A series of executive orders, policy changes, and federal departmental reorganizing enacted by the Trump administration in 2025 disrupted research and federal services across the United States in unexpected ways. Multiple anti-trafficking organizations (including Freedom Network USA, the Corporate Accountability Lab, and the Global Association of Human Trafficking Scholars) responded with concern for trafficking survivors, anti-trafficking researchers, service programs, migrant workers, and other marginalized groups. What are the 2025 policy changes that are likely to have the highest impact on the anti-trafficking field, particularly in areas of prevention, research, and victim services? What impacts would we expect to see based on the cumulative effect of these policy changes together? While partisan politics largely dominate American discussions of presidential decisions, the Trump administration is not the first to decrease trafficking survivor access to victim services or to engage in mass deportations and harsher migration control. This project aims to explore the impact of recent policy decisions on anti-trafficking initiatives, while still contextualizing these changes within broader, long-term trends in federal policy. This includes policy impact research on areas that intersect with human trafficking (largely around race, gender, migration, etc.), data collection on changes in funded anti-trafficking programs and research, and an exploration of the response from anti-trafficking organizations and stakeholders. The presentation concludes with specific policy recommendations based on projected impacts and evidence-based policy analysis.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide a descriptive overview of major policy changes enacted by the Trump administration contextualized within policy actions by previous administrations

•  Share findings from a policy impact analysis based on previous scholarship to project cascading impacts for domestic and international anti-trafficking stakeholders

•  Outline policy recommendations for U.S. federal agencies and action items for anti-trafficking researchers and organizations to respond to ongoing policy impacts

Read More

Renee Adams was just a child when she learned that love came with conditions, if it came at all. Placed in an orphanage after enduring child abuse, she longed for acceptance, for proof that she was worthy of kindness. But the very place meant to protect her became another source of pain. When she ran, she wasn't looking for trouble; she was searching for safety. Instead, she found herself in a world even darker than the one she left behind, a world where traffickers prey on the vulnerable, where abandonment and abuse mark children as easy targets. Every decision she made was one of survival. The transition from an orphanage to the streets, from captivity to escape, from victim to survivor was shaped by choices no child should ever have to make. Yet, through every moment of darkness, a truth remained: She was more than what had been done to her. For years, she believed she was just another statistic, another lost child swallowed by a broken system. But today, Renee stands as a survivor, an advocate for those still trapped, a voice for those who have yet to find their own. The past tried to steal her worth, but it could not take her purpose. She is living proof that no matter how deep the wounds, healing is possible; every survivor has a story worth telling. In this session, attendees will learn about the deep trauma that survivors of trafficking experience and discover how survivors overcome obstacles of their past that can create a life filled with purpose, strength, and possibility.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the journey of a survivor by sharing realities of child abuse, life in an orphanage, and the vulnerability that led to human trafficking

•  Discuss critical life transitions and decisions that shaped her path from victim to survivor, including the challenges of escaping one prison only to enter another

•  Explain key lessons learned from these experiences, emphasizing the discovery of self-worth, resilience, and the realization that the past does not define one's future

Read More

Friends and families of those accused and/or convicted of sexual offenses are unacknowledged victims of the offense. Families often feel shame and isolate as a result. The parents especially look back and wonder what they did wrong or what signs were missed along the way. Did they enable without realizing? Siblings may be conflicted. Families may be torn apart with some wanting to help the offender and others wanting to banish them. Some families remain intact while others dissolve completely, though many are somewhere in the middle of this continuum. All deserve to have their voices heard and acknowledged. When families do opt to remain together, the issue of safe and effective reentry becomes paramount. Families need to grieve and find outlets to help them recover from the turmoil. There is a growing awareness of the needs of family members for both support and therapy, but resources are still very limited. After presenting on the difficulties, this session’s focus moves to the variety of ways available for helping families cope. These include organizations (e.g. B4UAct and CURE-SORT), mental health professionals trained in this sensitive area, and in-person and on-line support groups. The goal of this session is to share how these various programs help individuals and families negotiate challenges from arrest and dealing with the criminal justice system to living after reentry with a focus on helping families make good decisions, avoid shame and isolation, grieve, and move forward.

Presentation Objectives:

•  Demonstrate the challenges to family and friends of dealing with a criminal justice system that is foreign to them along with the demonization of people accused of sexual crimes

•  Demonstrate the challenge of the changing relationship between a friend or family member and a person receiving a sexual charge or conviction

•  Provide some resources for families, friends, and the accused person to grieve and move forward, whether the family remains intact or not

Read More

Educators play a critical role in preventing human trafficking, yet many lack the training, policies, and resources to do so effectively. Schools need more than awareness—they need actionable, evidence-based strategies that build protective factors in students and drive systemic change. This session introduces PROTECT, a federally recognized, survivor-informed prevention education program led by 3Strands Global Foundation that has been successfully implemented through U.S. Human Trafficking Youth Prevention Education (HTYPE) demonstration programs. Attendees will learn how HTYPE-funded initiatives have expanded access to vetted curricula, professional training, and school-based policies nationwide—creating scalable, sustainable solutions to prevent exploitation. Established in 2015, PROTECT equips school communities with key life-changing skills—including critical thinking, boundary-setting, and help-seeking strategies—to help them navigate unsafe situations before they escalate. The program offers a train-the-trainer model for school leaders, online and in-person training for staff and parents/caregivers, and an adaptable curriculum for primary and secondary education that aligns with national and state standards. Participants will also explore advocacy strategies for long-term policy adoption and sustainable funding, ensuring prevention efforts continue beyond initial grant support—making human trafficking prevention a lasting part of school-based education. This interactive session includes real-world case studies from HTYPE programs, small-group discussions, and hands-on exercises to help attendees apply prevention frameworks in their schools and communities. Participants will leave with tangible tools, policy insights, and advocacy strategies to strengthen protective factors, influence legislation, and drive systemic responses to human trafficking.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explain how skill-building education strengthens protective factors in students and prevents exploitation

•  Examine the intersection of policy and education in creating sustainable prevention efforts

•  Identify advocacy strategies for securing funding and policy support for prevention education

•  Equip participants with practical tools for implementing survivor-informed prevention programming in schools

Read More

Survivor-centered approaches to human trafficking are essential to anti-trafficking efforts, but what do these approaches look like in practice? This research team conducted interviews with members of 27 organizations employing survivor-centered approaches, including survivor leadership. They sought to better understand how these organizations were communicating their mission, programming, and impact both internally among members of the organization and externally to the public. Before launching their full academic research project, they developed a preliminary white paper summarizing the key themes that emerged from our interviews. To foster dialogue and transparency among the community interviewed, the short document was shared with all 27 interview participants. This presentation will share key insights from the white paper, including how organizations communicate their survivor-centered mission, programming, and impact both internally and externally. They will share organizational communication strategies, best practices, and lessons learned. In addition to the white paper, they will also discuss the broader research project, including initial website analysis of organizational communication before the white paper as well as their in-progress analysis of interview data applying the communication theory of resilience after the white paper. They will discuss gaps in the current research as well as areas for future exploration. This session is ideal for practitioners, researchers, and community advocates looking to deepen their understanding of survivor-centered approaches in anti-trafficking work, especially organizational communication. Attendees will leave with practical insights which can be applied in organizational communication and individual activist communication.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Present preliminary findings from interviews with 27 organizations taking a survivor-centered approach to human trafficking

•  Identify how organizations communicate their survivor-centered mission, programming, and impact both internally and externally.

•  Provide an overview of the larger scale research project, including research questions, methodology, and findings

•  Discuss current gaps in the scholarship and directions for future research

Read More

At 14, Fonda Royster became unaccompanied, navigating homelessness alone. This presentation shares her lived experience, highlighting the systemic failures that left her without support and the resilience that propelled her forward. Attendees will gain insight into the realities of unaccompanied youth and the interventions needed to break the cycle. Fonda faced survival challenges—unstable housing, food insecurity, and a lack of trusted adults. School became her refuge, but without a stable home, she struggled to meet basic needs. She encountered barriers in accessing services due to age restrictions and a lack of awareness about available resources. Navigating life alone, she experienced exploitation, unsafe living conditions, and systemic neglect. Despite these challenges, she remained determined to find stability. Education became her anchor, and she sought mentorship where possible. These experiences fueled her passion for advocacy, leading her to pursue higher education in social justice and policy. Fonda overcame homelessness through education and strategic support systems. She founded Open Arms Transformation Living to provide resources and housing solutions for unaccompanied homeless youth, ensuring others do not face the same barriers she did. This session empowers professionals to understand the unique needs of unaccompanied homeless youth. Attendees will learn how to create trauma-informed interventions, advocate for policy reform, and implement prevention strategies that provide long-term stability and support.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe her lived experience of becoming unaccompanied at 14, highlighting the challenges of homelessness and systemic barriers

•  Discuss critical life transitions and decisions that influenced her path toward stability and advocacy

•  Explain key lessons learned from her experience and how they inform effective interventions for unaccompanied homeless youth

•  Provide professionals with trauma-informed strategies to support, advocate for, and create sustainable solutions for unaccompanied homeless youth

Read More

For years, feminist advocates have stressed the importance of accurate media reporting on gender-based violence (GBV). Despite this, many forms of GBV, including sex trafficking, are misrepresented and underreported, harming survivors and hindering efforts to address violence and trafficking. The media plays a crucial role in preventing GBV, shaping public understanding of these issues. Whose stories are told, and how? Whose stories are buried, and why? GBV IN THE MEDIA, led by Aura Freedom International, seeks to transform media portrayals of GBV and sex trafficking to advance education and prevention. Drawing from academic research and grassroots discussions, the project connects feminist advocates and journalists across Canada to challenge harmful media narratives. With input from experts, frontline workers, survivors, Indigenous leaders, and more, Aura Freedom has developed Media Guidelines to support journalists in transforming their GBV reporting, with a special section on sex trafficking. This advisory network has provided vital expertise, contributing to the final Media Guidelines which are being used in Canadian newsrooms and have been presented at international conferences. Through these Guidelines and a cross-sectoral network, Aura Freedom International aims to inspire global media change that challenges harmful gender norms, debunks myths about male violence, and contributes to GBV prevention.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explain the GBV IN THE MEDIA initiative, covering the research phase, convening 40+ stakeholders across Canada over two years, and the creation and structure of the final Media Guidelines

•  Present examples from the Media Guidelines

•  Showcase the network of collaboration between journalists and GBV sector advocates and how the project addresses systemic barriers to gender equality

Read More

The underground nature of trafficking leads most of its victims to be unidentified for long periods of time, and some are not found until it is too late. Therefore, the presenters embarked on a pilot project aimed at significantly widening the pool of persons equipped with identifying trafficking victims. The pilot identifies four key fields: hospitals, police officers, municipal patrols, and rehabilitative organizations. If the professionals in these fields are aware of signs that the people before them could be victims of sex trafficking they could act accordingly, in a trauma-informed and potentially life-saving manner. Specifically, the pilot engages in a city-based model which has garnered success in various case studies. The city-based model focuses on developing both expertise and multi-sectorial cooperation on a local level, in order to create new channels for identifying and assisting victims that build on the already-existing municipal ecosystems. The pilot also offers a unique opportunity to assess municipalities’ impact, especially when the State’s focus is elsewhere, as in this case due to Israel’s ongoing war. The presentation outlines how the pilot was built and why the key fields, and cities, were chosen, as well as how the pilot is being implemented and measured. The presentation reviews some of the key materials taught in the workshops, which address both characteristics of sex trafficking as well as trauma-informed responses, so that attendees may gain insight on practices and trends.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe the pilot program and how it was built

•  Outline initial results of the pilot program’s effects

•  Share key materials that can be used in other settings to build knowledge on identifying victims

•  Share local practices to enrich the global efforts

Read More

The purpose of this presentation is to critically examine the multinational oil companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in Nigeria. Its special focus is to investigate the impact of the global memorandum of understanding (GMoU) on extenuating the re-emergence of kidnapping for ransom in oil host communities of Nigeria. Using explanatory research design, the study took on both descriptive and inferential statistics to answer four research questions. Then, with the use of multiple sampling techniques, primary data were generated from a sample of 800 respondents picked from the region’s nine states. The results from the estimation of a logit model and use of propensity score matching to ascertain the key variance between variables in the treatment and control shows that noteworthy efforts have been made by the MOCs’ via CSR - GMoUs in the areas that aids in bringing down the main drivers of kidnapping for ransom (impoverishment, under/unemployment, wreckage of land, and poor exposure to training). This suggests that MOCs are aptly positioned to confront the drivers and triggers of economic kidnapping through investment in cluster development boards (CDBs) that will better environmental justice, provide pro-youth programs that harness appropriate skills required for peaceful engagement, and compliment government efforts in the planning and execution of the development agenda for their respective communities. This research contributes to the public/private partnership debate on ransom kidnapping as a social challenge from the standpoint of corporate social responsibility of multinational enterprises’ initiatives in developing countries.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Discuss the spread of the resurgence of ransom kidnapping among the local communities of the Niger Delta in Nigeria

•  Determine how the activities of GMoUs of MOCs have been able to impact the key drivers and triggers of ransom kidnapping in Nigeria’s oil producing communities

•  Examine the degree of GMoUs intervention of MOCs in bringing down the resurgence of ransom kidnapping in Nigeria’s oil host communities

•  Investigate the effects of lowering the resurgence of ransom kidnapping in the Niger Delta expanse of Nigeria

Read More

In attempting to reduce the prevalence of human trafficking or modern slavery, the anti-trafficking movement has not paid enough attention to understanding and engaging with the perpetrator side of the problem. “Perpetrator” includes anyone who benefits from the abuse, exploitation, and coercion of human trafficking: those on the supply side as well as those who generate the demand for such abuses. If we expect to change the behaviors of perpetrators, understanding their motivational ecology is essential. What internal psychological factors underlie those behaviors? What external familial, socio-economic, and cultural factors drive those behaviors? There is little hard data on that motivational ecology, but in this session, attendees will learn from some actual cases. Attendees will join small group discussions about three cases that focus on the perpetrator’s side of the story. The cases come from previously published descriptions of online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines, domestic servitude in the UK, and bonded labor in India. The session will draw on attendees’ reactions to these cases, and will encourage attendees to learn from each other by discussing what led to the perpetrators’ behavior and what could have been done to prevent those behaviors. This reflective learning approach encourages everyone to read beyond the surface and interpret motives, rationalizations, and self-deception. It also challenges us to interrogate our own presumptions and emotional reactions. The method can be helpfully applied to any form of human trafficking or modern slavery, from sex trafficking and forced marriage to labor exploitation and child soldiers.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Highlight the importance of understanding the motivational ecology of people who perpetrate the abuses, exploitation, and coercion of human trafficking

•  Present cases studies of actual perpetrators for attendees to engage in discussion

•  Elicit ideas about what could be done to prevent the destructive behaviors in those case studies

•  Present a reflective learning approach that moves beyond first reactions to deeper questioning of motives, rationalizations, and self-deception

Read More