Child sex trafficking involves the use of a child in a sexual act in exchange for something of value, such as money or drugs. Exposure to sex trafficking has detrimental effects on child safety and health. Victims and survivors interact with pediatric health care providers at all stages of exploitation and recovery. It is critical that pediatric health care programs respond effectively to child sex trafficking to promote optimal outcomes. Engagement with survivor leaders should be a fundamental component of pediatric health care program development, implementation, and evaluation. Recognizing and leveraging the insight that comes from lived experience can help to inform more responsive interventions. Despite growing recognition of their valuable role, survivors are commonly overlooked or engaged in superficial, tokenistic, and sensationalistic ways. Centering and honoring the voices of survivors is therefore a vital act of social justice. In this survivor-led presentation, the presenters advocate for meaningful and ethical engagement with survivor leaders across all levels of practice, policy, and research. They propose a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, empowerment-based model of survivor inclusion and survivor-informed practice grounded in 11 guiding principles and 14 practice strategies derived from lived experience. Their framework strives to minimize risk of re-victimization, re-exploitation, and re-traumatization of survivors. This work emerged from an innovative collaboration between a diverse group of lived experience experts and pediatric health care program specializing in child sex trafficking in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Sharing this model of care will offer guidance to service providers as they move toward intentional and authentic survivor engagement.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explain why survivor engagement is instrumental to the success of pediatric health care responses to child sex trafficking

•  Discuss the complexities and challenges that may arise when collaborating with survivors in ethical and meaningful ways

•  Propose a model of survivor inclusion and survivor-informed practice that is trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and empowerment-base

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This presentation serves as an introduction to statistics for researchers and program leaders as an aid in understanding statistical content and making effective use of statistics in their work. Statistics and statistical content are powerful tools for gaining insight into research questions and managing programs. However, making effective use of statistics and discerning the reliability of statistical content can be daunting. This presentation provides an overview of different kinds of statistical content found in supporting research and analytics used in assessing program impact. Examples include survey design and use, common performance metrics, graphs and visualizations, statistical models and predictive analytics, and understanding statistical tests in layperson’s terms. A particular emphasis is given to assessing the reliability of statistical content, including statistical power, assessing bias, conflicts of interest, and the limitations of statistical findings. Questions and answers will focus on specific questions about statistics and their use from members of the audience. The session will empower and guide attendees to make greater, more effective use of statistics in their research and management of their programs.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss common statistical methods and how they can be used to strengthen research findings and the management of anti-trafficking and survivor programs

•  Present the limitations of statistical methods, how to assess research, and identify misinformation

•  Describe how to identify when to consult a statistical expert, how to evaluate their credentials, best practices, and making the best use of their of their findings

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This presentation includes the evaluation of a 12-session trauma-focused psycho-education group intervention for incarcerated female survivors of sex trafficking. This study used pre-post surveys of the group attendees and chi square and t-tests to analyze the data. Starting in May of 2019, there have been seven cohorts of incarcerated women participants in the STAR group, a total of 152 attendees. Pre-post survey analysis found that the participants’ scores on the Trauma Symptom Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale and the URICA responded with decreased symptoms on all scales and increased self-esteem and motivation to change. This group is administered by clinical social workers and lived experience experts. The group is closed to those who attend the first group. The content of the group includes- understanding abuse and gender-based violence, experience and consequences of economic abuse, exploring the effects of trauma, family violence and abuse, relationship abuse, self-harm and avoidance, demystifying the “game”, grief, moving out of survival mode, relationships and trust, and change and coping. This scores on the trauma, self-esteem, and motivation to change scales show an overall positive impact of the group. This group is low cost and has high impact. Incarcerated women who self-identified as sex trafficked experienced high rates of trauma and low rates of self-esteem. Groups for incarcerated women should be designed to address issues related to trauma symptoms and opportunities to narrate their experiences of sex trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of the study and of the intervention group curriculum

•  Describe the research methods and analysis

•  Describe the implications and recommendations based on the research

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The intersection of poverty and the criminal justice system disproportionately affects marginalized women in Nigeria by trapping them in cycles of incarceration and socio-economic exclusion. Despite legal protections, women in poverty face systemic discrimination, from arbitrary arrests to prolonged pretrial detention and harsh sentencing. This presentation examines the socio-criminal justice implications of women’s incarceration in Nigeria by highlighting how poverty exacerbates their vulnerability within the justice system. The presentation has three key objectives: (1) to analyze the socio-economic factors that contribute to women’s incarceration, (2) to assess the impact of criminal justice policies on marginalized women, and (3) to explore alternatives to incarceration that promote social justice. Using a doctrinal and empirical research approach, the research reviews legal frameworks, case studies, and qualitative data from formerly incarcerated women. Findings reveal that poverty-driven crimes, lack of legal representation, and gender-insensitive judicial practices increase the likelihood of imprisonment for women. Moreover, incarceration further entrenches poverty by limiting employment opportunities and reinforcing social stigma. This research contributes to knowledge by exposing the socio-economic dimensions of criminal justice in Nigeria and advocating for policy reforms that prioritize rehabilitation over punishment. The presentation concludes that addressing the criminalization of poverty requires systemic changes, including gender-responsive legal reforms, improved access to legal aid, and non-custodial sentencing alternatives. A justice system that upholds equity must recognize the structural disadvantages faced by marginalized women and provide pathways for reintegration rather than perpetuating cycles of incarceration.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Present a compelling real-life story of a formerly incarcerated woman in Nigeria

•  Discuss the research study, including the methodology, findings, and implications

•  Explore alternatives to incarceration that promote social justice

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While sex trafficking and porn have both been defined as forms of sexual violence, rooted in a system of gender inequality, what is often overlooked is the way these two industries are culturally, technologically, and economically linked. In the first part of this session, the presenters will explore how porn acts as both a method of recruitment into trafficking, and a major driver of demand. They will provide examples of how social media platforms are fueling sexual exploitation and prostitution, from the exchange of sexual currency in live streams to the grooming and recruitment of young people into prostitution and sex trafficking. In the second part of the session, they will discuss how the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is greatly magnifying the quantity, scope, accessibility, and harms of pornography. They will discuss how traffickers use AI to target, recruit, exploit, and abuse victims, and how sextortion has become a gateway to trafficking. AI now makes it possible for any person of any age to easily create porn - and to be victimized by porn. There are thousands of easy-to-find nudifying apps and websites – that anyone is now a potential victim. And with a few keystrokes, any person can easily become a perpetrator. Finally, they will conclude with how Culture Reframed, through a public health approach, assists parents and professionals who work with young people in navigating the treacherous terrain of social media, pornography, AI, and trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss how the pornography and sex trafficking industries are culturally, technologically, and economically linked

•  Discuss how pornography acts as both a method of recruitment into trafficking and a major driver of demand

•  Describe how social media platforms fuel sexual exploitation and trafficking and the harms this causes

•  Present the different types of AI pornography that are used by traffickers to target, recruit, exploit, and abuse victims

•  Present practical advice for how to build resilience and resistance in young people to porn and protect against the dangers of sextortion and trafficking

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Survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation in the United States face countless barriers on the path to healing. A general lack of awareness of the severity and reality of human trafficking amongst the public has only intensified the challenges survivors face. Research supports the presenters’ experiences in the field regarding how this lack of awareness has created gaps across the vital systems survivors need to exit trafficking, impacting their ability to achieve their goals for safety, success, and freedom. Exiting and healing from the trauma of trafficking requires a multi-disciplinary approach that can comprehensively address a variety of complex needs. Presenters will discuss strategies such as consistent collaboration and cross-training between agencies that can increase holistic care for survivors. The importance of having lived experience experts at the forefront of anti-trafficking care will also be emphasized during the presentation. No single agency can meet the needs of every sex trafficking survivor, and some agencies may receive more robust trauma-informed training than others. Agencies with additional resources must inform their community partners of best-practice strategies so survivors can feel adequately supported at any exit point. Including lived experience experts on staff and advisory boards and reducing perceived power dynamics can also help increase feelings of safety and decrease feelings of shame and guilt among survivors attempting to exit trafficking. This presentation concludes with a call to action for collaboration and inclusion of survivor voices in each community represented by the audience.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Review critical needs of survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation

•  Describe gaps in service delivery faced by survivors

•  Explain how to address and navigate service gaps with the resources available in one’s own community

•  Discuss how to use collaborative models like MDTs that include survivor voices

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This presentation will cover Nick Bryant’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s organized child sex trafficking network and the cover-up by state and federal law enforcement and the judiciary. Bryant will show that Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their network trafficked underage girls for 25 years, some as young as 10 years old. He will discuss how the Palm Beach Police Department identified 22 underage victims of Epstein in 2005, but a corrupt Florida grand jury did not indict Epstein on a single count of child trafficking. By 2007, the Justice Department was aware of 40 underage victims. Yet, Epstein was indicted on only one count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor and served only 13 months in a county jail. Moreover, Bryant will demonstrate that the Justice Department shockingly gave blanket immunity to all of the Epstein perpetrators and co-conspirators. The presentation will also illustrate the 2021 charges against Maxwell that included only one count of child trafficking were a miscarriage of justice. On July 8, 2019, the New York Times reported that federal authorities seized from Epstein’s safe  “hundreds—possibly thousands—of sexually suggestive photographs of girls who appear underage, as well as hand-labeled compact discs with titles like ‘Girl pics nude,’ and, with the names redacted, ‘Young [Name] + [Name].’” Now in 2025, the government has yet to acknowledge that these victims even exist. Bryant will discuss how he founded Epstein Justice to institute a congressional commission that seeks justice for the victims in the Epstein network and demands government transparency in the case.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Present findings of the investigation into the organized crimes against children by the Epstein child sex trafficking network

•  Discuss the legal aberrations that allowed children to be molested with impunity

•  Show how the media has abrogated its responsibilities to victims of child sexual abuse in their inadequate coverage of this network

•  Present options for political action in an effort to seek justice for the victims

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While Sex Trafficking awareness widens, less is known about the perspective of Familial Sex Trafficking Survivors and Ritual Abuse Survivors. Anjela Glueckert is a Trauma Survivor of BOTH. In this inspiring workshop, Anjela will discuss & share her own Trauma Healing Tools that she continues to use along her own ongoing Trauma Healing Journey. Due to the lack of resources for Survivors like herself, Anjela was motivated to create her own Toolbox for Healing from Family Sex Trafficking & Ritual Abuse, as the deeper she dove into her healing, the more difficult it was to find supports. She will talk about how the Survivor’s perspective is often missing in Anti-Trafficking work, & she will share what is needed and how to offer support to Survivors as they embark on their own Trauma Healing Journey. Anjela will share how she built her own Trauma-Healing Tools of Support that continue to be helpful and necessary along her own lifelong Trauma-Healing Journey. Additionally, Anjela will share how others can offer these Trauma Healing Tools for Survivors in their own community, whether as employers, caretakers, or friends. This includes how to support Survivors as struggles arise, and they continue to build their Healing Strengths. Anjela invites attendees to join her Anjelabundance.com commUNITY! AND when you start to embrace, more intentionally, this Survivor Perspective, you will be amazed and inspired by all the Survivors who reach out to HELP You to HELP Them Just. Heal.

 

Presentation Objectives:

·  Increase awareness of Familial Sex Trafficking and Ritual Abuse Survivors

·  Share a Ritual Abuse Survivor Perspective of ongoing Trauma Healing through supportive tools

·  Build a CommUNITY of Empowering Support for other Survivors

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As trafficking prevention efforts continue to evolve, screening tools and data-driven approaches are playing a critical role in identifying and supporting vulnerable youth. The Commercial Sexual Exploitation Identification tool (The CSE-IT) is a screening tool utilized across Texas and Louisiana via the software platform, Lighthouse. Over 180,000 CSE-IT screenings of youth collected across these two states were analyzed to illuminate 1) demographic trends and 2) key risk indicators as well as to generate recommendations for improving victim identification. Using insights from one of the most comprehensive screening datasets available, the presenter will showcase screening patterns across agency types, how factors such as age, gender, and system involvement influence risk levels for trafficking, the most common warning signs among youth flagged as “Clear Concern” and what they reveal about trafficking dynamics. This session will directly connect findings to practical implications for victim identification and service provision and equip attendees with evidence-based knowledge to refine their own screening protocols and intervention efforts.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe background on screening practices, Lighthouse data collection, and methodology for analysis

•  Present comprehensive findings from 180,000 youth screenings including demographic trends and risk indicators

•  Share recommendations for improving screening protocols and expanding data-driven collaboration nationally

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Establishing evidence-based programming for survivors of trafficking requires a structured approach that integrates feedback loops, quality assessments, and data-driven decision-making to enhance care and program effectiveness. This session will focus on why evidence-based best practices are critical to providing effective, survivor-centered care — and how programs can move from good intentions to proven impact. Many services for trafficking survivors are built on compassion, but without research-backed methods, they risk missing key needs or unintentionally causing harm. The presentation will explain what evidence-based practice means, why it raises the standard of care, and how organizations can begin applying it in practical ways. The presenters will cover strategies for building survivor feedback loops, using quality assessments and certifications to measure effectiveness, and collecting meaningful data to guide decisions. Participants will leave with clear recommendations for strengthening their programs, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and aligning services with research and survivor input to achieve better outcomes.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the crucial need for evidence-based practice in programs for survivors of human trafficking

•  Establish feedback channels that inform programmatic elements

•  Establish data collection mechanisms that inform practice

•  Describe the importance of engaging in third-party evaluation against research-based methodology for evidence-based practice

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