Regional Trafficking Navigator Harford County Regional Trafficking Navigator

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Regional Trafficking Navigator Harford County

Regional Trafficking Navigator Harford County

Regional Trafficking Navigator Program at SARC • Developed as a response to an identified

Regional Trafficking Navigator Program at SARC • Developed as a response to an identified gap in services for juvenile and young adult victims in the State of Maryland. • State funded grants appointed to a service agency in each county of Maryland, in Harford County SARC. • SARC provides trauma informed and victim-centered safety planning, crisis services, trauma counseling, legal services, victim advocacy, case management and referrals for community agencies. • Build an effective and cooperative task force and multidisciplinary team. • Develop a program and protocol for referrals and services. • Provide community outreach, trainings, and educational initiatives for all community partners. • Case management for all identified victims of sex trafficking under the age of 24.

Case management for victims of sex trafficking • Provide emergency response to all identified

Case management for victims of sex trafficking • Provide emergency response to all identified victims • Create safety planning • Provide basic living needs • Provide trauma counseling and connect client with other mental health services as needed • Provide drug and alcohol abuse treatment referrals • Provide legal services or connect client with appropriate representation • Provide victim advocacy

What is Human Trafficking (and what is not)? • Definition: • The unlawful use

What is Human Trafficking (and what is not)? • Definition: • The unlawful use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of obtaining some kind of labor or commercial sex (except for minors). • Purposes may include: Involuntary servitude, slavery, commercial sex/exploitation, peonage/debt bondage…etc. • Trafficking does NOT always equal transportation: • Recruiting: grooming, proactive targeting of vulnerabilities • Harboring: isolation, confinement/detaining, monitoring • Transportation: movement/travel (interstate, transnational, cross county…etc. ) • Smuggling is the actual transnational movement and is a crime against a country, not an individual (did forced labor or commercial sex occur during transportation? )

 • • Providing: the act of giving (the victim) to another Obtaining: Forcibly

• • Providing: the act of giving (the victim) to another Obtaining: Forcibly taking or exchanging something for control Soliciting: Offering something of value (Sex only) Patronizing: Receiving something of value (Sex only) • Sex and Labor trafficking are NOT mutually exclusive • Types of traffickers: • • “Romeo pimp” Familial Agricultural Transnational Hospitality Child pornographer Gorilla Pimp

Understanding Commercial Sex • Any sex act on account of anything of value given

Understanding Commercial Sex • Any sex act on account of anything of value given to any person Prostitution/Sex Work: The practice or occupation of engaging in sexual activity with someone for payment. (Sex Professional vs Survival Sex) There is no such thing as a “child prostitute” • Trafficking as a “Business” • Seller > Product >Buyer (many models) Trafficker/Exploiter (“Daddy” “Manager”) • Think about how the commerce works • Vulnerability is the common denominator • Buyer is anyone with disposable currency Victims as Victimizers (“Bottom Girl” “Punisher”) Victims as profit (“Bitch” “Stable”)

Identifying Human Trafficking (Youth and Young Adult Specific) • Things to know/remember: • It

Identifying Human Trafficking (Youth and Young Adult Specific) • Things to know/remember: • It can happen to anyone– look for intersectional vulnerabilities (“Totality of circumstances”) • Sellers use Maslow’s theory of needs. • Discovery vs Disclosure • Victims very rarely identify themselves as victims • They don’t care about the buyer– they care about their relationship to the seller • You may have a child who is being Exploited but not Trafficked. But ALL children who are trafficked are being exploited. • Trauma informed: think about how early experiences filter later abuse– Remember that it’s normalized for the youth. • Trafficked youth may not present as victims with affect– Survival skills (lying, ‘trainings’ loyalty to the abuser. • It can be hard to get details– there can be a dissociation • If it’s happening in their early 20’s it probably started when they were minors.

Red Flags • Does the person have a history of running away, temporary homelessness,

Red Flags • Does the person have a history of running away, temporary homelessness, sexual abuse, long work hours? • Was the youth recovered with a new cell phone, hair cut/color, nails done, nice shoes/clothes, tattoos? • Is the adult doing most of the talking, controlling the interaction? What’s the dynamic? Is there a significant age gap? • Does the youth practice minimization or use protective language (“he doesn’t know anything about that…”) • Does the youth have practiced answers to questions? • Does the youth mix up small details? • Does it appear they could be masquerading as an adult/passing off older? • Pay attention to the small things: body language, truancy, frequent fliers, recants, attitudes…etc.

Empowered Identification • Familiarize yourself with trafficking lingo (track/blade, family/stable, “the life”, “chose up”,

Empowered Identification • Familiarize yourself with trafficking lingo (track/blade, family/stable, “the life”, “chose up”, date, trick, stack, turn out…etc. ) • Trust your instincts: don’t discount small details– the truth is in the minutiae. • Remember that these victims rarely present like stereotype victims– they are trained to protect their abusers at all costs. • Best practices: Build rapport/trust, ask open ended questions, don’t try to coerce into giving information, respect self-determination, make yourself safe and accessible, take lots of detailed notes! • If you suspect: get another set of ears/eyes to talk through the situation with you. Someone else might have thoughts or see things you’re missing. • Always remember, these kids and young adults are fiercely strong, remarkable survivors!

How To Report Human Trafficking • If you are suspicious of any activities involving

How To Report Human Trafficking • If you are suspicious of any activities involving minors, contact law enforcement. • If you are concerned a child is being trafficked while in foster care, contact local child protection services. • If a child is a multiple-time runaway, make a runaway report to law enforcement and direct their attention to the history of that behavior and your suspicion of trafficking. • Contact the Human Trafficking National hotline 1 -888 -373 -7888 • If you encounter youths you believe are being trafficked for commercial sex: • Do not approach them– they are potentially being watched. • Notify police and make as many detailed notes as you can about the situation. • If you suspect transnational trafficking, DO NOT contact ICE, instead consult the national hotline.

Questions? For more information on SARC’s Human Trafficking Program: Abi Montgomery Phone number 410

Questions? For more information on SARC’s Human Trafficking Program: Abi Montgomery Phone number 410 -836 -8430 Amontgomery@sarc-Maryland. org