MHC of Tarrant County Engagement May 2017 Alan Schonborn Child Sex Trafficking Team Texas Governors Office The University of Texas estimates that 79000 children and youth are victims of sex trafficking in Texas currently ID: 586259
Download Presentation The PPT/PDF document "DFW Regional Model for Child Sex Traffic..." is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
DFW Regional Model for Child Sex Trafficking Survivor Care:MHC of Tarrant County Engagement
May 2017
Alan Schonborn
Child Sex Trafficking TeamTexas Governor’s OfficeSlide2
The University of Texas estimates that 79,000 children and youth are victims of sex trafficking in Texas currently.
2Slide3
Progression of control over victims
How Does This H
appen?3
Vulnerability
Recruitment and Grooming
Abuse and Control
“On Automatic”Slide4
Certain vulnerabilities are more prevalent among CST victims“Predators seem to sense when a child is vulnerable.” CST survivor
Are you already serving them here?
4
foster care or juvenile justice
conflict at home or
school
Drug or alcohol use
homeless, throwaway or runawaySlide5
Traffickers recruit in a number of ways and at many familiar locations
Recruitment
5Slide6
This means every child is at risk
Traffickers Use Technology To Exploit
Youth“Predators spend entire days trolling Facebook, looking for girls who post about fighting with their parents or feeling left out of school.”
6
Photographic reenactments by Daniel
Bedell
Washingtonian
Magazine, June 2013
Technology allows traffickers to:
Make contact or stalk victims
Groom and recruit victims
Advertise and market victims
Connect with potential buyers
Distance trafficker from the crime
Control / maintain authority / blackmailSlide7
“(My pimp) had his girls out on the streets every night. It was either you made the (money) for him or you got beat.” CST Survivor
Physical Abuse
Most common formsGunshotStrangulation BurnedKickedPunchedStabbedRaped
Penetrated – foreign object7
92% suffer from at least one type
Average suffer from 6 types
More than half of the victims experienced at least 8 types, including strangulation
Lederer
and Wetzel, Annals of Health Law,
vol
23, 2014Slide8
“They never asked me why I was on drugs. If they had, I would have told them he fed them to me.” CST survivor
Substance Abuse
84% used alcohol or drugs28% forced to use by trafficker26% overdosed8
Lederer
and Wetzel, Annals of Health Law,
vol
23, 2014Slide9
“In most of (my six abortions), I was under serious pressure from my pimps to abort the babies.” CST survivor
Sexual Abuse and Women’s Health
Average 13 buyers / dayMedian of 10 and some reported 30 - 5071% ≥ 1 pregnancy21% ≥ 5 pregnancies 55% ≥ 1 miscarriage30% multiple miscarriages50% ≥ 1 abortion30% multiple
9
Lederer
and Wetzel, Annals of Health Law,
vol
23, 2014Slide10
“What your trafficker tells you is exactly right. No one cares about you – they think you are the criminal.” CST survivor
Emotional and Mental Abuse
HumiliationExtreme Stress/Distress Forced to abuse others, watch others be abused
Disassociation“Trauma bonded” with traffickers – a defense mechanism
Adaptive response to an excessively abusive, repeatedly traumatic environment
Emotional ties to perpetrator and to other girls involved
Depersonalization/Loss of identity
Can’t live without trafficker/stable
10
Lederer
and Wetzel, Annals of Health Law,
vol
23, 2014Slide11
Trafficking Victims – Public Perception
11
“The hardest thing is that you are in plain sight. We are not going to walk up and say ‘please help me.” CST survivorSlide12
Trafficking Victims - Reality
12
“We aren’t crying. We are angry – stealing cars, selling drugs, fighting and just trying to survive.” CST survivorSlide13
The abuse and trauma is severe. The road back to well being is long.
What Trafficking Does to Children.
13Slide14
On Automatic
Often, survivors frustrate caregivers when they don’t escape “the life” even if they escape their trafficker.
Won’t take advantage of escape opportunities. Trafficker’s control is so complete that s/he traffics herself (“on automatic”)
Start selling sex on his/her own.Triggering events, criminal record, safety concerns , inability to trust limit mainstream options to make a living.
14
“After he’s gone, the invisible chains remain.” CST SurvivorSlide15
Thankful to have been rescued. Immediately feels safe and accepting of nurture and support.
Perception of Survivors in Treatment
15Slide16
Complex trauma. Reality of Survivors in Treatment
16Slide17
17
Bring Justice
Protect
Recognize
Recover
Restore
Child
Our vision is a state where children are free from sexual exploitation.
Our mission is to prevent victimization, help identify and recover survivors, provide them the services to help them heal and thrive, and bring them justice.
CSTT Vision and MissionSlide18
Child-centered, collaborative and continuously improving
CSTT Approach
18Child-centered:
Children purchased for sex are victims* and survivors* and are treated with dignity and informed of their rights and range of options. Collaborative:
Collective efforts create greater impact.
Continuously improving:
Solid strategy relies upon continuous improvement.
*
CSTT uses both
“victim”
and
“survivor”
to refer to individuals who were trafficked. Slide19
ContactQuestions?
Andrea Sparks, Director
Andrea.Sparks@gov.texas.govAlan Schonborn, Associate Director for Strategic Development
Alan.Schonborn@gov.texas.govTodd Latiolais, Associate Director of Prevention and Policy
Todd.Latiolais@gov.texas.gov
19