Shame is one of the most powerful, yet least examined, mechanisms of social control. Across cultures and institutions, shame is frequently deployed—intentionally or not—to regulate women’s behavior and maintain social hierarchies. When shame becomes weaponized, it discourages people from seeking help, speaking out about abuse, or accessing critical resources. This presentation explores shame as a structural and psychological barrier within social justice work. Drawing from Melissa Petro’s research, writing, and lived experience as a former sex worker and survivor of sexual exploitation, the session examines how stigma surrounding sexuality, motherhood, sex work, poverty, and nonconformity can silence women and obscure systemic harm. Shame often redirects attention away from structural injustice and toward individual blame. The presentation introduces the concept of “mortification culture,” in which public shaming, stigma, and moral judgment shape both media narratives and institutional responses to marginalized women. Participants will examine how shame influences disclosure, advocacy, and public perception—particularly in cases involving exploitation, abuse, or social stigma. Finally, the session offers practical frameworks for recognizing shame dynamics in professional settings and developing shame-resilient approaches to advocacy and support. Drawing from Buddhist concepts of compassion and non-judgment, the presentation proposes strategies for shifting conversations from blame toward dignity, accountability, and systemic change. By identifying how shame operates culturally and institutionally, professionals can better support individuals who face stigma while advancing a more humane and effective approach to social justice work.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Explain how shame functions as a mechanism of social control in cultural and institutional contexts

•  Describe how stigma surrounding gender, sexuality, and motherhood can prevent individuals from seeking help or justice

•  Examine the concept of “mortification culture” and its impact on public narratives about marginalized women

•  Discuss practical strategies for recognizing and reducing shame-based dynamics in advocacy and professional practice

Read More

This presentation highlights three community-based programs developed by Instituto Basta: Basta Assistance & Protection, Basta Advocacy & Policy, and Basta Education & Culture, addressing sexual abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking in vulnerable regions, with a focus on the Marajó Archipelago in the Brazilian Amazon. Marajó is a highly sensitive area, facing geographic isolation, poverty, and systemic neglect, which increase risks for children and adolescents. The central premise of this presentation is that prevention rooted in community engagement, education, and local leadership is essential to protect vulnerable populations and disrupt cycles of exploitation. Drawing from field-based experience, the presentation outlines how Instituto Basta implements comprehensive interventions, including national awareness campaigns, home visits, literacy support, workshops, and community dialogue sessions. Key components of the programs include sexual and emotional education, abuse prevention, capacity-building for local leaders and educators, and advocacy to strengthen protection networks. Activities are designed to empower communities, foster ethical and culturally informed practices, and create sustainable mechanisms to prevent exploitation. The session will highlight lessons learned, challenges encountered in isolated contexts, and strategies for building trust and community participation. Participants will gain insights into designing and implementing multifaceted, community-led programs that address abuse, exploitation, and trafficking, demonstrating replicable models for other high-risk regions. This presentation emphasizes the importance of prevention, education, and advocacy as tools for social justice, child protection, and community empowerment.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe the structure and main components of Instituto Basta’s programs addressing sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking

•  Explain community-based prevention strategies implemented in Marajó

•  Demonstrate how sexual and emotional education, capacity-building, and advocacy empower local communities to prevent abuse and exploitation

•  Provide practical recommendations and lessons learned to help participants replicate or adapt community-led prevention programs in other high-risk regions

Read More

Unaccompanied and at-risk youth are uniquely vulnerable to exploitation, including human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, yet prevention strategies often overlook the intersection of trauma, systemic inequities, and social marginalization. This presentation draws from Fonda’s extensive frontline experience with marginalized youth ages 9–20 in high-risk communities to offer innovative, trauma-informed strategies that protect and empower. Participants will explore how mentoring, community-based programming, and culturally responsive interventions can mitigate risk factors while strengthening resilience, mental health, and self-efficacy. The session will showcase the Open Arms Transformation Living (OATL) model, a proven framework that integrates empowerment, safe relationship education, and access to essential resources to reduce vulnerability. The OATL model has demonstrated measurable impact, with 71% of youth reporting improved self-esteem after workshops, 100% receiving resource access, and nearly half coming from Toledo, Ohio’s highest risk zip codes. Through interactive discussion and real-world case examples, attendees will gain actionable tools to identify at-risk youth, implement preventative strategies, and foster supportive environments in schools, community programs, and social service settings. By combining evidence-based practices, research insights, and lived experience, this session emphasizes that effective prevention is holistic: it engages youth as active participants in their own protection, addresses systemic biases, and equips professionals to intervene proactively. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, measurable approaches, and deeper understanding of the structural and social factors that elevate risk for exploitation. This session is essential for educators, social workers, advocates, and community leaders seeking to create safer, more resilient pathways for youth and break cycles of trauma and exploitation.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Present real-life case examples from the presenter’s frontline experience with marginalized youth

•  Lead participants through a risk-identification exercise to recognize vulnerable youth

•  Provide actionable tools and step-by-step guidance to implement trauma-informed prevention practices in schools, social services, and community programs

Read More

This presentation explores the presenters’ lived experiences as social justice agents engaging in emotional labor in anti-trafficking work, and underscores self-care as an essential means for remaining present, effective, and compassionate in the pursuit of justice. Grounded in a critical feminist framework, they conceptualize emotional labor as legitimate labor and draw on lived experience to illustrate how self-care is not an individual indulgence, but an ethical and professional necessity. They will begin by sharing how their work as researchers, practitioners, and advocates is emotionally demanding, requiring sustained, wholehearted engagement and attunement with people. The personal impact of such work has included overwhelm, and physical and emotional fatigue. To manage these impacts, restore balance, and maintain wholehearted connection to the work, they have found creative and embodied practices to be necessary, such as poetry, painting, collage, theatre, cooking, journaling, and nature mapping. They also found other relational and protective practices such as community care circles and digital boundaries to be essential. They will share stories of these practices and will provide attendees with opportunities to identify personally meaningful and sustainable care practices. Their experiences are not unique; researchers, practitioners, and advocates in this field routinely engage in intensive emotional labor, including witnessing trauma and its aftermath and navigating systems of injustice. Such work creates heightened risk for burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary trauma. This presentation thus concludes with a call to action for researchers, practitioners, and advocates to recognize emotional labor as legitimate labor and to integrate sustainable self-care practices into their daily lives.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe the role of emotional labor in social justice and anti-trafficking work through lived experiences and narrative reflection

•  Describe how sustained exposure to trauma and injustice impacts practitioner well-being from the viewpoint of lived experience

•  Demonstrate creative and accessible self-care practices that support emotional processing and resilience

•  Facilitate participant reflection to identify and apply individualized self-care strategies that promote sustainability in research, practice, and advocacy

Read More

This research presentation explores the wellness and health of lived experience staff working in the child sexual abuse (CSA) and violence against women (VAW) sectors. Despite the well-documented risks of indirect trauma in trauma-intensive settings, limited Canadian research has examined how to effectively support the wellness of this workforce. This study addresses this gap by centering the voices and experiences of lived experience staff. Using a qualitative research design grounded in Indigenous methodology and a Two-Eyed Seeing framework, the study engaged eight lived experience staff in Manitoba through conversational interviews and focus groups. The research examines three primary questions: how lived experience staff define and experience wellness, what gaps exist in current supports, and what strategies effectively promote their well-being. Findings reveal that wellness is a holistic, relational, and ongoing process shaped by psychological safety, belonging, financial stability, and workplace identity. Participants identified significant challenges, including indirect trauma, caregiving stress, lateral violence, and systemic inequities rooted in colonial and neoliberal structures. The study highlights multi-level strategies to support wellness, including culturally grounded practices, trauma-informed leadership, peer support systems, and organizational and policy reform. The findings emphasize that wellness cannot be addressed through individual strategies alone but requires systemic transformation. This presentation concludes with implications for practice, policy, and research, calling for the integration of lived experience knowledge and culturally responsive approaches to support this essential workforce.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of the study, including research questions, theoretical framework, methodology, and key findings

•  Analyze the systemic, organizational, and individual factors that influence the wellness of lived experience staff

•  Describe evidence-based and culturally grounded strategies that support wellness and resilience

•  Discuss implications for practice, policy, and future research in the CSA/VAW sectors

Read More

This study examines how a service-learning experience embedded in a forensic social work course shapes students’ understanding of human trafficking, domestic violence, and survivor-centered practice. Grounded in a community partnership with a domestic abuse shelter, the research explores how experiential learning supports the development of professional competencies and critical awareness of structural barriers. The study addresses three primary questions: how service-learning influences students’ understanding of trafficking and victimization, what knowledge and skills are developed, and how students conceptualize the role of social work within complex service systems. Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with undergraduate students (N = 14) following their participation in the service-learning experience. Interviews were guided by a structured reflection protocol and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings indicate four key outcomes. First, students experienced a shift from expectations of direct client interaction to a broader understanding of macro- and mezzo-level work, including organizational operations and funding systems. Second, participants demonstrated increased competency in trauma-informed and survivor-centered approaches, particularly the importance of autonomy and meeting clients where they are. Third, students reported significant personal and professional growth, including enhanced empathy, emotional awareness, and boundary-setting. Fourth, the experience illuminated systemic challenges such as resource limitations and service delivery constraints. The findings suggest that service-learning is an effective pedagogical approach for preparing students to engage in human trafficking and domestic violence work. This session will highlight the importance of integrating structural analysis, refining program design, and strengthening community partnerships to support ethical, justice-oriented social work practice.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Provide an overview of the study, including the research questions, qualitative methodology, and key findings related to student learning in human trafficking and domestic violence contexts

•  Analyze how service-learning contributes to the development of survivor-centered, trauma-informed, and systems-based social work competencies

•  Examine the implications of the findings for preparing future professionals to respond to human trafficking within complex, resource-constrained environments

•  Present recommendations for integrating community-engaged, justice-oriented pedagogy into social work education and anti-trafficking practice

Read More

Despite the significant overlap between domestic violence and human trafficking, survivors of intimate partner trafficking (IPT) frequently fall through the cracks of social service and legal systems. This session explores the intersectional nature of IPT through the lens of lived experience, specifically focusing on the critical moments of initial contact with law enforcement. While these interactions are often the first point of entry into the system, the lessons provided are vital for all multidisciplinary professionals—including social workers, healthcare providers, and advocates—who must identify survivors in high-stakes environments. For many survivors, these interactions can feel more like interrogations than interventions, focusing on criminal behavior rather than the coercive control at play. When professionals default to rigid questioning, they inadvertently reinforce the survivor’s defensive "Us against the World" bond with the trafficker. By examining "missed opportunities" and the trauma-informed shifts needed in communication, this presentation provides actionable strategies to move beyond standard screening. The presenter will help attendees identify "invisible tethers" and use "Bridge Questions" to lower defensive barriers. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of the unique nuances of IPT and the specific, trust-based inquiries that foster safety rather than fear. This session equips attendees to move from "fact-finding" to "protective advocacy," providing the tools necessary to support survivors who are not yet ready to speak the truth for themselves.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Analyze the “Interrogation vs. Intervention” dynamic through the lens of Biderman’s Chart of Coercion

•  Translate lived experience into actionable strategies by applying Dr. Jennifer Freyd’s Betrayal Trauma Theory to reframe victim “non-compliance”

•  Apply a Survivor-Centered Approach to Initial Contact by using “Bridge Questioning” techniques rooted in SAMHSA’s Trauma-Informed Principles

Read More

This presentation shares the design and implementation of a 9-week asynchronous online general education course aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking. This 100-level course was designed to equip undergraduate learners with foundational knowledge and actionable skills to address human trafficking within broader social justice contexts. The presenters argue that an “Explore–Engage–Apply” instructional framework, enhanced by responsible use of generative AI, can effectively scaffold student learning from foundational understanding to real-world action in anti-human trafficking efforts. Students begin by defining human trafficking, examining its global prevalence, root causes, indicators, and recruitment methods, and then progress to survivor-informed perspectives, technology’s role, and industry-specific prevention strategies. Learning culminates in a scaffolded final project in which students propose prevention or intervention strategies in their local communities. In this session, the presenters will also share insights on how they integrated Generative AI tools to support real world scenario development, personalized feedback, and iterative learning while maintaining ethical guidelines. This course model demonstrates how early undergraduate education can move beyond awareness to cultivate actionable social justice competencies. They recommend adopting scaffolded, AI-enhanced pedagogies to prepare students as informed advocates and practitioners. Beyond undergraduate settings, this approach can be adapted for professional development, continuing education, and workplace training programs. Attendees will gain a replicable framework for developing interdisciplinary, impact-driven curricula that strengthen global anti-trafficking and social justice efforts.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Describe the design and structure of a human trafficking awareness course, including its learning outcomes, scaffolded assessments, and the “Explore–Engage–Apply” framework

•  Demonstrate how generative AI can be responsibly integrated to enhance scenario-based learning, provide personalized feedback, and support iterative skill development

•  Discuss strategies for applying course content and pedagogical approaches beyond undergraduate education

•  Explain a replicable framework for developing interdisciplinary, impact-driven curricula that cultivate actionable social justice competencies and strengthen anti-trafficking initiatives

Read More

Despite genuine commitments to survivor inclusion, anti-trafficking research shows striking patterns in whose experiences get studied and whose do not. The field has not simply adopted a limited lens it can swap out; it occupies a structural position that shapes what becomes visible and to whom. Males comprise 40% of detected trafficking victims globally. Street-connected children and young people, trans and gender-diverse people, disabled people, and neurodivergent people are present in the harm and largely absent from the research; for neurodivergent populations, no dedicated peer-reviewed research exists at all. These are not isolated gaps. This presentation introduces the research gaze, drawing on Foucault, Fanon, and Mulvey, to examine the structural mechanisms that produce them: how the conceptual collapse of “trafficking” into “sex trafficking of women and girls” shapes what gets funded and studied; how methodological reliance on convenience samples and detection data generates findings that confirm the paradigm producing them; how 72% of publications originate from the Global North while the regions with the highest prevalence contribute the least; how major databases’ failure to record disability, orientation, or neurodiversity makes intersectional experiences structurally uncountable; and how meaning is lost as data passes from collection to analysis to write-up. The presentation opens with an auto-ethnographic reflection grounding this analysis in lived experience, and both presenters return to it at the close. Attendees will work through a self-assessment framework for examining how these mechanisms operate in their own research and practice.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Introduce the “research gaze” as an analytical framework for understanding how anti-trafficking knowledge production systematically determines whose experiences count as data, and distinguish it from commonly used metaphors of perspective and lens

•  Present empirical evidence of how the gaze produces paradoxical visibility (highly visible as a category, absent as a people) across five populations

•  Examine the structural mechanisms (conceptual constriction, methodological dependency, geographic concentration, categorical collapse, and analytical attrition) through which the field’s knowledge architecture filters and interprets survivor experiences

•  Equip attendees with a self-assessment framework for identifying how these mechanisms operate in their own research, practice, and organizational contexts—and what genuine reorientation might look like

Read More

Human trafficking intersects with multiple industries and systems, including transportation, hospitality, and global supply chains. Addressing trafficking therefore requires multidisciplinary, cross-sector approaches that combine policy, analytics, operational strategy, and community collaboration. This presentation brings together three complementary research initiatives examining how trafficking risks emerge—and can be disrupted—across interconnected systems. The first study focuses on transportation systems during major events such as the 2026 World Cup, 2026 Super Bowl, and 2028 Olympics. Through focus groups and case-study analysis, the research explores how transportation networks can support trafficking detection, coordinated intervention, and consistent data collection during periods of increased mobility and vulnerability. The second study investigates the role of hotels and hospitality spaces in trafficking operations through analyses of litigated trafficking cases and municipal nuisance-property enforcement strategies. Findings demonstrate how traffickers exploit anonymity and operational gaps while also highlighting opportunities for intervention through staff training, reporting protocols, and coordinated enforcement. The third study examines the European Union Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (EU CSDDD) and its implications for identifying and mitigating forced labor and trafficking risks in global supply chains. Using disclosure analysis and practitioner insights, the research evaluates organizational readiness and implementation gaps in corporate accountability efforts. Together, these projects demonstrate how trafficking prevention depends on coordinated action across transportation agencies, hospitality providers, businesses, municipalities, policymakers, and community organizations to strengthen prevention, accountability, and victim protection.

 

Presentation Objectives:

•  Examine how transportation systems, hospitality spaces, and global supply chains intersect with human trafficking risks

•  Identify operational, policy, and governance vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit across industries and major events

•  Explore multidisciplinary strategies for prevention, detection, intervention, and accountability across transportation, hospitality, and corporate sectors

•  Evaluate emerging policy and due diligence frameworks that support stronger human trafficking prevention and victim protection efforts

Read More