Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 1:35 am
Time: 1:35 am
Results for human trafficking (u.s.)
16 results foundAuthor: Caliber Associates Title: Evaluation of Comprehensive Services for Victims of Human Trafficking: Key Findings and Lessons Learned Summary: This report presents an evaluation of the Services for Trafficking Victims Discretionary Grant Program -- Comprehensive Services Sites, which provides services to victims of human trafficking from the time they are identified by law enforcement and others until they are certified to receive services from the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Details: Fairfax, VA: Caliber, an ICF International Company, 2007. 81p., app. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117809 Keywords: Human Trafficking (U.S.)Human Trafficking VictimsVictim Services (U.S.) |
Author: Jones, Curtis Title: Victims of Human Trafficking in the Midwest: 2003-2005 Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation Commissioned by the Office for Victims of Crime, Department of Justice Summary: The purpose of the Needs Assessment is to identify unmet needs of trafficking victims in the Midwest. Specifically, the Needs Assessment seeks to obtain a clearer understanding of where trafficking victims are likely to be found in the Midwest and the preparedness and needs of service providers and law enforcement to address human trafficking in the Midwest. This report includes a description of the following research projects conducted by MAIP: 1. A geographic data analysis using the 2000 Census and Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) data on immigration to explore locations in the Midwest where human trafficking may take place. This component of the Needs Assessment builds on the work found in the Hidden Slaves report and the Needs Assessment for Service Providers and Trafficking Victims (Clawson, 2003). These reports identified characteristics of individuals that can be viewed as risk factors for trafficking and characteristics of communities that may indicate that trafficking activities are present. MAIP used these characteristics to attempt to identify locations in the Midwest were victims may be. 2. A survey of service providers across the Midwest to obtain a clearer understanding of their preparedness for addressing human trafficking within their communities. 3. Interviews with local and federal law enforcement representatives across the Midwest to gain a broad understanding of the issues they encounter in addressing trafficking. 4. A survey of local law enforcement officers in a suburban Chicago community to obtain additional information about their experiences and understanding of human trafficking. Details: Chicago: Mid-American Institute on Poverty, 2006. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/whatwedo/advocacy/reports/victimsofhumantraffickinginthemidwest.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.heartlandalliance.org/whatwedo/advocacy/reports/victimsofhumantraffickinginthemidwest.pdf Shelf Number: 120824 Keywords: Human Trafficking (U.S.) |
Author: Morgan, Katherine Ann Title: Domestic Human Trafficking, Pimping, and Prostitution Enforcement in San Diego: A Policy Analysis and Case Study Summary: This research aimed to understand the scope, dynamics, and characteristics of domestic human sex trafficking in San Diego County. The methodology included a content analysis of 17 pimping case investigations, 12 face-to-face interviews with experts in the field, and an examination of the county's current policy and programming responses to these issues. The results of this study are limited due the small sample and lack of direct contact with pimps or prostitutes. This study found that the extent of pimping in San Diego County is greater than previous research indicated. Respondents who work in the field also noted that the rate of gang-related pimping appears to have significantly increased over the past five years and rival gangs are believed to share information and resources to maximize profits resulting from the sexual exploitation of young women. Additionally, major gaps in victim services were noted, such as lack of beds in safe houses, minimal 24- hour emergency services, and scant availability of programs tailored to juveniles and victims with children. Details: San Diego, CA: San Diego State University, 2012. 120p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed July 2, 2012 at: http://sdsu-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.10/1904/Morgan_Katherine.pdf?sequence=1 Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://sdsu-dspace.calstate.edu/bitstream/handle/10211.10/1904/Morgan_Katherine.pdf?sequence=1 Shelf Number: 125454 Keywords: GangsHuman Trafficking (U.S.)ProstitutesProstitutionSexual Exploitation |
Author: Farrell, Amy Title: Identifying Challenges to Improve the Investigation and Prosecution of State and Local Human Trafficking Cases Summary: Over the past two decades, the American public has become increasingly concerned about the problem of human trafficking. In response, federal and state legislatures have passed laws to promote the identification of and assistance to victims, and to support the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking perpetrators. In 2000, the federal government passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA). This law defined a new set of crimes related to human trafficking and enhanced penalties for existing offenses, such as slavery, peonage, and involuntary servitude. Since passage of the TVPA, 49 states have enacted legislation criminalizing human trafficking. Despite the attention and resources directed at combating this crime, reports indicate that fewer cases of human trafficking have been identified and prosecuted than would be expected based on estimates of the problem, causing speculation that the provisions of federal and state anti-human trafficking laws are not being enforced by government officials and that law enforcement agencies are not working together to confront the problem. Still others suggest that the incidence of human trafficking is grossly overestimated. Previous research has documented the challenges that state and local law enforcement faces in identifying human trafficking cases, but we do not yet know which practices would improve the ability of local agencies to identify, investigate, and successfully prosecute human trafficking cases. This study seeks to fill these gaps. Using a multi-method approach to examining the way local and state police, prosecutors, and courts investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases, we discuss challenges to the identification and investigation of these difficult cases, and propose strategies for overcoming the barriers to investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases in the U.S. Details: Washington, DC: The Urban Institute, 2012. 322p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2012 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412593-State-and-Local-Human-Trafficking-Cases.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412593-State-and-Local-Human-Trafficking-Cases.pdf Shelf Number: 125820 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Prosecution, Human TraffickersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Lee, Erik: North American Center for Transborder Studies, Arizona State University Title: Binational, Multi-state Survey on Human Trafficking Legislation and Collaboration Summary: In 2010-2011 NACTS conducted a multi-state survey on binational human trafficking legislation, law enforcement agency initiatives, and additional, community-level efforts. Human trafficking is an exploitation‐based crime that is distinct from human smuggling, which involves transporting people who have given their consent to be moved. A growing global awareness of this problem during the 1990s culminated in the Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish the Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime of 2000. Human trafficking is an exceedingly difficult crime to define, detect, prosecute, prevent and quantify. The precise quantification of and data collection with respect to the human trafficking problem is an additional ongoing global challenge. Trafficking estimates for the U.S. and Mexico vary widely but are generally estimated to be in the tens of thousands annually. The report contains an executive summary and sections on background, current legislation, jurisdictional issues and key conclusions and recommendations. Details: Phoenix, AZ: National American center for Transborder Studies, Arizona State University, 2011. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: http://nacts.asu.edu/sites/default/files/Draft%20Full%20Report%20-%20English.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://nacts.asu.edu/sites/default/files/Draft%20Full%20Report%20-%20English.pdf Shelf Number: 127092 Keywords: Border SecurityHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Shared Hope International Title: The Protected Innocence Challenge: State Report Cards on the Legal Framework of Protection for the Nation’s Children Summary: Sweeping national legislative advancements proved successful for Louisiana, Florida and Georgia who will join the ranks of Illinois, Missouri, Texas and Washington in leading the nation with laws that provide protection and justice to child victims of domestic minor sex trafficking, according to research released Nov. 29, 2012 by Shared Hope International. Recent findings from the 2012 Protected Innocence Challenge Report, the first comprehensive study on state child sex trafficking laws, show 15 states have raised their grades by enacting legislation that strengthened laws that impact or relate to domestic minor sex trafficking. In addition to the seven leading states listed above that scored a “B” on the 2012 report, nine states earned a “C,” compared to only six in 2011. In 2012, 35 states received grades of “D” or lower, including 18 failing grades— a significant improvement from the 2011 scores with 41 states receiving a grade of “D” or lower and 26 failing states. Every year in the United States, experts estimate at least 100,000 children are exploited in the U.S. commercial sex industry. The average age a child is first exploited through prostitution is 13 years old. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS 1. 15 states improved their grades from 2011 2 states went up two grades: AK and MA went from F to C 13 states went up one grade 3 new “B” states: LA, FL, GA 6 new “C” states: AK, IN, MA, OH, OK, WI 6 new “D” states: CO, MD, NE, NV, SC, UT 2. 7 states improved their Protected Innocence Challenge scores by 10+ points MA went up 29.5 pts WV went up 21 pts LA went up 17 pts SC went up 17 pts AK went up 14.5 pts OH went up 12 pts WI went up 10 pts 3. States were scored based on six categories of law. Scores by area of law – states have achieved perfect scores in sections 1 and 6, with “near perfect” scores in the other areas of law: Section 1 (Criminalization of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking): IL and TX have perfect scores (10 points possible) Section 2 (Criminal Provisions Addressing Demand): LA now has a “near perfect” score with 24.5 points (25 points possible) Section 3 (Criminal Provisions for Traffickers): MS, KY, FL and AL have a “near perfect” score with 14.5 points (15 points possible) Section 4 (Criminal Provisions for Facilitators): LA and WA have a “near perfect” score with 9.5 points (10 points possible) Section 5 (Protected Provisions for Child Victims): IL is the closest to a “near perfect” score with 24.5 points (27.5 points possible) Section 6 (Criminal Justice Tools for Investigation and Prosecution): AL, MN, OH and TX have perfect scores (15 points possible) 4. Most Improved = MA 5. Highest Score = LA 6. Worst score = WY GRADES: B (7) – FL, GA, IL, LA, MO, TX, WA C (9) – AK, AZ, IN, MA, MN, OH, OK, TN, WI D (17) – AL, CO, DE, IA, KY, MD, MS, NE, NJ, NV, NY, NC, OR, RI, SC, UT, VT F (18) – AR, CA, CT, DC, HI, ID, KS, ME, MI, MT, NH, NM, ND, PA, SD, VA, WV, WY 2012 Legislative Progress: One year after the release of the 2011 Protected Innocence Challenge:* 240 state and 38 federal bills were introduced that relate to domestic minor sex trafficking. 78 laws were passed that relate to domestic minor sex trafficking. 40 states had legislation introduced that relates to the Protected Innocence Framework. 33 states enacted legislation related to the Protected Innocence Framework. Details: Vancouver, WA: Shared Hope International, 2012. 211p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/PIC_ChallengeReport_2011.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/PIC_ChallengeReport_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 127095 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingChild TraffickingHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Bigelsen, Jayne Title: Homelessness, Survival Sex and Human Trafficking: As Experienced by the Youth of Covenant House New York Summary: In recent years, the plight of human trafficking victims has received a great deal of attention among legislators, social service providers and the popular press. This attention is overdue, as for years, youth forced to engage in prostitution were at best ignored, but more often were treated with contempt, labeled as prostitutes and charged with crimes. Youth forced into labor servitude were routinely overlooked altogether. As society begins to learn more about the growing problem of domestic trafficking, some questions remain, including even the most basic question: How many people are currently being victimized by trafficking right here in the U.S.? Answering this question is not an easy task, because victims are often reluctant to come forward and seek help. This reluctance is partly because perpetrators frequently convince their victims that if they attempt to seek help, no one will believe them; instead they will be thought of as criminals or prostitutes. Victims’ previous experience with law enforcement often only reinforces that belief. Additionally, a lack of any central system to identify and count victims of trafficking leaves policy makers with inaccurate data on the number of domestic trafficking victims, making it difficult to budget and promote appropriate public policy. In order to prevent trafficking and assist survivors, we must first learn to identify the victims. At Covenant House New York (CHNY), we have seen firsthand the difficulty in identifying victims. As New York City’s largest provider of services for homeless youth ages 16-21, we provide comprehensive care including shelter, food, clothing, counseling, medical and legal assistance, case management, job training and education services to over 3,000 youth each year. And since we opened our doors in 1972, we have always known that traffickers and other exploiters seek out vulnerable youth to recruit and victimize. Yet young people do not arrive at the doors of our shelter stating “Help, I have been trafficked.” Instead they say, “Help, I need food and a place to sleep.” Although we were certain that there were large numbers of trafficking survivors among our clients, we were having difficulty identifying them due to the reluctance of young people to disclose their experience. For this reason, we sought out the assistance of the Applied Developmental Psychology Department at Fordham University to help us develop and scientifically validate a screening tool to better identify trafficking victims among our youth. In addition to developing the tool, we hoped to learn more about the type and amount of trafficking our youth have experienced to better inform both our practice and our advocacy. Using the tool we developed, we surveyed a random sample of 174 youth between 18 and 23 years old. Details: New York: Covenant House, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.covenanthouse.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Covenant-House-trafficking-study.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.covenanthouse.org/sites/default/files/attachments/Covenant-House-trafficking-study.pdf Shelf Number: 129650 Keywords: Human Trafficking (U.S.)ProstitutionYouth Homelessness |
Author: National Human Trafficing Resource Center, Polaris Project Title: Human Trafficking Trends in the United States: 2007-2012 Summary: From December 7, 2007, through December 31, 2012, the NHTRC answered 65,557 calls, 1,735 online tip forms, and 5,251 emails - totaling more than 72,000 interactions. This report is based on the information learned from these interactions during the first five years of the hotline's operation by Polaris Project. Key facts: The NHTRC experienced a 259% increase in calls between 2008 and 2012. In five years, we received reports of 9,298 unique cases of human trafficking. The three most common forms of sex trafficking reported to the hotline involved pimp-controlled prostitution, commercial-front brothels, and escort services. Labor trafficking was most frequently reported in domestic work, restaurants, peddling rings, and sales crews. 41% of sex trafficking cases and 20% of labor trafficking cases referenced U.S. citizens as victims. Women were referenced as victims in 85% of sex trafficking cases, and men in 40% of labor trafficking cases. Details: Washington, DC: Polaris Project, 2013. 44p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed November 23, 2013 at: http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/hotline-statistics/human-trafficking-trends-in-the-united-states Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.polarisproject.org/resources/hotline-statistics/human-trafficking-trends-in-the-united-states Shelf Number: 131664 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)ProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice Title: Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States, 2013-2017 Summary: In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Obama Administration reaffirmed the American values of freedom and equality by asking federal agencies to develop a plan to strengthen services for victims of human trafficking. Coordination, Collaboration, Capacity, the Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States, 2013-2017 (the Plan) embraces these principles and builds on the progress that our Nation has made in combating human trafficking and modern day forms of slavery through government action, as well as partnerships with allied professionals and concerned citizens. As our understanding of the scope and impact of human trafficking evolved over the years, we now recognize a more complex web of exploitation affecting diverse communities across the country. Today, we acknowledge that human trafficking affects U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, adults and children, and men, women, and transgender individuals who are victimized across a wide range of commercial sex and forced labor schemes. This Plan details a series of coordinated actions to strengthen the reach and effectiveness of services provided to all victims of human trafficking, regardless of the victims' race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation, or the type of trafficking they endured. The purpose of this Plan is to describe the steps that federal agencies will take to ensure that all victims of human trafficking in the United States are identified and have access to the services they need to recover. This includes steps to create a victim services network that is comprehensive, trauma-informed, and responsive to the needs of all victims. While prevention and prosecution activities fall outside the scope of this document, the Administration recognizes that addressing human trafficking through prevention, exploring and implementing demand reduction strategies, and using prosecution to hold offenders accountable are critical elements in the U.S. Government's comprehensive approach to combating all forms of human trafficking. The Plan focuses on providing and coordinating support for victims and it aligns with all other efforts of the Federal Government to eliminate human trafficking and prevent further victimization, particularly as outlined in the Attorney General's Annual Report to Congress and Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The Plan identifies several "core values" related to trafficking victims' services and key areas for improving service delivery. Recognizing that government alone cannot stop this insidious crime, the Plan is written to appeal to a wide audience in order to bring additional resources, expertise, and partnerships to end human trafficking and better support victims. For example, public awareness must be increased to engage more stakeholders and increase victim identification. There must also be an expansion of access to victim services. Finally, the quality of the services, not merely the quantity, must be addressed to ensure that victims are supported throughout their long-term journey as survivors. The Plan lays out four goals, eight objectives, and contains more than 250 associated action items for victim service improvements that can be achieved during the next 5 years. Federal agencies will coordinate efforts and work toward each of these goals simultaneously. Actions to improve victim identification are woven through each of the goals. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, 2014. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2014 at: http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/FederalHumanTraffickingStrategicPlan.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.ovc.gov/pubs/FederalHumanTraffickingStrategicPlan.pdf Shelf Number: 132396 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Human Trafficking VictimsPartnershipsProstitutionSexual ExploitationVictim Services |
Author: Simich, Laura Title: Improving Human Trafficking Victim Identification - Validation and Dissemination of a Screening Tool Summary: Statement of problem Human trafficking occurs on an enormous scale in the United States, but only a fraction of victims are identified, hindering provision of victim services and prosecution of traffickers. Purpose of the study To provide a solution, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) designed, field-tested and validated a comprehensive screening tool to improve victim identification, victim services and law enforcement efforts on a nation-wide scale. Working with 11 victim service providers, Vera collected original data on more than 230 cases from interviews with potential trafficking victims and case file reviews to determine if the screening tool could reliably identify victims-including adults and minors, and domestic and foreign-born-of sex and labor trafficking. Vera also facilitated participatory evaluation by conducting focus groups and 36 in-depth interviews with service providers, trafficking survivors and law enforcement personnel to identify best practices in implementation of the screening tool. Summary of results The study achieved its validation and evaluation objectives and identified good practices in victim identification. Analysis demonstrated that the screening tool accurately measures several dimensions of human trafficking and is highly reliable in predicting victimization for both sex and labor trafficking across diverse sub-groups, including those divided by age, gender and country of origin. The majority of questions asked in the three domains-migration, work, and working/living conditions-in which indicators were measured, were significant predictors of trafficking after controlling for demographics: - 87% of the questions significantly predicted trafficking victimization in general; - 71% were significant predictors of labor trafficking specifically; and - 81% were significant predictors of sex trafficking. Statistical validation determined that a short version of the tool consisting of 16 questions (approximately half of the questions tested) accurately predicts victimization for both sex and labor trafficking cases. The tool can be further shortened if an interviewer suspects a specific type of trafficking victimization (sex or labor) based on circumstances. Of the 180 individuals in the sample who responded to the screening questions, 53% (N=96) were trafficking victims and 47% (N=84) were non-trafficking victims, i.e. victims of other crimes such as domestic violence, smuggling, prostitution or labor exploitation. Of the trafficking victims, 40% (N=38) were sex trafficking victims and 60% (N=58), labor trafficking victims. Few studies have described characteristics of trafficking victims and factors associated with trafficking among diverse sub-groups. While this study sample is not representative of trafficking victims in general, data analysis revealed, for example, that trafficking victims in this sample were more likely than non-trafficking victims to report that they spoke ―good‖ or ―excellent‖ English and to have more education compared to non-trafficking victims. Females were more likely to have been subjected to some form of sexual exploitation and isolation, while males were more likely to have experienced labor exploitation. Evaluation demonstrated that the efficacy of the screening tool depends upon its appropriate use. Because of the trauma and fear that trafficking victims endure, a sensitive approach is paramount. Building trust, ensuring safety and meeting victims' legal, social and health needs are fundamental considerations in victim identification. More resources, training and collaboration are essential in this process. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2014. 454p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 12, 2014 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/human-trafficking-identification-tool-technical-report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/human-trafficking-identification-tool-technical-report.pdf Shelf Number: 132999 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)ProstitutionSex TraffickingVictim IdentificationVictim ServicesVictims of Crime |
Author: Human Trafficking and the State Courts Collaborative Title: A Guide to Human Trafficking for State Courts Summary: The National Association for Court Management Guide to Addressing Human Trafficking in the State Courts (HT Guide) provides state court practitioners a comprehensive resource for: - clarifying the types and dynamics of sex and labor human trafficking involving U.S. citizens and foreign nationals present in jurisdictions across the nation; - identifying how traffickers and victims might appear in different types of state court cases, including criminal, family, juvenile, child protection, ordinance violation, and civil cases; - accessing tools and guidelines for using the tools to help courts identify and process cases where trafficking is involved; and - accessing links to other resources to help courts address trafficking-related problems. HT Guide is intended to support the efforts of courts not only in their traditional role of independent adjudicators, but also in their role as justice system and community leaders. Consequently, even though state court judges and personnel are the primary audience for the HT Guide, we are confident that numerous other groups concerned about human trafficking- such as health and human service organizations, law enforcement agencies, and victim advocates- should find it valuable too. In large part, because the role of state courts in addressing human trafficking is a recent topic to many court practitioners, the HT Guide includes considerable background and context-defining information about numerous aspects of human trafficking as well as practical guidelines and tools for directly assisting court practitioners in cases involving traffickers and trafficking victims. Chapter 1: Addressing Human Trafficking in the State Courts: Background and Approach Chapter 2: Community Courts, Specialized Dockets, and Other Approaches to Address Sex Trafficking Chapter 3: Human Trafficking and Immigrant Victims Chapter 4: Child Trafficking Victims and the State Courts Chapter 5: Identifying and Responding to Sex Trafficking Chapter 6: Ethical Issues for Judges and Court Practitioners in Human Trafficking-Involved Cases Chapter 7: The Affordable Care Act: Assisting Victims of Human Trafficking in Rebuilding Their Lives Chapter 8: Tribal Justice and Sex Trafficking Chapter 9: Addressing Complexities of Language and Culture in Human Trafficking-Involved Cases Chapter 10: Labor Trafficking Chapter 11: Human Trafficking Education Resources for Judges and Court Practitioners Details: Denver, CO: Human Trafficking and the State Courts Collaborative, 2014. 204p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2014 at: http://www.htcourts.org/wp-content/uploads/Full_HTGuide_desktopVer_140902.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.htcourts.org/wp-content/uploads/Full_HTGuide_desktopVer_140902.pdf Shelf Number: 133187 Keywords: Child ProtectionHuman TraffickersHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Immigrant VictimsSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationState CourtsVictims of Human Trafficking |
Author: Goodman, Dara Title: Representing Victims of Human Trafficking in Massachusetts: A Guide for Attorneys Summary: This Guide provides attorneys with a general overview of human trafficking law in Massachusetts in an effort to help attorneys identify victims of human trafficking and determine how to meet their legal and non-legal needs. It provides attorneys with a foundation concerning federal and state law and refers them to more comprehensive resources, where appropriate. In particular, the Guide discusses the following topics in detail: -Identifying victims and recognizing indicators of human trafficking -An introduction to international, federal, and Massachusetts human trafficking laws -Advice on working with vulnerable and diverse populations -Immigration remedies for victims of human trafficking victims, including how to apply for and obtain T visas and U visas -Issues specific to child victims of human trafficking, including the safe harbor under Massachusetts law for minor victims involved in criminal prosecution -Issues specific to victims of human trafficking who are also criminal defendants -Aiding prosecution of traffickers -Civil remedies available to victims of human trafficking under federal and Massachusetts law -Non-legal benefits and resources available to victims of human trafficking under federal and Massachusetts law -Massachusetts resources available to victims of human trafficking Details: Boston: WilmerHale, 2013. 167p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2014 at: http://media.wix.com/ugd/6d5c12_e4e8c12d8ea3487fbebfa0f7d3eabdb0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://media.wix.com/ugd/6d5c12_e4e8c12d8ea3487fbebfa0f7d3eabdb0.pdf Shelf Number: 133374 Keywords: Human Trafficking (U.S.)Legal ServicesVictim AssistanceVictims of Trafficking |
Author: President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships (U.S.) Title: Building Partnerships to Eradicate Modern-Day Slavery: Report of Recommendations to the President Summary: There are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in human history, with an estimated 21 million in bondage across the globe. Every 30 seconds another person becomes a victim of human trafficking. Trafficking in persons, or modern-day slavery, mars every corner of the globe and manifests itself in a debasement of our common humanity that is completely at odds with religious and ethical teachings alike. This heinous crime robs tens of millions of people of their basic freedom and dignity. Victims of modern-day slavery include U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, children and adults, who are trapped in forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation, with little hope of escape. Trafficking in persons is estimated to be one of the top-grossing criminal industries in the world, with traffickers profiting an estimated $32 billion every year. The extraordinary reach of this crime is shocking-with cases reported in virtually every country in the world, including in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia and U.S. territories and insular areas. This report is a call to action for our government to partner with all parts of the American citizenry, including philanthropic organizations, the business community, institutions of higher education, and the non-profit sector, both religious and secular, to eradicate modern-day slavery. Our country's leadership is urgently needed to fight this heinous crime. Details: Washington, DC: The Advisory Council, 2013. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 24, 2014 at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/advisory_council_humantrafficking_report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/advisory_council_humantrafficking_report.pdf Shelf Number: 133812 Keywords: Faith-Based GroupsForced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)PartnershipsProstitutionSexual Exploitation |
Author: Shared Hope International Title: Demanding Justice Report 2014 Summary: America's youth are at risk because of a simple economic principle-demand for sex acts with children drives the market of exploitation. Little has been done to address the culture of tolerance or confront the obvious conclusion that penalizing buyers is essential to protecting our youth from becoming prey. Unfortunately, attempts to find answers to the problem of demand have been scarce. In a very limited number of cases a buyer has been convicted federally under a provision of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, and this needs to be developed for greater applicability at the state level. Enactment of good laws at the state and federal level are essential but just the beginning. Enforcement of these laws will be the deterrent necessary to stem demand for commercial sex acts. Therefore, the purpose of this report is to measure criminal justice outcomes. Nonetheless identifying buyers of sex acts with minors was a crucial preliminary step in the research and lent itself to a prevalence review by default. One overarching challenge encountered in studying demand is the anonymity of buyers. Similarly, the anonymity of buyers presents one of the greatest challenges to investigation and arrest. Victims often do not know or remember the buyers' real names, addresses, or other identifying information. This can be due to the trauma of the sexual exploitation or to the evasive techniques of traffickers in orchestrating the commercial encounter with the buyer. Prostitution is done on a cash basis and buyers frequently use false names, leaving law enforcement with limited evidence. Given the challenges law enforcement face in identifying and arresting buyers, the number of buyers who have come into contact with law enforcement reflects a small subsection of those who are buying sex acts with minors. Within that subset are the cases that were reported by the media with sufficient information to clearly identify the case as involving commercial sexual exploitation of a minor by a buyer, narrowing the field of cases even further. Since prosecutions of traffickers for the offense of sex trafficking of minors are more prevalent and generally carry more serious penalties than prosecutions of buyers of sex acts with minors, trafficker cases are more often identified in media articles as sex trafficking and more often reported. The conduct of traffickers is increasingly referred to as human trafficking in the media, but there is little consistency in the language used to refer to the conduct of buyers. In some instances, the offense of buying sex acts with a minor is viewed as a type of prostitution case. The desk review phase of this research identified 407 relevant cases largely through media sources; 25 of those media outlets referred to a minor victim as a prostitute, reflecting the attitudes that prevent these cases from being reported as serious offenses of commercial sexual exploitation of a child. Prevalent misunderstanding of a buyer's role in the sex trafficking of minors perpetuates another set of challenges in identifying these offenders. Lower penalties for buying sex acts with a minor discourage law enforcement from aggressively investigating the buyer as they focus efforts on traffickers who face more substantial penalties and are perceived as more culpable. Media's focus is also on these more serious offenses, promoting public perception that traffickers are the only offenders that warrant attention. While substantial penalties for traffickers have been a legislative focus for many years, a shift toward focusing on buyers as culpable parties in the sex trafficking of children has only begun to take root. Despite the trend for law to treat the purchase of sex acts with a minor as a crime of sex trafficking, public perception continues to allocate some blame to the older minor and this is reflected in state legislation that minimizes penalties when a buyer purchases or solicits sex acts with an older minor. While many states have clarified their laws in the past couple years to clearly define a sex trafficking victim as any minor under the age of 18 used for commercial sex, buyers may enjoy a lower standard of culpability when their victim is older than 14 or 15, and may avoid serious penalties entirely by claiming mistake of age. Meanwhile, offenses against younger minors are often recognized and charged as sex offenses, regardless of whether there was an exchange or offer of compensation for illegal sex acts, leading to substantial variation in the treatment of buyers depending on the age of the victim. These perceptions about buyers influenced this demand research in two primary ways. First, there is substantial lack of clarity on how to define and describe buyer cases-the same case could be treated very differently under different state laws, or very differently depending on the age of the minor victim. This impacts how the case is reported by the media, the source of a substantial number of the buyer cases identified for the desk review phase of the study. As a result, search terms used in the study had to anticipate the range of terms that may be used to describe the offense and the range of offenses that may be charged against a buyer. Despite carefully selected search terms, close inspection of the resulting articles was necessary to find cases that fit the parameters of this study, specifically, commercial sexual exploitation of a minor by a sex consumer. These perceptions about buyers also impacted the target site research, which tracked 119 cases from arrest through prosecution to sentencing, and demonstrated a strikingly diverse array of sentencing alternatives and leniency factors afforded the defendants in these cases, suggesting a reticence to enforce existing penalties to the fullest extent of the law. Details: Vancouver, WA: Shared Hope International, 2014. 134p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Demanding_Justice_Report_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Demanding_Justice_Report_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 134177 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationHuman Trafficking (U.S.) |
Author: Verite Title: Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal and Corporate Supply Chains Summary: More than twenty million men, women and children around the world are currently believed to be victims of human trafficking, a global criminal industry estimated to be worth $150.2 billion annually. As defined in the US Department of State's 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), the terms "trafficking in persons" and "human trafficking" refer broadly to "the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion," irrespective of whether the person has been moved from one location to another. Trafficking in persons includes practices such as coerced sex work by adults or children, forced labor, bonded labor or debt bondage, involuntary domestic servitude, forced child labor, and the recruitment and use of child soldiers. Many different factors indicate that an individual may be in a situation of trafficking. Among the most clear-cut indicators are the experience of coercive or deceptive recruitment, restricted freedom of movement, retention of identity documents by employers, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions, forced overtime, isolation, and physical or sexual violence. The United States Government is broadly committed to combating trafficking in persons, as guided by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, and the UN Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, Supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. In September 2012, the United States took an unprecedented step in the fight against human trafficking with the release of a presidential executive order (EO) entitled "Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts." In issuing this EO, the White House acknowledged that "as the largest single purchaser of goods and services in the world, the US Government has a responsibility to combat human trafficking at home and abroad, and to ensure American tax dollars do not contribute to this affront to human dignity." The EO prohibits human trafficking activities not just by federal prime contractors, but also by their employees, subcontractors, and subcontractor employees. Subsequent amendments to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and the Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DFARS) in the wake of the EO will affect a broad range of federal contracts, and will require scrutiny by prime contractors of subcontractor labor practices to a degree that has not previously been commonplace. Top level contractors will now need to look actively at the labor practices of their subcontractors and suppliers, and to consider the labor involved in production of inputs even at the lowest tiers of their supply chains. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2015. 152p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2015 at: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/237137.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/237137.pdf Shelf Number: 134508 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Labor PracticesOrganized CrimeSupply Chains |
Author: Gibbs, Deborah Title: Evaluation of Services for Domestic Minor Victims of Human Trafficking Summary: RTI International conducted a participatory process evaluation of three programs funded by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) to identify and provide services to victims of sex and labor trafficking who are U.S citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR) under the age of 18. The evaluation was funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), also part of DOJ. The goals of the evaluation were to document program implementation in the three programs, identify promising practices for service delivery programs, and inform delivery of current and future efforts by to serve this population. Specifically, the evaluation described young people served by the programs, their service needs, services delivered by the programs, the experiences of young people and staff with the programs, and programs' efforts to strengthen community response to trafficked youth. OVC funded three programs that differed substantially in their organization and service delivery approaches: - The Standing Against Global Exploitation Everywhere (SAGE) Project, located in San Francisco, serves adults and youth affected by sexual exploitation. Prior to the OVC grant, they provided life skills programs, advocacy, counseling and case management for girls, including those in the juvenile justices system. - The Salvation Army Trafficking Outreach Program and Intervention Techniques (STOP-IT) program, located in Chicago, was founded by the Salvation Army and grew from that organizations engagement in local trafficking task forces. Under the OVC grant, STOP-IT expanded their services from foreign trafficking victims to domestic youth engaged in sex trades. - The Streetwork Project at Safe Horizon, located in New York City, serves homeless and street-involved youth with drop in centers, a residential program, counseling, health care, legal advocacy and other services, offered by Streetwork staff and co-located providers. For this participatory evaluation, the RTI team worked closely with staff from the three programs to develop instruments and methods. Programs collected information on clients served and on the services provided to these clients between January 2011 and June 2013. The evaluation team made five site visits to each program over the course of the grant period, during which they conducted a total of 113 key informant interviews with program staff and partner agencies and compiled case narratives describing the experiences of 45 program clients. The evaluation addressed four questions: 1. What are the characteristics of young people who are trafficked, including both sex and labor trafficking? 2. What services do young people who were trafficked need? What services do the OVC-funded programs provide, either through their own resources or through partner agencies? 3. How is the implementation process viewed by program staff, partner agencies, and those who receive services? 4. How are programs working to strengthen community response to trafficked youth? Details: Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI International, 2014. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 9, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248578.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248578.pdf Shelf Number: 134576 Keywords: Child Sexual ExploitationChild TraffickingForced LaborHuman Trafficking (U.S.)Sex TraffickingStreet WorkersVictim ServicesYouth Homelessness |