This presentation examines the gendered dimensions of human trafficking amid conflict and humanitarian crises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It focuses on how armed conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Sudan dismantle protective structures, creating environments traffickers exploit—placing women and girls at heightened risk of sexual exploitation, forced marriage, survival sex, and trafficking for domestic labor. To support this analysis, a qualitative research study was conducted, combining 15 in-depth interviews with displaced women and six case study reviews (two from each country) from refugee camps and conflict-affected communities in Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. A survivor-centered and human-centered approach informed the study design. Data analysis was carried out using MAXQDA software, applying Urquhart’s (2013) coding method within a Grounded Theory framework, resulting in 4,231 codes. Three core themes emerged: gendered types of coercion, profiles of traffickers, and gender-sensitive remedies for survivors. Findings demonstrate that displaced women, particularly unaccompanied minors and female-headed households, face coercion into survival sex, trafficking for domestic labor, and multiple forms of exploitation. These findings correspond with international reports, including the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report and the latest UNODC Global Report, which emphasize that conflict and displacement sharply increase trafficking risks for women and girls. This presentation advocates for embedding gender-sensitive, survivor-centered strategies into anti-trafficking interventions within humanitarian responses, emphasizing the urgency of addressing trafficking as a critical human rights issue.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Analyze gender-specific vulnerabilities to human trafficking in conflict and displacement contexts in the MENA region

•  Present case examples from Syria, Yemen, and Sudan to illustrate crisis-related trafficking risks

•  Review findings from international trafficking reports and gender-focused research

•  Recommend gender-sensitive interventions within humanitarian and protection responses

Read More

How can we stop human trafficking where it starts? By addressing demand. Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) Addressing Demand program and Man-to-Man Campaign focus on resources and strategies for uniting key stakeholders (including task forces, buyer diversion programs, community groups, corporate businesses, and youth-serving organizations) to equip them with the information and resources to combat human trafficking at its root cause. This presentation will focus on demand for sex trafficking and the importance of reducing or ending it, including take-away materials with resources and action steps to affect cultural change to reduce exploitation. The sale of people for commercial sex, whether for sex acts, pornography, live sex cams, or any other commercial sexual exploitation venture is predicated on the business model of supply and demand. Sex-buying behavior fuels the illicit sex trade, which includes sex trafficking of minors, and the sex trafficking of adults by force, fraud, or coercion. At the end of the day, if no one purchased commercial sex, the crime of sex trafficking would not exist. Therefore, it’s imperative to address the issue of demand. TAT created its Man-to-Man Campaign to address and reduce demand for those willing to join in stopping this problem where it starts. No buyer=no victim=no sex trafficking. Attendees will learn about the role demand plays in human trafficking, who is affected by the demand for commercial sex and forced labor, and how everyone can play a role in combating human trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss TAT’s efforts to engage in demand reduction

•  Discuss how communities and businesses can engage with TAT’s free resources to join the movement to address the demand for human trafficking

•  Provide resources offered by TAT and other organizations that aid in addressing demand

•  Provide examples of what attendees can do to address the demand for commercial sex and labor trafficking as individual and collectively as a community

Read More

Iain Bryson unknowingly married into an intergenerational occultic family that practices ritual abuse and trauma-based mind control. When his daughter was three years old, her mother started warning Iain that his daughter would be taken away from him. She told him that her family was a “cult,” but Iain had never heard of these types of families, so he had no framework for understanding the signs that were directly in front of him. Following the international abduction of his daughter, Iain tried to get help, but to no avail. The U.S. Secretary of State informed him that it could take two years to get the case into a court, but Iain was not willing or able to wait two years. When nobody in the entire world would help, he drove from Amsterdam to Poland and assaulted his daughter’s abductor and primary abuser in the street, thinking that this would lead to a child abuse investigation. But it did not, and fourteen years later, he is still fighting for his daughter. He published an evidence-based documentary style memoir in May 2024, and is working to educate the public and advocate for victims and survivors. In this session, Iain will discuss how familial human trafficking happens, along with how an occultic family can get away with it. He will examine the signs of ritual/organized abuse that were in his family and why he missed them. He will also review how international laws work against child protection rather than for it and will present possible solutions.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe how life experiences, belief systems, and ignorance of human trafficking in families led to an international child abduction

•  Describe the world's response to his international parental abduction and introduce a "child centric" approach

•  Explain how a cult is able to traffic a child

•  Discuss the importance of education and awareness of familial human trafficking

Read More

While Florida has strong sentencing guidelines for human trafficking, its legal framework lacks a lesser included offense. Unlike other crimes that allow plea bargaining within the same category, human trafficking in Florida is a single, high-threshold charge—particularly for sex trafficking, which includes enhanced penalties such as sex offender registration. This research project aimed to explore: 1) What influences prosecutorial decision-making in human trafficking case outcomes?, 2) How would a lesser included offense support prosecution efforts?, and 3) Could such an offense reduce reliance on victim testimony? This study analyzes Florida’s human trafficking statutes and compares them to states that have implemented lesser included offenses. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with prosecutors, private defense attorneys, and victim advocates to explore how legal structures impact case outcomes. Current Florida law places a heavy burden on victims to testify, as prosecutors have limited legal flexibility. Without a lesser included offense, many cases result in plea deals for non-trafficking crimes, undermining the nature of the offense and limiting justice for survivors. Florida should adopt a lesser included human trafficking offense to expand prosecutorial tools and reduce the over-reliance on victim testimony. Legal reform would allow more accurate plea agreements, improve conviction rates, and better serve survivors through a trauma-informed approach.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of Florida’s current human trafficking legislation and highlight its limitations regarding prosecutorial discretion

•  Present the main research questions, methodology, and key findings from interviews with prosecutors, attorneys, and victim advocates

•  Examine how the absence of a lesser included offense impacts case outcomes and victim participation

•  Offer policy recommendations to improve prosecutorial tools and reduce reliance on victim testimony through legislative reform

Read More

This presentation will focus on outlining various models and examples of mentorship with students and community partners around the globe with a specific focus on mentorship related to community engaged research and student development. The presentation will begin by outlining the various spaces in which mentorship can be transformative for mentees, the ways in which mentors and mentees can be connected, and evidence surrounding effective mentoring practices for students and individuals in the community. The presentation will then highlight several case study examples from around the world of the presenters mentoring experiences, benefits and challenges of mentoring in different scenarios (academia, community-based work, service providers), lessons learned, resources, and tips for those wishing to engage in cross disciplinary mentorship. There will also be focused discussion on how to balance mentoring and needs of partners/students with current capacity and responsibilities. Participants will also be encouraged to share their own stories of mentorship, how it’s assisted them, how they engage in it, etc. Ultimately, this session serves to have an open dialogue about the benefits and challenges of mentoring in various settings and equip participants with information on how to encourage mentoring in their own work.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe different models and outlets of mentorship

•  Discuss the benefits and challenges of mentorship in different sectors and cross-culturally

•  Explore different examples of mentorship

Read More

This presentation explores the intersection of sex trafficking and youth homelessness, focusing on the compounded risks faced by vulnerable populations in Peel Region, Ontario—a key hotspot for sexual exploitation due to its strategic economic and geographic location. Youth experiencing homelessness, particularly those who are BIPOC, LGBTQ+, or involved with the child welfare system, are at elevated risk due to systemic inequities such as poverty, housing instability, and social marginalization. Peel’s ongoing housing crisis exacerbates these vulnerabilities, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive prevention and intervention strategies. Effective prevention addresses root causes like family rejection, systemic racism, and economic insecurity, while interventions must be trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and centered on youth agency and choice. The presentation highlights the role of community-based, integrated models like the nCourage hub, which provide a continuum of care supporting youth through healing, empowerment, and long-term stability. Emphasis is placed on the need for cross-sector collaboration—among shelters, healthcare, law enforcement, and social services—to reduce risk and ensure coordinated, consistent support for victims and survivors. To enhance access to dedicated services, systems must remove barriers, prioritize inclusive, equity-focused care, and expand targeted programming for at-risk, entrenched, and exiting youth. A unified, evidence-based, and intersectional approach is critical to addressing both immediate needs and the structural drivers of youth exploitation and homelessness.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Highlight the intersectionality of youth homelessness and sexual exploitation

•  Provide examples of intervention and prevention strategies and community collaborations to help support youth experiencing homelessness and sexual exploitation

•  Discuss how to increase access to dedicated supports and services for youth experiencing homelessness who are at-risk of or identify as victims/survivors

•  Increase collaboration, coordination, and evidence-based practice across the system responding to human sex trafficking with the youth population

Read More

This presentation offers a comprehensive exploration of the various types of traffickers and their exploitation tactics. Drawing from her lived experience and expertise as a survivor advocate, Keyana educates audiences on the nuanced methods traffickers use to recruit, control, and exploit their victims. The presentation begins by defining human trafficking and debunking common myths, highlighting that traffickers exist across all socioeconomic backgrounds and operate through diverse means. Keyana categorizes traffickers into distinct archetypes, such as the "Romeo" trafficker, who uses emotional manipulation and false promises of love; the "Gorilla" trafficker, who employs violence and intimidation; and the "Bottom," a victim-turned-enforcer who controls others on behalf of the trafficker. She also covers less commonly recognized traffickers, including familial and corporate traffickers, providing real-world examples to illustrate their tactics. The presentation emphasizes the psychological and physical methods traffickers use to maintain power, such as branding, debt bondage, and emotional coercion. Keyana offers practical strategies for identifying traffickers, recognizing red flags, and supporting potential victims. This session will educate law enforcement, service providers, educators, and community members on the complexities of trafficking dynamics. It empowers participants to identify trafficking patterns, respond effectively, and advocate for survivor-centered solutions. Through her powerful and informative presentation, Keyana aims to challenge misconceptions, promote awareness, and inspire action in the fight against human trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Define the various types of traffickers and explain their distinct exploitation tactics

•  Illustrate real-world examples of trafficker archetypes to enhance understanding of their manipulation strategies

•  Educate participants on identifying red flags and recognizing trafficker behaviors in different settings

•  Provide practical strategies for responding to and supporting trafficking victims

Read More

Human trafficking is a public health and mental health crisis, with survivors facing PTSD, depression, anxiety, and trauma bonds. Community mental health centers (CMHCs) play a vital role in providing trauma-informed care, yet barriers like mistrust, financial limitations, and fragmented services hinder recovery. To address this, the Center for Behavioral Health (CBH) recently implemented a human trafficking response protocol to improve survivor identification, treatment, and support. CBH seeks to share preliminary results from this initiative, offering insights into its effectiveness and areas for improvement. CMHCs can better support survivors through a multidisciplinary, survivor-centered approach that includes structured response protocols and culturally competent care. However, many providers lack training to address the unique needs of trafficking survivors. CBH’s protocol implementation offers lessons on bridging these gaps through improved care coordination and trauma-informed interventions. Enhancing mental health responses requires interagency collaboration between healthcare providers, law enforcement, and social services. Trust-building measures, including privacy protection, informed consent, and culturally responsive care, are essential. Policymakers, mental health professionals, and community organizations must advocate for increased training, sustainable funding, and survivor-informed services. Strengthening CMHCs’ trauma-informed care capacity will improve support systems, promote healing, and empower survivors. CBH’s preliminary findings provide valuable insights into best practices and future improvements, making expanded initiatives essential for addressing trafficking survivors’ long-term mental health needs.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Identify the role of CMHCs in human trafficking response

•  Discuss how CMHCs provide trauma-informed care to survivors and the barriers that hinder access to mental health services

•  Evaluate the implementation and impact of a human trafficking response protocol

•  Analyze the CBH’s recent protocol, its preliminary outcomes, and strategies for improving identification, treatment, and survivor support

•  Present key principles of culturally competent, multidisciplinary collaboration to enhance trust, ensure privacy, and improve mental health outcomes for survivors

Read More