexual exploitation in Canada and beyond. This framework is drawn from Aura Freedom’s award-winning "Human Trafficking Peer Prevention Project" (HTPPP), in which, selected youth, including survivors of domestic sex trafficking, received HT-related and anti-oppressive training, coaching, and mentoring that they later employed to bring awareness to HT and empower other vulnerable youth in schools, youth shelters, migrant-focused organizations, Indigenous groups, and other communities in Toronto. Through this project, plus advocacy at different levels of government, and more than 10 years of doing human trafficking prevention work and supporting survivors, the HT Info Hub highlights the accumulated knowledge and expertise of Aura Freedom and its collaborators that is centered on human rights, intersectional feminism, and equity for everyone. The HT Info Hub lists information on coercive control, the luring and grooming process, barriers to getting help, control tactics, healthy relationships, root causes, and much more. The presentation will introduce attendees to Aura Freedom’s ground-breaking online resource center to prevent sex trafficking, which is a part of their ongoing “Relentless Resilience” movement to end gender-based violence in Canada. HT Info Hub will be highlighted as a resource that the attendees can use to learn more about domestic sex trafficking and employ grassroots expertise and experience to build their own preventative programs. Attendees should come with an open mind and willingness to learn more about the nuances of trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Guide attendees through an interactive tour of the various features, sections, and resources of the HT Info Hub

· Address root causes to prevent youth sexual exploitation

· Discuss strategies to build anti-trafficking programs rooted in equity and grassroots activism

· Highlight the HT Info Hub as a trustworthy resource that is trauma-informed and survivor-centric and based on years of grassroots anti-trafficking work and research

Read More
Evaluating Bias in U.S. TIP Reports and Sanction Decisions

The U.S. Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act requires the U.S. State Department to evaluate other countries’ anti-trafficking policies and impose economic sanctions on those countries which are not making serious efforts to improve their performance. In its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, the U.S. State Department places countries into “tiers” based on their performance. Tier 1 countries are meeting minimum standards, while poor-performing tier 3 countries may be sanctioned. Scholars, activists, and policymakers have criticized the TIP scoring and sanction decisions for being influenced by U.S. geopolitical interests, for preferring prosecution policies, and for emphasizing sex trafficking over other forms of trafficking. This study asks if these criticisms have merit. The researcher examines the U.S. TIP report tier rankings and sanction decisions using generalized order logistic regression models on a novel data set. Independent variables include those related to policy performance and those which imply geopolitical bias. Findings indicate that while U.S. scoring and sanction decisions are informed by policy performance, geopolitical interests also matter. U.S. military partners are more likely to be scored at tier 2. Furthermore, results reveal that though prosecutions do inform scoring decisions, victim protection policies are also influential. However, TIP scoring decisions seem to undervalue intersectoral coordinating bodies and international cooperation. Finally, the researcher finds no evidence that the U.S. emphasizes sex trafficking in its scoring decisions. The presentation concludes with recommendations for reducing bias in the U.S. TIP reports and sanction decisions.

Presentation Objectives:

· Summarize and evaluate criticisms of the U.S. TIP reports and sanction decisions

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

Read More
“Why Always Us?”: Trafficking Survivors and Mental Health Issues Amidst COVID-19

Trafficking survivors experience a wide range of systemic challenges including micro-aggressive behaviors, unemployment, stigmatization, a prolonged judicial system, and lack of reintegration policies in their post trafficking (Adhikari 2011; Dhungel, 2017; Sharma, 2014). COVID-19 escalated the pre-existing social injustice in the lives of trafficking survivors for sexual exploitation in Nepal. Using a qualitative research paradigm, 4 focus groups were virtually conducted. Fourteen people participated in the study. The research question was: How does COVID 19 impact socio-economic and mental health of trafficking survivors in Nepal? The data was transcribed and was thematically analyzed. This study found that COVID-19 escalated the vulnerability of trafficking survivors to socio-economic marginalization and mental health challenges. Anti-social behaviors, exclusion, anxiousness, sadness, loneliness, and depression have significantly impacted the mental health and psychological wellbeing of survivors. No mental health services are available for trafficking survivors in general and amidst COVID-19 in particular. Providing services to trafficking survivors never became a priority for the Government of Nepal during COVID-19. The implications of the study for policy, programs, and research are significant. Providing funding to community-based organizations working with trafficking survivors for mental health services is critical. Using an equity lens, programs need to be designed and implemented in a way that the programs meet the needs and aspirations of each survivor. It is also recommended to develop public and mental health policies and programs in order to effectively meet the needs of the survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

· Examine how COVID-19 escalated trafficking survivors' isolation and loneliness

· Discuss the intersectional gender oppression experienced by trafficking survivors amidst COVID-19

· Explore the resiliencies of trafficking survivors during COVID-19

Read More
I Am Who I Am

After selling your body to the highest bidder, you forget who you are, where you belong, and who, if anyone, loves you. Renee Jones is a survivor of human trafficking. She will share her life story on how she got in and how she got out. What if you were given the most appealing chance to escape and took it, just to find out your love landed you in the hands of a human trafficker who locked you in a box? This is Renee’s story. Many individuals do not think twice about human trafficking and the person who’s in it. They walk by you in the stores, are on flights with you, or may live in your neighborhood or next door. The reality is that this could happen to anyone. The wake-up call is “it happened to me” and no one knew. This workshop is for the strong, curious, weak, and most of all those who say, “This will never happen to me.” Renee said the same thing and today, she is wondering who she is. The best way to teach someone is to show them how it was done, to inform them about the slick, smooth, and fatally cool. In this presentation, Renee will share her story and describe ways a person could in and out of trafficking.

Presentation Objectives:

· Describe the signs of human trafficking through a role play

· Explain what to do and how to act if someone suspects human trafficking

· Discuss how to assess the needs of individuals who have been trafficked

Read More
The Presence of Human Trafficking Online

This presentation will discuss the presence of human trafficking within the sex industry by summarizing the research paper, “Deploying artificial intelligence to detect and respond to the use of digital technology by perpetrators of human trafficking”. This research study was conducted by the International CyberCrime Research Centre in contract with Tiana Sharifi of Sexual Exploitation Education (SEE). Web crawlers were programmed and trained to detect human trafficking online, specifically on prostitution websites. A coding system had to be developed to indicate with certainty that a prostitution ad was that of a human trafficking victim. When 3 or more elements from the developed coding was present, ads were flagged as human trafficking. Tiana will explain what signs are indicative of human trafficking on these digital platforms, including symbols and images. She will also discuss the strategies that human traffickers use in advertising their victims and how the internet is used in modern day sexual exploitation. With up to 38% of advertisements being classified as human trafficking victims, the implications of these results are that human trafficking and sex work policies cannot be addressed as two separate conversations as they occur within the same industry.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss how the internet is used by human traffickers, specifically with advertising their victims

· Present the key words, phrases, and symbols indicative of human trafficking on prostitution/ escort websites

· Discuss how human trafficking and sex work occur within the same industry and why it is important to consider both when looking at prostitution laws

Read More
From Deprivation to Occupational Engagement: Occupational Therapy’s Role in Human Trafficking

Occupations are activities that people participate in that are meaningful to them; this ranges from their basic needs (such as sleep) to their wants according to their interests (leisure activities such as hiking). When stripped away from one’s occupations, this can be identified as occupational deprivation. Occupational deprivation is “a state in which a person or group of people are unable to do what is necessary and meaningful in their lives due to external restrictions” (George & Stanley, 2018 as cited in Wilcock & Hocking, 2015). Occupational deprivation is one of the consequences that comes from human trafficking. The trauma that results from human trafficking affects individuals in various areas including physical side effects like bodily injuries, sexually transmitted diseases, and infections, as well as psychological effects involving depression, feelings of despair, and isolation to name a few (Cerny, 2016). Occupational therapy (OT) can assist in the recovery of those who’ve endured human trafficking through various therapeutic activities implemented. There is evidence-based literature that has shown significant effects form OT intervention. This presentation will serve as an introductory level to the role of OT when assisting human trafficking survivors.

Presentation Objectives:

· Discuss OT’s role when working with survivors of human trafficking

· Describe signs of human trafficking with appropriate steps for reporting a human trafficking situation

Read More
Promoting Community Safety Through Treatment for Sexual Offenders

At the 2021 IHTSJ Conference, feedback indicated some people were unaware that treatment for people with pedophilia could be successfully managed. This presentation delves into the importance of treatment for individuals struggling with pedophilia. Robert Longo has listed 17 tasks which those with sexual offending behavior need to achieve for community safety. These tasks will be listed and how treatment promotes healing and safety will be discussed (Longo & Blanchard, 1998). Various programs both in the U.S. and elsewhere will be evaluated regarding treatment modalities. Interviews with clinicians, including Isabel Schilg and Matt Rosenberg, dealing with this population will also be featured as well as how success is defined. An additional component will be to examine the motivation offenders might have for seeking treatment, including involvement in the criminal justice system, family pressure, and voluntary admissions of deviant sexual urges. In addition, issues around mandatory reporting are also reviewed to clarify if these requirements both enhance and limit helping victims who are deserving of healing. The goal is not to discontinue mandatory reporting, but to determine any ways in which mandatory reporting can become a barrier. Clinicians working with survivors of child sexual abuse and human trafficking benefit from understanding this dilemma. Another component of this discussion is to examine how treating sexual perpetrators in a public health environment differs from the criminal methods used currently. The goal is to explore options and increase awareness of alternative methods to dealing with this critically important issue.

Presentation Objectives:

· Utilize the tasks of recovery outlined by Robert Longo to explore how accomplishing each task promotes community safety and healing

· Examine various therapeutic approaches and settings in which treatment for sexual predators takes place

· Examine ways in which voluntarily seeking help with sexually deviant urges can be an effective means of promoting community safety

Read More
Building a Just Society Through Art

Historic and current events alongside issues within systemic structures indicate that racially marginalized youth are more likely to be treated unjustly, thus increasing their vulnerability to risk behaviors (Nicholson & Smith, 2020). Arts-based interventions for young at-risk individuals leads to social, emotional, and psychological well-being (Thompson & Tawell, 2017) and has implications for collective empowerment and social change (Christens & Dolan, 2011). Seventy-five young artists were recruited to participate in summer internship program hosted by an art agency. Students learned art skills and participated in leadership training program. Informed consent and assent were taken prior to data collection. Pre and post data were collected using convenient sampling via online surveys. Focus group interviews were conducted virtually after the program concluded. These data helped researchers examine: (1) participants’ self-reported social skills, leadership development, and civic duty engagement, and
(2) participants’ experience of individual and collective empowerment. Fifty-one participants completed the survey, about 60% of the participants were from racial/ethnic minority groups. The results show that the scores in the post-survey were slightly better than the pre-survey for certain skills. Participants reported an increase in verbal communication, networking skills, sense of personal attachment to the community, and leadership skills. Focus group themes also identified that the program empowered these participants as they developed their skills in art and leadership. These results have implications at micro, mezzo, and macro levels. Transformative learning pedagogies utilizing arts as a medium of expression can lead to transformative experiences for participants thus empowering them to design social change.

Presentation Objectives:

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

· Highlight common challenges experienced by marginalized youth in the field of art

· Demonstrate how to advocate for expanding the presence and agency of artists, storytellers, and leaders of color in the arts community

· Utilize theoretical framework to engage community and various stakeholders in the community for a social change

Read More
The Connection Between Tattoos and Sex Trafficking

Prior research has shown that sex traffickers often tattoo or “brand” victims, however there is little information available on the characteristics of these tattoos and how to recognize them. The purpose of this research is to analyze sex trafficking related tattoos, which can assist in the identification of possible victims, sex traffickers, and trends within sex trafficking cases. Using data from the Human Trafficking Database (HTD) in the Multnomah County, Oregon Jail, images of tattoos captured by a corrections sergeant during the booking and housing of 253 suspected sex traffickers and 57 suspected sex trafficking victims (n=310) were examined. The tattoo images were organized into themes based off of their content, and 15 tattoo themes were developed. Because traffickers and victims of sex trafficking often enter correctional institutions for crimes other than trafficking, recognizing tattoos can be a critical piece for connecting cases and for tracking the individuals. This study analyzes the extent to which certain categories, locations on the body, and quantities of tattoos are related to sex trafficking for both victims and traffickers. Examples of the images will be provided that depict the quality and location of the tattoos. The findings contribute to the understanding, awareness, and response to sex trafficking cases, not only for law enforcement but for all stakeholders involved in sex trafficking cases and for the community as a whole.

Presentation Objectives:

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

· Describe the implications based on the research and recommendations for law enforcement and additional stakeholders

Read More
A Walk-Through Child Trafficking Intervention Approaches in “Hotspot” Zones in Ghana

Communities around the Volta River, major mining sites, and cocoa farming areas in Ghana are considered labor trafficking-hotspot zones for children (Koomson et al., 2022). Thousands of children are trafficked into these communities daily. This study explored the experiences of practitioners involved in child trafficking interventions in the “zoned” areas on the practical they are able to successfully identify traffickers and rescue victims in a culturally sensitive way. The study sought to answer two main questions: What strategies are used to identify and rescue trafficked children? What immediate actions do practitioners take when child victims of trafficking are rescued? Evidence was gathered from fifteen experts in Ghana by means of semi-structured qualitative interviews. Narratives were analyzed thematically following reflexive thematic analysis procedures. Expert opinions were constantly sought throughout data analysis. The study identified three inter-locking culturally sensitive approaches used to rescue and protect victims of trafficking in Ghana: 1) community engagements and participatory efforts, 2) the use of private investigators, and 3) the provision of after-care support to rescued children through placing them in care homes where they are prepared for reunification with their families. Despite the robustness of these intervention techniques, the findings revealed that there are still challenges of acute family poverty, cultural practices like fosterage and trokosi, and lack of knowledge on trafficking which stand in the way of reaching the prevention and protection mandate of trafficking. The study concludes with some policy and practice implications and suggestions for further studies in Ghana.

Presentation Objectives:

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

· Present findings on child trafficking intervention approaches in Ghana

· Discuss the structural and systemic challenges that hinder effective child trafficking interventions in Ghana

Read More
Grassroots Science: Families that Perpetrate Torture and Trafficking – Understanding Women’s Victimizations and Recovery

This session presents the scientific framework created over 29 years of supporting women whose victimization manifested as torture (non-State torture) inflicted against them as children within families or within spousal relationships. It shares the importance of validation by creating a caring environment that enables women’s truth- telling. Ground-breaking models identify the criminal actions of torturer-traffickers (Sarson & MacDonald, 2021; 2019; 2018; 2016; 2009) and includes women’s drawings, shared with consent, which gives witness to their victimizations but also voices the harmful impacts on their relationship with/to/for self. Discussed are principles developed that guide non-state torture (NST) victimization-traumatization informed care including naming women’s survival responses as post-traumatic stress responses (PTSR) and explanatory models acknowledging women’s evilism anxieties (Sarson & MacDonald, 2021). “Re-building” women’s sense of personhood involves doing the opposite of what non-state torturers do because family-based torturer-traffickers intentionally attempt to destroy the personality of the girl’s or woman’s sense of being human but explaining that torture is a violation of their human rights is a healing intervention.

Presentation Objectives:

· Define torture perpetrated within families by sharing individual women’s ordeals to help illustrate the actions or modus operandi of the perpetrators

· Explain how women’s PTSR will assist promoting insights into the normalization of women’s survival responses and assist in their recovery

· Discuss key principles developed that guide NST victimization-traumatization informed care to help build resilience for both the women victimized and the carer

Read More
Toward a Nuanced Understanding of Sex Trading and Provider Screening Practices from the Perspectives of Young People with Lived Experiences

Young people’s perspectives on sex trading contexts and terminology, as well as providers’ screening practices, are critically lacking. This community-based research study aimed to examine the contexts and conditions under which young people trade sex as well as the strategies used to screen for sex trafficking and sex trading, from the perspectives of young people with lived experiences. The presenters used a cross sectional survey of young people (ages 16-29) who had lived experiences of sex trading and/or homelessness. Quantitative and qualitative questions explored youths’ perceptions of: (1) sex trading type, compensation, and meaning; (2) recommended inclusive practices to increase youths’ comfort in disclosing sex trading; and (3) known sex trafficking indicators. Participants (N=103; Mage = 22.9 [SD = 3.5]; 34% white, 55% ciswomen/21% trans or gender expansive; 39% heterosexual) reported engaging in virtual and in-person sex acts with diverse compensation forms. Results suggest that “sex trading” signified multiple meanings, ranging from sex work/occupation to exploitation/trafficking. Youth indicated that they felt more comfortable disclosing if the provider indicated that they would advocate for them if they are victims of discrimination. Compared to cisgender youth, trans youth reported feeling significantly more comfortable disclosing sexual activity when a service provider presented or used gender/sexuality inclusive indicators. This study reveals new insights about the type of sex acts exchanged, forms of compensation, and meanings of language used to assess sex trading in research and practice. Providers must use inclusive practice strategies and sex trafficking indicators to ultimately reduce potential harm among youth who trade sex.

Presentation Objectives:

· Provide a nuanced understanding of the sex trade and the practices used to assess sex trading from the perspectives of young people with lived experiences

· Describe recommendations for practitioners who encounter young people who trade sex (including those who are sex trafficked)

Read More