Previously, sex trafficking was the main topic of human trafficking study in India. But the post liberalization lifestyle changes in India has generated an increased demand for labor trafficking. Specifically, for people who can work in houses, offices, entertainment and the leisure industry which is largely informal in nature. Informal workers, make up 90% of the workforce in India which generally turn out to be labor trafficking situations.

The Indian real estate market is expected to gross $180 billion by 2020 where the housing sector alone contributes to 5-6% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The real estate sector consists of four sub sectors - housing, retail, hospitality and commercial. There is huge demand for unskilled labor in real estate as well as for household assistance and domestic servitude. The demand is higher than the supply of man power resulting in women and children being pulled into cities to work in exploitative situations.

 

India is going to witness more trafficked victims in the form of domestic servitude and bonded labor along with a rise in illegal organ transplantation. The legal procedure to receive organ donation is too cumbersome that the recipient often dies before the official procedure gets completed. Consequently, traffickers are addressing this scenario by facilitating organs with the help of doctors in their network often by offering a huge share of what they get out of organ trading.

Presentation Objectives:

Attendees will learn about specific cases of labor trafficking as mentioned above.

i.e. Domestic servitude, workers in real estate as bonded laborers and illegal organ trading in India

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Through the story of a survivor of human trafficking, the impact of occupational therapy as a form of innovative treatment will be shared. A journey that includes breaking free from human trafficking, recovering from addiction, addressing and moving past life traumas, and learning how to live a new and successful life will be shared from a survivor and her occupational therapist. The most effective treatment for survivors of human trafficking include treatment involving, but not limited to job placement, independent living skills, housing, basic needs, health education, educational opportunities, trauma specific treatment, social skills, and any other needed skill building areas. As part of a team, occupational therapists address these issues holistically from assessment to treatment. Survivors of human trafficking benefit from skill development such as self-care, financial management, employment, meaningful activity, meal planning and preparation, community mobility, relationship development, problem solving, impulse control, and many other areas. Occupational therapy played a big role in the recovery of a survivor in Hancock County who will share her story to increase empathy for individuals who struggle with substance abuse, trauma, human trafficking, and life skill development. Through the lived experience of a survivor, a story from leaving her situation to building a coalition will be shared and how occupational therapy and a holistic approach to treatment was a success.

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In this presentation, we explore the often-overlooked realities of individuals who participate in illicit sex markets and we dismantle widespread misconceptions about violent victimization and constrained agency as they relate to sex trafficking. Our discussion focuses primarily on: gender disparities in pimping and the relationship dynamics between pimps and sex workers; non-dualistic life experiences of sex workers who are both perpetrators and victims of violent victimization; and intimate partner violence experienced by sex workers whose abusers are unaware of their participation in sex work. We discuss the findings from two ethnographic studies conducted in New York City between 2011 and 2014. The first study, led by the first author, involved a comprehensive examination of the life histories of 15 female and 15 transgender street sex workers between the ages 18 and 30. The second study, led by the second author, involved in-situ interviews with 85 male pimps/traffickers in Harlem housing projects. Findings suggest that misconceptions about the lives and experiences of individuals participating in illicit sex market may thwart public agency and community-based organization efforts to help victims of violence. The misguided “one size fits all” treatment of individuals in the sex industry may inadvertently push away individuals who both need and desire assistance.Presentation Objectives:

·         Participants will be able to discuss the framework of sensory integration.

·         Participants will be able to discuss the relationship between the sensory integration and trauma.

·         Participants will be able to describe the benefits of sensory integration in trauma informed care.

Participants will be able to identify sensory approaches to integrate into practice.

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Empirical evidence indicates that individuals exposed to trauma are at risk of sensory processing deficits including defensiveness, modulation, integration and registration. Deficiencies in sensory processing are linked with poor emotional regulation, anxiety disorders, and depression. Sensory integration supports self-regulation of the central nervous system, attachment, and reduction of seclusion and restraint. The empirical evidence and utilization of sensory approaches in mental health practice has significantly increased over the last decade. The integration of sensory and trauma informed interventions are an emerging practice area in the treatment of trauma. This presentation aims to provide education about the framework of sensory integration, the impact of trauma on the body’s stress regulation systems, and the use of sensory interventions in trauma informed care. Participants will have the opportunity to administer sensory assessments and trial sensory interventions.

Presentation Objectives:

·         Participants will be able to discuss the framework of sensory integration.

·         Participants will be able to discuss the relationship between the sensory integration and trauma.

·         Participants will be able to describe the benefits of sensory integration in trauma informed care.

Participants will be able to identify sensory approaches to integrate into practice.

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Third-party work arrangements often originate in private social spheres (see Dank et al., 2014; Marcus et al., 2012; May et al., 2000). In sex markets, these overlapping spheres can foster a complex intimacy and economy nexus. Zelizer (2000) explores the sociology of purchases of intimacy using three approaches: ‘hostile worlds,’ ‘nothing but,’ and ‘connected lives.’ In the hostile worlds paradigm, if intimate and economic spheres collide, they are contaminated and chaos ensues. In the nothing but paradigm, spheres blend quite normally, but with a focus on uneven power dynamics. ‘Connected lives’ is where intimacy and economy co-exist through on-going negotiations some deeper connections form. Pimps’ perspectives about the economy and intimacy nexus map onto Zelizer’s three-fold typology.

Eighty-five third parties are interviewed in housing projects in Harlem about their labor, including their approach with sex workers. The crux of understanding this nexus is the relationship between a third-party and his ‘bottom bitch,’ (main sex worker). Third parties articulate specific management philosophies; however, their approaches are not static. Their intimate feelings for bottoms can develop over time or romantic relationships transform to friendship or distant business relationship. Based on comparisons of median weekly income, those who are more intimate with workers generate higher earnings.

Presentation Objectives:

·         To explore pimps’ perspectives about the rules of intimacy with sex workers.

·         To understand work/intimacy arrangements between pimps and sex workers.

·         To investigate how arrangements may impact pimps’ work conduct.

To explore how the rule of intimacy in this work arena impact economic returns.

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This interactive presentation uses longitudinal data collected from service recipients and staff to contextualize the benefits and challenges associated with the implementation of a new sex trafficking safe house in rural New England. Instruments used to evaluate resident outcomes include the: Post-Traumatic Stress Checklist-5 (Weathers, Litz, Keane, Palmieri, Marx, & Schnurr, 2013), Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression index (Radloff, 1977), and Protective Factors Survey (social-emotional support and concrete support subscales). Resident outcomes related to the program goal of providing trauma-informed treatment and support services to residents will be discussed. Staff experiences, which are equally important to consider when developing a comprehensive understanding of program impacts, were measured using the: Professional Quality of Life (Stamm, 2012), Secondary Traumatic Stress Survey (Bride, Robinson, Yegidis, & Figley, 2004), Trauma-Informed Practice Survey (Institute for Health and Recovery, 2011), Global Transformational Leadership Scale (Carless, Wearing, & Mann, 2000), and Adverse Childhood Experiences (CDC, 2013). The Program Director and Lead Evaluator will discuss the role that prior trauma histories, leadership characteristics, and trauma-informed practices play in regards to staff, and how this data can assist in monitoring staff perceptions of well-being, which can contribute to or mitigate staff turnover.

 

Participants will be able to:

·         Describe the impact of an evidence-based, trauma-informed practice model on clients and staff;

·         Articulate benefits and challenges associated with providing services to sex trafficking victims/survivors;

·         Identify strategies for addressing challenges; and

Describe how data can be useful in informing the design of residential programs for sex trafficking victims/survivors.

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My Life My Choice is a survivor-led agency in Boston, MA. We pair adult survivors of the sex industry with youth who have been sexually exploited. The goal of the relationship is to build rapport, build self-esteem and to provide a continuum of service to youth as they exit the commercial sex industry. As the first to provide this service, our goal is to:

·         Educate others as to the benefit of the survivor mentor role

·         Provide a trauma-informed service

To speak a language to these youths that only a survivor can provide.

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In 2012, three sex worker activists came together to create a research project specifically designed to capture information from industry insiders, including sex workers, clients, and other individuals employed in the sex trades regarding their experiences with trafficking and coercive practices. Tired of biased, misinformed research on sex work conducted by academics and anti-trafficking organizations that seeks to further criminalize and marginalize sex work, they sought to conduct their own research, using their strength and knowledge as industry insiders to gather their own data regarding the impact of trafficking in the sex trade in the United States. Launched in 2013 in conjunction with DePaul University’s Social Science Research Center, the Erotic Labor Market Survey (ELMS), has gathered around 1000 responses regarding each respondent’s experience with trafficking or coercive practices within the context of being a worker, client, or employee/manager. This first ever research project of its kind was created by sex workers in order to provide other sex workers, activists, and academics a more accurate portrayal of trafficking in the sex trade. The presenters will share some of the preliminary findings of the research as well as the process they went through in developing this community-based participatory research project and working with an academic institution to develop a sound research process and methodology for the survey.

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