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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 9:46 pm
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Results for sex trafficking
139 results foundAuthor: Asquith, Stewart Title: Recovery and Reintegration of Chidlren from the Effects of Sexual Exploitation and Related Trafficking Summary: This report explores the wide range of initiatives, projects and programs available to support sexually exploited children through the recovery and reintegration process. These include psychosocial, family, community, shelter-based and residential-based initiatives, and the provision of child protection service in general. Details: Geneva: Oak Foundation, 2008. 49p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117771 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseSex Trafficking |
Author: International Labour Organization Title: The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Belize Summary: This study on the commercial sexual exploitation of children is intended as one of the many effects aimed at the continued strengthening of the child protection responses. It helps us to better understand the manifestation of the issue in Belize, both in its old forms and its emerging ones, and it also helps us to see it through the new lens of being one of the worst forms of child labor being experienced by children globally. Details: San Jose, Costa Rica: International Labour Office, 2006. 163p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Costa Rica URL: Shelf Number: 117717 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sexual AbuseSex Trafficking |
Author: Altamura, Alessia Title: Their Proctection is in Our Hands: The State of Global Child Trafficking for Sexual Purposes Summary: From the introduction: "this report constitutes the first step of this global advocacy strategy through the compiliation of specific baseline information and assessment of progress acheived by States in ensuring the protection of children from sex trafficking. The report provides and overview of the trends and manifestations of child sex trafficking across regions and the various combinations of factors putting children at risk of falling prey to the traffickers. It also examines the types of interventions and good practices that are necessary to prevent, protect and assist children in the trafficking process and proposes global goals and targets for securing a safer world for children." Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International; Littlehampton, UK: The Body Shop International, 2009. 59p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: Thailand URL: Shelf Number: 117357 Keywords: JuvenilesSex Trafficking |
Author: Amnesty International UK Title: Under the Covers: Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Wales Summary: This report outlines evidence on the extent of trafficking into the sex trade in Wales, and suggests what can be done to help the victims. Details: Cardiff: Amnesty International UK, 2007. 18p. Source: Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 116257 Keywords: Human TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Englund, Cecilia Title: The Organisation of Human Trafficking: A Study of Criminal Involvement in Sexual Exploitation in Sweden, Finland and Estonia Summary: Trafficking in human beings for sexual purposes has attracted great attention in recent years. Many activities have been initiated to combat such global trafficking. However, some areas may have been neglected, in particular the situation with regard to criminal activity. This report sheds light on this aspect, as its aim is to describe trafficking in human beings for a sexual purpose with a focus on the organisation of the criminal networks involved. The study in Sweden, Finland and Estonia This report is based on a study carried out in 2007-2008 in three countries on the Baltic Sea: Sweden, Finland and Estonia. The aim of the study was to examine the organisation and structures of criminal networks involved in human trafficking for sexual purposes and the conditions and factors of the market and the trade in Sweden, Finland and Estonia. Further, the process of trafficking was studied, from recruitment in the country of origin, to the transporting of women and girls to the country of destination, where procuring has taken place. This study has been carried out by the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention together with the European Institute for Crime Prevention and Control (HEUNI) and the Institute of Law at Tartu University in Estonia. Details: Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 2008. 192p. Source: Report 2008:21: Accessed Dec. 10, 2018 at: https://www.bra.se/download/18.cba82f7130f475a2f1800023448/1371914733517/2008_21_human_trafficking.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Europe URL: https://www.bra.se/download/18.cba82f7130f475a2f1800023448/1371914733517/2008_21_human_trafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 113237 Keywords: Criminal NetworksHuman Trafficking (Finland, Sweden, Finland)Organized CrimeProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Smucker, Glenn R. Title: The Uses of Children: A Study of Trafficking in Haitian Chidlren Summary: This study documents a series of insidious forms of child abuse affecting Haitian children in their own country and in the neighboring Dominican Republic. It presents evidence of trafficking within Haiti and across the border. Details: Port-au-Prince, Haiti: USAID/Haiti Mission, 2004. 166p. Source: Year: 2004 Country: Haiti URL: Shelf Number: 111165 Keywords: Child LaborHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Gould, Chandre Title: Selling Sex in Cape Town: Sex Work and Human Trafficking in a South African City Summary: This report examines the sex work industry in South Africa and the evidence for human trafficking into the industry. Details: Pretoria/Tshwane, South AfricA: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 205p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: South Africa URL: Shelf Number: 110887 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex Trafficking |
Author: O'Briain, Muireann Title: Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in Tourism Summary: Efforts to combat the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism have been ongoing for almost 30 years. Since the early awareness-raising campaigns, work has developed into multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral programs including training, developing and implementing codes of conduct, and building an ethic of personal responsibility. However, the demand for children and young people as sexual partners remains, fed by poverty and social exclusion. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: ECPAT International, 2008. 62p. Source: Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 114866 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseSex TourismSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Kaye, Mike Title: Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Paraguay Summary: This report gives an overview and analysis of different slavery practices in Paraguay, including forced labor of indigenous people, trafficking in people, the commercial sexual exploitation of children, child domestic work and child soldiers. Details: London: Anti-Slavery International, 2006. 25p. Source: Year: 2006 Country: Paraguay URL: Shelf Number: 118401 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sexual Exploitation (Paraguay)Forced LaborHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Farley, Melissa Title: Men Who Buy Sex: Who They Buy and What They Know Summary: A sample of 103 men in London, England, who used trafficked and non-trafficked women in prostitution were asked about their experiences and awareness of the sex industry. Almost all (96%) bought sex indoors. Many reported that they were aware of pimping, trafficking and other coercive control over those in massage parlor, brothel, and escort prostitution. These men were frequently aware of the vulnerability and risk factors for entry into prostitution including childhood abuse, lack of alternative job choices, coercive control and homelessness. The men listed effective deterrents to buying sex which included time in prison, public exposure and being issued a Anti-Social Behaviour Order. They described their ambivalence about buying sex and their ambivalence about the nature of their relationships with women. Details: London: EAVES; San Francisco: Prostitution Research & Education, 2009. 32p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117575 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutesProstitutionSex OffensesSex TraffickingSexual Violence |
Author: Savona, Ernesto U. Title: MON-EU-TRAF: A Pilot Study on Three European Union Key Immigration Points for Monitoring the Trafficking of Human Beings for the Purpose of Sexual Exploitation Across the European Union Summary: This project aimed to: monitor and analyse investigative and legal activities on human trafficking for sexual exploitation in three member-states of the European Union (Spain, Italy, Finland), the purpose being to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon, its extent, and its trends, in order to identify common indicators at the European level. The project collected data on the following aspects: the provenance of victims and criminals; organizational structure of criminal groups, trafficking routes and modus operandi; monitoring and analysing the responses (penal and preventative) by the three member-states considered; and to furnish the member-states and the European institutions with a survey grid for data collection and analysis. Details: Trento, Italy: TRANSCRIME, 2002. 258p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2002 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 117703 Keywords: Human Trafficking (Europe)Organized CrimeSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Chemonics International Inc. Title: Assessment on the Status of Trafficking in Persons in Egypt: Changing Perceptions and Proposing Appropriate Interventions Summary: Egypt is a transit country for women being trafficked from eastern European countries to Israel for the purpose of sexual exploitation. It is also a country of origin for women who are trafficked to Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab States, Jordan, Kuwait, and Yemen for the purpose of transactional marriage, in particular. Additionally, there are reports of Egyptians trafficked to work abroad. This report analyzes the various forms of trafficking based on a fact-finding mission to Egypt. The report describes trends in transnational trafficking while bringing to light new research on domestic trafficking. The report also emphasizes individual trafficking, as many forms of exploitation of women and children in Egypt are perpetrated by spouses, parents, or other family members. The report calls for a comprehensive response to the problem which would include the government, nongovernmental organizations, and other members of civil society. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2007. 72p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2007 Country: Egypt URL: Shelf Number: 118743 Keywords: Forced MarriageHuman Trafficking (Egypt)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: ActionAid International Vietnam Title: On the Trafficking of Vietnamese Women and Children. Synthesis Report of Three Research Studies: Cambodia, Taiwan (China), Vietnam. Summary: This report consolidates three reports conducted under the coordination of ActionAid International Vietnam. The destinations included are Cambodia, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam. The reports are synthesized according to the four levels of inquiry agreed at the start of the research: (1) to learn about the situation of trafficked and migrant women and children at places of origin, (2) to learn about the situation at places of destination, (3) to assess the interventions available/not available to them, and (3) to make recommendations to ActionAid International Vietnam on future program interventions. Details: Ha Noi, Vietnam: ActionAid International Vietnam, 2005. 68p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2005 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 118690 Keywords: Human TraffickingSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: ECPAT International Title: Upholding the Right of Children to Live Free from Commercial Sexual Exploitation: Interventions and Recommendations Summary: The commercial sexual exploitation of children is a transnational issue that affects children across Asia and one that needs to be addressed in the regional and international context. A key requirement is well-coordinated, consistent and strong laws, within countries and across jurisdictions. Children are trafficked across borders and coerced into prostitution; child sex tourists travel to different locations to exploit children; and rapid growth in Internet use and other information and communication technologies allows child pornography to be distributed across borders. Many countries have inadequate legislation to address the problem. This report looks at the legal environment in the Asia Region and outlines the steps a country can take to fulfill its obligations towards children. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT International, 2007. 61p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2007 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 119250 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild Sex TourismChild TraffickingChildren, Crimes AgainstHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Zhang, Sheldon Title: Why Sex Trafficking Is Constrained and Limited: A Conceptual Explanation Summary: Using findings from a recently completed study in Tijuana, Mexico, this paper presents a descriptive analysis of the circumstances of 220 sex workers who were working in the city’s sex industry. Based on the patterns uncovered from these women’s narratives, the paper proposes a conceptual paradigm that challenges the sensational claims made by many international agencies and social advocacy groups about the widespread problem of sex trafficking activities in Latin America. The intent of this paper was not to question the existence of sex trafficking, but to understand the experiences of those who were closest to this illicit enterprise, so that effective counter-trafficking strategies can be planned and implemented. Details: Santiago, Chile: Global Consortium on Security Transformation, 2010. 22p. Source: Internet Resource; Working Paper Series, no. 5 Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: Shelf Number: 119446 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Victoria. Parliament. Drugs and cRime Prevention Committee Title: Inquiry Into People Trafficking for Sex Work: Final Report Summary: This study reports on the prevalence of women trafficked to Australia for sexual purposes. It is an attempt to make the Melbourne community aware of this crime and to institute a better regime to protect these vulnerable women. The report recommends that a special unit be set up in the Department of Justice to work in the sex industry area and particularly with trafficked women. Details: Melbourne: Government Printer for State of Victoria, 2010. 257p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119533 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutesProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Human Rights Foundation of Monland. Women and Child Rights Project (WCRP) Title: Nowhere Else to Go: An Examination of Sexual Trafficking and Related Human Rights Abuses in Southern Burma Summary: "This report documents sexual trafficking and human rights abuses committed against Burmese women and children from 19 Townships in Mon State, Karen State, Tenasserim Division, Pegu Division, Rangoon Division and Mandalay Division. From 2004 to July 2009 the (Mon) Woman and Child Rights Project (WCRP)—Southern Burma documentation program compiled 40 separate incidents totaling 71 victims. This number represents only a small percentage of the instances of sexual trafficking from Burma to Thailand and other bordering nations, though the case studies of this report provide an important lens through which to view the present-day situation. Sexual trafficking and related human rights abuses are pervasive and arguably growing problems systematized by a harsh economic reality under the military rule of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC). Whereas the illegitimate junta has become a signatory of anti-trafficking protocols from the United Nations and founded internal regulatory committees to deal with such issues, the last decade has seen flagrant corruption along the border of Burma and Thailand. Government-organized NGOs dedicated to defending the rights’ of its people serve more as roadblocks than as catalysts for social advancement and equitable access to state resources. Facing a broken educational system most likely to betray them, women and girls inside Burma are left with few employable skills and must seek money in any way they can. A reeling marketplace stunted by the government’s economic mismanagement, increased militarization in rural and especially border areas, and the ear-ringing echoes of Cyclone Nargis and price fluctuations from a global economic downturn leave the women of the mainly-agrarian regions of Southern Burma with a glaring ultimatum: migrate or starve. The draw of being able to send money back to their home country in the form of remittances often cannot be tempered even by stories of corrupt traffickers, arrests, or dangerous and abusive living conditions upon arrival. Most of the incidents detailed in this report point to violent sexual abuses that took place during the trafficking process or upon arrival in Thailand, Malaysia, and other destinations. The interview subjects often narrate the types of factory and domestic jobs they were promised to contrast the illegal sex work and other exploitive labor they were forced to perform." Details: Burma: Human Rights Foundation of Monland, 2009. 92p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 13, 2010 at: http://rehmonnya.org/data/nowhereelsetogo.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Burma URL: http://rehmonnya.org/data/nowhereelsetogo.pdf Shelf Number: 117670 Keywords: Human RightsHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Zimic, Simona Zavratnik, ed. Title: Women and Trafficking Summary: The book gathers proceedings of an international seminar titled Women in Migration and Vulnerability for Trafficking in Human Beings, organized by the East East Cooperation Center at the Peace Institute, Ljubljana, taking place 11–12 June 2004 in Piran, Slovenia. The fifteen papers presented and carefully debated at the seminar cover a variety interdisciplinary encounters and experiences with trafficking in women, among them an historical overview, debates over human rights approaches, an analysis of media reporting, and innovative recommendations for recasting the issue. The book includes a series of case studies covering experiences in field work, legislation in different countries. Details: Ljubljana, Slovenia: Peace Institute, 2004. 180p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2010 at: http://www2.arnes.si/~ljmiri1s/eng_html/publications/pdf/MI_politike_symposion_women_and.pdf Year: 2004 Country: Europe URL: http://www2.arnes.si/~ljmiri1s/eng_html/publications/pdf/MI_politike_symposion_women_and.pdf Shelf Number: 119242 Keywords: Human RightsHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Jakobsson, Niklas Title: The Law and Economics of International Sex Slavery: Prostitution Laws and Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation Summary: Trafficking in humans for sexual exploitation is an economic activity driven by profit motives. Laws regarding commercial sex influence the profitability of trafficking. Using cross country data we show that trafficking of persons for commercial sexual exploitation is least prevalent in countries where prostitution is illegal, most prevalent in countries where prostitution is legalized, and in between in those countries where prostitution is legal but procuring illegal. Case studies of countries that have changed legal framework support the claims on the direction of causality as well as the causal mechanisms. The results suggest that criminalizing buying and/or selling sex may reduce the amount of trafficking to a country. Details: Goteborg, Sweden: School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Papers in Economics, No. 458: Accessed February 9, 2011 at: http://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/22825/1/gupea_2077_22825_1.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://gupea.ub.gu.se/bitstream/2077/22825/1/gupea_2077_22825_1.pdf Shelf Number: 120729 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Vindhya, U. Title: Sex Trafficking of Girls and Women: Evidence from Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh Summary: A crucial gap in the trafficking literature from India is the dearth of primary data and micro studies that could be used for vulnerability mapping of the source areas and addressing the identified risk factors. The present paper is a small attempt to contribute to plugging the gap in the context of Andhra Pradesh, identified as a ‘hot spot’ in the trafficking literature. This paper is based on case studies of 78 women who had been trafficked from their places of origin in Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh to metropolitan cities across India and who have since returned to their homes. The paper attempted to identify the individual and family circumstances that contribute to the causes of trafficking, to highlight in particular the gendered vulnerabilities that set these women up for trafficking, and to capture the process of the trafficking experience. The findings of the study are located in the dynamic interplay of the social structural context and specificities of the district that contribute to causes of trafficking and the individual circumstances and agency of the women. The case studies reported in this paper are a pointer to the compelling urgency of interventions that will go beyond the forced/ voluntary divide in trafficking and sex work. Details: Hyderabad, India: Centre for Economic and Social Studies, 2010. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 90: Accessed February 9, 2011 at: www.eaber.org/intranet/documents/26/2355/CESS_Vindhya_2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: India URL: Shelf Number: 120730 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingHuman Trafficking (India)ProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Texas Juvenile Probation Commission Title: Alternatives to Juvenile Justice for Youth Involved in Prostitution. Report to the 82nd Legislature January 2011 Summary: The 81st Texas Legislature passed House Bill 4009, authored by Representatives Weber and Thompson and sponsored by Senator Van de Putte, requiring the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission (TJPC) to prepare a report evaluating alternatives to the juvenile justice system for children who are accused of engaging in acts of prostitution. This report, which fulfills the legislative mandate, focuses on the issue of sex trafficking of domestic minors and explores ways to identify, divert and serve juveniles engaged in prostitution. While the report primarily concentrates on the Texas juvenile justice system and programs within the state, it also highlights best practices throughout the United States. The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, with the assistance of a committee composed of Legislative staff and staff from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the Texas Youth Commission (TYC), the Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS), law enforcement agencies, and non-governmental organizations sought to answer the following questions: • What is the extent of juvenile prostitution in Texas? • How do existing Texas laws address juveniles accused of engaging in acts of prostitution? • What services are available for juveniles involved in prostitution? • What alternatives are available to divert these juveniles from the juvenile justice system? This report addresses potential changes to statute that can divert juveniles accused of engaging in prostitution from the juvenile justice system, the need for enhanced detection and identification of juveniles engaging in prostitution and the need for comprehensive community-based and residential services to serve these juveniles. Details: Austin, TX: Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, 2011. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.tjpc.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RPTOTH201103.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.tjpc.state.tx.us/publications/reports/RPTOTH201103.pdf Shelf Number: 121304 Keywords: Alternatives to Incarceration, Juvenile OffendersHuman TraffickingJuvenile Prostitution (Texas)Sex Trafficking |
Author: Fujita, Koichi Title: Myanmar Migrant Laborers in Ranong, Thailand Summary: Thailand is the major destination for migrants in mainland Southeast Asia, and Myanmar (Burmese) migrants account for the dominant share. This paper sheds light on the actual working conditions and the life of Myanmar migrants in Thailand, based on our intensive survey in Ranong in southern Thailand in 2009. We found a wide range of serious problems that Myanmar migrants face in everyday life: very harsh working conditions, low income, heavy indebtedness, risk of being human-trafficking victims, harassment by the police and military (especially of sex workers), high risk of illness including malaria and HIV/AIDS and limited access to affordable medical facilities, and a poor educational environment for their children. Details: Chiba, Japan: Institute of Developing Economies, 2010. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: IDE Discussion Paper No. 257: Accessed April 26, 2011 at: http://ideas.repec.org/p/jet/dpaper/dpaper257.html Year: 2010 Country: Thailand URL: http://ideas.repec.org/p/jet/dpaper/dpaper257.html Shelf Number: 121493 Keywords: Human TraffickingMigrantsMigrationsProstitutionSex Trafficking |
Author: Banks, Duren Title: Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2010 Summary: The report describes the characteristics of human trafficking investigations, suspects, and victims in cases opened by federally funded task forces between January 2008 and June 2010. This report provides information about investigations, persons involved in suspected and confirmed incidents of human trafficking, and case outcomes. Data are from the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS), which was created in response to a congressional mandate in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 for biennial reporting on the scope and characteristics of human trafficking. HTRS is currently the only system that captures information on human trafficking investigations conducted by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. The report also describes HTRS data collection procedures and data quality issues. Highlights include the following: Federally funded task forces opened 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010; About 8 in 10 of the suspected incidents of human trafficking were classified as sex trafficking, and about 1 in 10 incidents were classified as labor trafficking; The confirmed human trafficking incidents open for at least a year led to 144 known arrests. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2011 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf Shelf Number: 121581 Keywords: Crime StatisticsForced LaborHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Joudo Larsen, Jacqueline Title: The Trafficking of Children in the Asia–Pacific Summary: Children are vulnerable to many forms of abuse and exploitation and have long been victims of trafficking for the purpose of both sexual and labour exploitation. There has been some analysis of trafficking of children in Asia, where trafficking persists despite significant prevention efforts, however, comparatively little is known about trafficking in the Pacific. Given that over one-third of the population in the Pacific region is under 15 years of age, anecdotal reports of circumstances which may amount to trafficking raise concerns for the large youth population in the Pacific Islands. Further, although there have been no prosecutions for child trafficking in Australia, the risk experienced by children within the Asia–Pacific region is relevant to responses in Australia and in supporting the development of improved inter-country responses across the region. This paper examines current definitions of child trafficking, the forms that it is known to take in Asia and the Pacific, the factors which increase vulnerability to trafficking and the mechanisms for the protection of children from this crime. It is clear that greater conceptual clarity in the definition of child trafficking, together with more detailed investigation of trafficking areas that are less well-known (such as the trafficking of boys for sexual exploitation and the vulnerability of refugee and migrant children) will assist in improving the evidence base for child trafficking and inform the development of more effective responses to these crimes in the Asia–Pacific region. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Jsutice, No. 415: Accessed May 5, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/0/1/B/%7B01B01E30-2D3F-44EC-A3F6-713A85400134%7Dtandi415.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/0/1/B/%7B01B01E30-2D3F-44EC-A3F6-713A85400134%7Dtandi415.pdf Shelf Number: 121646 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild TraffickingForced LaborHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) Title: Prostitution and Trafficking of Women and Girls in Iraq Summary: In spite of the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) background on women's rights, we did not expect nor comprehend the extent of the problem when we received reports of the kidnapping of women and girls in Baghdad in May 2003. When we started to gather reports from Baghdad neighborhoods the following summer, the numbers were shocking. We expressed our dismay to the media and fearing that a new and vicious era has attacked the women of Iraq. OWFI learned that trafficking of women is the hidden face of war, insecurity and chaos. In those days, we sympathized with women who were forced or maybe sold into prostitution. We did not have the same consideration for women who were already prostituted in brothels. We thought of them as the unfortunate margins of the society. It was only in 2006, that we noticed an epidemic rise in the number of women who prostituted for a living, whether in formal brothels, inregular working places, or in a hidden neighborhood hideaway. The numbers were obviously no longer something we could consider an unfortunate marginal minority. It was only then that we, in OWFI, decided to investigate the extent prostitution in Iraq, in order to better understand the underground industry of trafficking which thrives on the exploitation of women's flesh. We also needed to gather some background information about the history of prostitution and trafficking in Iraq. Our efforts started with documenting kidnappings in the first years, but gradually expanded into searching for places where girls and women are sold. We found ourselves documenting prostitution houses where the actual buying and selling take place. Eventually, it was impossible to separate one issue from the other. After confronting officials throughout 2008 and 2009 about the issue of trafficking, OWFI developed a reputation of a fierce defendant of women's integrity against the war-time disasters. As a result, eye-witnesses and the victims of trafficking began contacting OWFI with their stories. Some reports were of incidents too big for OWFI to handle. For example, distressed witnesses reported the kidnapping and trafficking 128 women from the city of Diyala in 2007. Following an interview with OWFI activist on MBC TV, the government campaigned against OWFI starting in May 2009 with active attacks over the public Al Iraqia television, and intervened to stop the airing of televised broadcasts where OWFI sought to tell the trafficking story. Frankly, we were intimidated and scared. Moreover, OWFI was advised by allies that publishing these facts may jeopardize our lives as we are touching onto one of the biggest industries in the world, and a new and thriving one in Iraq. We decided to be silent, stay safe, and keep our information to ourselves. OWFI could not maintain that position for long. A visit to the female juvenile prison in Baghdad in January 2010 reminded us that OWFI served an important mission that required courage, but facing our fears. It was the faces of 12 year old Mena and her sister that reminded us or our responsibilities. They were imprisoned after being sent back from the Arab Emirates as "prostitutes." Meeting those two children and hearing their stories was a heavy experience for the activists of OWFI. Some rushed out crying; some promised to help; while others hardened their resolve to document and reveal these crimes against the women or Iraq, including innocent young girls. Innocent girls who should still be enjoying childhood under the protection of their mothers were being incarcerated for the crime of prostitution, an ordeal in which they were modern-day slaves. At this point, we do not know if the numbers of Iraqi teenaged trafficking victims of the recent years are in the thousands, or tens of thousands. We do know that the Iraqi government does not want to hear the facts nor acknowledge the sufferings. Lawmakers do not feel an urgency to eradicate the crime of trafficking. One recent letter from an informed OWFI supporter gave us the ultimate push to publicize the facts. He had previously forwarded us a report which was too big to handle. That letter said, "You need to do something. The women and their families need to know that someone stands with them. The fact that 128 young women from Diyala were exported into sexual slavery within a few months cannot pass unnoticed. The traffickers and their official partners are set free while the trafficked women and their families suffer in silence, from shame and slavery… The case just cannot be closed". Details: New York: Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, United Nations Office, 2010. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2011 at: http://www.peacewomen.org/assets/file/Resources/NGO/dispvaw_prostitutiontraffickingiraqwomen_owfi_march2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Iraq URL: http://www.peacewomen.org/assets/file/Resources/NGO/dispvaw_prostitutiontraffickingiraqwomen_owfi_march2010.pdf Shelf Number: 121724 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingHuman TraffickingKidnappingProstitution (Iraq)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Mai, Nick Title: Migrant Workers in the UK Sex Industry: Final Policy-Relevant Report Summary: The main aim of the project is to improve the understanding of the links between migration and the UK sex industry and migration in the UK, by drawing on the ways in which migrants themselves described their experiences and analysed their histories. The links between migration and the sex industry are predominantly addressed in current public debates in terms of trafficking and exploitation. Interviews with 100 migrant women, men and transgender people working in all of the main jobs available within the sex industry and from the most relevant areas of origin (South America, Eastern Europe, EU and South East Asia) indicate that approximately 13 per cent of female interviewees felt that they had been subject to different perceptions and experiences of exploitation, ranging from extreme cases of trafficking to relatively more consensual arrangements. Only a minority, amounting approximately to 6 per cent of female interviewees, felt that they had been deceived and forced into selling sex in circumstances within which they had no share of control or consent. Contrary to the emphasis given in current public debates about cases of trafficking and exploitation, the evidence gathered in the context of this project shows a great variety of life and work trajectories within the sex industry, which were influenced by key factors such as: social-economic background; educational aspirations and achievements; immigration status; professional and language skills; gender and sexuality; family history; and individual emotional history. Interviewees were from privileged, average and underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds, from structured as well as problematic families and their experience of education varied between elementary to post-graduate. In the majority of cases, the decision to migrate is based on the perception of a lack of opportunities of personal and professional development at home, with particular reference to the field of education. Most migrants did not work in the sex industry before coming to the UK and decided to do so after a long string of work experiences in other sectors, which were seen as comparatively less rewarding both in terms of remuneration and of the working conditions offered. The majority of interviewees were introduced to the possibility of working in the sex industry through friends and colleagues they met in other settings and decided to take up the opportunity after they saw positive examples in their everyday lives, both when they were home and in the country of origin. The stigma associated with sex work was the main problem for almost all interviewees, who felt that it had negative implications for their private and professional lives. Most interviewees complained that they found it difficult to reconcile working in the sex industry and having stable romantic relationships and that having to lead a double life with their partners, families and friends impacted negatively on their wellbeing. A majority of interviewees also underlined the way the stigma associated with sex work was implicated in legitimating violence against sex workers from a small minority of clients and from petty criminals. Almost all interviewees felt that the most advantageous aspects of their involvement in the sex industry were the possibility of earning considerably more money than in other sectors, the availability of time and the possibility of meeting interesting people, travelling and experiencing new and challenging situations. In most cases by working in the sex industry migrants were able to bridge an important gap in their aspirations to social mobility and felt that they were able to enjoy better living and working conditions. Most interviewees underlined that they enjoyed respectful and friendly relations with colleagues and clients and that by working in the sex industry they had better working and living conditions than those they encountered in other sectors of employment (mainly in the hospitality and care sectors). The research shows that most interviewees consciously decided to work in the sex industry and that only a minority felt that they had been forced to. The research findings strongly suggest that vulnerability, particularly to trafficking and exploitation, results from migrants’ socio-economic conditions, lack of information about their rights and entitlement to protection in the UK, their personal family and emotional circumstances, but, most of all, from their immigration status in the UK. Details: London: Institute for the Study of European Transformations, London Metropolitan University, 2010. 51p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2011 at: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/Research/iset/Migrant%20Workers%20in%20the%20UK%20Sex%20Industry%20Policy-Relevant%20Findings2.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/Research/iset/Migrant%20Workers%20in%20the%20UK%20Sex%20Industry%20Policy-Relevant%20Findings2.pdf Shelf Number: 121725 Keywords: Migrants (U.K.)ProstitutesProstitutionSex IndustrySex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Finklea, Kristin M. Title: Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress Summary: The trafficking of individuals within U.S borders is commonly referred to as domestic human trafficking, and it occurs in every state of the nation. One form of domestic human trafficking is sex trafficking. Research indicates that most victims of sex trafficking into and within the United States are women and children, and the victims include U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike. Recently, Congress has focused attention on domestic sex trafficking, including the prostitution of children - which is the focus of this report. Federal law does not define sex trafficking per se. However, the term "severe forms of trafficking in persons," as defined in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA, P.L. 106-386) encompasses sex trafficking. "Severe forms of trafficking in persons" refers, in part, to "[s]ex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age...." Experts generally agree that the trafficking term applies to minors whether the child's actions were forced or appear to be voluntary. The exact number of child victims of sex trafficking in the United States is unknown because comprehensive research and scientific data are lacking. Sex trafficking of children appears to be fueled by a variety of environmental and situational variables ranging from poverty or the use of prostitution by runaway and "thrown-away" children to provide for their subsistence needs to the recruitment of children by organized crime units for prostitution. The TVPA has been the primary vehicle authorizing services to victims of trafficking. Several agencies have programs or administer grants to other entities to provide specific services to trafficking victims. Despite language that authorizes services for citizen, lawful permanent resident, and noncitizen victims, appropriations for trafficking victims' services have primarily been used to serve noncitizen victims. U.S. citizen victims are also eligible for certain crime victim benefits and public benefit entitlement programs, though these services are not tailored to trafficking victims. Of note, specialized services and support for minor victims of sex trafficking are limited. Nationwide, organizations specializing in support for these victims collectively have fewer than 50 beds. Other facilities, such as runaway and homeless youth shelters and foster care homes, may not be able to adequately meet the needs of victims or keep them from pimps/traffickers and other abusers. In addition, it has been suggested that minor victims of sex trafficking - while too young to consent to sexual activity with adults - may at times be labeled as prostitutes or juvenile delinquents and treated as criminals rather than being identified and treated as trafficking victims. These children who are arrested may be placed in juvenile detention facilities instead of environments where they can receive needed social and protective services. Finally, experts widely agree that any efforts to reduce the prevalence of child sex trafficking - as well as other forms of trafficking - should address not only the supply, but also the demand. Congress may consider demand reduction strategies such as increasing public awareness and prevention as well as bolstering investigations and prosecutions of those who buy illegal commercial sex ("johns"). In addition, policy makers may deliberate enhancing services for victims of trafficking. The 112th Congress may address these and other issues if policy makers choose to take up the reauthorization of the TVPA , which expires at the end of FY2011. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Services, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: R41878: Accessed August 10, 2011 at: http://www.couragetobeyou.org/wp-content/uploads/06.21.2011-CRS-Sex-Trafficking-of-Children.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.couragetobeyou.org/wp-content/uploads/06.21.2011-CRS-Sex-Trafficking-of-Children.pdf Shelf Number: 122346 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Trafficking (U.S.)Human TraffickingJuvenile RunawaysSex Trafficking |
Author: Pearson, Elaine Title: Off the Streets: Arbitrary Detention and Other Abuses Against Sex Workers in Cambodia Summary: In Cambodia, those tasked with upholding the law often inflict some of the worst abuses. Sex workers in particular know this to be true. Women and girls involved in sex work face beatings, rape, sexual harassment, extortion, arbitrary arrest and detention, and other abuses from officials charged with enforcing the law. The perpetrators include police, public park security guards, and officials working in centers and offices run by the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans, and Youth Rehabilitation (MOSAVY). “Off the Streets,” documents the abuses based on interviews with more than 50 sex workers and group discussions with dozens more. Sex workers told Human Rights Watch that police officers beat them with their fists, sticks, wooden handles, and batons that administer electric shocks. Police officers also threatened sex workers with guns. In several instances, police officers raped sex workers while they were in police detention. Some sex workers described being detained in government centers under horrific conditions, with restricted freedom of movement, experiencing or witnessing beatings or rapes, and with inadequate food and medical care. Crimes by officials against sex workers are almost never prosecuted. The report also analyzes the impact of a 2008 Cambodian law on trafficking and sexual exploitation. While the new law has some useful provisions on trafficking, it criminalizes “solicitation” by sex workers in ways that open the door to continuing police abuse against such individuals. Human Rights Watch urges the Cambodian government to end impunity by holding the perpetrators of these abuses accountable, and to shut down Social Affairs centers where many of the abuses take place. Donors and UN agencies should use their influence when engaging with the Cambodian government to ensure that this happens. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2010. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2010/07/19/streets Year: 2010 Country: Cambodia URL: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2010/07/19/streets Shelf Number: 122563 Keywords: Prostitutes (Cambodia)Sex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Strom, Agnete Title: A Glimpse of 30 Years of Struggle Against Prostitution by the Women's Liberation Movement in Norway Summary: The Women's Front of Norway has worked against prostitution for 30 years. In 2008 a law criminalizing the purchase of a sexual act was passed in Norway. This article describes the struggle and the main actors in lobbying for the law. In the 1980s, we raised awareness of prostitution and trafficking in women in a study of the pornography industry, and targeted sex tourist agencies organizing trips to the Philippines and Thailand. In the 1990s, our members in trade unions got their unions to take a stand against prostitution and against legalizing prostitution as "work". In 2006, the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions Congress supported a law criminalizing the buyer of a sexual act; this had a strong impact on the centre-left coalition Government. We invited leaders of the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women to Norway to meet parliamentarians and trade unionists, and kept up the pressure. From the start, the focus was on ensuring that the situation for women in prostitution was ameliorated. Our demands have been for better social services and job training. Street prostitution, especially in Oslo, has been curbed, and a growth in the indoor market has not been reported. Our next task is participating in the awareness campaign "Buying Sex is not a Sport" in connection with the Soccer World Cup, South Africa, 2010. Details: Bergen, Norway: Kvinnefronten/Women's Front of Norway, 2011. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2011 at: http://www.wunrn.com/pdf/hele_filen.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Norway URL: http://www.wunrn.com/pdf/hele_filen.pdf Shelf Number: 122622 Keywords: PornographyProstitutesProstitution (Norway)Sex TourismSex Trafficking |
Author: Rosenberg, Ruth Title: Tackling the Demand that Fosters Human Trafficking: Final Report Summary: Without demand for commercial sex and for products produced with forced labor the ability of persons to make vast amounts of money by enslaving others would be decreased. Despite the importance of reducing demand to combat trafficking in persons, there is a dearth of information about good practices in demand reduction. The USAID Europe and Eurasia Bureau’s Social Transition Team’s new publication, Tackling the Demand that Fosters Human Trafficking aims to begin to fill those gaps in knowledge. This new report analyzes information on demand for prostitution and inexpensive labor from the Europe and Eurasia region as well as countries around the world, and includes a variety of good practices in addressing the issue. Concrete ideas and tools detailed in the report will help policymakers and practitioners alike to integrate demand reduction activities into anti-trafficking and other relevant programming. Resources and tools discussed in the report include: analysis of legislation and its impact; education programs and curriculum for youth; guiding principles, handbooks, and other resources for businesses; product standards, certification, voluntary cooperation and codes of conduct; and information on trade unions and NGO activities and resources. Details: Washington, DC: United STates Agency for International Development, 2011. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 16, 2011 at: http://socialtransitions.kdid.org/sites/socialtransitions/files/resource/files/Tackling_the_Demand-_Final_8-29-11.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://socialtransitions.kdid.org/sites/socialtransitions/files/resource/files/Tackling_the_Demand-_Final_8-29-11.pdf Shelf Number: 122650 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Palaung Women's Organization Title: Stolen Lives: Human Trafficking from Palaung Areas of Burma to China Summary: This report explores and uncovers human trafficking in ethnic Palaung areas. PWO has documented 72 cases of actual or suspected trafficking involving 110 people, which took place along the China-Burma border, mostly during the past six years. The majority of those trafficked were young Palaung women from tea farming communities in Namkham, Namhsan and Mantong townships. PWO surveys in villages from which women have been trafficked show that up to 41% of the population have migrated to work elsewhere. Large scale migration began after the surrender in 2005 of the Palaung State Liberation Army, which had controlled Palaung areas under a ceasefire agreement since 1991. There has been a surge of Burma Army troops and proxy militia into the area since the surrender, who have imposed increased controls and taxes on agriculture and trading. Together with rising prices of food commodities from Central Burma, and increasing costs of health and education, this has meant that tea farmers can no longer earn a living and young people have to leave home to survive. This has led to an alarming increase in the incidence of trafficking of women, men and children, mainly to China. Most of those trafficked were tricked into traveling to China by being offered well-paid jobs on farms or in factories. In 25% of the cases, women were forced to marry Chinese men, with brokers receiving up to 25,000 Yuan (approx 3,800 USD) for the transaction. 10% ere forced into the sex trade. Some ended up being used as live feed for leeches. Known destinations were mainly in Yunnan province, but some ended up as far east as Shandong. Details: Burma: Palaung Women's Organization (PWO), 2011. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2011 at: http://www.palaungland.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/Report/StolenLives%20Eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Asia URL: http://www.palaungland.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/Report/StolenLives%20Eng.pdf Shelf Number: 122907 Keywords: Human Trafficking (Asia)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Latonero, Mark Title: Human Trafficking Online: The Role of Social Networking Sites and Online Classifieds Summary: This report presents a comprehensive examination of the role of social networking sites and online classified ads in facilitating human trafficking and delivers recommendations for developing technological innovations to monitor and combat trafficking. Human trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery, is a grim reality of the 21st-century global landscape in developed as well as developing countries. While traditional channels of trafficking remain in place, online technologies give traffickers the unprecedented ability to exploit a greater number of victims and advertise their services across geographic boundaries. Yet the extent to which online technologies are used in both sex and labor trafficking is unclear, and the current approach to the question is lacking. While online classified sites such as Craigslist have already been under intense scrutiny for being used by traffickers, little research is available on the role of online classified and social networking sites in human trafficking, and the issue has yet to be fully studied. Instead of singling out these technologies as a root cause of trafficking, this report poses the following question: Can online technologies be leveraged to provide actionable, data-driven information in real time to those positioned to help victims? This study forwards the hypothesis that tools such as data mining, mapping, and advanced analytics can be used by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, law enforcement, academia, and the private sector to further the anti-trafficking goals of prevention, protection, and prosecution. Adapting these technologies and methods requires careful consideration of potential implications for civil liberties, such as privacy and freedom of expression. This report applies detailed methods to understanding the relationship between domestic human trafficking and online technologies through literature reviews, field research, and interviews. In addition, the report presents preliminary results from primary research in developing tools to assist law enforcement and anti-trafficking efforts. The report concludes with a set of recommendations and guidelines to inform future research and technological interventions in human trafficking. The use of Internet technologies in people’s daily lives has dramatically increased in recent years. In 2010, the number of Internet users worldwide exceeded an estimated 2 billion. Hundreds of millions of individuals use social networking sites, and approximately half of all online adults in America have used online classified advertising sites. In contrast to the many social benefits that Internet technologies provide, a darker narrative also has emerged. Social networks and online classified sites are being used by traffickers to market, recruit, sell, and exploit for criminal purposes. Many of these sites are explicit in nature and some are underground. Yet, evidence from legal cases demonstrates that mainstream sites such as Craigslist, Backpage, and Myspace have already been used for trafficking. Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites are susceptible to similar uses. Because human trafficking is a crime recognized by international protocols and state laws, traffickers are traditionally forced to conduct their activities underground. But this report illustrates that online transactions leave behind traces of user activity, providing a rare window into criminal behavior, techniques, and patterns. Every online communication between traffickers, “johns,” and their victims reveals potentially actionable information for anti-trafficking investigators. Until now, there has been a lack of data on the role of online technologies in human trafficking. Yury Fedotov, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, remarked: “We do not have an accurate picture of the scope and nature of [the misuse of technology] and cannot act as effectively as we should. Knowledge is essential for evidence-based policy, and we must fill the information gap.” The Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) at the University of Southern California launched an anti-trafficking initiative in response to a similar call for increased knowledge. The project began at a June 2010 meeting CCLP Director Geoffrey Cowan convened in Washington, D.C., at the urging of Alec Ross, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s senior adviser for innovation, and Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, head of the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the United Nations joined leaders from the technology field, nongovernmental organizations, and academia to discuss the use of technology to address trafficking. The meeting set into motion research initiatives in the Mekong Subregion (including Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam), Haiti, and the United States. An absence of technological solutions for information sharing among antitrafficking organizations inspired further study into potential uses of technology in this field. A partnership between the USC Information Sciences Institute and CCLP developed prototype software designed to detect possible cases of online sex trafficking activity, particularly cases involving underage victims. Together, the group conducted advanced research on data mining, computational linguistics, and mapping tools to monitor trafficking on social networking and online classified sites. Feedback from the Federal Bureau of Investigation was integral to this process. This report indicates that immediate action is required to develop monitoring and prevention techniques to combat human trafficking online. The report recommends future research and proposes actions that stakeholders can undertake to address trafficking online. Comprehensive solutions to trafficking through online channels should involve proactive steps by governments to protect victims and support law enforcement in combating a new generation of tech-savvy traffickers. At the same time, this report urges private-sector technology firms to recognize the opportunity to address human trafficking on their networks and services. In addition, NGOs and academics bring needed expertise to technological interventions. This study also identifies technological innovations that can be used by actors and stakeholders involved in anti-trafficking efforts. To that end, the following principles are intended for those seeking to employ technology as a means to combat human trafficking. Details: Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, 2011. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2011 at: https://technologyandtrafficking.usc.edu/files/2011/09/HumanTrafficking_FINAL.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://technologyandtrafficking.usc.edu/files/2011/09/HumanTrafficking_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 123011 Keywords: Human TraffickingInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline VictimizationSex TraffickingSocial Networking |
Author: Orfano, I. Title: Headway – Improving Social Intervention Systems for Victims of Trafficking Summary: Even though in the last decade many anti-trafficking initiatives have mushroomed throughout Europe, a lot still needs to be done. Human trafficking has a complex, multidimensional and ever-changing nature and often public and private service providers do not possess the proper instruments or approaches to respond to the needs of trafficked. Furthermore, the existing knowledge mainly concerns trafficking of women and girls into the sex industry (mostly street prostitution, more rarely behind-closed-doors prostitution). Very little is known about other forms of trafficking (i.e. for forced labour, begging, illegal activities, organ transplants, illegal adoption or forced marriage) and about other victims (minors, men or transgender people). Interventions frequently remain experimental, disjointed and not implemented as part of a structured, consistent and integrated model. This situation undermines the operators’ opportunities to acquire comprehensive knowledge of the phenomenon and of the practices of intervention and co-operation that already exist within the anti-trafficking sector and, consequently, it reduces their ability to provide proper support to trafficked persons. Given this scenario, within the framework of the EQUAL Community Initiative of the European Union), the Development Partnerships (DPs) of Headway – Improving Social Intervention Systems for Victims of Trafficking), developed and implemented a transnational multi-activity project. This was based on the rationale that exchanges co-operation between agencies concerned with victim assistance in the countries of origin, transit and destination – and represented within the transnational partnership – are crucial for the development and improvement of the standards and tools needed to monitor the phenomenon. Collaboration is equally essential for strengthening the social interventions intended to protect and assist trafficked persons and to improve their prospects of social inclusion and access to the labour market. The national DPs, which represent very different regional and national contexts (Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal) and multidisciplinary compositions of public and private agencies, worked together for more than two years in order to achieve the following goals: – to broaden and share the level of knowledge as regards the phenomena of human trafficking (Activity 1) and the legislative systems (Activity 2) that protect victims of trafficking and prosecute the crime; – to collect examples of good practice interventions supporting the social and labour market inclusion of trafficked persons in their countries of destination and origin, seeing if innovative approaches can be applied elsewhere (Activity 3); – to analyse and compare current monitoring systems and jointly to develop common tools and mechanisms aimed at effectively and regularly monitoring different forms of human trafficking (Activity 4). Through the implementation of a monitoring mechanism and the mapping of available services it is possible, on the one hand, to improve the quality of the existing services and, on the other, to plan innovative ad hoc interventions capable of addressing the needs of trafficked persons in particular; – to map out existing interventions (Activity 5) and to link up various anti-trafficking activities through the establishment of an online transnational database (Activity 6). This database can then contribute to the prompt referral of trafficked persons to the appropriate service provider/s (locally, nationally or internationally) and can supply the necessary information about services available in a given place to the agencies engaged in the field. This publication thus contains the main results achieved by the Headway DPs over more than two years of co-operation in developing common methodologies and understandings of rather complex issues. Following this brief introduction, the publication offers an executive summary in seven different languages: English (the working language used) and the six national languages of the DPs: Estonian, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish and Portuguese. In Chapter One there is an analysis of the literature on trafficking as regards Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal, and a brief overview of the phenomenon, as described in the seventy-one selected publications. Chapter Two brings together the national legal frameworks covering human trafficking and related areas in the partner countries. It also presents a brief analysis of the identified strengths and shortcomings of the national frameworks that support trafficked persons and fight trafficking. Chapter Three presents thirty-one selected examples of good practice in the field of protection of trafficked persons and prevention of trafficking in human beings in the six European partner countries, in order to promote a transnational exchange of practical experiences, working methods and results achieved. Chapter Four contains the main findings of the analysis and comparison of existing systems for monitoring human trafficking and the services available for trafficked persons in the partner countries and some other selected countries. It also describes what a monitoring system should look like, as well as putting forward a proposal to draft and implement a European model of monitoring trafficking phenomena. The main characteristics and the functioning of the Headway database are described in Chapter Five. The Headway database is a transnational database of organisations and institutions working on trafficking and is intended to be a tool that facilitates contacts between them and any other interested bodies. Given the lack of exposure usually suffered by the outcomes of external evaluation of projects, the Headway partners decided to include a specific chapter devoted to this in the publication, so contributing to the future work of the partners and of other agencies in the field. Thus, Chapter Six includes the observations of the external evaluator as to the project’s relevance, effectiveness, and sustainability. Finally, in the Annexes section, descriptions of the national DPs are provided, as well as their contact details. Details: Warsaw: Headway. Improving Social Intervention Systems for Victims of Trafficking Project, 2007. 243p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2011 at: http://lastradainternational.org/lsidocs/319%20Headway%20Project.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Europe URL: http://lastradainternational.org/lsidocs/319%20Headway%20Project.pdf Shelf Number: 112350 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Netherlands. National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings Title: Human Trafficking: Ten Years of Independent Monitoring Summary: This report marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the post of National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings as an independent monitoring mechanism of the Netherlands’ efforts to combat human trafficking. It also marks ten years of making recommendations, 200 in all. Many of those recommendations have been acted upon, the importance of some has receded and others have been regularly repeated. This report outlines the progress made in efforts to tackle human trafficking in the Netherlands over the last ten years in light of those recommendations. This report contains no new recommendations. Nevertheless, the contents clearly illustrate the aspects of the fight against human trafficking that still give cause for concern and demand vigilance. New developments are highlighted that might present a different kind of challenge in the efforts to combat human trafficking. Political and public attention for the subject of human trafficking has grown in the last ten years. Tackling human trafficking is a priority for the police and the public prosecution service. The growing public and political awareness of human trafficking has also increased the abhorrence of this abject form of crime. The political outrage is reflected in the decision to raise the maximum sentences for this serious offence with effect from 1 July 2009. At the same time, the statistics show that the number of criminal cases registered by the district offices of the public prosecution service has fluctuated over the years and that in 2009 the figure was lower than in 2000. The statistics also show that the proportion of custodial sentences of less than one year is increasing, while prison sentences of more than four years are declining, both in first instance and on appeal. Any self-respecting society should do everything in its power to ensure that the five Ps, prevention, protection, prosecution, punishment and partnership, which together form the cornerstone of efforts to combat human trafficking, are a constant and integral facet of anti-trafficking policies and their implementation in practice. That was also the message conveyed by the European Court of Human Rights in its judgment in the case of Rantsev versus Cyprus and Russia. Effective progress depends on cooperation between the various actors responsible for implementing the 5P paradigm. Enormous efforts have also been made in this respect in recent years. But cooperation in the anti-trafficking chain is not in itself a magic formula. Success demands a constant willingness on the part of every actor to help find solutions for those elements of the paradigm that are not necessarily their own direct responsibility. Human trafficking is a worldwide problem. Although roughly a quarter of the registered victims in the last ten years were Dutch, the majority are still people who have fled from poverty in their own country in search of a more dignified existence, only to end up being exploited in the sex industry or in other sectors. Their experience is vividly illustrated by ‘Journey’, an exhibition that BNRM is bringing to the Netherlands to mark its tenth anniversary. The exhibition tells the story of a young East European girl who was trafficked for the purpose of exploitation in prostitution in the United Kingdom. The exhibition makes a deep impression and provides inspiration for continuing the fight against human trafficking. For the last ten years the Rapporteur has held a mirror up to the agencies engaged in the fight against human trafficking in the Netherlands. They have looked in that mirror. Details: The Hague: BNRM, 2010. 237p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2011 at: www.bnrm.nl Year: 2010 Country: Netherlands URL: Shelf Number: 123154 Keywords: Child ProstitutionHuman Trafficking (Netherlands)ProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: National Human Rights Commission (Nepal) Title: Trafficking in Persons Especially on Women and Children in Nepal: National Report, 2009-2010 Summary: Trafficking in Persons in Nepal is rooted with patriarchal and feudal structure in the country. At the same time, the studies in the situation of trafficking especially in women and children show that the problem of trafficking has extended from rural to urban areas, and from India to other countries in the context of social, political and economic development of Nepal. However, due to the clandestine nature of the crime and lack of an effective national institutional reporting system, it has been difficult to monitor the updated numerical situation of trafficking and impact in combating trafficking from policy, program and judicial efforts. Nevertheless, NHRC has started publishing National Report on Trafficking in Person, especially women and children since 2005 by collecting information from the respective GOs and NGOs and present the report as a national effort to combat Trafficking in Person. This is the fourth Annual National Report published in the series. We are happy to share that a well coordinated institutional approach through consultation programs, annual report forms, research studies and interviews to prepare the report from national perspective has gained strengthen and made it possible to bring out this report as a national priority and concern. The Report presents the statistical situation of Trafficking in Persons in Nepal as proxy indicator based on the annual data derived from reported cases in the police and NGOs with its changing dimension by magnitude, profile, route and mode of trafficking. The report deals with internal migration and foreign labor migration in the context of an emerging socio-economic scenario of development in the country and its link with trafficking vulnerability of women and men. The report reveals that the nexus between labor market and trafficking vulnerability demands effective implementation of the laws and regulations in the country of origin and the country of destination to ensure the right to work and justice to trafficked victims. International advocacy and commitment work as the promotional tool for the purpose. Details: Lalitpur, Nepal: National Human Rights Commission, 2011. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 12, 2012 at: http://humansecuritygateway.com/documents/NHRC_TraffickinginPersonsEspeciallyonWomenandChildreninNepal.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Nepal URL: http://humansecuritygateway.com/documents/NHRC_TraffickinginPersonsEspeciallyonWomenandChildreninNepal.pdf Shelf Number: 123562 Keywords: Child TraffickingHuman Trafficking (Nepal)Organ TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Bandyopadhyay, Nandinee Title: Streetwalkers Show the Way: Reframing the Global Debate on Trafficking from Sex Workers’ Perspectives Summary: This paper documents action research and discussions on trafficking by Durbar, a network of 60,000 female, male and transgender sex workers in India. Durbar finds that the realities of trafficking as experienced by sex workers are very different from the myths. Durbar’s research found that while most of the sex workers they interviewed were poor and lacked options, they left home by their own choice, in search of better livelihoods, to escape violence or drudgery, or to seek love. Numerous agents, many of them known to the trafficked individuals, facilitated their subsequent travels and entry into sex work. Many of those trafficked into sex work were able to negotiate better terms within a year or two, after which they were free to leave but stayed in the industry because of the economic incentives, and because returning to their families was no longer an option due to the stigma associated with sex work. Durbar concludes that the fundamental cause of trafficking is the persistent demand for using trafficked workers who can be made to work without being provided fair wages or safe working conditions, thereby hiking the profit margins of the employers. Thus Durbar sees as most urgent the need to establish better labour standards in sex work, and support individual sex workers tackling exploitative situations. This includes supporting unwilling and underage sex workers by helping them decide what to do, rather than handing them over to the police where they are likely to face more harassment. Durbar has done this effectively through setting up ‘Self Regulatory Boards’ in sex work sites. To date Durbar has rescued a total of 560 unwilling women and underage girls. And in sites where Durbar works, the proportion of sex workers under 18 years old declined from 25.3 per cent in 1992 to 3.1 per cent in 2001. Details: Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies, 2008. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper 309: Accessed January 18, 2012 at: http://www.ntd.co.uk/idsbookshop/details.asp?id=940 Year: 2008 Country: India URL: http://www.ntd.co.uk/idsbookshop/details.asp?id=940 Shelf Number: 123650 Keywords: Human Trafficking (India)ProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Zhang, Sheldon X. Title: Sex Trafficking in a Border Community: A Field Study of Sex Trafficking in Tijuana, Mexico Summary: Sex trafficking has caught worldwide attention in recent years, often being portrayed as modern-day slavery. The United States, along with many countries, has taken an aggressive position on pursuing sex traffickers, pimps, and sex tourists, making the nation among the most inhospitable to human trafficking and prostitution. Despite widespread attention on sex trafficking, there has been little empirical research on the nature and process of sex trafficking activities. Most existing studies have relied on so-called expert sources (i.e., advocacy groups, shelters, and law enforcement agencies). This study gathered information from the two sources closest to this illicit enterprise - (1) prostitutes; and (2) pimps (or sex trade facilitators). Data for this study were primarily gathered in Tijuana, Mexico. It was hypothesized that human traffickers and sex industry operators might find Tijuana’s socio-political environment conducive to trafficking activities. Tijuana, the largest city on Mexico’s northern border, has long been a major tourism and weekend destination for Southern Californians. Its red light district draws a large number of visitors from both sides of the border. With more than 60 million people crossing the busiest international border annually, there is no shortage of demand for fringe services. Despite its geopolitical significance and the potential of spillover effects, to date there has been no empirical study on sex trafficking activities in Tijuana. This study is the first known empirical effort to fill this knowledge gap. The main questions in this study included: 1. To what extent, at what stage, and on what premises are deception, fraud, force, or coercion being used in the transportation of prostitutes into Tijuana? 2. To what extent and with what methods are human traffickers and sex industry operators managing trafficking activities and controlling prostitutes? 3. How do human traffickers and sex industry operators organize themselves and engage in business transactions? 4. What policy implications can be drawn to improve efforts by U.S. law enforcement and social service agencies to deter human trafficking and assist victims? Details: San Diego, CA: San Diego State University, Department of Sociology, 2010. 164p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 20, 2012 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234472.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Mexico URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234472.pdf Shelf Number: 123693 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Holmström, Charlotta Title: Prostitution in the Nordic Countries Summary: This report summarises the results of the research project “Prostitution in the Nordic Countries”, conducted by the Nordic Gender Institute – NIKK and commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers for Gender Equality. The aim of the project was to present and discuss research on prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes in the Nordic countries and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The project has compiled data on the extent of prostitution, as well as on both the legal and the social treatment of these issues. The report also presents results from quantitative and qualitative studies on attitudes to prostitution and human trafficking for sexual purposes. The project comprised eleven Nordic researchers from various disciplines and from all the Nordic countries. Details: Copenhagen, Denmark: Nordic Council of Ministers, TemaNord, 2009. 45p. Source: Conference Report, Stockholm Year: 2009 Country: Denmark URL: Shelf Number: 123752 Keywords: DenmarkFinlandHuman TraffickingIcelandNorwayProstitutionSex TraffickingSweden |
Author: Schuster, Martina Title: Discourse on prostitution and human trafficking in the context of UEFA EURO 2012: Academic study of discourse and campaigns in the run-up to the 2012 European Football Championship finals as the basis for advising decision-makers Summary: This study focuses on the themes of sex work, sex tourism and human trafficking in the UEFA EURO 2012 host countries, Poland and Ukraine. It is designed to provide UEFA and local stakeholders with an academic basis for their preparations for the event and to serve as a starting point for networking, media work, activities and campaigns linked to these themes. The study expressly aims to help prevent sensationalist media reporting that might lead to a deterioration of the working and living conditions of sex workers. It also opposes the portrayal of UEFA EURO 2012 as a cause of violations of women’s rights, such as abduction, trafficking and rape. Analysis of previous international sports events, such as the 2006 World Cup in Germany1 and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa does not suggest that major football events lead to a rise in human rights violations of this nature. Nor is there any evidence that demand for sexual services increases as a result of such events. An international academic study of discourse in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and of what actually transpired during the tournament, for example, showed that the predicted sharp increase in the offer of sexual services failed to materialise, as did the feared rise in human trafficking (see Delva et al. 2010). Details: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: La Strada International, European Network Against Trafficking in Human Beings, 2010. Source: First Report: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at Year: 2010 Country: Europe URL: Shelf Number: 123931 Keywords: FootballHuman TraffickingProstitution (Europe)Sex TourismSex TraffickingSex Work |
Author: Peters, Heather A. Title: Sex, sun and heritage: Tourism threats and opportunities in South East Asia Summary: This study is the first of two recommended studies which were requested as part of the Sub-Regional Plan of Action (SPA) for the COMMIT Process. The objective of the study is to: Compile and analyze selected “best practice” of Cambodia and Thailand in dealing with trafficking and the tourism services sector. Based upon advice from a wide range of international experts, many developing countries take the tourism industry as a primary economic growth engine. Countries such as Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar have little industrial development within their borders, and few domestic products to export to their neighbors or the rest of the world. With encouragement from large international institutions such as the World Bank and the ADB, leaders in these countries have come to the conclusion that their most important resources are their natural assets; i.e., their environment and traditional culture(s) – hence, their reliance on the tourism industry to bring economic prosperity to their small economies. Despite set-backs caused by the Iraq war, followed by Sars, the tourism industry is booming. In 2004, more than 700 million tourists were recorded world wide; 119.1 million of these went to the Asia Pacific Region; and 17.8 million visited the GMS. Tourism is promoted by its advocates as a “clean” industry and one which can serve to preserve both traditional cultures and the environment. The reality is far more complex. The truth of tourism development is that while it can bring real economic benefits to local communities, underscore and strengthen local cultural traditions, draw attention to and even assist environmental protection, the potential exists for tourism to erode the very resources on which it depends. Tourism is, in essence, an external dynamic force which brings hitherto unknown and unpredictable elements into people’s lives and societies. Despite the successes of several tourism projects, the reality of tourism bringing economic benefits to poor local communities, supporting traditional cultures and protecting the environment is still an elusive ideal. For example, leakages in the GMS – except for Thailand – range between 25-40% (2005 GMS Tourism Strategy Report), a situation which indicates that the local communities are not the primary beneficiaries of tourism dollars. A circuit tour of the region’s primary World Heritage Sites, i.e. Lijiang in Yunnan, Luang Prabang in Laos, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, reveals the extreme stress the high volumes of tourists place on traditional culture. The on-going quest to increase numbers of visitors to sites is, in fact, eroding the very cultural and historical values for which the sites were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage sites in the first place. Tourism, thus, can introduce serious negative social impacts – impacts which are not an intrinsic part of tourism development, but which sadly accompany the kinds of tourism that are expanding rapidly in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region. These serious negative social impacts include sex tourism and especially child sex tourism (CST). Both of these impacts can be linked with trafficking. The study investigates and analyzes a wide range of antitrafficking projects and activities implemented by government agencies, international agencies, non-governmental agencies and the private sector to address the “three Ps”, i.e. prevention, protection and prosecution. Because a large amount of trafficking is not directly or indirectly linked with tourism, the study concentrates on those projects which tackle the problem of Child Sex Tourism and its related solution, Child Safe Tourism. Although Child Sex Tourism is not the only form of trafficking found within the tourism industry, it is the most heinous, and is found in both Thailand and Cambodia. The study found that there were a wide range of specific stakeholders in both Thailand and Cambodia involved with tackling this problem. Details: Monrovia, CA: World Vision, 2007. 72p. Source: A report on best "practices" on tourism and traffikcing: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2012 at http://wvasiapacific.org/downloads/publications/sunsexheritage.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Asia URL: http://wvasiapacific.org/downloads/publications/sunsexheritage.pdf Shelf Number: 117608 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseSex Tourism (South East Asia)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Ham, Julie Title: What's the Cost of a Rumour? A guide to sorting out the myths and the facts about sporting events and trafficking Summary: There has been a lot published on the supposed link between sporting events and trafficking, but how much of it is true and how much of it is useful? In this guide, we review the literature from past sporting events, and find that they do not cause increases in trafficking for prostitution. The guide takes a closer look at why this unsubstantiated idea still captures the imagination of politicians and some media, and offers stakeholders a more constructive approach to address trafficking beyond short-term events. We hope this guide will help stakeholders quickly correct misinformation about trafficking, develop evidence-based anti-trafficking responses, and learn what worked and what didn't in past host cities. Details: Bangkok: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), 2011. 75p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://www.gaatw.org/publications/What's_the_Cost_of_a_Rumour-GAATW2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.gaatw.org/publications/What's_the_Cost_of_a_Rumour-GAATW2011.pdf Shelf Number: 124408 Keywords: Evaluative StudiesHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSporting Events |
Author: Thomas, Nerea Bilbatua Title: More 'Trafficking' Less 'Trafficking' - Trafficking for Exploitation Outside the Sex Sector in Europe Summary: GAATW has always proactively lobbied for a broad definition of human trafficking and has consequently critiqued a ‘traditional’ near exclusive focus on the sex industry as the primary, if not the only, site of trafficking. We have noted with interest the recent focus on what is termed as ‘trafficking for labour exploitation.’ While we are not sure that creating two separate and distinct categories such as ‘trafficking for labour exploitation’ and ‘trafficking for sexual exploitation’ is helpful, we welcome the broadening of focus. Further, we wanted to take a closer look at this new scenario, especially in Europe, and analyse the practical and conceptual implications of the expansion of initiatives to trafficking outside the sex sector, especially for service providers and for those seeking assistance. We wanted to understand the emerging issues linked to this expansion (especially as they relate to identification and assistance). Finally, we also wanted to hear the views of service providers on looking at trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation as two distinct forms of trafficking. A working paper, as the name implies, is a work in progress, rather than a ‘final say’. Thus we look forward to discussion and dialogues with colleagues on the issues raised in this paper. Identification as trafficked, or presumably trafficked, is the first step towards providing assistance and protection to those whose rights have been violated. Identification rates for trafficking for exploitation outside the sex sector are low. This is due to several reasons, including a narrow understanding of trafficking, gender and moral biases, conflicting provisions in migration and labour legislation, and other practical obstacles. The general observation is that assistance and protection services have focused on women trafficked into the sex sector. Direct assistance providers explain that lack of identification is one of the main reasons for people trafficked into other sectors not receiving available assistance under the anti-trafficking legislation. More often than not national legislations have proved to be deterrents for identification. Regarding assistance needs, the service providers we spoke to did not think that two distinctly different categories of assistance; one for men and another for women or one for people trafficked into the sex industry and another for those trafficked into other sectors, are needed. Instead they felt that assistance needs differ depending on the type or degree of exploitation. Hence a more nuanced needs assessment should be done. In other words it is the notion of assistance ‘packages’ that should be questioned and support should be tailored to meet the need of each trafficked person regardless of their gender or sector of exploitation. For persons trafficked outside the sex sector to access justice, service providers pointed out that no single alternative legal framework (labour, migration or asylum) is necessarily better than the criminal justice one using anti-trafficking legislation. However, using more than one legal route certainly offers more legal options. Trafficked persons therefore are better off using more than one legal route. Making a distinction between trafficking for exploitation outside the sex sector and within the sex sector has proven useful to some. For example, making a distinction between sex and labour trafficking has served to put the spotlight on various labour sectors in Europe which were traditionally not looked at as potential sites of trafficking. It has opened up possibilities for identification of the ‘non-traditional’ victim of trafficking, such as somebody trafficked outside the sex sector, or a trafficked man. However, it was pointed out that distinguishing trafficking per sector of exploitation can also have negative consequences. Making such a distinction takes the emphasis away from exploitation, instead it looks at the sector and thus risks looking at all work in that sector as exploitative. Besides, it excludes the sex sector as a labour sector even though some countries have legal sex sectors and in many others sex workers are demanding workers rights. Overall, working on this paper allowed us to understand the practical implications of broadening of the anti-trafficking framework. Details: Bangkok: Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW), 2011. 102p. Source: GAATW Working Papers Series: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2012 at http://www.gaatw.org/publications/MoreTrafficking_LessTrafficked_GAATW2011.01.31.12.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.gaatw.org/publications/MoreTrafficking_LessTrafficked_GAATW2011.01.31.12.pdf Shelf Number: 124409 Keywords: Human TraffickingSex TraffickingSex Workers |
Author: Pierce, Alexandra (Sandi) Title: New language, old problem: Sex trafficking of American Indian women and children Summary: The selling of North America’s indigenous women and children for sexual purposes has been an ongoing practice since the colonial era. There is evidence that early British surveyors and settlers viewed Native women’s sexual and reproductive freedom as proof of their “innate” impurity, and that many assumed the right to kidnap, rape, and prostitute Native women and girls without consequence (see Deer, 2010; Fischer, 2001; Smith, 2003; Waselkov & Braund, 1995). Today, major centers for sex trafficking include cities near rural, high-poverty First Nations reserves, American Indian reservations, and Alaskan Native communities.1 The FBI recently noted, “There have been traffickers and pimps who specifically target Native girls because they feel that they’re versatile and they can post them [online] as Hawaiian, as Native, as Asian, as you name it” (Hopkins, 2010). The U.S. and Canada have only recently classified human trafficking as a form of slavery subject to major penalties. In 2000, the U.S. passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), the first nation to criminalize human trafficking. One section of the TVPA focuses explicitly on sex trafficking, making it illegal to “recruit, entice, or obtain a person to engage in commercial sex acts, or to benefit from such activities” (see18 U.S.C. § 1591 and 22 U.S.C. § 7101, 7102, and 7105). Also in 2000, Canada, the U.S., and 115 other nations signed the United Nations Convention of Member States’ Palermo Trafficking Protocol, which criminalized sex and labor trafficking. Canada ratified the Protocol in 2002, and the U.S. did so in 2005 (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2008). As of August 2011, forty U.S. states had also passed sex trafficking legislation (Polaris Project, 2011). This legal reframing of the sale of human beings for sexual purposes has resulted in new research and new efforts to address it. In our discussion, we summarize published materials on the commercial sexual exploitation of indigenous women and children in the U.S. and Canada and the legal issues related to their protection. We begin with a brief discussion of the unique vulnerability of Native women and children. This is followed by a summary of research with Native women and girls in the sex trade. Next, we discuss gaps in legal protections and victims support services. Drawing on these, we conclude with implications for professionals. Details: Harrisburg, PA: National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women, 2011. 15p. Source: VAW.net Applied Research: Accessed March 23, 2012 at http://www.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/AR_NativeSexTrafficking.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.vawnet.org/Assoc_Files_VAWnet/AR_NativeSexTrafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 124720 Keywords: Adult VictimsAmerican IndiansFemale VictimsJuvenile VictimsSex Trafficking |
Author: Shukla, Rakesh Title: Sex Work and Laws in South Asia: A Monograph Summary: The law with regard to sex work remains among the most ambiguous pieces of legislation in South Asia. Activists working for the empowerment of sex workers or in HIV/AIDS prevention programs in the region remain unclear about even the basics of prevalent laws with regard to prostitution and trafficking. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar share a common colonial past and retain penal codes framed by the British in 1860. Thus we find common or similar statutes with regard to issues like public decency, obscenity, morality, public health (often used against sex workers) and selling or buying for purposes of prostitution. We also find sections like 377 of the Indian Penal Code and Pakistan Penal Code categorizing homosexual acts as an offence. Many laws limit the definition of trafficking to only those acts involving prostitution. This focus dates back to the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others in 1949. The SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children signed in 2002 continues the sole focus of prostitution as the end point of trafficking. The definition of trafficking clearly confines it to the moving, buying or selling of women and children for prostitution. Similarly the category of “persons subjected to trafficking” is restricted to women and children victimized or forced into prostitution through deception, threats, coercion, kidnapping or other unlawful means. This exclusive focus does not address the issue of persons trafficked for other purposes like forced or bonded labour. On the other hand by conflating trafficking and sex work/prostitution it derails all discussion about trafficking through fraud, deceit and coercion into a debate over prostitution – de-criminalization, regulation and abolition. This monograph attempts to demystify and explain the content of the prevalent laws in the region which are relevant to activists and practitioners working in the field. The available legislations and case law have been analyzed from the point of view of the issues of conflation of trafficking and sex work, right of sex workers to live in liberty and dignity, the right to move freely, the right to reside in a place of choice, the right to migrate, forced and voluntary sex work, entry of minors, rescue and rehabilitation. The material available is uneven in respect to the countries in the region and this in turn is reflected in the document. Thus most material was available with regard to India and Sri Lanka, then Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan and the least for Myanmar, which has not been included due to our limitation in obtaining English translations of documents in Burmese. While the monograph does give unequal space to the various countries of the region, however, this is not indicative of bias but of the constraint of the availability of material. Details: Maharashta, India: Sampada Gramin Mahila Sanstha (SANGRAM), 2010. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph Series 4: Accessed April 4, 2012 at: http://sangram.org/Download/Laws_in_south_asia.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Asia URL: http://sangram.org/Download/Laws_in_south_asia.pdf Shelf Number: 124816 Keywords: Child ProstitutionProstitutesProstitution (Asia)Sex TraffickingSex Workers |
Author: Kaur, Manpavan Title: 'Recognising the Economic Relationship between Sex Workers and Sex Businesses Summary: This NTS Alert discusses the economic relationship between sex workers and sex businesses in Southeast Asia in order to critically examine hitherto narrow interpretations which posit an integral link between sex work and sex trafficking. Economic motivations of the sex industry can induce the voluntary entry of sex workers into the industry. This undermines the presumption that all sex workers are ‘victims ’ of trafficking. Hence, this NTS Alert highlights the importance of broadening the interpretation of sex work if the exploitation experienced by sex workers in Southeast Asia is to be adequately addressed. Details: Singapore: RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies for NTS-Asia, 2011. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: NTS Alert May 2011 (Issue 1): Accessed April 6, 2012 at: http://www.rsis.edu.sg/nts/HTML-Newsletter/alert/NTS-alert-may-1101.html Year: 2011 Country: Asia URL: http://www.rsis.edu.sg/nts/HTML-Newsletter/alert/NTS-alert-may-1101.html Shelf Number: 124858 Keywords: ProstitutesProstitutionSex TraffickingSex Workers (Asia) |
Author: van der Laan, Peter H. Title: Cross-border Trafficking In Human Beings: Prevention and Intervention Strategies for Reducing Sexual Exploitation Summary: Over the years, growing attention has been given to the phenomenon of trafficking in human beings (THB). Sexual exploitation was until recently by far the most commonly identified feature of THB, followed by forced labour. Many activities to combat trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation have been initiated by numerous supranational, international as well as national organizations. Much is written about these initiatives, but some areas have been neglected. Knowledge on ‘what works’ is in particular limited. The growing attention to THB entails a demand for more information. The severity of the crime and the impact on its victims makes it of utmost importance to gain more insight into the working and effectiveness of anti-trafficking strategies and interventions. The main objective of this review was to assess the presently available evidence on the effects of interventions that aim to prevent and suppress trafficking in human beings. The following questions were central to the systematic review: 1) What types of anti-THB strategies and interventions can be identified that have been accompanied by some form of empirical analysis? 2) Which of these studies incorporate (quasi-)experimental evaluations that are rigorous enough to determine the effect of these anti-THB strategies on preventing and suppressing THB? 3) What are the outcomes of these (quasi-)experimental studies? Policies or interventions to prevent or suppress cross border trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation have not been evaluated rigorously enough to determine their effect. Using different search strategies and key words in nine different languages, the authors identified 19.000 studies on trafficking that came out between January 2000 and June 2009. They examined and coded the full text of the 20 studies that contained a combination of the relevant key words in their title, subtitle and/or abstract. None of these were controlled and most did not even use pre- and post-test measures. Details: Oslo: The Campbell Collaboration, 2011. 50p. Source: Campbell Systematic Review 2011:9 : Internet Resource: Accessed April 17, 2012 at http://www.emnbelgium.be/sites/default/files/publications/cross_border_trafficking_systematic_review.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.emnbelgium.be/sites/default/files/publications/cross_border_trafficking_systematic_review.pdf Shelf Number: 124999 Keywords: Crime PreventionHuman TraffickingIntervention ProgramsSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Shively, Michael Title: A National Overview of Prostitution and Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction Efforts Summary: To combat prostitution and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, criminal justice interventions and collaborative programs have emerged that focus on reducing demand for commercial sex. In a prior study, Abt Associates found that the use of anti-demand approaches was more widespread throughout the United States than previously thought. We also found that little research or descriptive information was available about the vast majority of interventions. It was also evident that communities attempting to address demand had usually done so with little guidance from the collective experience of others; consequently, some initiatives had struggled or failed when faced with problems that had been solved elsewhere. This report is designed to provide a descriptive overview of initiatives targeting the demand for commercial sex in the United States. It describes the process of gathering the information in this (and other) reports, discusses specific initiatives, and highlights selected communities to illustrate how and why their members have endeavored to address prostitution and sex trafficking by combating demand. The report is intended to serve as an introduction for those considering applying antidemand tactics in their communities, and for those at the state government level who are considering policies, statutes, and infrastructure investments supporting local efforts. Details: Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, 2012. 245p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2012 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/238796.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/238796.pdf Shelf Number: 125442 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitution (U.S.)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Shapiro, Melanie Title: Sex Trafficking and Decriminalized Prostitution in Rhode Island Summary: Rhode Island is the only state in the United States where prostitution is decriminalized indoors. Since decriminalization in 1980, the sex industry has expanded and Rhode Island has become a destination for commercial sex in New England. Rhode Island is one of only three states that have not had a human trafficking prosecution. Rhode Island has had no prosecutions of sex trafficking since the state anti-trafficking law was passed in 2007. The goal of this project was to research the history of decriminalization, gather information on Asian massage parlor brothels, and determine if sex trafficking is occurring in these establishments. Research on Asian massage parlor brothels and sex trafficking was carried out by observation of brothels, content analysis of writings by “johns” in online forums, newspaper stories, analysis of federal, state, and local statutes, analysis of known prostitution and sex trafficking cases, and advertisements by Asian massage parlor brothels. Asian massage parlors were the focus of the research since they advertise publicly, making them easier to research than other brothels in Rhode Island. The massage parlor advertisements and the reported experiences of “johns” were monitored for indications of sex trafficking. Interviews about massage parlor brothels and sex trafficking were conducted with public officials, law enforcement personnel, social justice groups, faith-based organizations, and victim service providers. To research the history of decriminalization, the trial transcripts, affidavits, motions, and briefs of the federal case were analyzed. Lawyers, officials, and other people knowledgeable about the decriminalization case were interviewed. Results of the research identified thirty-three Asian massage parlor brothels. Indicators of sex trafficking were found, such as barred windows and sealed exit doors, and the use of surveillance video cameras. Indications of women’s restricted freedom and limited mobility were identified, such as living on the premises and being rotated through a circuit of massage parlors. Content analysis of “johns’” reports of buying sex revealed examples of women’s resistance to engage in sex acts, indicating they may not have been acting freely. Research into the history of prostitution and massage parlor raids found evidence of sex trafficking. In 2006, a federal multistate sex trafficking case included a Providence massage parlor. Decriminalization of prostitution indoors resulted from a confluence of factors. In the late 1970s, citizens demanded police action against street prostitution in their neighborhoods. The existing prostitution laws made criminal procedures slow, and since prostitutes remained on the streets awaiting jury trials, it was ineffective to reduce prostitution. In addition, a prostitutes’ rights group filed a federal sex discrimination against the state of Rhode Island because more women than men were being arrested for soliciting sex even though the statute was genderneutral. Decriminalized prostitution has factored in the expansion of the commercial sex industry and the absence of any federal or state sex trafficking cases. Decriminalization of prostitution also makes it difficult to use existing statutes for organizing and controlling prostitution. Decriminalization of prostitution also interferes with the ability to identify and assist victims of sex trafficking. Details: Kingston, RI: University of Rhode Island, 2009. 154p. Source: Internet Resource: Senios Honors Project, Paper 135: Accessed July 9, 2012 at: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1137&context=srhonorsprog&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%2522sex%2520trafficking%2520and%2520decriminalized%2520prostitution%2522%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CE4QFjAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fdigitalcommons.uri.edu%252Fcgi%252Fviewcontent.cgi%253Farticle%253D1137%2526context%253Dsrhonorsprog%26ei%3D59v6T6T5BumU6wG1zoHOBg%26usg%3DAFQjCNH6GGMMpr0oL9JW2X1WV-F6LnciFw#search=%22sex%20trafficking%20decriminalized%20prostitution%22 Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1137&context=srhonorsprog&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26rct%3Dj%26q%3D%2522sex%2520trafficking%2520and%2520decriminalized%2520prosti Shelf Number: 125520 Keywords: ProstitutesProstitution, Decriminalization (Rhode Island)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Mo, Pak Hung Title: International Human Trafficking: Theory and Solution. Summary: In this paper, we build a simple model to explain the choice of migration method and the root causes of international human trafficking (IHT). Our analyses result in several implications on the problems related to IHT. First, IHT is driven by poverty and international productivity/living quality disparities. Second, the existing humanitarian and/or suppressive approaches cannot solve the problem. Third, the best option for solving the problem is setting up the ‘reciprocal direct investment’ (RDI) scheme between leading and lagged economies. The RDI scheme can facilitate improvements in the quality of public governance in lagged economies and directly promote international competition, efficiency, trade liberalization and division of labor. The resulting convergence in global living quality at a higher level across nations will eliminate the root causes of illicit migrations. Details: Hong Kong: Hong Kong Baptist Unviersity, 2011. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: MPRA Paper No. 35104: Accessed July 24, 2012 at: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/35104/1/MPRA_paper_35104.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/35104/1/MPRA_paper_35104.pdf Shelf Number: 125760 Keywords: Economic ConditionsHuman TraffickingIllegal MigrationPovertySex Trafficking |
Author: Myers, Adam Title: The Objectification of Women as a Facilitator of Sex Trafficking Demand Summary: Human trafficking represents one of the great social ills and avenues of international crime in our day. One facet of human trafficking, which involves the trafficking of women and girls into sex work industries, is perpetuated by demand within receiving states. Within developed states, this demand can be identified as being fostered by a culture of objectification of women, wherein women's bodies and sexual capability are seen as commodities. This objectified culture has been created and nurtured by cultural influences that vary in legality and general acceptance but are all pervasive practices, such as the presence of pornography, and depictions of women in general media sources such music, film, and advertising. The cultural sources of the objectification women must be seriously addressed in order to combat trafficking demand within developed receiving states. Details: Unpublished Paper, 2011. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2012 at: http://adamhmyers.com/Objectification-human%20trafficking.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://adamhmyers.com/Objectification-human%20trafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 126492 Keywords: Human TraffickingMass MediaPornographyProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Jordan, Ann Title: The Swedish Law to Criminalize Clients: A Failed Experiment in Social Engineering Summary: In 1999, the Swedish government embarked on an experiment in social engineering to end men’s practice of purchasing commercial sexual services. The government enacted a new law criminalizing the purchase (but not the sale) of sex (Swedish Penal Code). It hoped that the fear of arrest and increased public stigma would convince men to change their sexual behavior. The government also hoped that the law would force the estimated 1,850 to 3,000 women who sold sex in Sweden at that time to find another line of work. Lastly, the government hoped that the law would eliminate trafficking into forced prostitution and the presence of migrant sex workers. Not surprisingly, the experiment has failed. In the thirteen years since the law was enacted, the Swedish government has been unable to prove that the law has reduced the number of sex buyers or sellers or stopped trafficking. Details: Washington, DC: Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law, American University, 2012. 17p. Source: Issue Paper 4: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at Year: 2012 Country: Sweden URL: Shelf Number: 126517 Keywords: Crime Prevention (Sweden)Human TraffickingLegislation (Sweden)Prostitution (Sweden)Sex Buyers (Sweden)Sex Trafficking |
Author: Godwin, John Title: Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific: Laws, HIV and Human Rights in the Context of Sex Work Summary: Nearly all countries of Asia and the Pacific criminalize some aspects of sex work. Criminalization increases vulnerability to HIV by fuelling stigma and discrimination, limits access to sexual health services and condoms. The report clearly distinguishes between adult consensual sex work and human trafficking for sexual exploitation. Removing legal penalties for sex work allows HIV prevention and treatment programmes to reach sex workers and their clients more effectively. These are some of the findings in an unprecedented study issued today by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). Sex Work and the Law examines 48 countries in Asia and the Pacific to assess laws, legal policies and law enforcement practices that affect the human rights of sex workers and impact on the effectiveness of HIV responses. Where sex work has been decriminalized, there is a greater chance for safer sex practices through occupational health and safety standards across the industry. Furthermore, there is no evidence that decriminalization has increased sex work. The report describes countries that use punitive law enforcement practices, confiscate condoms as evidence of illegal conduct, require compulsory or coerced HIV testing, deny government services and certain rights to sex workers, and have compulsory detention centres. The report notes: •Eleven countries where sex workers report condom confiscation or police harassment for possessing condoms (China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam). •Six countries that require mandatory testing of sex workers for HIV or sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as a condition of employment (Guam (unincorporated territory of the United States), Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and several states of Australia); and three countries where compulsory or coerced HIV testing for sex workers has been reported (China, India and Vietnam). •At least four countries in which compulsory detention of sex workers for rehabilitation or re-education is reported (China, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka). Roy, UNDP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre Manager. The report highlights current laws, policies and practices that are helpful to HIV responses. A snapshot: •Decisions of the Supreme Courts of Bangladesh, India and Nepal recognize the human rights of sex workers. •The Ministry of Interior of Cambodia issued a Directive that condoms will not be used as evidence for arrest. •Legislation in Fiji and Papua New Guinea make it unlawful to deny a person access to condoms or other means of protection from HIV. •National HIV laws in Cambodia, Fiji, Lao PDR, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines offer some protections in areas such as prohibition of compulsory testing, and rights to confidentiality and to protection from discrimination for those who are HIV-positive. •Legislation in Vietnam requires the government to implement harm reduction interventions including condom programmes with sex workers, and protects peer educators from prosecution. •Rules of the Social Security Fund of Thailand enable sex workers to access state social security benefits. The report also highlights how significant advances in recognition of the rights of sex workers can occur even in contexts where the sex industry is illegal. For example, education of police and empowerment of sex workers has helped to reduce human rights violations in India and Thailand, and health authorities in many countries now actively support sex worker organizations to deliver HIV prevention programmes to their peers. Details: Bangkok, Thailand: United Nations Development Programme, UNCP Asia-Pacific Regional Centre, 2012. 212p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2012 at: http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publication.aspx?ID=699 Year: 2012 Country: Asia URL: http://www.snap-undp.org/elibrary/Publication.aspx?ID=699 Shelf Number: 126809 Keywords: HIV (Viruses)Human TraffickingProstitutesProstitutionSex TraffickingSex Work (Asia)Sex WorkersSexually Transmitted Diseases |
Author: Latonero, Mark Title: The Rise of Mobile and the Diffusion of Technology-Facilitated Trafficking Summary: In September 2012, President Obama identified human trafficking as one of the great human rights issues of our time, representing a “debasement of our common humanity that tears at the social fabric of our communities, endangers public health, distorts markets, and fuels violence and organized crime.” The nature and extent of human trafficking in modern society is complex and evolving, however, and our understanding of the phenomenon is fraught with contested terminologies and differing perceptions. Broadly speaking, human trafficking involves the severe sexual and labor exploitation of vulnerable people for financial gain, which amounts to a gross violation of human rights. Children exploited in the sex trade are especially at risk. What role does technology play in the shifting dynamics of human trafficking today? In this report, researchers at the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (CCLP) reveal how those involved in human trafficking have been quick to adapt to the 21st-century global landscape. While the rapid diffusion of digital technologies such as mobile phones, social networking sites, and the Internet has provided significant benefits to society, new channels and opportunities for exploitation have also emerged. Increasingly, the business of human trafficking is taking place online and over mobile phones. But the same technologies that are being used for trafficking can become a powerful tool to combat trafficking. The precise role that digital technologies play in human trafficking still remains unclear, however, and a closer examination of the phenomenon is vital to identify and respond to new threats and opportunities. This investigation indicates that mobile devices and networks have risen in prominence and are now of central importance to the sex trafficking of minors in the United States. While online platforms such as online classifieds and social networking sites remain a potential venue for exploitation, this research suggests that technology-facilitated trafficking is more diffuse and adaptive than initially thought. This report presents a review of current literature, trends, and policies; primary research based on mobile phone data collected from online classified sites; a series of firsthand interviews with law enforcement; and key recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders moving forward. While the sex trafficking of minors continues to expand across multiple media platforms, our research indicates that the rise of mobile technology may fundamentally transform the trafficking landscape. No other communication technology in history, including the Internet, has been adopted so rapidly around the world. The World Bank estimates that 75% of the global population has access to a mobile phone. Mobile’s ability to facilitate real-time communication and coordination, unbound by physical location, is also being exploited by traffickers to extend the reach of their illicit activities. Traffickers are able to recruit, advertise, organize, and communicate primarily—or even exclusively—via mobile phone, effectively streamlining their activities and expanding their criminal networks. In short, human traffickers and criminal networks are taking advantage of technology to reach larger audiences and to do illicit business more quickly and efficiently across greater distances. Mobile communication may also represent a breakthrough for interventions by law enforcement and the anti-trafficking community. Data gleaned from cellphones and mobile networks constitute a trail of information and evidence that can be a powerful tool in identifying, tracking, and prosecuting traffickers. Mobile technologies can also be used to reach vulnerable communities and raise public awareness. The rise of mobile has major implications both for the spread of human trafficking and for anti-trafficking efforts, and should be carefully considered by law enforcement, policymakers, and activists as they develop strategies to combat human trafficking in the United States and worldwide. Furthermore, the respect for privacy and civil liberties, and potential unintended consequences of technological interventions on victims and survivors, are crucial considerations in developing mobile-based solutions. This research expands on CCLP’s 2011 report examining the role of online technologies in human trafficking. Key findings of the 2011 report focused on the use of Internet technologies, particularly online classifieds and social media sites, for the sex trafficking of minors in the United States. The USC Information Sciences Institute (ISI) and CCLP collaborated to develop prototype software designed to detect possible cases of sex trafficking of minors online. Our research indicated that tools such as data mining, mapping, computational linguistics, and advanced analytics could be used by governmental and nongovernmental organizations, law enforcement, academia, and the private sector to further anti-trafficking goals of prevention, protection, and prosecution. Details: Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, 2012. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Series on Technology and Human Trafficking; Accessed November 23, 2012 at: http://www.ungift.org/doc/knowledgehub/resource-centre/USC-Annenberg-Technology-and-Human-Trafficking-2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.ungift.org/doc/knowledgehub/resource-centre/USC-Annenberg-Technology-and-Human-Trafficking-2012.pdf Shelf Number: 126983 Keywords: Human TraffickingMobile TechnologiesMobile TelephonesOnline CommunicationsSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationTechnology and Crime |
Author: Cherti, Myriam Title: The UK's Response to Human Trafficking: Fit for Purpose? Summary: In recent years, there has been a growing concern about a potential link between major sporting events and an increase in human trafficking for the purposes of forced labour and prostitution. At the very least, it is clear that events like the Olympics provide an opportunity for host countries to reassess their anti-trafficking strategies. The aims of this short briefing paper are threefold: to provide a short overview of the available evidence about the scale of human trafficking in the UK; to review the general UK policy response to trafficking and the more specific measures designed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and to examine areas within the current UK strategy that could be improved, with reference to international good practice. Quantifying the scale of trafficking to the UK is a significant challenge: estimates of the number of people trafficked to the UK have varied widely, from a few hundreds to tens of thousands. The UK’s response to trafficking has developed rapidly, and policy has come a long way from the days of ad hoc police raids and support solely through charitable-funded voluntary sector agencies. Now the UK has, in the UKHTC, a dedicated agency tasked with coordinating the British response. However, the UK continues to face significant challenges in responding to trafficking and its approach still falls short of international best practice. There are four key challenges facing the UK: identifying victims; balancing immigration management and victim protection; oversight and scrutiny; and addressing demand for trafficking and exploitation. Details: London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2012. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2012 at http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2012/07/beyondirregularity-trafficking_July2012_9382.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2012/07/beyondirregularity-trafficking_July2012_9382.pdf Shelf Number: 127229 Keywords: Human Trafficking (U.K.)Labor TraffickingSex TraffickingSporting Events |
Author: Tripp, Tara M. Title: Clandestine Partnerships?: The Link between Human Trafficking and Organized Crime in Metropolitan Atlanta Summary: Since the enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, which directly criminalized human trafficking, research on human trafficking has significantly increased. While recent studies have analyzed trafficking legislation, characteristics of offenders and victims, and types of human trafficking rings, little data has been collected on human trafficking ties to organized crime. Therefore, this research explores human trafficking and its relationship to organized crime through an analysis of public court records. Specifically, the study includes the 20 federal human trafficking cases in metropolitan Atlanta indicted between 2000 and 2012. It was found that 80% of the 20 human trafficking cases did not involve a tie to organized crime. Three cases involved rings that relied upon an organized crime group to provide services in furtherance of human trafficking. Only one case was operated by an organized crime syndicate. International cases were more likely to include organized crime relationships than domestic cases. Sex trafficking cases overwhelmingly demonstrated a more frequent tie to organized crime. Therefore, researchers should analyze sex and labor trafficking separately, and law enforcement should acknowledge the numerous forms that human trafficking may take. Details: Kennesaw, GA: Kennesaw State University, 2012. 91p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects. Paper 531: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1533&context=etd Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1533&context=etd Shelf Number: 127288 Keywords: Human Trafficking (Atlanta, Georgia)Organized CrimeSex Trafficking |
Author: University of Washington. Jackson School of International Studies. Human Trafficking Taskforce Title: Human Trafficking: A Spotlight on Washington State Summary: The U.S. State Department’s (2005) estimates that between 14,500 and 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year. However, since the passing of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, only about 600 people nationwide, including 14 people in Washington State, have been certified as victims of human trafficking. This report seeks to address the reasons for this discrepancy and propose ways in which more victims can be found. In doing so, we examine the discourses that revolve around trafficking, the stakeholders who have the power and will to create change, the Federal and Washington State law and legislation and the potential for Washington State in public mobilization and political willpower as demonstrated through its groundbreaking anti-trafficking legislation. From there, we look at the ways in which trafficking operates through networks and industries. In doing so, we examine particular industries that contain characteristics that make them vulnerable to trafficking, including: the commercial sex industry, sweatshops, domestic work, agriculture, small businesses such as restaurants and hotels, international marriage brokers, and the international adoption industry. In addition, this report surveys the local community in order to assess the general public’s knowledge about trafficking. From this survey we draw a set of recommendations about what the content and audience should be for future campaigns. The result of our research has lead us to find five major factors that contribute to the discrepancy between the estimated number of trafficked persons and the number of trafficked persons who are either found or come forward. • The nature of trafficking as an underground institution makes it very difficult for victims to be found or come forward. • The complex elements of fear and cultural barriers that trafficked persons face also inhibit them from being found or coming forward. • The general public lacks awareness, misunderstands, or misrepresents the issue of human trafficking. • The limited way in which trafficking is framed within the law affects the number of victims found and the way victims are assisted. • There exist some weaknesses in government and service providing institutions that find and assist trafficked persons which include, but are not limited to, a lack of law enforcement training, cultural competency training, and sufficient funding for such programs. To address these challenges our task force recommends: 1. The creation of an anti-trafficking campaign that is aimed towards the general public, greater support of grassroots movement and cultural community involvement in the development of antitrafficking campaigns and in the Washington State Trafficking Task Force, and mandatory training about trafficking for civil servants and healthcare workers. 2. Addressing the demand side of trafficking. 3. Amending the S Visa, by not requiring individuals to waive their ability to contest deportation, and by providing an incentive to informants. 4. Greater collaboration between NGOs that aid trafficking victims and law firms in order to encourage more pro-bono civil suits to be filed against traffickers. 5. And, we propose the creation of a non-governmental organization in Washington State to cohesively and comprehensively address all the proposals and issues mentioned above through trainings, public awareness, direct service provision, and research and evaluation. Details: Seattle, WA: Jackson School of International Studies, 2006. 375p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2013 at: http://csde.washington.edu/~scurran/files/HumanTraffickingSpotlightonWashingtonState.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://csde.washington.edu/~scurran/files/HumanTraffickingSpotlightonWashingtonState.pdf Shelf Number: 127960 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (Washington State, U.S.)Illegal AdoptionsMarriage BrokersSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: San Patten and Associates Title: Building a Calgary Community Response for Children, Youth, and Adults Involved in the Sex Trade/Sexual Exploitation Trade. Project Report Summary: In fall 2006, the United Way of Calgary brought together a variety of stakeholders to develop a Coordinated Community Response Plan to the Sex Trade in Calgary. Subsequently, San Patten and Associates1 were contracted to lead the research and writing of the Community Response Plan. This project is strategically positioned under the United Way’s Safety from Violence portfolio within the current “People Living in Vulnerable Situations” community impact plan. The development of a coordinated response for people involved in the sex trade in Calgary and area builds on new and existing partnerships and collaborations amongst a wide variety of stakeholders, including several levels of government, non-governmental agencies, academic researchers, and clients. Though this project was initiated in part to address the closure of the Stepping Out Program, it is expected that Community Response Plan will also inform future programming efforts in Calgary to help address the diverse needs of individuals involved in, or impacted by, the sex trade. While valuable research has been conducted on specific elements of the sex trade in Calgary, limited research has been conducted about the broad context of the sex trade and the full continuum of programs and policies that impinge on the sex trade. Our consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, supplemented by research from across Canada and other countries, indicates that there are several factors that are integral to prevention efforts, supporting people in the sex trade, and helping them to transition out of it. 1.1 Purpose The purpose of this project is to build a coordinated response for people who are involved in the sex trade/sexual exploitation trade in Calgary and area. More specifically, this project aimed to gather and document the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders (including community based organizations, government, researchers and individuals currently or previously involved in the sex trade) about the current context of sex trade work and sexual exploitation in Calgary. In addition, this project included a scan of the current program and policy environment with respect to the sex trade in Calgary. This data gathering was completed to identify appropriate responses to the needs of individuals involved in the sex trade, and to identify possible future program and policy directions for the city of Calgary to meet the diverse and complex needs of individuals involved in the sex trade and those who are sexually exploited. Details: Halifax, Nova Scotia: San Patten and Associates, 2007. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 20, 2013 at: http://www.sanpatten.com/Project%20Report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Canada URL: http://www.sanpatten.com/Project%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 128017 Keywords: Child ProstitutionHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation (Canada) |
Author: Nordic Council of Ministers, Title: Nordic-Baltic Campaign Against Trafficking in Women. Final report 2002 Summary: Trafficking of women and children is not a new phenomenon in the Nordic Baltic region. However, the magnitude, forms and impact are more alarming and devastating than before. The United Nations estimates that between one and four million women and children are victims of trafficking every year around the world, of these more than 500,000 are believed to be trafficked into the European Union. The majority of these women and children, mostly girls, are recruited, transported, sold and purchased by individual buyers, pimps, traffickers and members of organized crime networks within countries and over national borders for the specific purpose of sexual exploitation in the sex industry. In the past most women were trafficked for brothel prostitution. Today the forms and varieties have expanded. Trafficked women are sexually exploited through brothel prostitution, including in nightclubs, through escort service agencies, for sex tourism and military “rest and recreation,” in pornography and in other forms of sexual “entertainment” such as striptease and telephone sex. Many women are also sold to men around the world as mail order brides through newspaper ads and over the Internet, for domestic work and other forms of servitude. The majority of these women and children are trafficked from countries in the south to countries in the north, and from Eastern Europe, the Baltic countries and the countries in Central Asia to countries in Western Europe and North America. However, women and children are also trafficked domestically between neighbourhoods, from city to city, within the Nordic and Baltic countries and to and from countries in the Baltic region. An increasing number of women, often very young, from the Baltic countries are sold to Nordic men and sexually exploited in the Nordic countries. Nordic men also travel to the Baltic countries as sex tourists. Trafficking in women is extremely profitable. Due to the increasing globalization of the economy and the rapid expansion of the sex industry combined with lenient punishment, trafficking in women and children for sexual exploitation has become a relatively low risk, high profit activity that attracts opportunity-seeking individual traffickers and well-organized crime networks in the Nordic Baltic region and beyond. These local, regional and international trafficking networks recruit and transport women and children to markets around the world for buyers who demand unlimited access to a varied supply of women and children from different countries, cultures and backgrounds. It is estimated that these groups may earn several billion Euros every year, making trafficking in human beings the third largest source of profit after drugs and arms trafficking. Trafficking in women for sexual purposes is a gender-specific crime and a serious barrier to gender equality in all societies. The traffickers exploit to their full advantage the fact that most women who are victims of trafficking come from the most oppressed and vulnerable groups in society, those who are educationally, economically, ethnically and racially marginalized and often victims of prior male sexual violence. The impact on the victims is devastating. Women who have been trafficked for sexual purposes experience physical and psychological harm that has lifelong consequences. Trafficking in women for sexual purpose is also a gross violation of women’s human rights, their human dignity and their right to bodily and psychological integrity. Women who escape from the traffickers or, who courageously agree to testify against them, often run a serious risk of retaliation, to themselves, to their families and to their friends. Many women who return to their home countries may find themselves unprotected, isolated and further discriminated against due to misconceptions in the society around them. Details: Copenhagen: Nordia Council of Ministers and the Nordic Council, 2004. 144p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2013 at: http://www.norden.org/en/publications/publikationer/2004-715/at_download/publicationfile Year: 2004 Country: Europe URL: http://www.norden.org/en/publications/publikationer/2004-715/at_download/publicationfile Shelf Number: 128308 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingHuman Trafficking (Baltic Countries, Europe)Organized CrimeProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Janson, Lara Title: “Our Great Hobby”: An Analysis of Online Networks for Buyers of Sex in Illinois Summary: When it comes to prostitution, the commercial sex industry, and sex trafficking, most discussions, reports, and research on the topics focus on “the prostitute,” ignoring the consumers of prostituted women, the “johns.” Focusing primarily on the women, who mostly constitute the supply side of the commercial sex industry, limits our understanding of the social relationships that characterize and fuel the commercial sex industry. This study focuses on the exchange of information among men who post on the USA Sex Guide in Illinois regarding what they call their “great hobby,” buying sex. Studying these online forums where men trade information with one another on buying sex with women sheds light on the attitudes of a segment of men who buy sex in Illinois as well as a broader community of sex purchasers. It offers a unique glimpse into a world that remains hidden and often inaccessible to researchers. Researching the online johns’ boards also contributes to a better understanding of the increasingly important role of the Internet in the lives of men who buy sex. This research is based on predominantly qualitative content analysis of posts made on the USA Sex Guide from June 1, 2010 to August 31, 2010 by men who buy sex in Illinois. We found that the USA Sex Guide serves as a community and an important resource for johns to inform themselves about buying sex throughout Illinois. The forums create a brotherhood among men who buy sex and reinforce men’s justifications for purchasing sex. The USA Sex Guide appears to be a source of strong bonding among the johns, who often use the forums to help buttress one another against perceived critics or threats. Postings on the USA Sex Guide indicate that men travel throughout Illinois to buy sex in a variety of venues, particularly throughout the Chicago suburbs. The geographic mobility of men who buy sex suggests that responses to the demand for commercial sex must be coordinated in order to be effective. The entries also reflect an ethos of male entitlement to sex that many johns use to rationalize their behavior. Additionally, the data indicate a common vision of a fantasy shared by many men on the forum—an ideal experience in which prostituted women provide an illusion of intimacy and authenticity in their sexual encounters with johns. This research confirms findings from other studies that indicate that the commercial sex industry in Illinois is harmful; some men who buy sex admit on the USA Sex Guide boards to being violent or aggressive toward women in prostitution, and many men on the forums reference the harm the commercial sex industry causes to women, communities, relationships, and themselves. Comments made by men on the USA Sex Guide about law enforcement and policy efforts to combat prostitution reveal the ineffectiveness, in terms of deterring men from buying more sex, of policies that target prostituted women or only men of color who buy sex. Conversely, when johns post on the boards about law enforcement raids that only target men who buy sex, it creates energetic discussions about the risks of their “great hobby.” Some men on the forums state that they will no longer take the risk of buying sex due to the increased risk of legal punishment. Details: Chicago: Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, 2013. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2013 at: http://caase.org/demandreport Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://caase.org/demandreport Shelf Number: 128362 Keywords: Human TraffickingInternet CrimesProstitutesProstitution (Chicago, U.S.)Sex TraffickingSex WorkSexual Exploitation |
Author: Gordillo de Vivero, Ariana Title: Human Trafficking: An Invisible Crime on the Isla del Encanto Summary: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the prevalence of human trafficking in Puerto Rico, assess public awareness of the crime, and provide recommendations for ways to raise awareness within the territory. Academic research was conducted by Ariana Gordillo de Vivero, Erin Payne, Maria Ploski, and Monica Santis over the course of Academic Year 2011-2012. In country research was conducted under the sponsorship of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking and its recently founded field office, Caribbean Coalition Against Human Trafficking in San Juan, Puerto Rico from 12-16 March, 2012. This report will address the prevalence of human trafficking globally, within the Caribbean region, and within Puerto Rico specifically to include structural and socioeconomic causes of trafficking, government and civil society involvement. The findings from the key informant interviews will then be presented. The research will conclude with concrete recommendation to government and civil society to raise awareness of human trafficking in Puerto Rico. Details: Washington, DC: George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, 2012. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Latin American and Hemispheric Studies Program Capstone: Accessed July 13, 2013 at: http://elliott.gwu.edu/assets/docs/acad/lahs/puerto-rico-human-trafficking-2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://elliott.gwu.edu/assets/docs/acad/lahs/puerto-rico-human-trafficking-2012.pdf Shelf Number: 129387 Keywords: Human Trafficking (Puerto Rico)Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
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: Surtees, Rebecca Title: After Trafficking: Experiences and Challenges in the (Re)integration of Trafficked Persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region Summary: (Re)integration is a process that involves many steps after the individual's exit from trafficking. Ideally trafficked persons are identified and provided with a range of services to support their social and economic (re)integration. Many trafficked persons interviewed for this study were assisted and supported in these ways. Others were not fully supported through these stages but nonetheless did receive assistance that was valuable toward their recovery and (re)integration. Interviews with trafficked persons yielded many positive examples and experiences, including the important role played by various actors and agencies and (re)integration services in recovery and (re)integration processes. Nonetheless, many trafficked persons in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) did not have access to these "ideal" pathways and their experiences following their emergence from trafficking further exacerbated their ordeals. Many were neither identified nor assisted as victims of trafficking, which meant they did not receive support to aid in their recovery and sustainable (re)integration. Some trafficked persons received some forms of assistance but not the full package they required (and were entitled to) to move on from their trafficking experience and (re)integrate into society. Equally important, some preferred not to be assisted and declined some or all support offered to them. Understanding these diverse and complex post-trafficking trajectories sheds light on a wide range of issues and dynamics at play in the (re)integration processes in the GMS. It also highlights both the strengths and weaknesses of existing (re)integration mechanisms and processes. The study was based on in-depth interviews with 252 trafficked persons about their experiences of (re)integration, including successes and challenges, as well as future plans and aspirations. The trafficked persons interviewed for this study came from all six countries in the GMS and included men, women and children, trafficked for various forms of forced labour, sexual exploitation, begging and/or forced marriage. The study included persons who had been identified and assisted, as well as those who were not identified and/or did not receive assistance. This research study was undertaken in the context of the a region-wide (re)integration initiative under Project Proposal Concept 5 (PPC5) within the 2nd COMMIT Sub-regional Plan of Action (2008-2010), which sought to assess the effectiveness of (re)integration processes and structures in the region. It continued under the 3rd COMMIT Sub-regional Plan of Action (2011-2013) under Area 3, Protection. While the study is intended for anti-trafficking policymakers and practitioners in the GMS, these findings also have relevance for practitioners and policy makers in other countries and regions who are seeking to enhance their anti-trafficking response, in line with the interests and experiences of trafficked persons. Details: Bangkok: UNIAP/Nexus Institute, 2013. 252p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 19, 2014 at: http://www.nexusinstitute.net/publications/pdfs/After%20trafficking_Experiences%20and%20challenges%20in%20(Re)integration%20in%20the%20GMS.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Asia URL: http://www.nexusinstitute.net/publications/pdfs/After%20trafficking_Experiences%20and%20challenges%20in%20(Re)integration%20in%20the%20GMS.pdf Shelf Number: 132084 Keywords: BeggingForced LaborForced MarriageHuman TraffickingReintegrationSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Crime |
Author: Immigrant Council of Ireland Title: Stop Traffick! Tackling Demand for Sexual Services of Trafficked Women and Girls Summary: This study, funded under the European Commission's Prevention and Fight against Crime (ISEC) initiative, has been carried out as part of the project 'Stop Traffick: Tackling demand for sexual services of trafficked women and girls'. The research will inform strategies to reduce demand for the services of trafficked women and girls in the five participating countries (Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania). This evidence base will influence the production of a toolkit of products and activities to: - Raise awareness among buyers and potential buyers of services delivered by victims of human trafficking in the sex industry - Reduce the demand for purchase of sexual services The initiating partner, the Immigrant Council of Ireland (ICI), led this project in collaboration with the Bulgarian Gender Research Foundation (BGRF), Klaipeda Social and Psychological Service Centre (KSPSC) in Lithuania, the Mediterranean Institute for Gender Studies (MIGS) in Cyprus and the Multicultural Women's Association of Finland (MONIKA). This report analyses and assesses efficient approaches to discourage demand for the services provided by victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation, based on a greater understanding of experiences, attitudes and motivations of the people who purchase sex. We wanted to gather sufficient knowledge to inform interventions linked with the decision to purchase sex and, in particular, to purchase sex from a vulnerable individual who could be a victim of human trafficking. Details: Dublin: Immigrant Council of Ireland, 2014. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: http://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/images/stories/documents/STOP_TRAFFICK_-_full_report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://www.immigrantcouncil.ie/images/stories/documents/STOP_TRAFFICK_-_full_report.pdf Shelf Number: 132206 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Human Trafficking |
Author: Schulze, Erika Title: Sexual Exploitation and Prostitution and its Impact on Gender Equality Summary: The objective of this briefing paper is to provide background information drawn from the international literature on sexual exploitation and prostitution and its impact on gender equality in relation to the report of the Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee. The study concentrates on the debate on whether prostitution could be voluntary or has rather to be regarded in any case as a violation of women's human rights. It also presents an overview of the policies on prostitution in the Member States as well as four case studies: Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden. Conclusions are presented with the view to enhance the debate. Details: Brussels: European Parliament, 2014. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2014 at: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2014/493040/IPOL-FEMM_ET(2014)493040_EN.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2014/493040/IPOL-FEMM_ET(2014)493040_EN.pdf Shelf Number: 132245 Keywords: Gender Human RightsHuman TraffickingProstitutesProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade Title: Shifting the Burden: Inquiry to assess the operation of the current legal settlement on prostitution in England and Wales Summary: The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade was formed in 2008. The group's purpose is twofold: 1. to raise awareness around the impact of the sale of sexual services on those involved 2. to develop proposals for government action with a focus on tackling demand for the sex trade. The last major government consideration of prostitution law was the Home Office Review on Tackling Demand for Prostitution in 2008, which was followed by the changes brought in by the Policing and Crime Act 2009. Since then, the focus of government has been on practical approaches rather than on the law. Whilst identifying and sharing good practice is a valuable exercise, the APPG felt that more must be done at a legislative level to address the gendered imbalance of harm that exists within prostitution. Therefore the APPG felt it necessary to commission a parliamentary Inquiry to assess the operation of the current legal settlement, and to identify whether legislation to tackle demand might safeguard those in danger of exploitation and abuse. Key Findings The Inquiry received 413 submissions of evidence from individuals including those with personal experience of prostitution, those who are working to provide support through agencies and organisations, and members of Police forces and local councils. When asked about the current legal settlement, only 7% of respondents to the question considered the current laws on prostitution to be effective and consistent in safeguarding those involved in prostitution.3 When assessing the written and oral evidence, the Inquiry focused on how the law operates at four critical levels: legislation, policing and enforcement, entry into and exit from prostitution, and cultural attitudes. The Inquiry found that at each of these four levels the law is incoherent at best and detrimental at worst. The legal settlement around prostitution sends no clear signals to women who sell sex, men who purchase it, courts and the criminal justice system, the police or local authorities. In practice, those who sell sexual services coercion and violence. This serves to normalise the purchase and stigmatise the sale of sexual services - and undermines efforts to minimise entry into and promote exit from prostitution. Moreover, legislation does not adequately address the gendered imbalance of harm within prostitution, and as such is detrimental to wider strategies which pursue gender equality. Details: London: All-Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade, 2014. 64p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2014 at: http://prostitutionresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UK-shifting-the-burden-Mar-2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://prostitutionresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/UK-shifting-the-burden-Mar-2014.pdf Shelf Number: 132305 Keywords: ProstitutesProstitution (U.K.)Sex TraffickingSex WorkSexual Exploitation |
Author: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking Title: Human Trafficking Sentinel Surveillance. Viet Nam - China Border 2010. Lang Son | Lao Cai | Quang Ninh Summary: The Mekong region contains diverse patterns of human trafficking. They are both internal and crossborder, highly organized and small-scale, involving sex, labour or marriage through both formal and informal recruitment mechanisms, and can involve men, women, boys, girls and entire families. China is a key destination country for victims of human trafficking from Viet Nam. Due to the underground nature of sex, labour, and marriage trafficking, it is hard to estimate the prevalence of human trafficking in either country, though one 2010 estimate from the Viet Nam Ministry of Public Security estimates that 60 percent of Vietnamese trafficking cases involves trafficking to China. The aim of UNIAP's sentinel surveillance is to assess the situation of Vietnamese deportees being returned from China and, using this information, map trafficking trends and patterns; establish types and profiles of cross-border trafficking victims; and document how brokers and traffickers operate to put Vietnamese in exploitative situations. Through the latter half of 2010, UNIAP researchers were deployed to Lang Son, Lao Cai, and Quang Ninh international border checkpoints to conduct site surveys and structured, indepth interviews with a non-representative sample of 93 male and female Vietnamese citizens deported from China. The research uncovered undocumented labour migration that sometimes involved human trafficking, and sometimes did not. The majority of the 93 deportees were, in fact, undocumented labour migrants who were deported due to immigration violations, and who had not been exploited or abused. However, 20.5 percent of the cases were likely human trafficking cases, including labour, marriage, and sex trafficking. There were also proactively intercepted cases that both Vietnamese and Chinese police identified as possible sex or marriage trafficking, where the likely victim was saved before being entered into an exploitative situation. Due to a variety of factors, including logistical factors related to difficulty in accessing the appropriate checkpoint in time given little advance notice, the sample of 93 deportees does not constitute a representative sample. However, since so little research has been conducted systematically examining Viet Nam-China trafficking into sex, marriage, and labour, these cases are examined with more emphasis on rich qualitative description of vulnerability, exploitation, and trafficking, supplemented with quantitative analysis. The beginning of this report begins with two case studies - one marriage trafficking case and one sex trafficking case - to illustrate the details of the broker-trafficker networks, extent of exploitation and perspectives of victims right from the start. There are six key recommendations proposed, based on the seven key findings from this round of sentinel surveillance. Recommendations for addressing risk factors among vulnerable populations are proposed for trafficking prevention and safe migration policy, as well as outreach and community-based work, primarily on the Viet Nam side but also where exploited Vietnamese are in China. Examining broker-trafficker networks and the exploitative employers, families, and brothels they feed aims to support a stronger investigative and protective response on both the Viet Nam and China sides, and to this end recommendations for where to target labour, marriage, and sex trafficking rings are also provided. Identifying knowledge and skill gaps in both government and non-government personnel working in antihuman trafficking and immigration control aims to help target capacity building and reduce mistreatment of trafficking victims thought to be immigration violators and thus criminals. Details: Bangkok: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking, 2011. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2014 at: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/siren/SentinelVTNCHN.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Asia URL: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/siren/SentinelVTNCHN.pdf Shelf Number: 132315 Keywords: Criminal NetworksHuman TraffickingImmigrationLabor TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Mendes Bota, Jose Title: Prostitution, trafficking and modern slavery in Europe Summary: Trafficking in human beings is a hideous human rights violation and one of the most lucrative activities for criminal organisations worldwide. It occurs for various purposes, including forced labour, criminality and organ removal. In Europe, trafficking for sexual exploitation is by far the most widespread form: an estimated 84% of victims are trafficked for this purpose. Efforts to tackle trafficking in human beings have intensified in the last decade but remain insufficient. As transnational trafficking represents the greatest part of this phenomenon, harmonisation of legal standards and effective international co-operation in criminal matters are crucial to succeed in the fight against human trafficking. The lack of reliable and comparable data on prostitution and trafficking in Europe is a major barrier to making and implementing effective policies against trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation. Creating a Europe-wide data collection system on prostitution and trafficking is therefore crucial. As a pan-European organisation, the Council of Europe has an important role to play in promoting such a data collection system. Some Council of Europe member States have drawn up prostitution regulations and policies aimed at countering trafficking by curbing the demand for victims. This is true of Sweden, together with Iceland and Norway. The "Swedish approach", based on criminalising the purchase of sexual services, is currently under consideration by legislators in several European countries as a possible tool for tackling trafficking. While each system presents advantages and disadvantages, policies prohibiting the purchase of sexual services are those that are more likely to have a positive impact on reducing trafficking in human beings. Irrespective of the legal approach adopted, prostitution regulations should include harm-reduction measures aimed at countering the negative effects of prostitution on the people involved and supporting those who wish to leave the sex industry. Details: Strasbourg Cedex: Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly, 2014. Source: Internet Resource: Doc. 13446: Accessed May 10, 2014 at: http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/X2H-Xref-ViewPDF.asp?FileID=20559&lang=en Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/X2H-Xref-ViewPDF.asp?FileID=20559&lang=en Shelf Number: 132324 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (Europe)Organ TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkSexual Exploitation |
Author: Dank, Meredith Title: Estimating the Size and Structure of the Underground Commercial Sex Economy in Eight Major US Cities Summary: In 2010, the National Institute of Justice funded the Urban Institute's Justice Policy Center to measure the size and structure of the underground commercial sex economy in eight major US cities. The goals of this study were to: (1) derive a more rigorous estimate of the underground commercial sex economy (UCSE) in eight major US cities and (2) provide an understanding of the structure of this underground economy. To date, no reliable data exist to provide national or state policymakers with a verifiable and detailed understanding of underground commercial sex trade networks or the ways in which these networks interact with one another on the local, state, or interstate level. In addition, there is no information regarding the relationship between the UCSE and the local commercial sex trade or commercial sex activity conducted over the Internet. This study aimed to close the gap in our understanding about the nature and extent of these activities. Research Questions The study was guided by four main research questions: 1. How large is the underground commercial sex economy in eight major US cities? 2. To what extent are the underground commercial sex, drug, and weapons economies interconnected in the eight major US cities? 3. How do the ties between traffickers within the underground commercial sex economy impact the transportation of sex trafficking victims? 4. What are the network characteristics of the traffickers that operate within the underground commercial sex economy? Methodology The study employed a multi-method approach, using both qualitative and quantitative data, and data were collected in the following eight cities: San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Washington, DC, Kansas City, Atlanta, and Miami. -- Existing datasets documenting the market changes for illegal drugs and weapons were analyzed to measure changes in these markets and estimate the overall size of these markets. This was done by measuring changes in a series of "proxy" variables, which we assumed to be proportional to underlying activity. Thus, official national datasets that measured some sort of drug and gun activities over a period of time were collected to measure these changes. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with 119 stakeholders and 142 convicted offenders, including local and federal law enforcement officers, prosecutors, pimps/sex traffickers, sex workers, and child pornographers. Stakeholders and offenders were interviewed about the structure of the UCSE, the profits generated through the UCSE, networking within the UCSE, and changes in the UCSE over time. Underground Commercial Sex Economy Key Findings "Sex sells" does little to explain the multi-million-dollar profits generated by the underground commercial sex economy. From high-end escort services to high school "sneaker pimps," the sex trade leaves no demographic unrepresented and circuits almost every major US city. What we know about the underground commercial sex economy is likely just the tip of the iceberg, but our study attempts to unveil its size and structure while documenting the experiences of offenders and law enforcement. Our study focused on eight US cities- Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Miami, Seattle, San Diego, and Washington, DC. Across cities, the 2007 underground sex economy's worth was estimated between $39.9 and $290 million. While almost all types of commercial sex venues -- massage parlors, brothels, escort services, and street- and internet-based prostitution -- existed in each city, regional and demographic differences influenced their markets. Pimps and traffickers interviewed for the study took home between $5,000 and $32,833 a week. These actors form a notoriously difficult population to reach because of the criminal nature of their work. Our study presents data from interviews with 73 individuals charged and convicted for crimes including compelling prostitution, human trafficking and engaging in a business relationship with sex workers. Pimps claimed inaccuracy in media portrayals. Most pimps believed that the media portrayals exaggerated violence. Some even saw the term "pimp" as derogatory, despite admitting to occasional use of physical abuse for punishment. Although pimps may have underreported the use of physical violence, they did cite frequent use of psychological coercion to maintain control over their employees. Pimps manipulate women into sex work. From discouraging "having sex for free" to feigning romantic interest, pimps used a variety of tactics to recruit and retain employees. Some even credited their entry into pimping with a natural capacity for manipulation. Rarely, however, were pimps the sole influence for an individual's entry into the sex trade. Women, family, and friends facilitate entry into sex work. Female sex workers sometimes solicited protection from friends and acquaintances, eventually asking them to act as pimps. Some pimps and sex workers had family members or friends who exposed them to the sex trade at a young age, normalizing their decision to participate. Their involvement in the underground commercial sex economy, then extends the network of those co-engaged in the market even further. Unexpected parties benefit from the commercial sex economy. Pimps, brothels, and escort services often employed drivers, secretaries, nannies, and other non-sex workers to keep operations running smoothly. Hotel managers and law enforcement agents sometimes helped offenders evade prosecution in exchange for money or services. Law enforcement in one city reported that erotic Asian massage parlors would purchase the names of licensed acupuncturists to fake legitimacy. Even feuding gang members occasionally joined forces in the sex trade, prioritizing profit over turf wars. The most valuable network in the underground sex economy, however, may be the Internet. The Internet is changing the limitations of the trade. Prostitution is decreasing on the street, but thriving online. Pimps and sex workers advertise on social media and sites like Craigslist.com and Backpage.com to attract customers and new employees, and to gauge business opportunities in other cities. An increasing online presence makes it both easier for law enforcement to track activity in the underground sex economy and for an offender to promote and provide access to the trade. Child pornography is escalating. Explicit content of younger victims is becoming increasingly available and graphic. Online child pornography communities frequently trade content for free and reinforce behavior. Offenders often consider their participation a "victimless crime." The underground sex economy is perceived as low risk. Pimps, traffickers, and child pornography offenders believed that their crimes were low-risk despite some fears of prosecution. Those who got caught for child pornography generally had low technological know-how, and multiple pimp offenders expressed that "no one actually gets locked up for pimping," despite their own incarcerations. Policy and practice changes can help combat trafficking and prostitution. -- Cross-train drug, sex, and weapons trade investigators to better understand circuits and overlaps. -- Continue using federal and local partnerships to disrupt travel circuits and identify pimps. -- Offer law enforcement trainings for both victim and offender interview techniques, including identifying signs of psychological manipulation. -- Increase awareness among school officials and the general public about the realities of sex trafficking to deter victimization and entry. -- Consistently enforce the laws for offenders to diminish low-risk perception. -- Impose more fines for ad host websites. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2014. 348p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 14, 2014 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy.pdf Shelf Number: 132450 Keywords: Child PornographyHuman TraffickingProstitution (U.S.)Sex TraffickingSex WorkersUnderground Economy |
Author: Lavorgna, Anita Title: Transit Crimes in the Internet Age: How new online criminal opportunities affect the organization of offline transit crimes Summary: There is a general consensus that the Internet has expanded possibilities for so-called transit crimes-i.e., traditional trafficking activities. However, the extent to which the Internet is exploited by offenders to carry out transit crimes and the way in which it has changed those offenders' behaviors and the criminal processes remains under-investigated. The aim of this thesis is to understand what kind of criminal opportunities the Internet offers for conducting transit crimes and how these opportunities affect the organization of transit crimes, as concerns both the carrying out of the criminal activity and the patterns of relations in and among criminal networks. In order to achieve this goal, a model of script analysis-a way to highlight the sequence of actions that are carried out for a determinate criminal activity to occur- was developed in order to classify the criminal opportunities that the Internet supplies for selected transit crimes (wildlife trafficking, trafficking in counterfeit medicines, sex trafficking, and trafficking in recreational drugs), to identify cyber-hotspots, and to allow a richer and deeper understanding of the dynamics of Internet-mediated transit crimes. The data were collected by means of case study research and semi-structured interviews to law enforcement officers and acknowledged experts. For each criminal activity considered, through the script framework it has been possible to identify different types of criminal opportunities provided by the Internet. The empirical evidence presented demonstrates that the criminal markets considered have become-even if to a different extent-hybrid markets which combine the traditional social and economic opportunity structures with the new one provided by the Internet. Among other findings, this research indicates that not only has the Internet opened the way for new criminal actors, but it also has reconfigured relations among suppliers, intermediaries, and buyers. Furthermore, results were compared across transit crimes to illustrate whether and to what extent Internet usage impacts them differently. The differences seem to depend primarily on the social perception of the seriousness of the criminal activity, on the place it fills in the law enforcement agenda, and on the characteristics of the actors involved. This study, albeit with limitations, provides an accurate description of the Internet as crime facilitator for transit crimes. It concludes by highlighting the possibilities of environmental criminology as a theoretical framework to investigate Internet-mediated transit crimes, offering some final observations on how relevant actors behave online, and suggesting new directions for research. Details: Trento, Italy: University of Trento, Doctoral School of International Studies, 2013. 212p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 19, 2014 at: http://eprints-phd.biblio.unitn.it/1185/1/PhD_Dissertation_Lavorgna.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://eprints-phd.biblio.unitn.it/1185/1/PhD_Dissertation_Lavorgna.pdf Shelf Number: 132532 Keywords: Computer CrimeCriminal NetworksDrug TraffickingInternet CrimesOrganized CrimeSex TraffickingWildlife Trafficking |
Author: Reichert, Jessica Title: National survey of residential programs for victims of sex trafficking Summary: Through a survey, researchers sought to learn about residential programs for trafficking victims in the U.S. The purpose was to share available programs and services with other jurisdictions to better serve victims of trafficking. A listing of programs identified through the survey is provided in Appendix B. The following are key findings about residential programs for victims of sex trafficking in the U.S. Nationally, a total of 33 residential programs were found to be currently operational and exclusive to trafficking victims with a total of 682 beds, two in Illinois. Residential programs were open in 16 states and the District of Columbia; California had the most with nine residential programs offering 371 beds for victims. The Western region of the country had the most residential programs for victims with 59 percent of the total beds available there. In California, there were ten residential programs with approximately 54 percent of all beds for trafficking victims. Twenty-eight states had no residential programs for victims of sex trafficking and no plans to open any. Most of the programs accepted both domestic and international victims (64 percent) and 36 percent were exclusive to victims of domestic sex trafficking. Most available beds in residential programs (75 percent) were designated for minor victims of sex trafficking. Of the surveyed programs, there were fewer than 28 beds for male victims of sex trafficking. All but one of the residential programs indicated they offer residential services 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Twenty-eight of the 37 operational facilities have aftercare services for the victims leaving the residential program. Many agencies indicated that they would be opening a residential programa total of 27 programs offering 354 more beds. Details: Chicago, IL: The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2013. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 25, 2014 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/pdf/ResearchReports/NSRHVST_101813.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/pdf/ResearchReports/NSRHVST_101813.pdf Shelf Number: 132776 Keywords: Human TraffickingSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictim Services |
Author: Grant, Emily A. Title: Exploratory Study of Human Trafficking in Wyoming Report Summary: The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) funded the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC) to conduct an exploratory study of human trafficking in Wyoming. This was the first-ever study examining the problem of human trafficking in Wyoming. This exploratory project began building a foundation for a larger research effort to follow. The main goal for this exploratory study was to develop an understanding of what data already exists and identify data gaps concerning human trafficking. This was accomplished through conducting a literature search, 32 key informant interviews, 3 informal focus groups, and archival data compilation. We have discovered that generally people do know what human trafficking is, and many have had experience with a known or suspected case through their work in Wyoming. Service providers and law enforcement are aware of human trafficking problems and while they do not have any formal protocols, they feel that they can effectively handle a human trafficking situation should it arise. Law enforcement and social service providers stated a clear need for education and training on effective strategies for identifying and responding to human trafficking cases. Creation of a training course for social service providers and law enforcement is recommended. A standard reporting system for both confirmed and suspected cases, along with state-wide network would be beneficial for connecting law enforcement and service providers so that they may better serve victims of human trafficking. In terms of determining the scale and scope of human trafficking in Wyoming, this exploratory study could not definitively address the issue. The infrastructure does not yet exist in Wyoming. First, law enforcement and social service providers (likely "first responders") must receive training and guidance on how to recognize and effectively serve human trafficking victims. Awareness of human trafficking must also be raised at the community level to reduce stigmatization, increase the chances of it being recognized and support victims in escaping the situation. Next, a standard reporting system for both confirmed and suspected cases, along with state-wide network must be created for law enforcement and service providers so that they may better serve victims of human trafficking. Once these steps have been Details: Laramie, WY: Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center, University of Wyoming, 2013. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: WYSAC Technical Report No. CJR - 1302: Accessed August 11, 2014 at: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/ProjectView.aspx?ProjectId=295&DeptId=0 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/ProjectView.aspx?ProjectId=295&DeptId=0 Shelf Number: 132988 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman Trafficking (Wyoming)Sex Trafficking |
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: Thomas, Chantal Title: International Law against Sex Trafficking, in Perspective Summary: This study places international law on sex trafficking in a broad theoretical and historical context. First, it identifies the international law on sex trafficking as part of an "international law of prohibitionism" that operates as a particular kind of response to and management of globalization. Second, this study identifies dynamic forces both "external to" and "internal to" law that lead to prohibitionism. "External" factors refer to economic, sociological and cultural phenomena that seem to have triggered the turn to prohibition. The international legal framework responds to and reflects these external sociological factors; these factors are also productive of state power for the purposes of policing illegal transactions. Taking an historical approach, it is possible to construct a loose parallel between prohibitionism during the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. If such dynamics helped secure the basis for the modern administrative state in the early 20th century, by supporting the consolidation of national police power, they may undergird and reinforce the expansion, not only of national, but also of international legal authority, in the 21st. The study's "internal" factors are social and legal concepts that determine the formulation, interpretation and application of a legal test. This internal analysis here examines the interaction within doctrinal structures of the dichotomy between legal consent and legal coercion, and of the mediating concepts of normality and abnormality. Both external and internal factors buttress the international law of prohibition as a basis for the expansion of state authority and of the authoritativeness of international law. Third, the study refines the historical context mentioned above to look at the international law against sex trafficking in particular. In the last great era of unregulated economic expansionism, the turn of the 19th century, concerns similar to anti-trafficking were in wide circulation, but expressed under the rubric of "white slavery." The earlier law, and the discourse surrounding it, exhibited some of the same features as the contemporary law. Finally, this study suggests that, whatever the moralistic or misguided features of prohibitionism, its rise may also prefigure a transition to broader market regulation. Prohibitionism is deeply implicated in a laisser-faire approach to law; it is the mirror image of, but also the continuation of, the vast apparatus necessary to maintain a market-oriented regulatory posture. It provides a vocabulary - mediated by constructs of 'abnormality,' or 'extraordinary' cases - to enable the discussion of market controls in an ideological environment in which such discussion might otherwise be discouraged. Even as it supports the market, however, prohibitionism is also associated with a set of concerns about the market's potentially harmful effects. Under the ideological constraints of laisser-fair-ism, concerns relating to the abuses of the deregulated market may tend to focus on extraordinary cases. Such concerns, however, though first expressed about "abnormal" contracts (such as those related to the trafficking of persons), may turn out slowly to gain sufficient currency to apply to "ordinary," "normal" contracts. As legal subjects, women seem to have provided the template for this discursive transformation in both historical eras (consider that the West Coast Hotel case that ended the Lochner era addressed the social need to protect women in the workplace). If the study's suggestions are accurate, then, prohibitionism may signal a change from the view that market regulation must be exceptional to an understanding of its pervasive importance. Details: Ithaca, NY: Cornell Law School, 2014. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Cornell Legal Studies Research Paper No. 13-85 : Accessed August 25, 2014 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2274095 Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2274095 Shelf Number: 133134 Keywords: Criminal LawFeminist Legal TheoryHuman traffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
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: Niemi, Johanna Title: Abuse of a victim of sex trade. Evaluation of the Finnish sex purchase ban Summary: The report explores the effectiveness of the offence 'abuse of a victim of sex trade', (Criminal Code, chapter 20 section 8). Enacted in 2006, this provision prohibits the purchasing of sex from a victim of human trafficking or procuring. It is complemented by section 7 of the Public Order Act, which prohibits the purchasing and the offering for sale and selling of sex in a public place. The report also explores the situation in the UK and Sweden. Sweden has had a comprehensive sex purchase ban in place since 1999. Information on the situation in Sweden is available in a report published in 2010 and the annual reports of the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings. The relevant legislation in the UK as reformed in 2009 closely resembles the Finnish corresponding legislation. Because no study of the effectiveness of the British legislation has yet been conducted, interviews were conducted to gain a better picture. The situation in Finland was explored through statistics and register data, interviews with 18 experts and a review of court documents. Statistics show that between 2006 and 2013, a total of 379 cases of 'abuse of a victim of sex trade' were registered by the police. Charges were brought against 49 persons and tried. The district courts have sentenced 42 persons for 'abuse of a victim of sex trade' or an attempt thereof. The default fine has been established at 20 day-fines. Fines for purchasing and selling sex, pursuant to the Public Order Act, were imposed in 106 cases between 2003 and 2011. Most of these fines were imposed on the sellers. Investigating and proving 'abuse of a victim of sex trade' has turned out to be challenging. The report concludes with recommendations. Details: Helsinki: Finland Ministry of Justice, 2014. 137p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2014 at: http://oikeusministerio.fi/material/attachments/om/julkaisut/FMVCU3esJ/OMSO_13_2014_Sex_136_s_korjattu.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Finland URL: http://oikeusministerio.fi/material/attachments/om/julkaisut/FMVCU3esJ/OMSO_13_2014_Sex_136_s_korjattu.pdf Shelf Number: 133740 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutesProstitutionSex TradeSex TraffickingSex Workers (Finland)Sexual ViolenceVictims of Crimes |
Author: Canadian Women's Foundation Title: Summary: The Task Force was mandated to investigate the nature and extent of sex trafficking and recommend a national anti-trafficking strategy to the Canadian Women's Foundation's Board of Directors. This strategy would address service needs and gaps, public awareness and prevention strategies, legal and law enforcement issues, sector capacity building and training, government policy and funding, and philanthropic strategies. Over the following 18 months, the Task Force gathered for eight two-day meetings, with additional phone meetings and research between meetings. During these meetings we heard from over 20 Canadian and international experts, practitioners and advocates, undertook and reviewed environmental scans as well as other research prepared by Canadian Women's Foundation staff. For example: - We commissioned three research papers: - An Assessment of Sex Trafficking in Canada, by Nicole Barrett, J.D., M.I.A., B.A., Director of Global Justice Associates and a Senior Scholar in Residence at New York University Law School's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice. - Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Aboriginal Women and Girls: Literature Review by the Native Women's Association of Canada. - Laws to Combat Sex Trafficking: An overview of international, national, provincial and municipal laws and their enforcement by Nicole Barrett and Dr. Margaret Shaw, Crime and Policy Consulting. - Met with 160 experiential women and over 260 organizations in Vancouver and Surrey, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, Montreal, Halifax, and North Preston. - Conducted an on-line survey of agencies serving trafficked and sexually exploited women and girls - the first of its kind in Canada. The survey tool was reviewed by four independent researchers before it was sent to 1700 agencies. A total of 534 organizations responded. - Brought together 46 of Canada's leading providers of services for trafficked women and girls to a Service Provider Roundtable. The findings were compiled in the report, "We are at a critical moment." - Convened 20 women who had been trafficked into and within Canada to a National Experiential Women's Roundtable. The findings were compiled in the report, "We need to find our voices and say, "NO MORE." This report summarizes the Task Force's findings Our research led the Task Force to a shared conviction that sex trafficking is a serious threat to women's equality - one that must be addressed by the Canadian Women's Foundation and all Canadians. In the following pages, we present the case for ending sex trafficking of women and girls in Canada and our recommendations for action. This case is based on our understanding of the state of sex trafficking in Canada, informed by our research, the advice of those working in the field, and in particular, by the voices of women who have been sex-trafficked and sexually exploited. Details: Toronto: Canadian Women's Foundation, 2014. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files//NO%20MORE.%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Canada URL: http://canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files//NO%20MORE.%20Task%20Force%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 133877 Keywords: Human Trafficking (Canada)Sex TraffickingSex WorkSexual Exploitation |
Author: Barrett, Nicole A. Title: Laws to Combat Sex Trafficking: An Overview of International, National, Provincial and Municipal Laws and their Enforcement Summary: This report examines current legislation, regulations and law enforcement issues relating to human trafficking for sexual exploitation at four levels: the international, national, state/provincial, and municipal. The report is part of on-going research for the Task Force on the Trafficking of Women and Girls in Canada, convened by the Canadian Women's Foundation (CWF). A previous research report to the Task Force discusses the incidence of sex trafficking in Canada as well as specific issues of trafficking for sexual exploitation in Canada and the impacts on women and girls in particular. The overall purpose of the research is to analyze Canada's legal framework for addressing sex trafficking, place Canada's current legislative responses to sex trafficking at federal, provincial and municipal levels in the context of international obligations and recent developments in other countries, and to examine possible responses and innovative practices for the law and law enforcement. The report is intended to aid the Task Force in formulating its programming and policy responses to the significant problem of sexual exploitation of women and girls in Canada. The report is divided into six main sections, which look at the context in which legislation should be considered, and examines the four levels of applicable law, including a brief discussion of internet regulation as it relates to sex trafficking. The six sections include: - An introduction, providing methodology and context - International protocols and obligations relating to sex trafficking and selected examples of foreign national and state/provincial legislation on human trafficking and prostitution - Canadian Federal legislation - Canadian Provincial legislation - Canadian Municipal regulation - Regulating the internet The final section of the report summarises the main issues arising from the research for further consideration by the Task Force. Summary charts on current international, Canadian Provincial and Municipal responses, and an overall matrix of legislative responses to trafficking for sexual exploitation are included as Appendices to the report (Appendices I-VII). Details: Toronto: Canadian Women's Foundation, 2013. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2014 at: http://canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files//Laws%20to%20Combat%20Sex%20Trafficking_2.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://canadianwomen.org/sites/canadianwomen.org/files//Laws%20to%20Combat%20Sex%20Trafficking_2.pdf Shelf Number: 133880 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sexual ExploitationHuman TraffickingInternet CrimesLaw and LegislationProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Kelly, Jocelyn Title: Assessment of Human Trafficking in Artisanal Mining Towns in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo Summary: Human trafficking is a fundamental violation of human rights. In conflict and post-conflict situations, people may be more vulnerable to trafficking due to high levels of exploitation and violence, weak civilian protection mechanisms, displacement, and a breakdown in social cohesion. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been embroiled in violence since 1996, when violence from the Rwandan genocide sparked conflict across the border in the eastern provinces of Congo. Dozens of armed groups with shifting allegiances, motivations, and identities have preyed upon civilian communities, perpetrating a wide array of human rights abuses. Over the decades of violence, millions of civilians have died, making Congolese conflict the deadliest since World War II. In recent years, the artisanal mining sector in eastern Congo has gained a great deal of international attention for the role it has played in fueling the conflict by providing rebel groups with a source of income. Recognition of this dynamic has raised concerns that these mining communities are also home to some of the worst human rights abuses as different powerful actors vie for control of these profitable areas. Hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions1 of artisanal miners and their families rely on mining for their livelihood. Driven by extreme poverty with limited economic alternatives, these miners accept extreme working conditions. The environment is further complicated by poor governance, poor regulatory oversight, and widespread corruption; conditions that are conducive to labor and sexual trafficking. The United Nations and a number of advocacy groups have described different forms human trafficking in these areas. The 2014 State Department Trafficking in Persons Report calls particular attention to trafficking in persons in the artisanal mining sector. Despite this recognition, systematic quantitative evidence about the type and scale of human trafficking in Congolese mines is lacking. This project attempts to provide an empirically-based understanding of the nature and scale of labor and sex trafficking of men, women and children in artisanal mining sites in South Kivu and North Katanga. It then aims to use this information to identify recommendations for the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) programmatic interventions. Fundamental to the understanding of the scope of human trafficking in this context is clearly defining who a trafficked person is. Broad categories of human trafficking include: forced labor; debt bondage; sex trafficking; forced child labor and child sex trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) defines the most severe forms of human trafficking as: - Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or - The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Systematic empirical evidence about the type and scale of human trafficking in DRC mines is lacking. Many of the assertions cited by domestic and international groups are based on anecdotal evidence that seek out specific instances of trafficking in persons (TIP). Despite the important body of work aimed at documenting the issues of trafficking in the artisanal mining sector, the established narrative is undermined by the absence of data on the prevalence, patterns, and causes of trafficking. It is therefore difficult to identify which types of interventions are most needed, and what the most pivotal points of entry are for programming to combat TIP. This assessment therefore seeks to fulfill the need for an empirical inquiry using quantitative research methods. The objectives of this work are to: 1) provide an empirically-based understanding of the nature and scale of labor and sex trafficking of men, women and children in eastern DRC mining communities; 2) identify recommendations for USAID programmatic interventions; and 3) recommend evaluation activities and research questions related to the recommended programmatic interventions. This initial version of the assessment addresses the first point and aims to serve as a basis for further discussion about recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: United States Agency for International Development, 2014. 131p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2015 at: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00K5R1.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Congo, Democratic Republic URL: http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00K5R1.pdf Shelf Number: 134565 Keywords: Child LaborChild Sex TraffickingForced LaborHuman Trafficking (Democratic Republic of the CongMining CommunitiesSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
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 |
Author: Finklea, Kristin Title: Sex Trafficking of Children in the United States: Overview and Issues for Congress Summary: The trafficking of individuals within U.S borders is commonly referred to as domestic human trafficking, and it occurs in every state of the nation. One form of domestic human trafficking is sex trafficking. Research indicates that most victims of sex trafficking into and within the United States are women and children, and the victims include U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike. Recently, Congress has focused attention on domestic sex trafficking, including the prostitution of children, which is the focus of this report. Federal law does not define sex trafficking per se. However, the term "severe forms of trafficking in persons," as defined in the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA, P.L. 106-386) encompasses sex trafficking. "Severe forms of trafficking in persons" refers, in part, to "[s]ex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age.... " Experts generally agree that the trafficking term applies to minors whether the child's actions were forced or appear to be voluntary. The exact number of child victims of sex trafficking in the United States is unknown because comprehensive research and scientific data are lacking. Sex trafficking of children appears to be fueled by a variety of environmental and situational variables ranging from poverty or the use of prostitution by runaway and "thrown-away" children to provide for their subsistence needs to the recruitment of children by organized crime units for prostitution. The TVPA has been the primary vehicle authorizing services to victims of trafficking. Several agencies have programs or administer grants to other entities to provide specific services to trafficking victims. Despite language that authorizes services for citizen, lawful permanent resident, and noncitizen victims, appropriations for trafficking victims' services have primarily been used to serve noncitizen victims. U.S. citizen victims are also eligible for certain crime victim benefits and public benefit entitlement programs, though these services are not tailored to trafficking victims. Of note, specialized services and support for minor victims of sex trafficking are limited. Organizations specializing in support for these victims may have fewer beds than might be needed to serve all victims. Other facilities, such as runaway and homeless youth shelters and foster care homes, may not be able to adequately meet the needs of victims or keep them from pimps/traffickers and other abusers. In addition, it has been suggested that minor victims of sex trafficking-while too young to consent to sexual activity with adults-may at times be labeled as prostitutes or juvenile delinquents and treated as criminals rather than being identified and treated as trafficking victims. These children who are arrested may be placed in juvenile detention facilities instead of environments where they can receive needed social and protective services. Finally, experts widely agree that any efforts to reduce the prevalence of child sex trafficking - as well as other forms of trafficking-should address not only the supply, but also the demand. Congress may consider demand reduction strategies such as increasing public awareness and prevention as well as bolstering investigations and prosecutions of those who buy illegal commercial sex ("johns"). In addition, policy makers may deliberate enhancing services for victims of trafficking. The most recent reauthorization of the TVPA, in March 2013, reauthorized some existing provisions, created a new grant program to combat child sex trafficking, and authorized appropriations through FY2017. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2015. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: CRS Report No. R41878: Accessed February 19, 2015 at: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41878.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41878.pdf Shelf Number: 134660 Keywords: Child Prostitution (U.S.)Child Sex TraffickingChild Trafficking (U.S.)Human TraffickingJuvenile RunawaysSex Trafficking |
Author: Murphy, Laura T. Title: Trafficking and Exploitative Labor among Homeless Youth in New Orleans Summary: According to the Global Slavery Index, about 60,000 people are currently suffering under conditions of forced labor in the United States. But more detailed and systematic data are needed - especially about U.S. cities said to be "hubs for human trafficking." In Louisiana, official data are starting to be collected after a law was passed in 2014. Meanwhile, as part of a larger national effort, we have undertaken a study of trafficking among homeless youth in New Orleans. Located at the edge of the French Quarter, Covenant House New Orleans provides shelter and services to homeless, runaway, and at-risk youth ages 16 to 22, and to their children. In a replication and extension of a previous Covenant House study in New York, we interviewed 99 New Orleans clients, asking about various kinds of victimization and probing to see if their work experiences met federal legal criteria for sex trafficking, in which "a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud or coercion" or the person is under 18 years old; or for forced labor, defined as "the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery." Overall, our study revealed that 14% of respondents were identified as victims of some form of legally defined trafficking, with eleven who said they were trafficked for sex, five who reported being subject to other kinds of forced labor, and two reporting both kinds of exploitation. Covenant House New Orleans cares for about 615 youth aged 16 to 23 over the course of a year, and our results indicate that about 85 residents per year are likely to have been trafficking victims as currently legally defined. More broadly, almost a third of our respondents reported having been approached by strangers on the street to trade sex or to engage in other illegal or informal work. Most assumed they were being offered an opportunity to work in the sex trade. Recruitment into the drug trade happened very young, with one respondent starting at age nine and others in their teenage years. Our study also revealed that homeless youth are vulnerable to other kinds of exploitation - such as dangerous work conditions or wage theft. Experiences of Trafficking - Primarily for Sex We uncovered only five legally defined labor trafficking cases, and four of them were youth forced into drug dealing. Only one person reported being brought into factory labor via fraud in Mexico. Forced sexual labor was the main form of trafficking experienced by victims in our study, reported by eight females and three males. Three victims identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. - Of the 11 people who were trafficked for sex, seven are considered trafficking victims by law because they were selling sex under age 18 either voluntarily or through force, and three of those seven continued to be coerced by pimps as young adults. Four older respondents reported situations of force, fraud, or coercion that compelled them to engage in sex work, so they too would be considered trafficked regardless of their age. Two young men who reported engaging in sex work as children indicated that they had not experienced any compulsion to participate. Sexual Labor and Sex for Survival One fourth of our respondents had been involved in sexual labor of some form. Thirteen respondents had worked as commercial sex workers, ten had worked in the sex industry as exotic dancers, and two had worked in the French Quarter as "shot girls" who use sexual flirtation to entice customers to buy drinks. - One third of all the young women we interviewed and almost a fifth of the men had engaged in sexual labor of some kind. In a typical year, therefore, Covenant House serves about 154 residents likely to have engaged in this kind of labor. - Fifteen respondents had engaged in "survival sex," performing a sex act in exchange for food, housing, or some other basic necessity they believed they had no other way to obtain. - Because there has been significant attention to survival sex prevalence among transgender youth, we analyzed that data and found that there were no clear cases of trafficking among the three transgender respondents. One reported resorting to survival sex on occasion for survival purposes. All three transgender respondents had experienced both sexual and physical abuse. Lessons and Policy Implications - Covenant House and similar shelters should increase beds and space for homeless youth, especially those involved in the sex trade. In cooperation with other providers, shelters should do more to help victims of sex trafficking, including young men as well as women. - Private and public agencies should improve work opportunities and training for young adults. - Currently, young adults "age out" of many legal protections and eligibility for foster care. Legislators should look for ways to ensure greater continuity into young adulthood. - The legislature and local police departments should fund and require programs to help law enforcement officers identify victims of trafficking; and community activists, legal professionals, and service providers should spread information about Louisiana's new law to vacate convictions for people who turn out to be trafficking victims. - To help communities cope, more research is needed on patterns of forced drug dealing. . Details: New Orleans: Loyola University, Modern Slavery Research Project and Covenant House, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2015 at: http://www.covenanthouseno.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Trafficking-Exploitative-Labor-Homeless-Youth-New-Orleans.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.covenanthouseno.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Trafficking-Exploitative-Labor-Homeless-Youth-New-Orleans.pdf Shelf Number: 135545 Keywords: Child LaborChild ProstitutionChild Sexual ExploitationChild Trafficking (New Orleans)Homeless YouthHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Murphy, Laura T. Title: The Louisiana Human Trafficking Report Summary: A first-ever report on human trafficking in the New Orleans metro area released March 21 by Loyola University New Orleans sheds light on the problem, highlighting indicators that suggest sex trafficking and forced labor are significant concerns for the area. While New Orleans has rapidly increased its legal, law enforcement and service provider capacity to address human trafficking in the last five years, obstacles stand in the way of effectively assisting victims, according to the report. The Modern Slavery Research Project at Loyola, with the support of the New Orleans Human Trafficking Work Group, released "The Louisiana Human Trafficking Report," authored by Loyola professor Laura Murphy, Ph.D., who leads the research project and the work group, and alumnus Brian Ea. For nine months, Murphy and other researchers turned to survivors, service providers, social workers, journalists, law enforcement, and local and state officials to uncover the pressing issues of human trafficking in the last 10 years, including the area's preponderance of sexual entertainment services, barriers for victims to report the crimes, high rates of poverty and youth homelessness. In the first six months of 2013 alone, a hotline run by the National Human Trafficking Resource Center received 227 reports from Louisiana, approximately the same number received in all of 2012. Among the likely human trafficking cases gleaned from those hotline calls, at least half involved minors. Sixty-eight percent were sex trafficking related, while at least 16 percent were cases of labor trafficking. But those statistics only uncover the tip of the iceberg, according to Murphy. Those statistics capture only a fraction of the cases - only those cases identified by a citizen and then reported to law enforcement or through other official channels such as the hotline. "Understanding human trafficking in the United States is incredibly difficult because exploited laborers tend to be a hidden population. The Modern Slavery Research project is dedicated to producing thoughtful, data-driven, community-based research that can better inform our community's approach to this issue," she said. "This report is only the beginning of the research we need to do to uncover the prevalence and scope of trafficking in Louisiana." Murphy, on a mission to help combat human trafficking in the Crescent City, hopes that the report will be used as ammunition to fuel ongoing efforts to address both sex and labor trafficking. In that realm, the report points to several recommendations that aim to improve awareness and response to trafficking, including: -Establish a dedicated human trafficking legal court in New Orleans; - Vacate criminal records for all crimes committed by adults that are determined to be a result of labor or sex trafficking victimization; -Pursue appropriate cases as human trafficking instead of the Fair Labor Standards Act or, in the cases of sex trafficking, pandering or inciting prostitution; -Focus on arrest of traffickers instead of sex workers; -Increase training to health care professionals on identifying victims of trafficking; -Expand access to self-esteem, harm-reduction and anti-trafficking curricula for youth; and -Create a high school anti-human trafficking curriculum with sustainable dissemination model. Details: New Orleans: Loyola University New Orleans, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2015 at: http://admin.loyno.edu/webteam/userfiles/file/LA%20HT%20Report%20final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5887a2a61b631bfbbc1ad83a/t/59498f8b5016e1fb9956b1e7/1497993139659/LouisianaHT.pdf Shelf Number: 135631 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Polaris Project Title: Sex Trafficking in the U.S.: A Closer Look at U.S. Citizen Victims Summary: Sex Trafficking in the U.S.: A Closer Look at U.S. Citizen Victims provides crucial insight into the realities of sex trafficking in the U.S. based largely on experiences reported by U.S. citizen survivors. The issue brief highlights key aspects of the U.S. sex trafficking industry, including how U.S. citizen victims are recruited and controlled, the relationships between victims and traffickers, common venues where sex trafficking occurs, and survivors' level of access to opportunities for assistance. The brief, based on information reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline and Polaris's BeFree Textline in 2014, illustrates the variety of situations that victims face in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the country. The information contained in the brief is based on data collected from 1,611 sex trafficking cases reported to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) hotline and the BeFree Textline in 2014 involving U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents, as well as a deeper analysis of 292 survivor accounts who directly contacted the NHTRC or BeFree. This information was supplemented with data from 141 U.S. citizen sex trafficking survivors who received direct services from Polaris between 2011 and 2014. By amplifying the voices of these survivors, we are taking steps to better understand the variety of ways traffickers operate and the comprehensive services victims require to rebuild their lives. Details: Washington, DC: Polaris Project, 2015. 10p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 29, 2015 at: http://www.polarisproject.org/storage/us-citizen-sex-trafficking.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.polarisproject.org/storage/us-citizen-sex-trafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 135798 Keywords: Human traffickingSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Stepnitz, Abigail Title: Male-ordered The mail-order bride industry and trafficking in women for sexual and labour exploitation Summary: This report explores the concept of servile marriage and the ways in which it overlaps with trafficking and violence against women and girls, especially those brought to the United Kingdom. The report reviews the social, political and economic contexts in the UK and on a global scale that have contributed to the development and proliferation of the mail-order bride (MOB) industry, the trends that can currently be observed and the ways in which the industry promotes trafficking, slavery, prostitution, pornography, exploitation of vulnerable groups and racial and ethnic stereotyping. The report examines evidence from websites and marriage brokers as well as from men who have or intend to 'purchase' a wife. Much of this evidence reflects the disconcerting levels of racialisation, links with sexual abuse of children, and the use of deceit and coercion to lure women from their homes and communities into lives of servitude in the UK. Statistical evidence is also analysed to highlight trends in ethnic representation, region and country of origin, and the issuing of fiancee/spousal visas, reported trends in prostitution, POPPY Project referrals of women trafficked for sexual and labour exploitation, abuse of migrant domestic workers and overall rates of domestic violence suffered by women in the UK. The theme of this report - the trafficking of women and girls into servile marriage through 'mail-order bride' channels - is yet another frontier in the global struggle against contemporary slavery and the multiple ways in which women and girls are exploited. Trafficking is a primary example of the connection between poverty, development, migration, violence against women and sexual or labour exploitation. A servile marriage will be understood here to be any situation wherein a woman is in a marriage that is either legally binding or sanctioned by her community in such a way that she has no reasonable possibility of asserting that the marriage is invalid; and wherein the woman is held in domestic and/or sexual servitude that defines her role as a wife. Details: London: The POPPY Project, Eaves Housing for Women, 2009. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://i1.cmsfiles.com/eaves/2012/04/Male-ordered-bedd8d.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://i1.cmsfiles.com/eaves/2012/04/Male-ordered-bedd8d.pdf Shelf Number: 135876 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingMail-Order BridesMarriageSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Doyle, Charles Title: Sex Trafficking: An Overview of Federal Criminal Law Summary: Sex trafficking is a state crime. Federal law, however, makes it a federal crime to conduct the activities of a sex trafficking enterprise in a way that affects interstate or foreign commerce or that involves travel in interstate or foreign commerce. Section 1591 of Title 18 of the United States Code outlaws sex trafficking activities that affect interstate or foreign commerce. The Mann Act outlaws sex trafficking activities that involve travel in interstate or foreign commerce. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 (Victims Justice Act; P.L. 114-22/S. 178) amended both 1591 and the Mann Act. Section 1591 now provides in part the following: "Whoever knowingly in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, advertises, maintains, patronizes, or solicits by any means a person; knowing, or in reckless disregard of the fact, that means of force, threats of force, fraud, coercion ... , or any combination of such means will be used to cause the person to engage in a commercial sex act, or that the person has not attained the age of 18 years and will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act," shall be imprisoned not less than 15 years (not less than 10 years, if the victim is 14 years of age or older and the offender is less than 18 years of age). The Mann Act outlaws prostitution and unlawful sexual activities that involve interstate or foreign travel. It consists of three principal substantive sections. Section 2421 proscribes the interstate or foreign transportation of someone for purposes of prostitution or unlawful sexual activity; misconduct which is punishable by imprisonment for not more than 10 years. Section 2422 condemns coercing or enticing another person to travel in interstate or foreign commerce to engage in prostitution or unlawful sexual activity, or using interstate communications to coerce or entice a child to engage in such conduct. The communications offense is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 10 years; the travel offense by imprisonment for not more than 20 years. Section 2423 outlaws four distinct offenses: (1) 2423(a)-transportation of a child in interstate or foreign commerce for purposes of prostitution or unlawful sexual purposes; (2) 2423(b)-interstate or foreign travel for purposes of unlawful sexual abuse of a child; (3) 2423(c)-foreign travel and subsequent unlawful sexual abuse of a child; and (4) 2423(d)- arranging, for profit, the travel outlawed in any of these offenses. The first is punishable by imprisonment for not less than 10 years, each of the others by imprisonment for not more than 30 years. An offender also faces the prospect of a fine of not more than $250,000 (not more than $500,000 for an organization); unless indigent, to a special assessment of $5,000; a term of supervised release of not less than five years; an order to pay the victim restitution; and the confiscation of any property derived from, or used to facilitate commission of, any of the offenses. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Office, 2015. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: CRS R43597: Accessed July 9, 2015 at: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43597.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43597.pdf Shelf Number: 135988 Keywords: ProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Boff, Andrew Title: Silence on Violence: Improving the Safety of Women. The policing of off-streete sex work and sex trafficking in London Summary: All evidence available demonstrates that female sex workers1 are at a far higher risk of violence than any other group of women. Active sex workers were almost 18 times more likely to be murdered than women of similar age and race in one study on the mortality rates among sex workers. The reasons for female sex workers' vulnerability are complex and manifold; but a belief by the perpetrators that their attacks and even murders will be underreported to police by prostitutes or their colleagues and families plays an important role. There is an extensive and morally equivocal debate about the rights and wrongs behind selling sexual services, reflecting different standpoints on exploitation, markets, inequality, gender roles, morality, freedom of choice, and safety. Highly personal attitudes towards sex work from all sides have made discussions and policy in this area very difficult to formulate and, as such, areas of potentially significant concern within sex work have often been overlooked. This report leaves aside, as far as possible, the debate described above, and focuses on one crucial area within sex work - the safety of the women involved. The report aims to look into two overarching areas related to women's safety within the sex industry: the policing of sex trafficking, and within that policing for the Olympics; and the general policing of sex workers. It also aims to focus on off street prostitution. This is for several reasons including the fact that evidence shows that street prostitution very rarely, if at all, involves trafficked women. Details: London: GLA Conservatives, 2012. 67p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2015 at: http://glaconservatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/Report-on-the-Safety-of-Sex-Workers-Silence-on-Violence.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://glaconservatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/03/Report-on-the-Safety-of-Sex-Workers-Silence-on-Violence.pdf Shelf Number: 136283 Keywords: .ProstitutesProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Mulvihill, Natasha Title: An Evaluation of the GDVSAP Trafficking and Grooming Project, Gloucester, UK Summary: This report was commissioned by Gloucestershire Domestic Violence Support and Advocacy Project (GDVSAP) in Gloucestershire to evaluate the Trafficking and Grooming (T&G) project established in 2011 and funded for three years by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. Researchers at the University of Bristol Centre for Gender and Violence Research considered: - how effective the project has been at what it actually delivered; - what learning the project offers in terms of both frontline practice with victims of grooming and/or trafficking and the wider strategic and/or policy response in Gloucestershire, and beyond. The report is structured around three sets of outcomes data: - Telephone interviews with selected practitioners in the county who have worked with the T&G project and/or are working with young people (including views of the project, its organisation, effectiveness and aims; the nature of multiagency working; and the perception of trafficking and grooming as an issue in Gloucestershire) (n=12) - The individual victim casework files (n=64) - Evaluation sheets completed by attendees at CSE training delivered by the T&G project (n= 174) Conceived originally to meet the needs of trafficked women (particularly those without recourse to public funds) and support young women being groomed in to prostitution, the T&G project evolved to focus particularly on young girls at risk of, or experiencing, sexual exploitation broadly (90% of recorded cases) and has worked with only a handful of trafficking victims (around 6% of recorded cases). Of the 64 individuals that the project has supported over the funded period, half engaged positively and two thirds of this group appeared to have a reduced CSE risk after the project's intervention. A key achievement of the project is that it has provided a service to those at risk and in need who might otherwise slip through the statutory net (adult women, for example) or who need intensive work over a period (such as the young people at risk of CSE/grooming). This has been particularly important during a period of budget cuts to statutory services. The client base is very diverse and this has required negotiating and maintaining a profile working across three different strategic remits, which is extremely resource-intensive. A county-wide 'anti-sexual exploitation' strategy which recognises the links between risk of CSE, prostitution, and trafficking, could bring together this work more coherently. Despite losing the domestic violence tender, GDVSAP maintains a strong reputation locally and the T&G coordinator has worked hard to sustain its wider remit. As such, there has been an attempt to maintain the positioning of the T&G project in the wider context of gender, power, domestic and sexual violence and coercion. The majority of the interview respondents said that the project's work with young people at risk of CSE, its specialist knowledge and BME expertise, were vital and there is concern about future funding for the service. Details: Bristol, UK: Centre for Gender and Violence Research, University of Bristol, 2014. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 3, 2015 at: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/media/GDVSAP_evaluation_report_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/sps/media/GDVSAP_evaluation_report_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 136302 Keywords: Child Sexual ExploitationForced LaborHuman TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Liberty Asia Title: From every angle: Using the law to combat human trafficking in Southeast Asia Summary: Modern-day slavery takes many forms: human trafficking, forced and bonded labour, sexual exploitation and domestic servitude. The common denominator of all these crimes is the evil intention to strip human beings of their freedom, and then to use, control, abuse and exploit them. Although often hidden, these odious crimes are all too common on fishing boats in Thailand, brothels in Cambodia, behind the closed doors of homes in Hong Kong, or in hotels in Western countries. As part of the wider efforts to combat these hateful crimes, the Thomson Reuters Foundation has teamed up with Liberty Asia and a number of leading law firms, to produce 'From every angle: Using the law to combat human trafficking in Southeast Asia'. Fighting human trafficking through our global pro bono programme TrustLaw is a core focus of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The report looks at the laws that apply in a range of scenarios: a woman is promised employment as a domestic worker, but receives abuse instead of her pay; a boy moves for a construction job, but is held against his will and denied fair wages; a woman moves country for a job, only to be forced to work in a brothel. While all these scenarios involve trafficking, it is not just trafficking laws that apply. We hope the report will highlight the range of offences that can occur in a trafficking situation, such as assault, sexual violence, employment and immigration law breaches, to enable more prosecutions and combat the culture of impunity for the traffickers and the offenders, whoever they are. The report focuses on seven countries in Southeast Asia. However, trafficking is a global issue. TrustLaw connects lawyers in over 170 countries with NGOs, like Liberty Asia, to provide free legal assistance on pressing global issues or to support their legal needs. Modern day slavery is a big part of our Trust Women Conference - a fast-growing movement to put the rule of law behind women's rights and trigger concrete action. Details: London: Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2014. 269p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2015 at: http://lawyer-vietnam.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/From-every-angle.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Asia URL: http://lawyer-vietnam.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/From-every-angle.pdf Shelf Number: 134306 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingModern Day SlaveryProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Massachusetts Interagency Human Trafficking Policy Task Force Title: Findings and Recommendations Summary: It is estimated that across the United States nearly 300,000 children are trafficked for sex every year. The U.S. Justice Department has identified the average age of entry into prostitution is 13.7 These cases involve tremendous violence, are complex and expensive to prosecute. Victims are brutalized in the worst ways imaginable. In Massachusetts, there is currently no systematic way to quantify the problem much less identify and meet the needs of victims. Trafficking victims are individuals lured into this country and Massachusetts with false promises of legitimate work, only often to be forced into the sex or labor industry upon arrival. They are also domestic and Massachusetts born runaways being taken in by traffickers and forced to trade sex for a place to sleep, or girls being baited into "the life" by a presumed boyfriend who later reveals himself as a pimp. Much like a victim of domestic violence, human trafficking victims are trapped by fear, isolation, and brutality at the hands of their traffickers. The Task Force recognizes that frequently one victim is subjected to both sex and labor trafficking. However, because these two types of trafficking are often addressed differently, a separate and in-depth discussion of each is provided below to best understand their specific aspects. Sex Trafficking Sex trafficking of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals occurs across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For example, in 2011, The E.V.A. Center, a Boston-based program that works with adult women involved in the sex trade, reported that the program served 225 adult women since the program began in 2006.8 Of these women, 20 were identified as foreign nationals and 145 were between the ages of 17 and 25. The E.V.A. Center reports that over half of the women were court involved with an over half of the women were court involved with an over representation of young women aging out of government systems, such as the custody of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families ("DCF") and the Department of Youth Services ("DYS"). The majority of women were referred at a point of crisis, largely from law enforcement ("LE"), community clinics, hospitals, the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, the Probation Department, and SafeLink, the Massachusetts domestic violence hotline. Similarly, the commercial sexual exploitation of youth occurs across the Commonwealth. Although state-wide statistics are not available, in a 2012 report the Children's Advocacy Center ("CAC") of Suffolk County noted that, "[i]n recent years, hundreds of girls in the Boston area have been drawn into 'the life' of commercial sexual exploitation; countless others remain at risk." The report documented more than 480 child victims of sexual exploitation received services in Suffolk County between 2005 and 2012. Of these children, 98% were girls, and 65% of the girls were girls of color. Moreover, the majority were runaways and/or victims of child abuse. The CAC report also acknowledges that "[b]oys and transgendered youth are also involved in commercial sexual exploitation of children ("CSEC"), but less visible." There is a lack of understanding of the nature and extent of trafficking of men and boys. Furthermore, there is a dearth of information regarding children being trafficked in other regions of the Commonwealth, and the identification of child victims outside of Boston remains a challenge. There is also a connection between homelessness and trafficking in Massachusetts, irrespective of age. According to a 2005 report from the Massachusetts Department of Education ("DOE"), approximately 12,000 Massachusetts high school students are homeless with 5,000 unaccompanied or without a guardian. Of these youth, 47% experienced mental illness, 21% of homeless youth have substance abuse issues (compared to 2% of housed youth), and 20% of youth are involved in the criminal justice system. According to Steven Procopio, staff member at Boston GLASS Surviving Our Struggle and subcommittee member, homeless men and boys are more vulnerable to become commercially exploited. Procopio reports that sexually exploited youth are often former runaways due to family violence, sexual abuse, and sexual identity issues. Many turn to the sex industry as a survival mechanism to obtain food or shelter. Survivors report high rates of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases, and they are often exploited sexually by men and/or women with economic means. Labor Trafficking Labor trafficking takes a variety of forms in Massachusetts, including forced labor, domestic servitude, or debt bondage in workplaces such as restaurants, bars, nail salons, and factories. Throughout Massachusetts, many individuals work in industries where they are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, and this is compounded by fact that many of these industries function in the underground economy. In 2011, Governor Deval Patrick recognized the hazards of these jobs, noting that the underground economy "exploits vulnerable workers and deprives them of legal benefits and protections." While trafficking involves both U.S. citizen and foreign nationals, undocumented workers are often particularly vulnerable to abuse due to their lack of immigration status and fear of deportation. According to a 2012 study by The Immigrant Learning Center, large industries in Massachusetts thrive off of immigrant workers, including accommodations and food services (10.5%), health care and social assistance (15.6%), manufacturing (13.6%), and retail (9.6%).17 Furthermore, the report states, "immigrants are much more highly concentrated in occupations that require little education such as building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (3.13%), production (2.24%), health care support (1.74%), food preparation and serving (1.67%) and farming, fishing, and forestry (1.43%)" - industries where workers are more prone to abuse and exploitation. While labor statistics are not available, Lutheran Social Services of New England, an organization that provides case management and legal services to labor trafficking survivors, confirmed recent cases of labor trafficking in Massachusetts. Cases included: - Workers living in restaurants and subject to poor working conditions and nonpayment of wages; - Domestic workers from Brazil, Bolivia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, employed to provide housekeeping or child care services; - Dancers in strip clubs throughout Massachusetts; - Employees of diplomats brought to the United States to work; - Women working in massage parlors or apartments providing sexual and massage services (mixed sex/labor cases); - Factories employing workers using threats of deportation and poor working conditions; - Agricultural and seasonal workers; - H-2B workers employed by companies providing substandard working conditions and housing to workers; - Women lured by promises to marry or of romance who are then coerced to work; and - Children coerced to beg for money on the street. Workers in certain sectors were more prone to abuse. For example, temporary workers in Massachusetts have been particularly vulnerable to exploitation. According to a 2011 report by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, more than 941 temporary agencies employed 65,720 workers each day, working in industries such as construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and landscaping. Mirna Montano, Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health ("MassCOSH") Worker Center organizer, reports "We had so many frustrated and upset workers coming to us for help with unpaid wages, injuries, illegal fees," and "bad employers [knew] that they could get away with leaving workers in the dark regarding almost everything: pay rate, who was covering workers' compensation insurance, [and] how much transportation would cost." In July 2012, the Massachusetts legislature passed a statute aimed at extending greater protection to temporary workers. However, little is yet known about the legislation's impact on exploitation and trafficking. Details: Boston: The Task Force, 2013. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/ihttf/ihttf-findings.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.mass.gov/ago/docs/ihttf/ihttf-findings.pdf Shelf Number: 136647 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationDebt BondageForced LaborHuman TraffickingProstitutionRunawaysSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Title: ICE and USCIS Could Improve Data Quality and Exchange to Help Identify Potential Human Trafficking Cases Summary: Although January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the month kicked off with a startling report revealing that human traffickers are exploiting the US visa process to smuggle victims into the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) data from 2005 to 2014 indicates that work and fiance visas were the predominant means by which more than half of the human traffickers known to federal law enforcement legally smuggled victims into the United States, according to an audit by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (IG). The IG also determined that 274 subjects of ICE human trafficking investigations successfully petitioned USCIS to bring 425 family members and fiances into the United States. ICE could not say exactly how many visa petitioners were human traffickers; however, 18 of the 274 had been arrested for trafficking-related crimes, including sex trafficking, labor trafficking, peonage, and involuntary servitude. The IG's report explained that fiance visas are used to lure human trafficking victims to the US as part of marriage fraud schemes. The traffickers confiscate the victims' passports and often subject them to psychological and physical abuse, such as forced sex and/or forced labor. The auditors determined that ICE and USCIS could improve data quality to better identify instances of human trafficking. Lack of communication between ICE and USCIS also created vulnerabilities in the visa process. "ICE had to extensively manipulate its system to provide us with reasonably reliable data for our data matching and analysis," the report stated. "USCIS did not always collect names and other identifiers of human traffickers that victims had provided in their T visa applications. Due to incomplete data, we were limited in our ability to match, analyze, and draw conclusions from the components' databases." The IG made three recommendations: Recommendation 1: Develop and implement procedures to capture the names and other identifying information on human traffickers found in victims' statements, which are submitted with T and U petitions, in USCIS information systems. Recommendation 2: Collaborate with ICE to institute a mutually acceptable procedure for transferring USCIS data on alleged human traffickers to ICE. Recommendation 3: Collaborate with USCIS to identify a mutually acceptable procedure for obtaining names and other identifying information on alleged human traffickers that is available in USCIS systems. ICE and USCIS concurred, saying they would address the IG's recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2016. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: OIG-16-17: Accessed January 25, 2016 at: https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2016/OIG-16-17-Jan16.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2016/OIG-16-17-Jan16.pdf Shelf Number: 137658 Keywords: Customs EnforcementForced LaborHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingImmigration EnforcementLabor TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Mai, Nick Title: The Psycho-Social Trajectories of Albanian and Romanian 'Traffickers' Summary: This report will summarise the results of a recent (2008) pilot research undertaken in Italy and Albania on the psycho-social profile of men involved in international sex work as agents. By drawing on original research material - 34 in depth interviews with international sex work agents from Albania and Romania - the report will analyse the socio-cultural underpinnings of their life trajectories and migratory projects, with particular reference to the way these impacted on their specific involvements in the international sex industry. The findings of the research problematise the Manichaean way in which the trafficking paradigm explains migrants' involvement in the international industry according to a polarised scenario of victims (women) and exploiters (men). They also point to the necessity for future research and social interventions to explore the socio-economic, cultural and affective underpinnings of people's modes of involvement in the international sex industry, including when a woman is managed by a man. The research evidence highlights the existence of a separation between trafficking and the involvement of migrant workers in the international sex industry. The variety of life trajectories and experiences gathered show clearly how extreme forms of exploitation and abuse are a specific and increasingly marginal outcome of the nexus between migration and the international sex industry, rather than the reality for the majority of migrants. The research findings show that there is a high degree of fluidity and ambivalence within the relations between the men and women involved. They underline individual and socio-economic aspects of vulnerability and resilience which could inform the basis for more efficient initiatives of social intervention. By engaging with the life histories of migrant men working as agents in the international sex industry, the research embeds them within wider socio-economic and cultural transformations. Selling sex abroad became relatively 'normalised' in specific sociocultural and economic settings 'at home' and emerged as a way to both challenge and reproduce existing gender and class based limitations to social mobility. The findings of the research highlight the need to engage with the individual mix of vulnerability and resilience of each migrant involved in international sex work. They also question the usefulness of profiling when understanding the diverse life experiences of people working in the international sex industry, whose life choices reflect ambivalences and contradictions which are shared with the societies of origin and of destination brought together by their migratory journeys. Details: London: Institute for the Study of European Transformation - ISET, London Metropolitan University, 2010. 56p. Source: Internet Resource; ISET Working Paper 17: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: https://metranet.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/Research/iset/Working%20Paper%20Series/WP17%20N%20Mai.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Albania URL: https://metranet.londonmet.ac.uk/fms/MRSite/Research/iset/Working%20Paper%20Series/WP17%20N%20Mai.pdf Shelf Number: 137689 Keywords: Human TraffickingImmigrantsMale Sex WorkMigrationProstitutionSex TraffickingSex Workers |
Author: Shared Hope International Title: JuST Response State System Mapping Report. A Review of Current Statutes, Systems, and Services Responses to Juvenile Sex Trafficking Summary: While there is growing recognition at the federal, state and local levels that youth caught in the commercial sex industry are victims1 of exploitation rather than willing participants in criminal activity, in the 15 years since the Trafficking Victims Protection Action (TVPA) of 2000 was enacted, the majority of state prostitution laws have remained at odds with the federal definition of a juvenile sex trafficking victim. Only recently have state agencies that regularly interact with juvenile sex trafficking victims begun to screen the youth they serve for possible commercial sexual exploitation, and even when victims are screened, staff may lack the training to accurately identify trafficking. Yet another barrier arises when victims are identified but appropriate services are not available, leaving overburdened state agencies with an impossible task of connecting a victim to services that do not exist, or the multiple individuals and agencies working with this population are left to develop protocols in silos, resulting in victims touching multiple systems with no coordinated response. These types of barriers and challenges have both negatively and positively impacted the discussion of how states should respond to juvenile sex trafficking victims. While increased understanding of the impact of trauma on juvenile victims has generated pressure to develop solutions, there is a lack of clear agreement on best practices in responding to this population, leaving states without clear guidance on how to develop a system that avoids re-traumatization while addressing the unique needs of individual victims. This lack of guidance may prompt states to avoid developing a response until best practices are identified; however, a wait-and-see approach leaves the urgent and extensive needs of this victim population unaddressed. Enacting laws intended to protect victims without a deep understanding of the implementation challenges risks undermining the purpose of those laws, or risks establishing laws that are never put into practice. On the other hand, if states allow the complexity of the issue to deter action, vulnerable youth will continue to face the trauma of exploitation and punishment through the delinquency process instead of having access to critically needed services. This tension between the complexity of this issue and the critical need for solutions has led approximately half of the states in the country to make efforts to enact laws that change their response to victims, while other states have implemented non-statutory protocols in response. The unique policy and resource landscape in each state also contributes to the great diversity in how states are responding to juvenile sex trafficking victims. Within that diversity, however, trends are emerging and the nascent development of protective responses across the country provides a unique opportunity for creativity and collaborative learning, from the local jurisdictional level to the national level. Some states have begun the process of reviewing their laws, agency protocols and service options in a collaborative manner that helps create streamlined coordinated responses to identify exploited youth and connect them to the most appropriate services that avoid re-traumatization and, through ongoing assessment and support, promote their individualized long term success. This type of response - what Shared Hope has termed a JuST (Juvenile Sex Trafficking) Response - recognizes that achieving a comprehensive protective system response in any state is a complex and long-term process, taking into account the individual policy and services landscape in each state or jurisdiction. This report discusses how several states are shaping effective responses that align with their existing policies. Ideally these examples will offer a learning experience and inspire policy makers, advocates and service providers across the nation to creativity and action. Details: Vancouver, WA: Shared Hope International, 2015. 99p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2016 at: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JuST-Response-Mapping-Report-Final-web.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/JuST-Response-Mapping-Report-Final-web.pdf Shelf Number: 0 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sexual ExploitationChild TraffickingHuman TraffickingJuvenile Sex TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Shared Hope International Title: Demanding Justice Arizona. A Field Assessment of Demand Deterrence and Enforcement and Justice for Victims Summary: Experts estimate that the crime of juvenile sex trafficking impacts thousands of youth in America each year, yet many cases remain unidentified or unreported. The commercial sex industry conforms to the basic economic principle of supply and demand - demand for sex acts with children drives traffickers to supply victims for profit. In order to effectively reduce the prevalence of child sex trafficking, the element that makes it a profitable venture for traffickers - demand - must be aggressively deterred. In 2014, Shared Hope International conducted a research project on the subject of demand for sex with minors. The study consisted of a desk review followed by quantitative research in four geographic areas, including Maricopa County in Arizona, of instances where buyers1 were identified. Using police and court records, this targeted research tracked the cases of identified buyers from arrest to prosecution and sentencing. This Field Assessment is a qualitative aspect of the project focused specifically on Arizona. It was designed to gather perspectives from a broad variety of stakeholders to assess the current attitudes, knowledge and practice toward demand deterrence, enforcement of anti-demand laws and the many aspects of justice for juvenile sex trafficking victims. A total of 78 individuals from 44 organizations participated in the research through interviews and three focus group discussions convened by Shared Hope with survivors of sex trafficking and law enforcement agents. Participants represented five stakeholder populations: non-governmental organizations and community service providers; law enforcement entities; prosecutorial entities; government entities and survivors. Concerted efforts to address child sex trafficking, and specifically demand for child victims, have been in effect for years in Arizona, making it a prime destination to conduct this Field Assessment. The research is intended to illuminate successful practices and key barriers to assist Arizona professionals in strengthening the local response to trafficking and to inform national efforts. Details: Vancouver, WA: Shared Hope International, 2015. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2016 at: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DJP_Arizona-Field-Assessment_optimized.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://sharedhope.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DJP_Arizona-Field-Assessment_optimized.pdf Shelf Number: 137825 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sexual Exploitation Child Trafficking Human Trafficking Juvenile Sex Trafficking Sex Trafficking |
Author: Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique Title: YES Project. Youth Experiences Survey: Exploring the Sex Trafficking Experiences of Arizona's Homeless and Runaway Young Adults Summary: This study investigated the prevalence of sex trafficking experiences among homeless young adults ages 18-25 years old who received services from homeless programs in Arizona during July 2014. The purpose of this study was to explore the unique experiences and challenges facing sex trafficked homeless young adults compared to non-sex trafficked homeless young adults. Surveys were completed by 246 homeless youth receiving services from young adult serving organizations in Arizona including: Tumbleweed Youth Services (Phoenix), One-n-Ten (Phoenix), and Our Family (Tucson). Findings revealed 25.6% of the participants reported a history of sex trafficking, 21.8% of the male participants and 24.5% of the female participants. LGBTQ young adults were significantly more likely to report sex trafficking experiences (33, 38.4%) than heterosexual young adults (23, 19.7%). The sex trafficked young adults were found to significantly differ from the non-sex trafficked participants with higher rates of self harm, history of suicide attempt, addictions to drugs and alcohol, history of dating violence, childhood sexual abuse, and medical and mental health problems. Implications from these findings indicate that as many as one in four homeless young adults in Arizona has experienced sexual exploitation through a commercial sex trafficking situation, with 65.1% reporting having a sex trafficker. These findings also demonstrate that sex trafficking is experienced by both male and female homeless young adults and is significantly more likely to be reported by youth who identify as LGBTQ. Details: Tempe: Arizona State University, School of Social Work, Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research, 2014. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2016 at: http://trustaz.org/downloads/rr-stir-youth-experiences-survey-report-nov-2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://trustaz.org/downloads/rr-stir-youth-experiences-survey-report-nov-2014.pdf Shelf Number: 137832 Keywords: Homeless PersonsHuman TraffickingJuvenile ProstitutionRunawaysSex TraffickingYoung Adults |
Author: Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique Title: Report on the Incidence of Sex Trafficking in Arizona's Juvenile Probation Departments Summary: The identification of minor sex trafficking victims in the United States is complicated by a number of factors including: victims being fearful of self-identifying to those who can offer assistance due to shame, stigma of being labeled a prostitute, fear of the consequences from their offender and to their offender, mistrust of the criminal justice system, as well as having limited knowledge and awareness of how their commercial sexual exploitation falls into the category and definitions of sex trafficking. Systems that serve minors in the United States including the child welfare and juvenile justice systems currently have limited capacity to identify sex trafficking victims. This limitation is due to the fact that few states are participating in the development and use of a valid screening tool and/or have not implemented flags within the system to both establish an ongoing count of sex trafficking victims and report information to those who serve the youth. The purpose of this study is to capture the rate of occurrence of sex trafficking among juveniles involved in Arizona's juvenile justice system. Also, recommendations were collected from juvenile probation officers and staff on how the Arizona juvenile probation system can best serve the sex trafficked juveniles on their caseloads. Once the incidence rate of sex trafficking victims among juveniles involved in the Arizona Juvenile Probation System (adjudicated and non-adjudicated) in Arizona was collected, recommendations for targeted services and systems changes were developed in partnership with the Arizona Administrative Office of the Court, which administers the Arizona Juvenile Probation system. Arizona's Juvenile Probation Department has around 236 juvenile probation officers and in 2015 has served an average of 3,849 juveniles per month through standard and intensive probation. Juveniles being served by Arizona's Juvenile Probation system can be living at home, group homes, foster homes, residential treatment programs, transitional housing or in a detention center. To obtain the rate or incidence of sex trafficking victims among juvenile probationers in Arizona, all juvenile probation officers were mandated to attend a sex trafficking-specific training. A total of 567 juvenile probation officers, juvenile probation supervisors, other probation staff (surveillance officers, detention officers, treatment supervisors) and community partners were provided with a three-and-a-half hour in-person sex trafficking 101 training. This training included expert trainers, researchers, survivor speakers, sex trafficking specific social service agency providers, and a review of actual cases of sex trafficking of a minor in Arizona. After the training, the attendees were surveyed about the incidence of having sex trafficked victims on their current caseloads. The intent of the survey was to establish the incidence rate of sex trafficking victims among juvenile probationers in Arizona, as well as to establish details about the sex trafficking victims. This included: the sex trafficking experience of identified victims, specifically their age when they were first sex trafficked, who is/was the sex trafficker and whether they are still being trafficked, and if they are also involved with the child welfare system, history of mental health diagnosis, substance abuse problems, family challenges, such as absent or incarcerated parents, and how the sex trafficking victimization was discovered by the juvenile probation officers. Details: Tempe: Arizona State University, School of Social Work, Office of Sex Trafficking Intervention Research, 2015. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 10, 2016 at: https://socialwork.asu.edu/sites/default/files/%5Bterm%3Aname%5D/%5Bnode%3Acreate%3Acustom%3AYm%5D/asu_juvenile_probation_study_dec15.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://socialwork.asu.edu/sites/default/files/%5Bterm%3Aname%5D/%5Bnode%3Acreate%3Acustom%3AYm%5D/asu_juvenile_probation_study_dec15.pdf Shelf Number: 137833 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationHuman TraffickingJuvenile ProbationJuvenile Probation OfficersJuvenile ProstitutionProbation Officer TrainingSex Trafficking |
Author: Finn, Kathleen Title: Responsible Resource Development and Prevention of Sex Trafficking: Safeguarding Native Women and Children on the Fort Berthold Reservation Summary: In 2010, large deposits of oil and natural gas were found in the Bakken shale formation, much of which is encompassed by the Fort Berthold Indian reservation, home to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation ("MHA Nation" or "Three Affiliated Tribes" or "the Tribe"). However, rapid oil and gas development has brought an unprecedented rise of violent crime on and near the Fort Berthold reservation. Specifically, the influx of well-paid male oil and gas workers, living in temporary housing often referred to as "man camps," has coincided with a disturbing increase in sex trafficking of Native women. The social risks of oil development on American Indian reservations like Fort Berthold are distinct from development in other areas in the United States. The complex and shifting nature of federal Indian law presents legal and practical challenges to law enforcement in civil and criminal contexts. Further, the historical exploitation of Indian lands and people informs current social and economic conditions that contribute to increased sex trafficking of Native women and children. This paper begins by describing the intersection of sex trafficking and oil and gas development on the Fort Berthold reservation. Next, the paper describes the jurisdictional regime within federal Indian law and other barriers to law enforcement that have created a situation ripe for trafficking and other crime on the Fort Berthold reservation. Third, the paper will examine strategies to address this complex issue including: corporate engagement of relevant companies; tribal capacity and coalition building; and remedies contained in the Violence Against Women Act of 2014. This paper asserts that all of the stakeholders involved in oil development on the Fort Berthold reservation - federal, state, tribal, and public and private companies - must work cooperatively to decisively eliminate sex trafficking of Native women and children Details: Boulder, CO: American Indian Law Clinic, University of Colorado at Boulder, School of Law, 2016. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2723517 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2723517 Shelf Number: 137896 Keywords: American IndiansHuman TraffickingNative AmericansNatural ResourcesSex Trafficking |
Author: Zervos, Eleni Title: The Invisible Crime: Sex Trafficking in Greece. An Analysis of the Structural Barriers and Vulnerability Victims Face in Seeking Protection Summary: Human trafficking remains one of the most pervasive and profitable organized criminal activities in the world. Generating $150 billion globally, it ranks as the third largest and fastest growing international crime, exploiting millions of people in the process. A criminal industry driven by market demands, its vast spread can be credited to its economic model as a low risk enterprise with immense financial gains. It ranges from both sexual and labor exploitation, to organ harvesting and, in some cases, forced begging and theft5. Of the 21 million people human trafficking victimizes, 11.4 million are women and girls while 9.5 million are men and boys. 33% are children7. The most common form of trafficking, accounting for 53% of all individuals trafficked, is sexual exploitation8 victimizing 4.1 million people9 with females making up an overwhelming majority of 97%. Unfortunately, given the illicit nature of these human rights violations, it is difficult to accurately assess the full scope of this crime and any data collected represents either only one portion of this large-scale issue or is based on estimates. When reviewing these statistics, it is also important to take into consideration that higher numbers of reported trafficking victims in one country do not necessarily signify higher actual numbers of victims, but might simply represent a more sophisticated means of data acquisition in that particular country. There are, however, global trends that can be identified when studying how human trafficking spreads throughout the world. While it is a crime with international reach, victims are often from impoverished countries with limited resources. Wealthier countries are generally where demand and exploitation is highest. In particular, human trafficking tends to thrive in countries where women's rights are devalued, and where women typically hold economically disadvantaged positions in comparison to their male counterparts. Trafficking is prevalent in conflict zones, both because they are intrinsically a context where the risk of exploitation is elevated, and because some members of local peacekeeping missions have been known to solicit sexual activity with trafficking victims themselves. Details: Athens: Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign policy, 2015. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 69/2015: Accessed March 4, 2016 at: http://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/69_2015_-WORKING-PAPER-_Eleni-Zervos.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Greece URL: http://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/69_2015_-WORKING-PAPER-_Eleni-Zervos.pdf Shelf Number: 138036 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingOrganized CrimeSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Cheon, Hyunjung Title: Police Estimates of Sex Trafficking: Venues, Trends, and Data Sources Summary: Over the past two decades, United States policymakers and the public have become increasingly aware of and concerned about the trafficking of persons for commercial sex. In 2000, the federal government passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). Since then, law enforcement agencies at all levels have engaged in identifying and responding to sex trafficking problems. Estimates of the prevalence of U.S. sex trafficking vary, depending on the data sources used. Most estimates of the magnitude of sex trafficking in this country are made by federal entities. Relatively little is known, however, about the sources of information actually used by local police agencies to assess and understand sex trafficking problems in their own communities. To help fill that gap, the Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety at Arizona State University, with the support of the McCain Institute, surveyed a sample of local police agencies across the country, seeking to understand (a) their estimation of the magnitude of sex trafficking problems in their jurisdictions in 2014, (b) their perceptions of the nature of the local problems, (c) the sources of information relied upon to assess and form perceptions of those problems, and (d) their experience in addressing sex trafficking issues. Seventy-two of the largest municipal police agencies in the U.S. completed the survey. The following are the key findings from their responses: - The majority of respondents indicated that the magnitude of the sex trafficking problem in the various venues in their communities (i.e., massage parlors, escort agencies, adult clubs, brothels, non-licensed cantinas) was relatively unchanged over time. More than 80 percent reported, however, that the rate of online sex advertising was increasing. - For sex trafficking of juveniles, online sex advertising was the most prevalent venue. - Sex trafficking victims were most likely to be female and aged 18 to 24 years; the United States was most commonly their country of origin. Details: Phoenix, AZ: Center for Violence Prevention & Community Safety, Arizona State University, 2015. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: http://cvpcs.asu.edu/sites/default/files/content/products/CVPCS-PoliceEstimatesOfSexTrafficking.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://cvpcs.asu.edu/sites/default/files/content/products/CVPCS-PoliceEstimatesOfSexTrafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 138192 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationSocial Media |
Author: Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Fusion Center, Intelligence & Counterterrorism Division Title: Texas Gang Threat Assessment Summary: The key analytic judgments of this assessment are: - Gangs continue to represent a significant public safety threat to Texas due to their propensity for violence and heightened level of criminal activity. Of the incarcerated gang members within Texas Department of Criminal Justice prisons, over 60 percent are serving a sentence for violent crimes, including robbery (24 percent), homicide (16 percent), and assault/terroristic threat (15 percent). We assess there are likely more than 100,000 gang members in Texas. - The Tier 1 gangs in Texas for 2015 are Tango Blast and Tango cliques (estimated 15,000 members), Texas Syndicate (estimated 3,400 members), Texas Mexican Mafia (estimated 4,700 members), Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) (estimated 800 members), and Latin Kings (estimated 2,100 members). These groups pose the greatest gang threat to Texas due to their relationships with Mexican cartels, high levels of transnational criminal activity, level of violence, and overall statewide presence. - Gangs in Texas remain active in both human smuggling and human trafficking operations. Gang members associated with human smuggling have direct relationships with alien smuggling organizations (ASOs) and Mexican cartels. These organizations were involved in and profited from the recent influx of illegal aliens crossing the border in the Rio Grande Valley in 2014. Gang members involved in human trafficking, including commercial sex trafficking and compelling prostitution of adults and minors, exploit their victims through force, fraud or coercion, including recruiting and grooming them with false promises of affection, employment, or a better life. Gangs identified as being involved in human trafficking in Texas in 2014 include Tango Blast, Texas Syndicate, Bloods, Crips, Gangster Disciples, and MS-13. - Mexican cartels regularly use Texas gangs for the purposes of illicit cross-border smuggling. Members of Tier 1, Tier 2, and other gangs are sometimes recruited and tasked by cartels to carry out acts of violence in both Texas and Mexico. The relationships between certain gangs and cartels fluctuate based on cartel structures and cell alignments, gang alignment with specific cartels, threats or coercion, and familial ties. - Traditional rivalries between gangs continue to diminish as members take advantage of opportunities to collaborate and achieve common criminal objectives, typically for financial gain. Members of gangs such as the Bloods, Texas Syndicate, and Texas Mexican Mafia are working together to smuggle and sell drugs and weapons, among other crimes. In addition, law enforcement continues to observe gang members with hybrid memberships, where gang members claim multiple affiliations, which presents challenges in identifying and investigating gang activity. Details: Austin, TX: Texas Department of Public Safety, 2015. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 13, 2016 at: https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/media_and_communications/2015/txGangThreatAssessment.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/media_and_communications/2015/txGangThreatAssessment.pdf Shelf Number: 138647 Keywords: Drug TraffickingGang ViolenceGangsHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex Trafficking |
Author: Vogel, Dita Title: The Concept of Demand in the Context of Trafficking in Human Beings: Using Contributions from Economics in Search of Clarification Summary: Working Paper 3 examines how economic contributions can help clarify some of the terminology used in the DemandAT project. It sets out economic theories of 'demand', and contrasts these to common understandings of the concept of demand and prices as employed in debates on anti-trafficking, as well as understandings of the role of coercion. The paper suggests that the use of these terms has often been vague and inconsistent. The paper illustrates these problems by looking at three examples of the application of economics concepts in literature on THB. It concludes that what is needed most urgently is more context dependent data interpretation, rather than more data. Details: Vienna: Demand-Side Measures Against Trafficking, 2015. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: DemandAT Working Paper No. 3: Accessed May 11, 2016 at: http://www.demandat.eu/sites/default/files/DemandAT_WP3_Vogel_Economics_for_Conceptual_Clarification_FINAL.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Europe URL: http://www.demandat.eu/sites/default/files/DemandAT_WP3_Vogel_Economics_for_Conceptual_Clarification_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 139002 Keywords: Economics and CrimeHuman TraffickingSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Falegan, Oluwatominsin O. Title: Risk Factors for Sex Work Recidivism in Commercial Sexual Exploitation Victims Summary: INTRODUCTION: An estimated 4.9 million individuals worldwide are currently victims of some form of commercial sexual exploitation. Although there are differing opinions on what can be classified as commercial sexual exploitation, study findings demonstrate that the risk factors and health outcomes for individuals forced or who opt to enter sex work include mental illness, lack of social support, physical injuries and substance abuse. Although studies note that sex work recidivism may be an issue for victims who have exited the commercial sexual exploitation industry, literature addressing the cause and incidence of the phenomenon is very limited. AIM: The purpose of this study was to identify and explore possible risk factors for sex work recidivism by using factors noted in criminal recidivism that align with outcomes for commercial sexual exploitation. The author hypothesizes that individual level factors, such as mental health, substance abuse, and history of abuse, and relationship level factors, such as social support or the lack there of, will be discussed the most in the literature analyzed. METHODS: The researcher did a systematic search of terms related to commercial sexual exploitation (namely: prostitution and sex trafficking) in Georgia State University's online library database and PubMed. Inclusion criteria for this project was the use of terms in an abstract or title and content addressing health outcomes of commercial sexual exploitation. Using an adaptation of the socio-ecological model, the researcher completed a content analysis on articles that met inclusion criteria and extracted and counted the most prevalent themes. Ultimately, the themes were categorized by the four levels of the socio-ecological model. RESULTS: Out of the 47 articles initially retrieved, 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. Individual and Societal level factors were mentioned in 20 of the 21 articles. Relationship level factors were mentioned in 17 of the 21 articles, and Community level factors were mentioned in 16 of the 21 articles. DISCUSSION: The findings supported the researcher's hypothesis that individual level factors such as mental illness and substance abuse would be most prevalent in the studies analyzed. However, the findings demonstrating the equal prevalence of societal factors such as inequalities and economic instabilities was a deviation from the author's predictions. Details: Atlanta: Georgia State University, School of Public Health, 2016. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Capstone Project: Accessed June 1, 2016 at: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=iph_capstone Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=iph_capstone Shelf Number: 139253 Keywords: ProstitutesProstitutionRecidivismSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Carpenter, Ami Title: The Nature and Extent of Gang Involvement in Sex Trafficking in San Diego County: Executive Summary Summary: The overall purpose of this project was to investigate the nature and assess of the scope of gang involvement in sex trafficking in San Diego County. Human trafficking is a global phenomenon with a variety of local manifestations, including labor and sex trafficking. San Diego is ranked by the FBI as one of the nation's 13 highest areas of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Despite widespread attention on sex trafficking, there has been little empirical research on the nature and process of sex trafficking activities, and even less on the connection between sex trafficking and gangs. Prior to this study, much of what was known about sex trafficking in San Diego County was anecdotal and descriptive. The study's basic premise was that empirical investigation would prove useful for both policy and practice. This 3-year study reports on three major sets of findings: (1) the scope and nature of gang involvement in sex trafficking and commercial sexual activity, including detailed analysis of sex trafficking facilitation (2) the scope of nature of victimization in San Diego County, and (3) estimates of the regional commercial sex economy. It was designed to improve on seven shortcomings in human or sex trafficking research thus far: 1. Few credible estimates of the scale of sex trafficking in a particular region 2. The common conflation of commercial sexual exploitation and prostitution with sex trafficking 3. Lack of primary data on sex trafficking 4. Inability to identify networks of sex traffickers 5. Understudied extent of gang involvement in sex trafficking 6. Over-reliance on qualitative methods 7. Small sample sizes Details: San Diego: University of San Diego, 2015. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 8, 2016 at: http://www.abolishhumantrafficking.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Executive-Summary.Final-Technical-Report.NIJ2016-1.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.abolishhumantrafficking.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Executive-Summary.Final-Technical-Report.NIJ2016-1.pdf Shelf Number: 139314 Keywords: GangsHuman traffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala Title: Human trafficking for sexual exploitation purposes in Guatemala Summary: Human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a human and social drama, a human rights violation and a criminal offense. It is an illegal practice that affects particularly girls, boys and adolescents, robbing them of their innocence and dignity. It is an unacceptable offense that violates basic rights, while perpetrators benefit, profit, torture and truncate the lives of persons by inflicting suffering on those who are more vulnerable. Trafficking in persons is a form of contemporary slavery that should compel society at large, and authorities, particularly, to reject and decisively eradicate it. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG), present the report Sexual Trafficking in Persons in Guatemala within the framework of their mandates, sharing common goals in the area of human rights protection and the fight against impunity, which documents the significance and the consequences of this criminal phenomenon in the country. The objective of this effort is to provide guidance for public policy, budget and investigation strategies in order to identify and dismantle criminal structures, as well as to promote other efforts that ultimately help to prevent and fight the scourge, provide assistance to victims and impart justice to prevent offenses from remaining unpunished. The report includes extensive theoretical and field investigation that identifies Guatemala as a country of origin, transit and reception of trafficking victims. Universal consensus rates this crime as a grave human rights violation, made more serious by the ability of criminal structures to operate transnationally, which makes the problem more complex and imposes difficulties on States to identify, prosecute and dismantle criminal groups. According to the analysis and findings of the report, there are an estimated 48,500 direct victims of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation in Guatemala, and the illegal profits produced by this offense amount to 12.3 billion quetzales, equivalent to 2.7% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), that is, more than the total budget to educate children and adolescents, estimated at 1.44% of the GDP in 2014. Details: Guatemala City: CICIG, 2016. 145p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 10, 2016 at: http://www.cicig.org/uploads/documents/2016/Trata_Ing_978_9929_40_829_6.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Guatemala URL: http://www.cicig.org/uploads/documents/2016/Trata_Ing_978_9929_40_829_6.pdf Shelf Number: 139363 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationHuman TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Carpenter, Ami Title: The Nature and Extent of Gang Involvement in Sex Trafficking in San Diego County: Full Report Summary: INTRODUCTION In 2011, San Diego County created the multi-agency San Diego County Regional Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children Advisory Council with the objective to reduce human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children in San Diego County and the Mexico border region through prevention, prosecution, protection and partnerships. As co-chairs of the Research and Data Sub-Committee of this advisory council, Drs. Carpenter and Gates were asked to pursue a research agenda that would help develop robust measures of the scope of human trafficking in San Diego County. Of particular interest to the County Advisory Council was empirical evidence of the suspected relationship between gangs and human trafficking. BACKGROUND AND STUDY OBJECTIVES The overall purpose of this project was to investigate the nature and assess of the scope of gang involvement in sex trafficking in San Diego County. Human trafficking is a global phenomenon with a variety of local manifestations, including labor and sex trafficking. San Diego is ranked by the FBI as one of the nation's 13 highest areas of commercial sexual exploitation of children. Despite widespread attention on sex trafficking, there has been little empirical research on the nature and process of sex trafficking activities, and even less on the connection between sex trafficking and gangs. Prior to this study, much of what was known about sex trafficking in San Diego County was anecdotal and descriptive. The study's basic premise was that empirical investigation would prove useful for both policy and practice. This 3-year study reports on three major sets of findings: (1) the scope and nature of gang involvement in sex trafficking and commercial sexual activity, including detailed analysis of sex trafficking facilitation (2) the scope of nature of victimization in San Diego County, and (3) estimates of the regional commercial sex economy. It was designed to improve on seven shortcomings in human or sex trafficking research thus far: 1. Few credible estimates of the scale of sex trafficking in a particular region 2. The common conflation of commercial sexual exploitation and prostitution with sex trafficking 3. Lack of primary data on sex trafficking 4. Inability to identify networks of sex traffickers 5. Understudied extent of gang involvement in sex trafficking 6. Over-reliance on qualitative methods 7. Small sample sizes Details: Final report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2016. 172p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 13, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249857.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249857.pdf Shelf Number: 139400 Keywords: Gangs Human Trafficking Prostitution Sex Trafficking Sex Workers Sexual Exploitation |
Author: Polaris Project Title: More than Drinks for Sale: Exposing Sex Trafficking in Cantinas & Bars in the U.S. Summary: Across the United States, thousands of Latina women are prisoners of the sex trafficking industry in bars and cantinas. These women are victims of an underground sex economy, run by traffickers who go largely untouched. From December 2007 to March 2016, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline and BeFree Textline identified 1,300 potential victims from Latin America in cantina-related cases in 20 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Deceived and enticed with false promises of good jobs or a better life, victims are lured to the U.S. by some of the most violent trafficking networks operating in the country and are forced to engage in commercial sex. Polaris's new report More than Drinks for Sale: Exposing Sex Trafficking in Cantinas and Bars in the U.S. details how these commercial-front brothels continue to operate largely unchecked by posing as traditional bars or nightclubs - and highlights the need to eradicate this crime and support its survivors. Details: Washington, DC: Polaris, 2016. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 20, 2016 at: http://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Cantinas-SexTrafficking-EN.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Cantinas-SexTrafficking-EN.pdf Shelf Number: 145619 Keywords: Human traffickingProstitutesProstitutionSex TraffickingSex WorkersSexual Exploitation |
Author: Hill, Angela Title: "This Modern Day Slavery": Sex Trafficking and Moral Panic in the United Kingdom Summary: The dissertation analyzes the discourse and development of the British anti-sex trafficking movement. Following the European Union's largest expansion in 2004, the United Kingdom experienced a surge in immigration from Eastern Europe, which was greeted by fears about losing British culture, stolen jobs, and rising criminal activity. From this welter of concerns, I argue, the issue of sex trafficking coalesced into a moral panic about the dangers of immigration and the sexual exploitation of women. Using qualitative research and discourse analysis, I examine the movement's depiction of the trafficking victim and its reliance on punitive policing and anti-immigration policies. Although anti-trafficking advocates claim the abolition of the African slave trade as their historical precedent, I contend that the conceptual roots of contemporary discourse lie in the white slavery panic of the Victorian era. Today's description of the trafficked woman as young, naive, and Eastern European recalls the figure of the white slave at the same time that it demonizes migrant sex workers who do not fit the feminized and culturally-bound profile of helpless victim. This analysis of the United Kingdom's response to a changing demographic landscape reveals how a reaction can define the phenomenon to which it ostensibly refers. In other words, the anti-trafficking campaign produces its opposing object, sex trafficking - by delimiting the discursive field and determining the appropriate course of defensive action. In light of the political and economic crises wracking post-millennial Britain, the realm recast itself as a hostile environment for sex trafficking and inaugurated a series of unprecedented policing measures and prostitution policy shifts. To interrogate these events I perform a contrapuntal reading that troubles both the conceptual basis of the anti-trafficking movement and its legal and tactical operations. Through this analysis, my dissertation reveals that the anti-trafficking campaign is not a reaction to the sexual traffic in women; it is part of a larger socio-legal response to Eastern Europeans seeking access to the United Kingdom as full members of the European Union. This project constitutes an expansion and repositioning of studies of sex work and migration, offering a specific analysis of the British context while emphasizing the intersection between standardized narratives and cultural ruptures. Details: Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley, 2011. 146p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20,. 2016 at: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d8113tb Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/2d8113tb Shelf Number: 145876 Keywords: Human TraffickingModern SlaveryMoral PanicProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Way, Julian Title: Charting Out the Digital Ecosystem of Gangs in the U.S. and Mexico Summary: People, drugs and weapons are routinely smuggled across the U.S.-Mexican border. Drug trafficking cartels and organized criminal gangs are suppliers, brokers, retailers and regulators of the trade. Conventional assessments of the political economy of the illicit trafficking along known corridors such as San Diego-Tijuana or El Paso-Ciudad Juarez rely on painstaking qualitative assessments, including key informant interviews with those in and outside the business. In some cases, quantitative approaches are deployed, including modeling flows on the basis of extant data on sex trafficking or drugs and arms seizures. Due in part to the rapid digital penetration of the Internet and social media over the past decade, there are novel ways of tracking cartel and gang activity. Many of these approaches are still experimental and in early stages of development. This article considers the digital ecosystem linking gangs in San Diego, Tijuana and more widely across Mexico and other parts of Latin America. The focus is not restricted to mapping the online presence of gangs in social media and related public digital platforms, but also the dynamic interaction between members, affiliates and the wider public. The article draws on research conducted in partnership with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and University of San Diego in 2015. The article considers the digital activities of gangs – especially Latin American groups – at two levels. At the micro-level, the focus was on mapping online gang involvement in sex trafficking in San Diego in the U.S. and Tijuana in Mexico. At the macro-level, we considered the activities and dynamics of online gang networks in southern California, Mexico and wider Latin America. We then applied a combination of social media analytics, social network analysis, and digital forensics to understand the distribution and dynamics of cartels and gangs in cyberspace. While experimental in nature, the assessment generated descriptive and methodological findings. Details: Small Wars Journal, April 11, 2016. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 14, 2016 at: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/charting-out-the-digital-ecosystem-of-gangs-in-the-us-and-mexico Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/charting-out-the-digital-ecosystem-of-gangs-in-the-us-and-mexico Shelf Number: 146974 Keywords: Drug TraffickingGang-Related ViolenceGangsGun TraffickingSex TraffickingSocial Media |
Author: Milwaukee Homicide Review Commission Title: Estimating the Number of Sex Trafficked Youth Using Contacts with the Milwaukee Police Department Summary: The purpose of the study was to estimate the number of youth trafficked, create a demographic profile of trafficked youth, and obtain other descriptive information about the status of such youth at the time of contact with the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD). It includes an analysis of findings, potential research areas, and a discussion section on policy implications, particularly as they relate to BMCW services and processes and future research areas. For inclusion in the case review, the following case definitions were required: occurred in the City of Milwaukee with MPD contact between August 1, 2010 and August 1, 2012, individual was 17 years of age or younger, individual suspected or known to have been recruited, encouraged, or obtained for the purpose of a commercial sex act or sexually explicit performance as defined by Wisconsin statute. During the two year period, 77 youth were identified as having been sex trafficked. These youth were primarily African American girls (12-17 years) residing on the north side of Milwaukee. The majority of the youth were 16-17 (68% or 52 youth). Almost a third of the youth were 12-15 years old (32% or 25) at the time of the trafficking incident. Nearly 70% were reported missing to the Milwaukee Police Department at least once during their lifetime. Over a quarter of the youth (29%) had reports of sexual assaults, most of these with non-caregivers. In almost a third of a sample of 36 incident reports, the youth independently or together with family members, sought out police assistance to report the trafficking. Most of the youth with reported involved families were 16-17 years old. BMCW was mentioned just a few times in the selected police reports. Where BMCW was mentioned, referrals were being made to BMCW or police were responding to a call from BMCW. Several organizations were mentioned as having involvement with youth. These organizations included the Sexual Assault Treatment Center, Homme House, St. Rose Center, Legal Aid Society, and several schools. Examining the system-wide response to missing youth - particularly African American females - may be warranted given that almost 70% of the youth in this study had been reported missing at least once, some as often as 9 times. It may be important for all systems partners to review their BMCW referral and documentation policies. Details: Milwaukee, WI: The Commission, 2013. 18p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 19, 2016 at: http://media.jrn.com/documents/TraffickingReport+May3+2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://media.jrn.com/documents/TraffickingReport+May3+2013.pdf Shelf Number: 147754 Keywords: Human TraffickingJuvenile Sexual ExploitationSex Trafficking |
Author: Busch-Armendariz, Noel Title: Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas Summary: Report from the Statewide Human Trafficking Mapping Project of Texas, a collaboration among the Institute on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (IDVSA) and the Bureau of Business Research at The University of Texas at Austin as well as Allies Against Slavery. The study found that there are more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, including almost 79,000 minors and youth victims of sex trafficking and nearly 234,000 adult victims of labor trafficking. Minor and youth sex trafficking costs the state of Texas approximately $6.6 billion annually, and traffickers exploit approximately $600 million from victims of labor trafficking in Texas. Details: Austin: University of Texas at Austin, School of Social Work, Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault , 2016. 110p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 6, 2017 at: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/44597/idvsa-2016-human-trafficking-by-the-numbers.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/bitstream/handle/2152/44597/idvsa-2016-human-trafficking-by-the-numbers.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y Shelf Number: 141349 Keywords: Child Sex TraffickingCosts of CrimeForced LaborHuman TraffickingModern SlaveryProstitutionSex Trafficking |
Author: Polaris Project Title: The Typology of Modern Slavery: Defining Sex and Labor Trafficking in the United States Summary: For the last 15 years, people in the modern anti-trafficking field have struggled to identify and disrupt human trafficking networks in the United States. This movement to stop modern slavery has confronted many challenges, and one of the most significant has been the absence of data that shows how human trafficking operates. To eradicate human trafficking networks and help survivors, we must be able to identify and disrupt the manifestations of trafficking in our communities. From sex trafficking within escort services to labor trafficking of farmworkers, the ways humans are exploited differ greatly. Each type has unique strategies for recruiting and controlling victims, and concealing the crime. For years, we have been staring at an incomplete chess game, moving pieces without seeing hidden squares or fully understanding the power relationships between players. Many efforts to combat trafficking have generalized across too many types and created overly generic resources and responses. For example, if an anti-trafficking group is providing a training for hotels, generic "Human Trafficking 101" training is less effective than training that focuses on the types of trafficking that actually use hotels as part of their business model. With The Typology of Modern Slavery, our blurry understanding of the scope of the crime is now coming into sharper focus. Polaris analyzed more than 32,000 cases of human trafficking documented between December 2007 and December 2016 through its operation of the National Human Trafficking Hotline and BeFree Textline. This is the largest data set on human trafficking in the United States ever compiled and publically analyzed. Details: Washington, DC: Polaris Project, 2017. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2017 at: https://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Polaris-Typology-of-Modern-Slavery.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://polarisproject.org/sites/default/files/Polaris-Typology-of-Modern-Slavery.pdf Shelf Number: 144631 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingModern SlaverySex Trafficking |
Author: Martin, Lauren Title: Early Intervention to Avoid Sex Trading and Trafficking of Minnesota's Female Youth: A Benefit-Cost Analysis: Full Report Summary: We provide analysis of an innovative policy to reduce social harms from sex trading among female youth, including adolescents (e.g. survival sex, prostitution, sex trafficking). The policy consists of early intervention efforts with adolescent females to prevent and dissuade them from sex trading. Our framework treats the program as an investment project and calculates its net present value, where the benefits are understood to be harms avoided by successfully reducing the extent of sex trading. We approach the analysis from the narrow perspective of the public budget. That is, both the cost of the program and the specific harms from sex trading are evaluated in terms of the burden they impose on a community's government expenditures. We do not examine the full social costs of sex trading. Our valuation of harms is a conservative estimate based on available social science data. We conduct sensitivity analysis with respect to key model parameters such as program effectiveness, discount rate and other model parameters. The program returns positive Net Present Value in all but the most pessimistic scenarios, which we believe are highly unlikely to prevail. In our best estimate it returns $34 in benefit for each $1 in cost. Details: Minneapolis: Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, 2012. 90p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2017 at: http://mnhttf.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Benefit-Cost-Study-Full.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://mnhttf.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Benefit-Cost-Study-Full.pdf Shelf Number: 145360 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingCost-Benefit AnalysisHuman traffickingProstitutionSex Trafficking |
Author: Martin, Lauren Title: Mapping the Market for Sex with Trafficked Minor Girls in Minneapolis: Structures, Functions, and Patterns Summary: The trafficking of girls under age 18 into the sex trade (also known as domestic minor sex trafficking) has received increased attention from policy makers, law enforcement, service providers, advocates, and funders in Minnesota over the past several years. In July 2011, the Minnesota State Legislature passed Safe Harbor for Youth legislation, which had a sunrise clause for implementation by August 2014. The Minnesota Departments of Health and Public Safety worked with the State Human Trafficking Task Force to develop No Wrong Door, a plan for coordinated and comprehensive services for trafficking victims. Implementation has begun with the hiring of the Safe Harbor/No Wrong Door Director in the Minnesota Department of Health's Injury and Violence Prevention unit, and the selection of Regional Navigators responsible for ensuring that all victims receive appropriate assistance and trauma-centered services. No Wrong Door is a critical step for early intervention to reduce the harms of domestic minor sex trafficking on Minnesota youth. But, what is the larger system that exploits juveniles through sex trafficking? Who is involved? Where does it happen? And, how does it work? Empirical knowledge of the broader market forces through which youth are exploited is critical to providing a solid basis for Minnesota's efforts toward intervention and prevention of exploitation of youth in commercial sex and sex trafficking. We conducted this study to answer these questions. The project received funding from the Women's Foundation of Minnesota, internal University of Minnesota funding, and the support of a broad coalition of agencies and individuals. We began with the understanding that the sex trade is an industry, and as such, it operates on market principles. Like other markets, the market for sex with juveniles is structured by demand, supply, and a process through which the supply (or "product") is developed, managed, and delivered. Sex buyers (the "demand") enter the market with money and power. Pimps, traffickers, and others that assist them (transporters, watchers, enforcers, etc.) profit by linking sex buyers to juvenile victims (the "product") for sale. Because of the multiple roles involved in this activity, we refer to these individuals as facilitators. Facilitators recruit a "supply" of juveniles through systematic exploitation of specific needs and vulnerabilities of youth, sometimes described as "push/pull factors." This study sought to understand the "who, where, and how" aspects of market operations. Who are the people involved in the market (victims, facilitators, and sex buyers)? Where does the market happen? Where are victims recruited? Where do sexual transactions take place? What are the residential locations of facilitators, victims, and sex buyers? "Where" also includes categories of places where sex trafficking activities occur such as hotels, schools, private residences, clubs, etc. Most importantly, we wanted to understand how the market functions. How do the operational structures and mechanisms derive profit from the commercial sexual exploitation of juveniles? Our data collection and analysis produced a great deal of information, which we are continuing to review and analyze. This report provides an overview of our findings and it is a first step in sharing the rich and detailed information we have collected. We expect to produce additional reports and articles. Some of what we learned confirms what we already knew about sex trafficking, particularly characteristics of victims. However, our market framework yielded new insights about the forces behind commercial sexual exploitation of youth and domestic minor sex trafficking. Therefore, much of what we learned and describe in this report is new. Details: Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, Urban Research Outreach/Engagement Center, 2014. 118p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2017 at: http://uroc.umn.edu/sites/default/files/Res_SexTraf_Report.compressed.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://uroc.umn.edu/sites/default/files/Res_SexTraf_Report.compressed.pdf Shelf Number: 145361 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationProstitutionSex MarketsSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: ECPAT USA Title: National Colloquium 2012 Final Report: An Inventory and Evaluation of the Current Shelter and Services Response to Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Summary: Shelter and services for identified victims and survivors of domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) are critical for their recovery and success. What has not been immediately available is insight into the actual experience of the individuals and organizations that are attempting to respond to the need, and their insight about possible ways to navigate the obstacles. While a few excellent scholarly articles and manuals on how to implement service provision have recently been published, the noticeable missing ingredient is documentation of lessons learned, success factors and gaps by those on the ground doing the work. To that end, the National Colloquium: Shelter and Services Evaluation for Action was conceived and executed by Shared Hope International, ECPAT-USA and The Protection Project at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, a triumvirate that has in the past cooperated on related research, notably the 2006 Mid-Term Review on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) in America in preparation for the World Congress Against CSEC. Three surveys were designed to capture information that will serve as the foundation for the continuing research, site assessments, and discussions among stakeholders to develop and formalize the shelter and services response for DMST victims. Through these surveys and the subsequent colloquium, knowledge from a growing body of experts with first-hand experience was gathered and shared about the actual provision of restorative services to domestic trafficking victims, with all of its successes and setbacks. In July 2012 an Advisory Board and a Practitioners Working Group were convened to review project goals for the National Colloquium and vet the survey that would solicit a response from providers across the nation during the upcoming three months. At the same time, survivor leaders developed and administered their own survey instrument to capture the unique experiences and perspectives of individuals who have survived sex trafficking. On November 30, 2012, the National Colloquium: Shelter and Services Evaluation for Action was held, representing a first-ever opportunity for service providers and survivors to hold a structured conversation about the extraordinarily complex and challenging work of DMST victim and survivor care. Acting Assistant Secretary George Sheldon of the Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, delivered the keynote address that framed the panel discussions that took place. Based on their experiences in the field, participants addressed emerging trends and barriers in three areas: placement for identified youth, licensing and maintaining residential facilities and programmatic and therapeutic approaches. A range of promising practices along with barriers to success were examined through panel discussion and observer interaction. In addition, in coordination with the Congressional Caucus for Victims' Rights and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, a congressional briefing called "Identifying Sustainable Solutions for Shelter and Restorative Care for Victims of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking" was held to discuss funding for shelter and services for DMST victims, a priority concern noted by advocacy and funding experts that responded to a third survey designed for this group of stakeholders. The panel for this briefing consisted of human trafficking experts from government, philanthropy, survivor leadership and non-governmental organizations who brought visibility to the critical importance of the funding issue. Approximately 185 participants filled the U.S. Capitol hearing room and over 500 more attended via a live webcast in order to be part of this unique event. While information exchange was the stated purpose, a collateral benefit for many was the opportunity for providers and survivors to meet and network with others doing similar work in this limited field. Details: Brooklyn, NY: ECPAT USA, 2016.244p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2017 at: http://www.ecpatusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/National-Colloquium-2012-Final-Report-An-Inventory-and-Evaluation-of-the-Current-Shelter-and-Services-Response-to-Domestic-Minor-Sex-Trafficking.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.ecpatusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/National-Colloquium-2012-Final-Report-An-Inventory-and-Evaluation-of-the-Current-Shelter-and-Services-Response-to-Domestic-Minor-Sex-Trafficking.pdf Shelf Number: 145367 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex TraffickingChild Sexual ExploitationDomestic Minor Sex TraffickingSex TraffickingVictim Services |
Author: International Organization for Migration Title: Enhancing the Safety and Sustainability of the Return and Reintegration of Victims of Trafficking: Lessons Learnt from the CARE and TACT Projects Summary: This report follows on from the implementation of two distinct but complementary projects implemented by IOM: Coordinated Approach for the Reintegration of victims of trafficking returning voluntarily to any third country (CARE project) and Transnational Action - Safe and sustainable return and reintegration for victims of Trafficking returning voluntarily to priority countries: Albania, Morocco and Ukraine (TACT project). The two projects involved a total of 9 European Union Member States (EU MS) - Austria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom - committed to improving the return and reintegration programmes available for Victims of Trafficking (VoTs), in order to make the process safer and more sustainable, and to reduce the risks of re-trafficking. Bearing this objective in mind, IOM endeavored through the implementation of both projects to develop, implement, and fine-tune Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Return and Reintegration of Victims of Trafficking, ensuring a continuum of care. This joint report aims to gather and share the lessons learnt through the implementation of both projects, suggesting a way forward for the establishment of transnational referral mechanisms between EU MS and third countries. The issue of transnational referral mechanisms is a key priority in the current EU anti-trafficking efforts, as mentioned in the EU Anti-trafficking Strategy for the period 2012-2016. . As part of the introduction, this report will start with an overview of the key concepts and legal framework relating to trafficking and voluntary return, analyzing their linkage, and a brief explanation of the content of the EU Anti-trafficking Strategy, in the framework of which both the CARE and TACT projects are implemented. The first section will present in detail the CARE and TACT projects objectives and activities. The second section will go through the lessons drawn from the implementation of the CARE project and propose recommendations to enhance the assistance and protection provided to returning VoTs. The third and final section will go a step further, presenting some reflections in turn on the concept of the Transnational Referral Mechanism (TRM) and its possible concrete implementation throughout the EU and third countries. The international legislative framework on human trafficking is governed by the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its two Additional Protocols. The Convention, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through resolution 55/252 on 15 November 2000, entered into force on 29 September 2003. It is complemented by the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children , also known as the Palermo Protocol (entered into force on 25 December 2003) and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air , which entered into force on 28 January 2004. According to Article 3 (a) of the Palermo Protocol, "Human trafficking" can be described as "the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs". Details: Paris, France: IOM, 2014. 126p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 15, 2017 at: http://iomfrance.org/sites/default/files/Enhancing%20the%20Safety%20and%20Sustainability%20of%20the%20Return%20and%20Reintegration%20of%20VoTs.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://iomfrance.org/sites/default/files/Enhancing%20the%20Safety%20and%20Sustainability%20of%20the%20Return%20and%20Reintegration%20of%20VoTs.pdf Shelf Number: 145474 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingModern SlaverySex TraffickingTrafficking in OrgansVictim ServicesVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Royal Canadian Mounted Police Title: Domestic Human Trafficking for Sexual Exploitation in Canada Summary: Since 2007, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's (RCMP) Human Trafficking National Coordination Centre (HTNCC) has been gathering information and intelligence pertaining to human trafficking specific cases and human trafficking related cases from the RCMP and other law enforcement agencies. The majority of these cases involve victims who have been trafficked domestically for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Project SAFEKEEPING, an assessment of domestic human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Canada, was initiated by the HTNCC as a result of this information. Project SAFEKEEPING serves as a baseline report that provides insight into the nature and extent of domestic human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Canada. The findings of this report identify the characteristics of traffickers and victims, the vulnerabilities of victims, and the modi operandi of traffickers. Provincial overviews of domestic human trafficking for sexual exploitation, as well as current gaps and challenges pertaining to investigating this crime, are also included in this report. Overall, the findings of Project SAFEKEEPING provide support to law enforcement, service providers, government organizations, and non-governmental organizations in their fight against this crime. Details: Ottawa: RCMP, 2013. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2017 at: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/grc-rcmp/PS64-114-2014-eng.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/grc-rcmp/PS64-114-2014-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 145906 Keywords: Human Trafficking Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Murphy, Laura T. Title: Labor and Sex Trafficking Among Homeless Youth: A Ten-City Study Summary: Human trafficking - the exploitation of a person's labor through force, fraud, or coercion - is a crime whose victims tend to be society's most vulnerable. People who are homeless, lack a support system, or are desperate for work are susceptible to the promises of people who would exploit them for labor and for sex. Recently, homeless youth providers in the United States and Canada have become aware that their clients are particularly at risk of trafficking and research has begun to uncover the extent and contours of the problem within that community. Between February 2014 and June 2016, researchers from Loyola University New Orleans's Modern Slavery Research Project (MSRP) were invited by Covenant House International and ten of their individual sites in the United States and Canada to serve as external experts to study the prevalence and nature of human trafficking among homeless youth aged 17 to 25. MSRP researchers interviewed 641 homeless and runaway youth who access services through Covenant House's network of shelters, transitional living and apartment programs, and drop-in centers. Youth were invited to participate, on a voluntary basis, in a point-in-time study about work experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using the Human Trafficking Interview and Assessment Measure (HTIAM-14) to assess whether youth had been trafficked for sex or labor in their lifetimes. Details: New Orleans: Loyola University New Orleans, 2017. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2017 at: http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/73f135_ca561f855f2b47519683ccf342074d6d.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: http://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/73f135_ca561f855f2b47519683ccf342074d6d.pdf Shelf Number: 146624 Keywords: Forced LaborHomeless PersonsHomelessnessHuman TraffickingModern SlaverySex Trafficking |
Author: Cyrus, Norbert Title: Learning from Demand-Side Campaigns against Trafficking in Human Beings: Evaluation as Knowledge-Generator and Project-Improver Summary: Demand-side campaigns seek to influence the spending patterns of persons and organisations or to encourage the reporting of seemingly suspicious occurrences to helplines or the police. Although considerable funds are devoted to such campaigns, little is known about their effectiveness, mainly due to the lack of or insufficient evaluation. However, examples of critical internal evaluation show that evaluative insights are possible, particularly with projects designed with a view to their evaluability. Theoretical analysis of campaign types indicates that awareness-raising helps no one unless it leads to action, that the reduction of exploitation is a more logical primary aim than the reduction of trafficking for the purpose of exploitation, and that campaigns usually rely on complementary measures for their effectiveness. The interpretation of fragmented information in a theoretically structured way leads to additional conclusions. Campaigns often take on the guise of a big funnel, with several hundreds of thousands of people being targeted initially, yet filtering down to only a handful with the opportunity and motivation to behave as recommended at the end. Also, messages designed to attract attention can all-too-easily be misunderstood and have unintended and harmful side-effects for the publics perception of victims and perpetrators. As a consequence, it seems promising to turn to more narrowly focused behaviour-change campaigns, to design them with a view to their evaluability and to evaluate them through a learning-oriented approach. Exemplary external evaluations with increased resources, as well as low-budget internal evaluations with the selective sharing of results, could increase our knowledge of what really works and what does not. Details: Vienna, Austria: DemandAT, 2017. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: DemandAT Working Paper no. 9: Accessed August 8, 2017 at: http://www.demandat.eu/sites/default/files/DemandAT_WP9_Cyrus-Vogel_Campaigns_June%202017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: http://www.demandat.eu/sites/default/files/DemandAT_WP9_Cyrus-Vogel_Campaigns_June%202017.pdf Shelf Number: 146781 Keywords: Human TraffickingMedia CampaignsSex Trafficking |
Author: Cooper, Kate Title: Exploitation and Trafficking of Women: Critiquing narratives during the London Olympics 2012 Summary: his report was commissioned by the Central American Women's Network (CAWN) to inform its work around the role of civil society and the media in shaping public understanding of different forms of exploitation experienced by women, in particular migrant women, in the context of major sporting events. It is based on an extensive study of press coverage of the issues of trafficking and exploitation of women during the London Olympics 2012 and examines critically the range of narratives underlying the approach to these issues in the print media. In addition, the report includes in-depth analysis of the campaigns mounted by five civil society organizations (CSOs) and compares the different approaches and strategies applied in each case, assessing the reasons for the varying degrees of success of each, respectively. An important aim of the study was to identify lessons and draw up recommendations based on the experience of the London Olympics that can be applied to other forthcoming major sporting events. The report highlights the fact that dominant narratives about trafficking not only conflate issues of trafficking with those of immigration and sexual exploitation but also frequently fail to employ the necessary analytical rigour. Prior to the Olympics, narratives circulated within Westminster and in the media predicting a rise in the number of women that would be trafficked to London for the London Olympics. The forecasts involved extremely large numbers and focused in the main on an expected rise in the number of women to be trafficked for sexual exploitation. During this period, many migrant women 'seen' in London, particularly those who could be characterized as 'exotic', were assumed to be trafficked into the capital for the Olympics and to be controlled by criminal gangs. Media reports circulating around this time (and in general) illustrate the very negative and stereotyped ways in which migrant women are portrayed, particularly in the tabloid press. However, the ensuing 'moral panic' about trafficking and sexual exploitation was not backed up by any evidence. Indeed, a body of evidence already existed prior to the Olympics demonstrating that major sporting events do not contribute to a rise in the incidence of trafficking for sexual exploitation. It is unclear why no one in government seemed aware of such research. The prediction that London would be 'flooded' with 'sex slaves' proved to be a myth. Indeed, the numbers of actual Victims of Trafficking (VoTs), as defined in the Palermo Protocol, was low during the Olympics - as it had been prior to the event. Over time, attention has been drawn to this discrepancy by a wide variety of stakeholders: CSOs, sex worker rights activists, academics and some journalists from the broadsheets. Yet despite the existence of this by now wellestablished counter-narrative that questions and contradicts the prevalent assumptions, the dominant framework within which most trafficking continues to be constructed is that of sexual exploitation. At the same time, very little attention was given in both government discourse and the media either to the global inequalities that drive women to seek a better life abroad or to the benefits the economies of richer countries enjoy because of the role that migrants play in providing cheap labour. In particular, the role of the UK's trade and development policies in perpetuating and deepening these inequalities was not examined in any of the mainstream narratives. Nor was any understanding shown of the fact that restrictive immigration policies contribute to migrant women's vulnerabilities and potential exploitation. Finally, no account was taken of the fact that the percentage of migrant women in the UK is scarcely higher today than it was a few decades ago. Even though the number of VoTs is low, migrant women in the UK face a wide range of problems. The London based Latin American Women's Rights Service is a CSO that works at the grassroots with women from Latin American countries who find themselves in a variety of exploitative situations. Because the official definition of VoT is very narrow, LAWRS encounters few women who are helped by trafficking legislation and believes that the law is too restrictive and should be replaced by a broader approach in which the human rights of all migrant women are addressed. Stop The Traffik, a government-funded inter-governmental campaign, was set up to address the predicted rise in trafficking during the period of the Olympics. Although the premise was false, the initiative is to be commended for encompassing other forms of trafficking apart from trafficking for sexual exploitation, thus breaking somewhat with he narrow focus on prostitution. However, while the campaign itself achieved high visibility, the number of reports of suspected trafficking was extremely low, a result that throws into question the government's strategy on this issue and, indeed, the utility of the trafficking legislation as a means of addressing exploitation. X:talk, the third CSO examined in this report, is a sex workers organisation, which was concerned that the government would use the wildly exaggerated predictions of a rise in the number of women trafficked into the UK for the purposes of sexual exploitation as an excuse to aggressively police, raid and shut down some workplaces within the sex industry. Such practices have been shown time and again to endanger the lives of all sex workers by displacing them from their peers, from regular clients and from the outreach services that keep in contact with them. The 'abolitionist' take on sex work and associated narratives, prevalent in the current and previous governments, obscure the wider reality that trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation is one out of a wide range of exploitative situations in which migrant women can find themselves. In addition, the focus on sexual exploitation, rather than on sex work as work, results in less meaningful intervention. Current narratives about the issue are mostly constructed within a framework of implicit moral disapproval, which fails to address the important health and safety concerns of all sex workers, whether migrant or not. Moreover, it appears that government officials, both within the current and previous governments, subscribe to a particular brand of feminist ideology that that does not recognise or respect the agency of women who choose to become sex workers. Thus, despite the success of its media campaign from the perspective of press coverage, the x:talk campaign was not successful in achieving one of its main policy aims, namely a moratorium on the policing of sex workers during the period under analysis and, indeed, x:talk was excluded from wider debates around these issues. Migration is a development strategy for millions of women all over the world who seek out work in different parts of the service sector and other informal spheres in order to subsist. Restrictive immigration policies and a focus on trafficking and sexual exploitation do nothing to alleviate their vulnerability. What is needed is an approach that addresses and is able to legislate against the whole range of different forms of exploitation that take place in workplaces both in the UK and further along global supply chains. However, there were some examples of a more integrated approach with a focus on wider exploitation and the human rights of women: the multi-agency Human Trafficking and London 2012 Games Network, as well as the Play Fair Campaign, of which War on Want was a key part. War on Want's campaign, contributed both to the work of the Network and to Playfair and drew attention to the shocking labour conditions of many workers, mostly women, in the factories producing goods for export to the UK during the Olympics. A wide range of events ensured that their campaign figured in the media, though much ingenuity and imagination were required to gain the press's interest. This makes a marked contrast with the widespread coverage in the tabloid press of 'sex trafficking', in which any piece of news was seen as a hook for carrying yet another story on the issue. Responding to these difficulties in relation to attracting press interest, War on Want successfully developed a range of different media strategies, involving the innovative use of social media as a means of communicating directly with its supporters. The fourth campaign studied is the one developed and coordinated by Anti-Slavery International in collaboration with the Institute for Human Rights and Business. Entitled The Staff Wanted Initiative, this campaign sought to address exploitative working conditions in the poorly regulated sectors of construction, domestic work, cleaning, catering and hospitality during the London Olympics. This initiative helped business identify who is controlling cheap labour, how it is coming in and the level of workers' pay. This focus on workers' rights, rather than anti-immigration, trafficking or the abolition of any particular sector of work, serves as an example of good practice for employers in other areas of poorly regulated or informal work. This report argues that governments would do better to focus on the human rights of all migrants in the UK, not just those who fall into the restrictive definition of 'trafficked' people and many of whom experience exploitation in many different forms. In order for this change to occur, CSOs will need to work effectively together not only by campaigning against particular legislation but by also exerting pressure to counter particular ideologies that impede a reasoned and rational debate. This is particularly the case with sex work which, if it were conceptualized as "work", would lead to the formulation of holistic approaches based on global justice and the human rights of all migrant workers. During the London Olympics 2012 the campaigns analysed in this report experienced various degrees of success. Factors linked to success rates include: the visibility of these CSO during the Olympics, their ability to work with other CSOs and agencies, the palatability of their message and their effectiveness in getting their message out using various media outlets. In some cases, the use of social media allowed them to communicate directly to their public, reducing the importance of the conventional media. Nonetheless, high level campaigns in which CSOs were able to work together effectively and which managed to gain high media visibility stood the highest chance of effecting change. This is how, for example, the Playfair Campaign 2012 was able to insist on corporations disclosing their supply chains. But the strategy needs to be further developed if change is to occur at the level of ideology and legislation and the first step is for all CSOs to find a common, integrated narrative that focuses on global justice and the human rights of all women and to use this as a campaign framework. Based on the above analysis, the report concludes with recommendations directed at CSOs, governments and corporations. These recommendations are aimed at protecting the human rights of all women and ensuring responsible actions and media coverage during future sporting events around the world. Details: London: Central America Women's Network. 2014. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 28, 2017 at: http://www.cawn.org/assets/Exploitation%20and%20Trafficking%20of%20Women_.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cawn.org/assets/Exploitation%20and%20Trafficking%20of%20Women_.pdf Shelf Number: 131504 Keywords: Human TraffickingMigrant WomenOlympicsSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationSporting Events |
Author: Newman, Graeme R. Title: The Exploitation of Trafficked Women Summary: This guide begins by describing the problem of exploiting women who have been trafficked into the United States, and the aspects of human trafficking that contribute to it. Throughout the guide, the word "trafficked" shall mean internationally trafficked, unless otherwise stated. Additionally, the guide's focus is on the final period in the process of trafficking at which women are further exploited by those into whose hands they are passed. This is the point at which human trafficking becomes a problem for local police and so the guide identifies a series of questions that can help analyze local problems related to trafficking. Finally, it reviews responses to the exploitation of trafficked women and examines what is known about the effectiveness of these responses from research and police practice. Concern about the exploitation of women who have been trafficked into the United States derives from the international issues of human trafficking and slavery. The characteristics of international human trafficking, including the profits, resemble those of the international drug trade. In the United States, until the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, human trafficking was approached as an immigration problem, which meant that police viewed trafficking as a federal rather than a local responsibility. The TVPA clarified the definition of human trafficking-a particularly difficult problem, as will be seen below- and introduced a number of important protections for trafficked individuals (see Box 1). The TVPA defines two forms of severe human trafficking: a. "...sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age." b. "...the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery." Because some 70 percent of internationally trafficked women end up in the sex trade, the effect of the TVPA is to define many such women as crime victims rather than criminals. Whether pressed into forced labor or prostitution, the exploitation of these individuals is continued upon entry into the United States, whether in the same hands of those who trafficked them, or whether passed on to others who profit from commercial sex or cheap, often forced, labor. The TVPA does not require that a trafficked person be actually transported anywhere; it simply requires that the victim's freedom be constrained by force, fraud or coercion. The focus of this guide, however, is on those women who are transported into the United States for the purposes of commercial sex or forced labor. Details: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, Center for Problem-Oriented Policing 2006. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Problem-Oriented Guides for Police; Problem-Specific Guides Series; No. 38; Accessed February 5, 2018 at: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/pdfs/ExploitTraffickedWomen.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.popcenter.org/problems/pdfs/ExploitTraffickedWomen.pdf Shelf Number: 102303 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingModern SlaveryProblem-Oriented PolicingSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Interpol Title: Towards a Global Indicator on Unidentified Victims in Child Sexual Exploitation Material: Technical Report Summary: This report presents the results of a two-part analysis of the multi-country data set contained in the International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) Database housed at INTERPOL and of consultations with law enforcement personnel in relation to the identification of victims and offenders pictured in Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) seized by law enforcement around the world. It forms one component of a larger programme of the ICSE Database enhancement activities financed by the European Union and carried out between 2016 and 2018 under the title International Child Sexual Exploitation (ICSE) database Connectivity and Awareness Raising Enhancements (I-CARE) Project. A ground-breaking cooperation between INTERPOL and ECPAT International, the study is broader in country coverage and possibly in other dimensions than any other previously analysed and publicly reported on. It responds to widespread recognition of the scarcity of reliable data and research on CSAM and CSEM to inform evidence-based policy and programmes to tackle the issue and protect children from online sexual exploitation and abuse across the world. It highlights the urgent need to develop representative international baselines of empirical data on the victimisation of children depicted in CSAM and CSEM, and to enhance the response by law enforcement agencies around the world to this problem. The analysis has been subject to a number of legal, institutional and ethical conditions, which have been duly and carefully considered, and which have been addressed in the exercise. Taken together, a comprehensive perspective on the overall database contents, and a mix of quantitative and qualitative findings from a selected sample of observations, has produced a broad range of findings, whose statistical validity has been confirmed by an expert reviewer. The study provides insight based on visual analysis of images and videos into the profile of unidentified child victims and their abusers, including age, gender, and type and severity of abuse, and further presents the results of analysis of case-related metadata for cases recorded as both identified and unidentified in the ICSE Database. It highlights the multi-faceted challenges presented to the law enforcement and child protection community by rapid evolutions in the means available for online child exploitation and abuse as a distinct subset of child sexual abuse and exploitation, and the increasingly complex role played by youth-produced sexual content in this landscape. Through analysis of confirmed and suspected locations of abuse as recorded in the ICSE Database, the study also considers the relationship between resource allocation for victim identification and rates of identification worldwide. The study acknowledges that there are qualitative limitations inherent in the multi-country and multi-user data set of the ICSE Database, but also highlights the unique nature of the data set resulting from this diverse user base. This in turn underlines the distinctive position and potential of the ICSE Database for further technological evolutions, country connections, and as a tool in victim identification efforts, and reinforces the usefulness the ICSE Database for further research and as focal point for future efforts to build a global indicator. Details: Bangkok: ECPAT, 2018. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2018 at: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Technical-Report-TOWARDS-A-GLOBAL-INDICATOR-ON-UNIDENTIFIED-VICTIMS-IN-CHILD-SEXUAL-EXPLOITATION-MATERIAL.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Technical-Report-TOWARDS-A-GLOBAL-INDICATOR-ON-UNIDENTIFIED-VICTIMS-IN-CHILD-SEXUAL-EXPLOITATION-MATERIAL.pdf Shelf Number: 149496 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesOnline VictimizationSex Trafficking |
Author: ECPAT International Title: Regional Overview: The Sexual Exploitation of Children in Southeast Asia Summary: Southeast Asia has a booming economy and is undergoing impressive growth in a number of sectors. For example, the region has one of the world's fastest growing internet markets, currently with 260 million users and a projected 480 million users by 2020. Mobile connections account for 130% of the population. The continued growth of international arrivals in the region is largely due to increasing numbers of intra-regional and inter-regional tourists and travelers. According to data of the UNWTO, Thailand recorded the world's highest growth in international tourist receipts in 2016. Such developments should result in positive changes in the lives of children - and indeed, significant progress has been made on a number of child rights indicators in the region. Nevertheless there is a dark and disturbing downside to this growth. The proliferation of the internet and related communication technologies has significantly expanded opportunities for child sex offenders to plan their travel, to communicate anonymously with other child sex offenders, to access, produce and disseminate child sex abuse images, and to engage in online sexual encounters with children without them even having to leave their homes. As technology evolves, forms and modus operandi of exploitation also evolve. The rapid growth in travel and tourism increases the number of children vulnerable to sexual exploitation. In the pursuit of economic development, a number of Southeast Asian countries have allowed large-scale foreign investment in tourism and other sectors and the proliferation of Special Economic and Free Trade Zones. These positive economic developments often are accompanied by the building of casinos and entertainment venues including bars and brothels, which can be high-risk locales for children. This report highlights both the domestic and international dimension of the sexual exploitation of children. The vast majority of child sex offenders in Southeast Asia are nationals of the countries of the region, the victims primarily girls. Yet emerging evidence also suggests that a considerable numbers of boys are abused and that foreign child sex offenders are increasingly accessing children through voluntary or professional positions in schools, orphanages, and child care centres Details: Bangkok: ECPAT, 2017. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 16, 2018 at: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Regional-Overview_Southeast-Asia.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Asia URL: http://www.ecpat.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Regional-Overview_Southeast-Asia.pdf Shelf Number: 149499 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationInternet CrimeOnline VictimizationSex TourismSex Trafficking |
Author: White, Elise Title: Navigating Force and Choice: Experiences in the New York City Sex Trade and the Criminal Justice System's Response Summary: This study is a departure from the standard treatments of prostitution and sex trafficking, which tend to focus on discrete sub-populations or the specific experiences of a few subjects. In more than 300 in-depth interviews with adults involved in New York City's multifaceted sex trade-conducted by our team of researchers, many with their own experiences in the sex trade-participants described a murky and mutable continuum between involvement due to force and choice. Nearly half of participants met the federal definition for sex trafficking, the majority because they first traded sex before the age of 18. A similar number of participants reported having worked with or for a third party who connected them to customers, often characterizing these relationships as mutually beneficial. Most drew explicit connections between their involvement in the sex trade and poverty, housing instability, substance use, family trauma, or health issues. Rather than clear-cut cases of exclusively force or choice, this study finds that economic exigencies and systemic constraints are the primary drivers of adult involvement in New York City's sex trade. The study also examines a unique criminal justice response-New York City's Human Trafficking Intervention Courts-developed to mitigate some of the harm trafficking victims experience in the criminal justice system. Legal and social service practitioners praised the courts' responsiveness to defendants' high rates of trauma and their commitment to helping defendants avoid criminal records, largely through alternative social service mandates. Details: New York: Center for Court Innovation, 2017. 110p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2018-03/nyc_sex_trade.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.courtinnovation.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/2018-03/nyc_sex_trade.pdf Shelf Number: 149730 Keywords: Human TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Alrabe, Khaled Title: Lifelines: Supporting Human Trafficking Survivors in the San Francisco Bay Area Summary: THIS REPORT PROVIDES the findings of a study of human trafficking in the San Francisco Bay Area. The primary objective of the study was to document the challenges law enforcement, service providers, and prosecutors face in (1) identifying, investigating, and prosecuting sex and labor trafficking cases, and (2) providing trafficking survivors with adequate services, protection, and shelter. California is a major locus of human trafficking-defined as recruiting, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling of a person for exploitation1 -largely because of its international border, demand for cheap labor, criminal gangs, and a relatively thriving economy. In 2015, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center reported that its hotline had received more reports of sex and labor trafficking from California than from any other state. In addition, the thirteen areas identified by the FBI as having the highest incidence of sex trafficking domestically, three are in California: San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. The Bay Area is home to a number of human trafficking task forces and coalitions that vary in terms of focus, structure, leadership, and geographic interest. Some task forces, such as the San Jose Police Human Trafficking Task Force and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Task Force, focus on coordination within law enforcement in the pursuit of traffickers. Other coalitions, such as the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, work to improve services and to strengthen local capacity to identify and assist trafficking survivors. Most counties have a human trafficking task force or other collaborative mechanism that include representatives from law enforcement, service providers, and local government. These organizations include the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse, Marin County Coalition to End Human Trafficking, and Alameda County HEAT Watch. Many of these organizations are led by local governing bodies, such as the Mayor's office or the Attorney General's office. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley School of Law, 2018. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bay_Area_Trafficking_Report_final.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bay_Area_Trafficking_Report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 150177 Keywords: Human SmugglingHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingSex TraffickingVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley School of Law. Title: Building Trust: Perspectives on a Victim-Centered Approach to Human Trafficking Investigations in Los Angeles County Summary: THIS REPORT PROVIDES THE FINDINGS of a study of the Human Trafficking Bureau (Bureau) of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, which is a member of the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force (Task Force). The primary objective of the study was to document the strengths and challenges the Bureau and other members of the Task Force encountered as they apply a victim-centered approach to investigations of human trafficking cases in their first year of operations (November 2015 to December 2016). Such an approach prioritizes the needs of victims and works to minimize re-traumatization. Established in September 2015 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Task Force is a multi-agency partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement and social service agencies mandated to "prosecute traffickers and buyers who target them, and provide services designed to restore the victims to lives free from the trauma bonds they've been forced to endure." The Bureau, which had been established earlier by Los Angeles Country Sheriff Jim McDonnell, was assigned to lead the Task Force in combatting human trafficking-defined as the recruiting, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling a person for exploitation-in the county. From the onset, the Bureau and the Task Force embraced a novel approach to human trafficking investigations by physically co-locating investigators, prosecutors, and representatives of service provider organizations in the Bureau's headquarters in Monterey Park. Using an open-floor plan, the Bureau houses representatives from the Task Force, including the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST); the FBI; District Attorney's Office; Los Angeles County Probation Department; Department of Children and Family Services; and Department of Homeland Security. The Bureau maintains an investigative unit called the Detective Information Research Center (DIRC), which provides backup research for investigators. The Bureau also maintains a separate unit called the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team (SAFE), which conducts cyber investigations of crimes against children (ICAC), including child pornography, sextortion, enticement, and crimes committed by California State sex registrants. The Bureau's human trafficking teams have access to a "soft room" for interviewing and offering services to trafficking victims. While the Task Force is mandated to investigate both labor and sex trafficking cases, the vast majority of cases during the first year of its operations have involved sex trafficking. The Bureau has a three-pronged approach to sex trafficking. The first is to identify and locate victims. Once victims are located, service providers are brought in to provide a range of services from medical care to housing. The second prong is to arrest traffickers and gather evidence for prosecutions. And the third is to staunch demand in the sex trade by targeting buyers, or "johns." Using semi-structured questionnaires, researchers at the Human Rights Center, in partnership with Berkeley Law's International Human Rights Law Clinic, interviewed 45 key informants, including investigators, researchers, service providers, and prosecutors directly located in the Bureau or connected to it. Researchers also reviewed seven case files representative of various sex trafficking cases the Bureau had investigated during the first six months of 2016 and observed two sting operations directed at buyers and traffickers in Los Angeles County. All key informant interviews were transcribed and coded. In all, more than 35 codes were developed and tagged, resulting in 412 pages of coded data. The codes included a range of topics, including reluctance of victims to cooperate with law enforcement, shelter and long-term housing, challenges of investigating labor trafficking, the hidden nature of the crime, relations between investigators and prosecutors, proving the elements of the crime of human trafficking, criminalization vs. decriminalization of prostitution, and inter-agency co-location and cooperation. Since the Bureau has investigated only a few cases of labor trafficking, the report's primary focus is on sex trafficking cases. Details: Berkeley, CA: The Center, 2017. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LA_report_2017_Nov20release.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LA_report_2017_Nov20release.pdf Shelf Number: 150178 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationsHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Trafficking |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Maine Advisory Committee Title: Human Trafficking in Maine Summary: Human trafficking - the coercion of human beings for the purpose of involuntary labor, sexual exploitation, or both - is a growing problem in Maine. President Obama has called human trafficking modern day slavery, declaring that the United States "must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation." The Maine Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Maine SAC or Committee) started examining the issue of human trafficking in 2011 and convened a briefing in April 2012. The Committee heard from law enforcement officials, prosecutors, legislators, and advocates. Survivors of human trafficking also participated, putting a human face on the problem. The briefing shined a light on the fact that Maine did not have a stand-alone dedicated human trafficking law. Committee members questioned the panelists about the absence of this legislation and encouraged panelists to consider legislative actions to help address the human trafficking in Maine. Subsequent to the briefing, the Maine legislature enacted several provisions aimed at protecting victims and increasing penalties for violators. Specifically, in 2013, the Maine legislature passed LD 1159, an Act to Address Human Trafficking, Sex Trafficking, and Prostitution. The statute broadened the definition of "human trafficking offense," and established "sex trafficking" and "aggravated sex trafficking" as crimes. The Maine legislature later signed LD 1730, An Act to Assist Victims of Human Trafficking, into law. The statute has two main effects: first, it provides an affirmative defense for victims of trafficking who are charged with prostitution, and second, it adds an additional fine for those convicted of aggravated sex trafficking. The Maine SAC convened a second briefing on human trafficking in June 2014 to learn about the impact of the new trafficking laws and to find out what still needs to be done to address human trafficking in Maine. The Committee invited additional law enforcement officials, prosecutors, legislators, advocates, and survivors of human trafficking to update the Committee. In issuing this report, the Committee commends the state for the progress it has made in addressing human trafficking. Nonetheless, the Committee finds that more needs to done to help victims and survivors of trafficking, especially with regards to criminal liability of victims and assistance for victims. Regarding criminal liability, the Committee learned that two new laws are needed: a vacatur statute and a safe harbor law. A vacatur law allows courts to vacate the offenses committed by victims during the course of their being trafficked. An ideal vacatur statute would allow courts to vacate any prostitution, drug possession, or other criminal conviction, provided that the act in question was committed by a victim of human trafficking during the course of being trafficked. To this end, the Maine SAC recommends that the Maine legislature enact a vacatur law. The Maine legislature should also enact a safe harbor law that is designed to prevent minors who are victims of human trafficking from being charged with crimes committed during the period they were trafficked. Existing safe harbor laws vary significantly among the states. Thus, the Maine SAC recommends that the Maine legislature enact the safe harbor law. The Committee also recommends that the U.S. Department of Justice draft a model safe harbor law that may be introduced in state legislatures. Finally, one of the most critical components of a proper response to human trafficking is the provision of adequate services for trafficking victims. Services are so key, in fact, that Maine prosecutors have ranked them more important in fighting human trafficking than a dedicated human trafficking statute itself. Traffickers make great efforts to ensure that their victims are isolated and totally dependent on them not only for the material essentials of life, but also for any sort of stability or feeling of normalcy. The Committee learned that trafficking victims are often arrested as a way to ensure that they have shelter, food, and safety. In order to adequately address human trafficking, the state needs both to create and fund programs that provide services to human trafficking victims. An ideal system of victim assistance services in Maine would address the fundamental needs of trafficking victims, including living assistance, educational services, and working with federal agencies on immigration and citizenship services. These services would receive sufficient funding to adequately serve the growing number of individuals in Maine identified as victims of both sex and labor trafficking. Finally, while this report focuses its findings and recommendations on the issue of sex trafficking, both briefings included testimony from advocates working on the issue of labor trafficking. Some estimate that labor trafficking constitutes almost one-third of the total human trafficking market. Labor trafficking in Maine occurs in several industries, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and logging. The Committee discredited the myth that labor trafficking involves exclusively undocumented workers. There are cases throughout New England - in construction, domestic help, and restaurants - where trafficked individuals are documented immigrants or U.S. citizens. We hope that Maine will consider adopting a standalone labor trafficking statute similar to the sex trafficking statute it recently enacted. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2016. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2018 at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/Human-Trafficking-in-Maine.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/Human-Trafficking-in-Maine.pdf Shelf Number: 150436 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingModern Day SlaverySex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Hughes, Donna M. Title: The Demand for Victims of Sex Trafficking Summary: Examines sex trafficking from the 'demand' side, focusing on the role of 'exploiters' and the 'state' as two components. Details: South Kingstown, Rhode Island: University of Rhode Island, 2005. 76p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 26, 2018 at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265578917_The_Demand_for_Victims_of_Sex_Trafficking Year: 2005 Country: International URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265578917_The_Demand_for_Victims_of_Sex_Trafficking Shelf Number: 151696 Keywords: Human Trafficking Prostitution Sex TraffickingVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Europol Title: Criminal Networks Involved in the Trafficking and Exploitation of Underage Victims in the European Union Summary: This report is produced in the framework of the EU Policy Cycle for organised and serious international crime. The Justice and Home Affairs Council defined its priorities for 2018-2021 based on Europol's Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA), released in March 2017. Trafficking in human beings (THB) is one of the identified crime priorities of the current EU Policy Cycle 2018-2021. The aim is to disrupt organised crime groups (OCGs) involved in intra-EU human trafficking and human trafficking from the most prevalent external source countries for the purposes of labour exploitation and sexual exploitation, including those groups using legal business structures to facilitate or disguise their criminal activities. Details: The Hague: Europol, 2018. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Situation Report: Accessed October 18, 2018 at: https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/criminal-networks-involved-in-trafficking-and-exploitation-of-underage-victims-in-eu Year: 2018 Country: Europe URL: https://www.europol.europa.eu/publications-documents/criminal-networks-involved-in-trafficking-and-exploitation-of-underage-victims-in-eu Shelf Number: 153022 Keywords: Child Sex Trafficking Child Sexual Exploitation Child Trafficking Forced Labor Human Trafficking Labor Exploitation Sex Trafficking |
Author: Hornby Zeller Associates, Inc. Title: Maine Human Trafficking Needs Assessment Summary: Purpose of This Report "Prevalence" is simply the proportion of a population who have a specific characteristic in a given time period. Assessing the prevalence of a community problem and the needs of people who have experienced that problem is challenging when the problem itself is hidden, its definition is subject to interpretation and its treatment touches multiple service systems. That is the challenge encountered with human trafficking. Whether labor or sex trafficking, victims are unlikely to identify themselves, and generally do so only when they encounter problems with law enforcement or are accessing services. Even then, many do not recognize that they are victims or fear the reprisals that may result from admitting victimization. On the other hand, law enforcement and service providers have varying definitions and protocols for using the label "victim," and those definitions often become blurred across the multiple interactions with the person accessing services and the person who is controlling, coercing or manipulating his or her actions. Concerned citizens in Maine are attempting to determine the extent to which human trafficking does exist and the extent to which the available services are meeting the needs posed by this specific population. This report discusses the challenges associated with measuring the prevalence of human trafficking, which overlaps with the complication of defining and identifying victims and perpetrators. The report also provides examples of how Maine could estimate rates of commercial sexual activity and exploitation to provide a more accurate picture of prevalence. Identifying prevalence informs program development and planning, and ensures that providers will be more likely to reduce future exploitation. Therefore, the report also synthesizes the current service landscape in Maine, outlining what is available to meet victims' needs, and what is missing. The work will ultimately better equip providers with the information and resources needed to support potential and known victims. In January 2015, Hornby Zeller Associates, Inc. (HZA) received a contract from the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA) to conduct a needs assessment with the following objectives: 1. To provide a snapshot of the prevalence of trafficking and exploitation across diverse geographic and issue-related areas of the state, as determined by law enforcement and direct service providers working with impacted and at-risk populations. 2. To determine the impact of trafficking exploitation on State systems as well as the effect on citizens and families. 3. To determine strengths and gaps in capacity of Maine's service providers and law enforcement agencies to respond to trafficking and exploitation. 4. To recommend action steps to highlight strengths and address needs in the coming years. Following the Methodology this report consists of the following sections: Understanding Human Trafficking, Maine's Human Trafficking Landscape, Prevalence of Sex Trafficking in Maine, Maine's Response to Human Trafficking, Service Gaps and Needs, and Recommendations. Details: South Portland, Maine: 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 11, 2019 at: http://www.mainesten.org/uploads/4/4/3/6/44365787/hza_me_htna_final_for_print_01062015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.mainesten.org/uploads/4/4/3/6/44365787/hza_me_htna_final_for_print_01062015.pdf Shelf Number: 154122 Keywords: Commercial Sex Human Trafficking Labor Trafficking Maine Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault Sex Trafficking |
Author: Idris, Iffat Title: Interventions to Combat Modern Slavery Summary: Overview This report details findings from evaluations of a range of interventions to combat modern slavery. While there are three broad areas of efforts to tackle modern slavery - prevention, protection and prosecution - the main focus to date has been on prevention and, to a lesser extent, protection; prosecution has received far less attention. The literature indicates that interventions have generally proven to have limited effectiveness. Various evaluations highlight the need for information campaigns to target specific groups and advocate action rather than simply raising awareness. They also call for protection measures to be targeted, and linked to interventions in health, education, social protection and livelihoods. A number of evaluations suggest that legislation banning trafficking, child labour, etc. can be counterproductive: more stress should be put on improving labour and working conditions. Modern slavery is very broad-ranging in scope, covering forced and bonded labour, child labour, sex trafficking, human trafficking and so on. Rather than considering interventions under each type of modern slavery, this review categorises interventions into the following: - prevention - aimed at raising public awareness of modern slavery and its risks; - protection - aimed at empowering victims and helping them rebuild their lives; - prosecution - to support implementation of legislation on modern slavery. Some programmes are cross-cutting, with interventions focused on two or more categories (of prevention, protection and prosecution). Findings from such cross-cutting programmes are given under the most appropriate category. Since this review is designed to support formulation of programmes to tackle modern slavery, its focus is on whether diverse interventions have been effective or not and, crucially, what lessons or recommendations emerge from them that can be applied elsewhere. The main findings are as follows: Information campaigns - it is important that these target specific groups and that they advocate action rather than simply highlighting problems and risks. Baseline assessments can ensure that messaging is appropriate and effective. The priority within campaigns should be on engagement with communities to understand driving factors behind modern slavery and identify suitable interventions - it should not simply be on reaching the maximum number of people (a quantitative exercise). As well as explaining to potential migrants the risks involved and how to carry out safe migration, information campaigns should raise awareness of alternative options that may result in people not having to migrate. Protection measures - these too should be targeted at specific groups, in particular projects for children should be separate from those targeting women and should address their specific concerns. Projects to tackle modern slavery should be linked to interventions in education, health, social protection and livelihoods to increase effectiveness. Prosecution - simply imposing bans on trafficking, child labour, etc. will not be effective, and could even be counterproductive leading to increased vulnerability to trafficking and a rise in child labour. It is important to prioritise labour and working conditions in destinations, rather than simply emphasising prevention. Recent initiatives in the UK and California to increase transparency about modern slavery in company supply chains have had only limited impact. The review drew largely on grey literature, in particular evaluation reports for donor agency programmes. While a number of reports did focus specifically on women, the literature was to a large extent gender blind. The review found no literature looking at the issue of tackling modern slavery from the perspective of persons with disabilities. Details: Birmingham, UK: Knowledge, Evidence, and Learning for Development, 2017. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 11, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a5f23f240f0b652634c6f4d/Interventions-to-combat-modern-slavery.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a5f23f240f0b652634c6f4d/Interventions-to-combat-modern-slavery.pdf Shelf Number: 154119 Keywords: Child LaborForced LaborInformation CampaignsModern SlaveryPreventionProsecutionProtectionSex TraffickingTargeted InterventionTraffickingUnited KingdomWorking Conditions |
Author: Krieger, Kathleen Title: Evaluation of Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking Demonstration Projects: Final Report from the Second Cohort of Projects Summary: This report documents the experiences of the second cohort of three cooperative agreement awardees that implemented the Domestic Victims of Human Trafficking (DVHT) demonstration projects from October 2015 through September 2017 in Billings, Montana; North Dakota and Clay County, Minnesota; and Multnomah County, Oregon to improve services to domestic victims of human trafficking in their communities. Domestic human trafficking involves forced labor and sexual exploitation of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents including men and women; and children, youth, and adults. To improve services for domestic victims of human trafficking, the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded three cooperative agreements in 2014 to implement demonstration projects. FYSB awarded three additional cooperative agreements in 2015. The intent of the demonstration program was to build, expand, and sustain organizational and community capacity to deliver trauma-informed, culturally relevant services for domestic victims of human trafficking through a coordinated system of agency services and partnerships with community-based organizations and allied professionals. This publication is the second report from the cross-site process evaluation of ACF's DVHT demonstration program. The evaluation is overseen by ACF's Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), in collaboration with FYSB, and conducted by RTI International. The report presents evaluation findings pertaining to how projects expanded community capacity to identify and respond to domestic trafficking victims; the characteristics and experiences of survivors served by the projects; how projects provided comprehensive victim services; and the cost of case management. The report includes a summary of overall lessons learned and considerations for future programs. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2018. 182p. Source: Internet Resource: OPRE Report 2018-102: Accessed February 7, 2019 at: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/dvhtcohort2finalrpt_508b.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opre/dvhtcohort2finalrpt_508b.pdf Shelf Number: 154509 Keywords: Forced Labor Human Trafficking Sex TraffickingSexual Exploitation Victim Services Victims of Trafficking |
Author: Verite Title: Analisis de Riesgo de Indicatores de Trabajo Forzoso y Trata de Personas en la Mineria Ilegal de Oro en el Peru (Risk Analysis of Indicators of Forced Labor and Human Trafficking in Illegal Gold Mining in Peru) Summary: Verite took out a documentary and field research on forced work and treatment of people in the mining of illegal gold in Peru from August 2012 to January 2013. With the support of Humanity United, during the month of August, Verite realized the investigatory documentary, a mapping of the production areas and chain of gold supply in Peru and several consultations with experts with the end of preparing for the field research during the month of September of the year, the investigators of Verite interviewed experts in Lima. They also had interviews with workers in Cusco and Puno. During the month of January 2013, Verite performed the investigation of the field in the department of Arequipa and took out additional queries with experts in Lima. The researchers of Verite interviewed in total, 33 experts (from organizations and representatives of the government and academia); 95 workers directly involved in the mining of gold and another 70 individuals (among them, labor intermediaries, an employer, gold buyers, gold processors, sellers of gold jewelry, independent gold producers, members of cooperatives, union representatives, sex workers, transporters of workers, children, mechanics, cooks and a teacher). Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2016. 142p. Source: Internet Resource (in Spanish): Accessed April 27, 2019 at: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Indicadores-de-Trabajo-Forzoso-en-la-Mineri%CC%81a-Ilegal-de-Oro-en-el-Peru%CC%81-final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Peru URL: https://www.verite.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Indicadores-de-Trabajo-Forzoso-en-la-Mineri%CC%81a-Ilegal-de-Oro-en-el-Peru%CC%81-final.pdf Shelf Number: 155578 Keywords: Child Labor Forced Labor Gold Mining Human Rights Abuses Modern Day Slavery Peru Sex Trafficking |
Author: Currier, Alyssa Title: 2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report Summary: Holding human traffickers accountable through criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as civil lawsuits, is a crucial element of an effective, victim-centered approach to combating human trafficking. Human traffickers are economically motivated, compelling people to work or to engage in commercial sex for the trafficker's own profit. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 criminalizes this form of exploitation at the federal level and has provided increasingly more protection for victims over time. The TVPA provides, inter alia, mandatory victim restitution and the option for victims to sue their traffickers civilly. In 2017, the Human Trafficking Institute ("Institute") published the first Federal Human Trafficking Report, an exhaustive review of federal efforts to hold traffickers accountable for their exploitative conduct. The 2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report ("Report") is a continuation of the Institute's efforts to provide comprehensive data about every criminal and civil human trafficking case that federal courts handle each year. The Report's findings are not a prevalence estimate of human trafficking within the United States, but instead, serve as an objective summary of how the federal court system is used to combat human trafficking. In 2018, there were a total of 771 active human trafficking cases in federal courts across the United States. The majority (88.2%) of the active human trafficking cases were criminal prosecutions. The remaining 11.8% of the active human trafficking cases were civil suits. Criminal Cases -- In 2018, the government initiated 171 criminal human trafficking cases in federal courts. Ninety-five percent of the initiated cases were sex trafficking cases, and 4.7% were labor trafficking cases. This represents a 29% decrease in the number of initiated cases from the 241 new criminal cases in 2017. Since the TVPA was enacted in 2000, the number of human trafficking cases prosecuted has increased dramatically. In 2000, the federal government initiated four human trafficking cases. In 2007, the year the Justice Department formed the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, initiated federal prosecutions jumped to 55 new cases. Although the number of sex trafficking prosecutions charged by the federal government each year has greatly increased since the enactment of the TVPA, the number of new labor trafficking cases has remained relatively stagnant. Case Type -- Over half (51.6%) of the criminal human trafficking cases active in 2018 were sex trafficking cases involving only child victims. The remaining 48.4% of the criminal cases were sex trafficking cases involving only adult victims (16.3%), sex trafficking cases involving adult and child victims (16.2%), sex trafficking sting cases without identified victims (8.4%), sex trafficking cases where the age of the victim was undisclosed (2.4%), and labor trafficking cases (5.1%). Business Models -- Criminal defendants used the internet to solicit buyers of commercial sex in 87.7% of the sex trafficking cases active in 2018. Of these cases, public sources identified Backpage as a platform used to solicit buyers in 300 cases. The number of cases involving Backpage dropped 18.3% from 2017, following the shutdown of Backpage in April 2018. Only 5.3% of the sex trafficking cases active in 2018 involved commercial sex being marketed on a street or track known for prostitution. This is a slight decline from the 6.6% of sex trafficking cases that involved street-based commercial sex in 2017. In 2018, labor trafficking defendants most commonly compelled victims to work as domestic servants. Of the labor trafficking cases active in 2018, 38.7% involved domestic work, where victims were forced to provide house cleaning, childcare, and other household tasks. The other top industries where defendants commonly compelled victims to work included food services or restaurant labor (19.4%), farming or agricultural labor (12.9%), and construction labor (12.9%). These were the same top four business models as in 2017. Methods of Coercion -- Traffickers frequently use a combination of coercive tactics to compel a victim to provide sex or labor. In 2018, evidence in over half (56.2%) of the sex trafficking cases indicated that a defendant used physical violence to force a victim to engage in commercial sex.iii In addition to violent methods of coercion, traffickers commonly rely upon more subtle forms of coercion to control their victims. Of the sex trafficking cases active in 2018, 42.6% involved a defendant threatening to use violence against a victim, 25.4% involved a defendant verbally or emotionally abusing a victim, and 23.3% involved a defendant placing a victim in physical isolation in order to coerce the victim to engage in commercial sex. Defendants in over one-third (36.2%) of the active sex trafficking cases allegedly induced a substance addiction, or exploited an existing addiction, as a method to control a victim. The most common methods of coercion used by defendants in labor trafficking cases active in 2018 were the withholding of pay (60%) and threats of physical abuse (60%). In 57.1% of the cases, defendants used physical violence to coerce a victim to work or provide services. Non-physical methods of coercion targeting migrant populations appeared in public sources more frequently in labor trafficking cases than sex trafficking cases. For example, 51.4% of labor trafficking cases included evidence that a defendant threatened a victim would be deported if he or she did not comply with the defendant's demands. In comparison, only 2.6% of sex trafficking cases mentioned a defendant's threat of deportation as a method of coercion. .... Details: Merrifield, VA: Human Trafficking Institute, 2019. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2019 at: https://www.traffickingmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2018-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-Low-Res.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.traffickingmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2018-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-Low-Res.pdf Shelf Number: 155619 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Maguire, Edward Title: Baseline Assessment for Project Lantern Summary: This report presents the findings from a study conducted in October 2006 to examine sexual trafficking in minors in Cebu, Philippines. The study was conducted by Crime and Justice Analysts, Inc. (CJA), an independent research and evaluation firm specializing in criminology and criminal justice. The International Justice Mission (IJM) retained CJA to support its work in reducing the number of sex trafficking victims by conducting a formal, scientific study collecting quantitative data that will help measure the impact of a new initiative, Project Lantern. The project is designed to reduce the incidence of sex trafficking in the target area by strengthening local capacity to successfully locate, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators, thereby leading to increased expectations of criminal sanctions for violating trafficking laws. The baseline study described here is the first of three waves of data collection designed to measure the availability of sex-trafficking victims in Cebu. Together, these three waves will be used by IJM and its contractors to evaluate the effectiveness of Project Lantern. IJM provided CJA with a list of eight indicators or proxies intended to measure the availability of child sex trafficking victims. CJA then deployed a team of 10 people (including eight investigators, one data collection expert, and one security expert) to the Philippines for training and data collection. The eight investigators each spent seven (and in some cases eight) nights visiting bars, brothels, massage parlors, malls, a red light district, and other locations where people seeking sex go to find prostituted or commercially exploited women and girls. The eight investigators posed as sex tourists and sought out prostituted or commercially exploited minors. They engaged in training on age estimation and used a number of age-confirmation processes to determine whether someone was in fact a minor. While conducting their covert observations, the investigators systematically collected data on a number of variables having to do with the people they were meeting and the places they were visiting. As they gathered the necessary data, they submitted it regularly to a centralized command center using cellular telephones (either by voice or by text). The data were entered into a series of databases by a data coordinator at the command center. Those databases, as well as the qualitative field notes written by the investigators at the end of their shifts, constitute the primary data sources for the findings presented in this report. During the course of the study, the investigators made 84 visits to bars, 12 visits to brothels, 19 visits to massage parlors, 16 visits (walk-throughs) to malls, and four visits to a busy red-light district. Out of the 94 bars, brothels, and massage parlors visited by the investigators (some were visited multiple times), commercially exploited minors were located in 35. Altogether, the investigators observed approximately 1,550 prostituted or commercially exploited women and girls. Of these, 103 (6.6%) were confirmed as minors. Across all attempts to locate minors, it took our investigative teams, on average, 113 minutes to locate a minor. The report presents a more detailed look at the study's findings. The results of the baseline study confirm the presence of prostituted or commercially exploited minors in Cebu. Although our investigators routinely encountered token resistance to their efforts to find minors, the fact that they were able to find them so quickly and so easily suggests that there are many to be found. The investigators were unable, despite their best efforts, to locate prostituted or commercially exploited preteens; most of the minors we discovered were 16 or 17 years old. Our findings also suggest that minors come to be employed in the sex trade through different routes, although all of them are considered "trafficking victims" under Philippine law. Some appear to seek the work out of economic necessity; several minors told us they forged their paperwork to get the job. Others fit the more conventional image of a sex trafficking victim in the sense that they were taken involuntarily from their homes, they are moved around to work in different cities depending on customer demand, and they show visible signs of maltreatment and poor living conditions. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the extent to which criminological interventions like Project Lantern have been subjected to independent, external evaluation to assess their effectiveness. The new emphasis on evaluation research is part of a larger movement in several disciplines toward "evidence-based" policymaking. We applaud IJM and the Gates Foundation for their willingness to evaluate the effectiveness of Project Lantern. The result will be an increased understanding of sexual trafficking in minors and hopefully an enhanced capacity to implement effective solutions. Details: Fairfax, VA: Crime and Justice Analysts, 2007. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 21, 2019 at: Rutgers Criminal Justice Library. Year: 2007 Country: Philippines URL: http://www.edmaguire.net/Reports Shelf Number: 155953 Keywords: BrothelsChild Sex TraffickingCommercially Exploited MinorsHuman TraffickingProstitutionRed Light DistrictSex TouristsSex Trafficking |
Author: Maguire, Edward Title: Wave 2 Assessment for Project Lantern Summary: This report presents the findings from a study conducted in August 2008 to examine sexual trafficking in minors in Cebu, Philippines. The study was conducted by Crime and Justice Analysts, Inc. (CJA), an independent research and evaluation firm specializing in criminology and criminal justice. The International Justice Mission (IJM) retained CJA to support its work in reducing the number of child sex trafficking victims by conducting a formal, scientific study collecting quantitative data that will help measure the impact of its Project Lantern initiative. The project is designed to reduce the incidence of child sex trafficking in the target area by strengthening local capacity to successfully locate, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators, thereby leading to increased expectations of criminal sanctions for violating trafficking laws. The wave 2 study described here is the second of three waves of data collection designed to measure the availability of child sex-trafficking victims in Cebu. Wave 1 of this study was conducted in October 2006. Together, these three waves will be used by IJM and its contractors to evaluate the effectiveness of Project Lantern. IJM provided CJA with a list of eight indicators or proxies intended to measure the availability of child sex trafficking victims. During wave 2, CJA deployed a team of 11 people (including eight investigators, two data collection staff, and one security director) to the Philippines for training and data collection. The eight investigators each spent eight (and in some cases nine) nights visiting bars, brothels, massage parlors, malls, a red light district, and other locations where people seeking sex go to find prostituted or commercially exploited women and girls. The eight investigators engaged in training on age estimation and used a number of age-confirmation processes to determine whether someone was in fact a minor. They then posed as sex tourists and sought out prostituted or commercially exploited minors. While conducting their covert observations, the investigators systematically collected data on a number of variables having to do with the people they were meeting and the places they were visiting. As they gathered the necessary data, they submitted it regularly to a centralized command center using cellular telephones (either by voice or by text). The data were entered into a master database by two data coordinators at the command center. This database, the qualitative field notes written by the investigators at the end of their shifts, and photographs and audio/visual footage taken of suspected and confirmed minors, constitute the primary data sources for the findings presented in this report. During the course of the study, the investigators undertook 88 visits to bars, 4 visits to brothels, 10 visits to massage parlors, 8 visits (walk-throughs) to malls, 2 street encounters, 9 pimp encounters, and 8 dates. Out of the 69 bars, 3 brothels, and 10 massage parlors visited by the investigators (some were visited multiple times), commercially exploited minors were located in 15. Altogether, the investigators observed approximately 1,335 prostituted or commercially exploited women and girls. Of these, 29 (2.2%) were confirmed as minors. Across all attempts to locate minors, it took our investigative teams, on average, 5 hours and 15 minutes to locate a minor. The report presents a more detailed look at the study's findings. The results of the baseline (wave 1) study confirmed the presence of prostituted or commercially exploited minors in Cebu. Wave 2 of the study also confirmed the presence of prostituted or commercially exploited minors in Cebu, though in reduced numbers: 29 (2.2%) in wave 2 compared to 103 (6.6%) in wave 1. Our investigators routinely encountered token resistance to their efforts to find minors in wave 1. It took a greater amount of time for our investigators to locate minors during wave 2, suggesting that the prevalence of minors in the sex trade has decreased. As in wave 1, the investigators were unable, despite their best efforts, to locate prostituted or commercially exploited preteens; most of the minors we discovered were 16 or 17 years old. Based on our interviews with minors, we know that many enter the sex trade through different routes, although all of them are considered "trafficking victims" under Philippine law. Some appear to seek out the work out of economic necessity; several minors told us they forged their paperwork to get the job. Others fit the more conventional image of a sex trafficking victim in the sense that they were taken involuntarily from their homes, they are moved around to work in different cities depending on customer demand, and they show visible signs of maltreatment and poor living conditions. Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the extent to which criminological interventions like Project Lantern have been subjected to independent, external evaluation to assess their effectiveness. The new emphasis on evaluation research is part of a larger movement in several disciplines toward "evidence-based" policymaking. We applaud IJM and the Gates Foundation for their willingness to evaluate the effectiveness of Project Lantern. The result will be an increased understanding of sexual trafficking in minors, and hopefully an enhanced capacity to implement effective solutions. Details: Fairfax, VA: Crime and Justice Analytics, 2009. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 21, 2019 at: Rutgers Criminal Justice Library. Year: 2009 Country: Philippines URL: http://www.edmaguire.net/Reports Shelf Number: 155955 Keywords: Brothels Child Sex Trafficking Commercially Exploited Minors Human Trafficking Philippine Prostitution Red Light District Sex Tourists Sex Trafficking |
Author: Maguire, Edward Title: Wave 3 Assessment for Project Lantern Summary: This report presents the findings from a study conducted in May 2010 to examine sexual trafficking of minors in Cebu, Philippines. The study was conducted by Crime and Justice Analysts, Inc. (CJA), an independent research and evaluation firm specializing in crime and criminal justice issues. International Justice Mission (IJM) retained CJA to support its work in reducing the number of child sex trafficking victims by conducting a formal, scientific study collecting quantitative data to help measure the impact of its Project Lantern initiative. The project is designed to reduce the incidence of child sex trafficking in the target area by strengthening local capacity to successfully locate, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators, thereby leading to increased expectations of criminal sanctions for violating trafficking laws. The wave 3 study described in this report is the final of three waves of data collection designed to measure the availability of child sex-trafficking victims in Cebu. Wave 1 of this study was conducted in October of 2006 and wave 2 was conducted in August 2008. We also present findings here comparing data across the three waves of data collection. Together these three waves of data will be used by IJM and its contractors to evaluate the effectiveness of Project Lantern. IJM provided CJA with a list of eight indicators or proxies intended to measure the availability of child sex trafficking victims. During wave 3, CJA deployed a team of 11 people (including eight investigators, two data collection staff, and one security director) to the Philippines for training and data collection. The eight investigators each spent seven nights visiting bars, brothels, massage parlors, malls, red light districts, and other locations where people seeking sex go to find prostituted or commercially exploited women and girls. The eight investigators engaged in training on age estimation and used a number of age-confirmation processes to determine whether someone was in fact a minor. They then posed as sex tourists and sought out prostituted or commercially exploited minors. While conducting their covert observations, the investigators systematically collected data on a number of variables having to do with the people they were meeting and the places they were visiting. As they gathered the necessary data, they submitted it regularly to a centralized command center using cellular telephones (either by voice or text). The data were entered into a master database by two data coordinators at the command center. This database, the qualitative field notes written by the investigators at the end of their shifts, and photographs and audio/visual footage taken of suspected and confirmed minors, constitute the primary data sources for the findings presented in this report. During the course of the wave 3 study, the investigators undertook 114 visits to bars, 7 visits to brothels, 8 visits to massage parlors, 12 visits to malls, 13 street encounters, 8 pimp encounters, and 6 dates. Out of the 68 bars, 5 brothels, and 8 massage parlors visited by the investigators (some were visited multiple times), commercially exploited minors were located in 10. Altogether, the investigators observed approximately 1,369 prostituted or commercially exploited women and girls. Of these, 21 (1.5%) were confirmed as minors. Across all attempts to locate minors, it took our investigative teams, on average, 7 hours and 29 minutes to locate a minor. This report presents detailed findings from wave 3, while also providing an overview of findings from all waves of the study. Results from the wave 1 and 2 studies confirmed the presence of prostituted or commercially exploited minors in Cebu. Wave 3 also confirmed the presence of prostituted or commercially exploited minors in Cebu, though in reduced numbers: 21 (1.5%) in wave 3 compared to 29 (2.2%) in wave 2, and 103 (6.6%) in wave 1. Our investigators routinely encountered token resistance to their efforts to find minors in wave 1. It took longer for our investigators to locate minors during wave 2. During wave 3, investigators found locating minors to be even more difficult than in the two previous waves, suggesting that the prevalence of minors in the sex trade has decreased over time. As in waves 1 and 2, the investigators were unable, despite their best efforts, to locate prostituted or commercially exploited preteens. The majority of minors discovered across all three waves of this study were 16 or 17 years old. Based on our interviews with minors, we know that many enter the sex trade through different routes, although all of them are considered "trafficking victims" under Philippine law. Some appear to seek out the work out of economic necessity; several minors told us they forged their paperwork to get the job. Others fit the more conventional image of a sex trafficking victim in the sense that they were taken involuntarily from their homes, they are moved around to work in different cities depending on customer demand, and they show visible signs of maltreatment and poor living conditions. Over the past decade there has been an increase in the extent to which criminological interventions like Project Lantern have been subjected to independent, external evaluation to assess their effectiveness. The new emphasis on evaluation research is part of a larger movement in several disciplines toward "evidence-based" policymaking. We applaud IJM and the Gates Foundation for their willingness to evaluate the effectiveness of Project Lantern. This investment in quantitative research is sorely needed to shed light on human trafficking, a topic about which much has been written but little is known. Even relatively straightforward questions like whether prosecuting traffickers will reduce trafficking have still not been settled. For instance, one commentator noted "there is little evidence that prosecutions have any significant impact on aggregate levels of trafficking." The culmination of the Project Lantern evaluation will help improve knowledge about sexual trafficking in minors, and contribute to an enhanced capacity to implement effective solutions. Details: Fairfax, VA: Crime and Justice Analysts, 2010. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 21, 2019 at: Rutgers Criminal Justice Library. Year: 2010 Country: Philippines URL: http://www.edmaguire.net/Reports Shelf Number: 155954 Keywords: Brothels Child Sex Trafficking Commercially Exploited Minors Human TraffickingPhilippines Prostitution Red Light District Sex Tourists Sex Trafficking |
Author: Jones, Andrew Title: An Evaluation of the International Justice Mission's "Project Lantern": Assessment of the Five-Year Impact and Change in the Public Justice System Summary: Project Lantern is the International Justice Mission's five-year anti-sex trafficking project in Cebu, the Philippines, funded in 2005 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Cebu, located at the confluence of transportation networks and marked by a booming regional economy and high numbers of tourists from all over the world, is a human trafficking source, point of transit and destination. While the Philippines has criminalized human trafficking through the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 (Republic Act No. 9208, or RA 9208), availability of the protection of this law is predicated on a functioning public justice system. The primary intended outcome of Project Lantern, therefore, was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a law enforcement-based strategy to reduce the prevalence of sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of children in the Metro Cebu area. An external project evaluation was commissioned in May 2010 to assess change in the Metro Cebu public justice system's response to sex trafficking and the role of Project Lantern in fomenting that change. The evaluation emphasized components of the system primarily targeted for change through the project: law enforcement, social services, and prosecution and conviction of perpetrators through the court system. An evaluation framework and methodology was developed and agreed upon with IJM, including a set of evaluation questions to assess resulting changes and a rating scale for each of the relevant dimensions of a strong public sector system. The latter was created to define the standard against which the evaluators would assess the strength of the system. The evaluation collected qualitative data from project stakeholders - select informants screened for their experience with the project and participation in anti-sex trafficking efforts in Cebu, including IJM staff - through a series of 23 interviews with 28 individuals and 7 focus groups with 39 total participants. The evaluation also utilized quantitative data from project monitoring documents and external research supported by IJM. Details: Washington, DC: International Justice Mission, 2010. 122p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 19, 2019 at: https://www.ijm.org/documents/studies/Cebu-Project-Lantern-Impact-Assessment.pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: https://www.ijm.org/studies/evaluation-of-project-lantern Shelf Number: 156527 Keywords: Anti-Sex Trafficking Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Project Evaluation Sex Traffickers Sex Trafficking |
Author: Shaw, Dave Title: Child Sex Trafficking in Angeles City: Using Time-Space Sampling to Measure Prevalence of Child Sex Trafficking in Angeles City and Mabalacat in the Philippines Summary: Introduction: This report presents the results of a 2016 study to measure the prevalence of child sex trafficking in establishment and street-based exploitation in Angeles City and Mabalacat, the Philippines. The study was conducted by International Justice Mission in March 2016. The Wave 2 Study described in this IJM report is the second of two waves of data collection designed to measure the availability of child sex trafficking victims in Angeles City and Mabalacat. Dubbed the "Entertainment Capital of Central Luzon" and the former site of the U.S. Clark Air Force Base, Angeles City and Mabalacat have a thriving sex trade, particularly along Fields Avenue. While initially developed to feed the demand created by the neighboring Clark AFB, the sex trade continued to grow even after the airbase closed in 1991. In 2010, the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation Region 3 director referred to the area as "ground zero" for human trafficking in the Philippines. Understanding the nature and scale of a child sex trafficking phenomenon is critical to an effective response. However, very little reliable data exists regarding the phenomenon. Past studies such as "Surviving Violence & Trafficking: Stories of Women and Youth in Angeles City" (conducted by The Red Anti-Violence Project and funded by the European Union) identified sex trafficking as a major problem in the region. Accurate assessment of child sex trafficking in the Philippines is difficult because children exploited for sex are a "hidden" population due to the clandestine nature of the crime. These studies are an attempt to provide accurate data on child sex trafficking in Angeles City and Mabalacat by systematically identifying, documenting and analyzing current cases of child sex trafficking in the target area. This data will assist IJM, other anti-trafficking NGOs and the Philippine Government in measuring and evaluating the impact of past anti-trafficking efforts, as well as in guiding future initiatives. Methodology: This study utilized a form of time-space sampling, coupled with undercover data collection, to measure the prevalence of child sex trafficking in Angeles City and Mabalacat. In total, 144 commercial sex locations were mapped and stratified by type. Over the course of the study, data collectors surveyed 142 randomly sampled locations. Data collectors gathered both quantitative and qualitative information through undercover investigative methods on the nature and prevalence of minors trafficked for sex. They used both direct observation and interactions with adults in the commercial sex industry, children in commercial sex establishments, pimps, mamasans and other intermediaries. Results: The data collected during the 2016 Wave 2 study indicates that the prevalence of child sex trafficking in Angeles City and Mabalacat was 1.21% in March 2016. This means that, on average, roughly one out of every 83 CSWs identified by data collectors was a minor. When compared to the data from the 2012 Wave 1 prevalence study, this represents an 86.23% reduction. During the 2016 study, data collectors had significant trouble finding identifiable minors trafficked for sex. Prevalence of minors decreased across all location types surveyed. In general, child sex trafficking prevalence was highest in locations typically frequented by Filipino customers (2.16%), and lowest in locations typically frequented by expat or Caucasian customers (0.35%). Throughout the study, individuals associated with the commercial sex industry in Angeles City and Mabalacat exhibited significant fear of law enforcement, and they routinely questioned IJM data collectors as to whether they were law enforcement officers. Details: Washington, DC: International Justice Mission, 2016. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 21, 2019 at: https://www.ijm.org/documents/studies/ijm-pampanga-final-web-pdf-v2.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://www.traffickingmatters.com/category/resources/ngo-reports/international-justice-mission/ Shelf Number: 156562 Keywords: Child Exploitation Child Sex Trafficking Human Rights Abuses Law Enforcement Philippines Prostitution Sex Trafficking |
Author: Economist Intelligence Unit Title: The Global Illicit Trade Environment Index Summary: Most Europeans will have been exposed to some form of illicit trade, whether it's street vendors selling counterfeit goods, pirated software or entertainment media, or even the offer of an exotic, and often endangered, animal. Another type of illicit trade, human trafficking, has been reported by major national media outlets, such as the BBC, Der Spiegel and El Pais. These outlets have published numerous stories about the victims of sex trafficking, such as the brutal kidnapping and smuggling of girls and women from rural Albania and the smuggling of Nigerian women to Italy. They have also written about the trafficking of migrant workers from Colombia to Spain, where they are kept like slaves on the economy's pig farms. Highlighting this issue further, the European Commission released a report detailing the multiple dimensions and facets of human trafficking. International organisations, including the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and the OECD, have noted in their research that the dark side of globalisation and technological development is that it provides criminal organisations with new methods to expand their reach across borders. In its 2016 report on illicit trade, the OECD cites the use of social media by criminal networks to identify targets for cyber-extortion. It also highlights how the globalisation of sports events has led to an increase in unregulated sports betting, which can be linked to money laundering. Europol describes, in its Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) report of 2017, how document fraud, money laundering and e-commerce in illicit goods and services have become new engines for organised crime. "These cross-cutting criminal threats enable and facilitate most, if not all, other types of serious and organised crime," the report notes. These illicit trade flows are bad for governments, which are losing tax revenue, as well as for businesses, which are losing income due to the trade in counterfeits and pirated goods. They are also harmful to consumers who are being exposed to poorly made and unregulated products and whose health is jeopardised by counterfeit pharmaceuticals and adulterated alcohol. In addition, illicit trade amplifies the threat to already-marginalised populations, like the Roma in Europe, by turning them into targets for human traffickers. And, among other ill-effects, it has a broad impact on global biodiversity, as it threatens wildlife, pushing many species closer to extinction to satisfy the growing demand for their use in traditional medicines, for keeping as pets or even to be obtained as part of a collection. To measure how nations are addressing the issue of illicit trade, the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade has commissioned The Economist Intelligence Unit to produce the Global Illicit Trade Environment Index. The global index expands upon an Asia-specific version, originally created by The Economist Intelligence Unit in 2016 to score 17 economies in Asia on the extent to which they enabled or prevented illicit trade. The Asian index generated much needed attention on the issue of illicit trade within the region. Building upon the success of the Asia index, the global index now includes 84 economies, providing a global perspective and new insights on the social and economic impacts of illicit trade. Details: London: The Economist, Intelligence Unit, 2018. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 27, 2019 at: http://illicittradeindex.eiu.com/documents/EIU%20Global%20Illicit%20Trade%20Environment%20Index%202018%20-%20Europe%20June%206%20FINAL.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Europe URL: http://illicittradeindex.eiu.com/documents/EIU%20Global%20Illicit%20Trade%20Environment%20Index%202018%20-%20Europe%20June%206%20FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 156596 Keywords: Black Market Counterfeit Goods Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals Human Smuggling Human Trafficking Illicit Trade Organized Crime Sex Trafficking |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia Title: India Country Report: To Prevent and Combat Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Women Summary: Traffi cking of human beings, especially of women and children, is an organized crime that violates basic human rights. As per the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Traffi cking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, traffi cking is defi ned as any activity leading to recruitment, transportation, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or a position of vulnerability. Traffi cking as a crime has seen an increasing trend especially in the last two decades globally. Human traffi cking has been identifi ed as the third largest source of profi t for organized crime, following arms and drug traffi cking, generating billions of dollars annually at the global level. Traffi cking takes places for various purposes such as labour, prostitution, organ trade, drug couriers, arms smuggling etc. However, these cannot be seen in isolation as they have a crosscutting nexus and linkage, which compounds the constraints faced in tackling the problem. It is also seen that while the methods used for traffi cking such as coercion, duping, luring, abducting, kidnapping etc. are commonly cited, it is the social and economic constraints of the victims that make them most vulnerable. With growing globalization and liberalization, the possibilities and potential for traffi cking have also grown. People tend to migrate in search of better opportunities. Though this is a positive trend, it has also led to the emergence of other complex issues such as smuggling of people across borders and unsafe migration by unscrupulous touts and agents. While trafficking has severe implications on the psycho-social and economic well-being of the victim, highly adverse ramifications are also seen on the society and the nation. By denying the victims their basic rights to good health, nutrition, education and economic independence, the country loses a large number of women and children as victims to this crime, who otherwise would have contributed productively to its growth. A growing concern is that trafficking has an adverse impact on the problem of HIV/AIDS too. Some studies have revealed that the longer the confinement in brothels, the greater is the probability of the victims contracting HIV/AIDS due to poor negotiation for safe sex methods. The country has to incur huge costs for health and rehabilitation as well as for law enforcement. Trafficking - Situation in India India is a Republic comprising 28 States and seven Union Territories, and has a population of more that one billion. The Constitution of India envisages a parliamentary form of government and is federal in nature, with unitary features. The States of India vary greatly in terms of language, culture, religion and tradition. Over the years, India has emerged as a source, destination, and transit country for traffi cking for varied purposes such as for commercial sexual exploitation and labour. While intra-country traffi cking forms the bulk of the traffi cked victims, cross-border traffi cking also takes place, especially from Nepal and Bangladesh. Women and children are also traffi cked to the Middle Eastern countries and other parts of the world for purposes of cheap labour and commercial sexual exploitation. The number of traffi cked persons is diffi cult to determine due to the secrecy and clandestine nature of the crime. However, studies and surveys sponsored by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) estimates that there are about three million prostitutes in the country, of which an estimated 40 percent are children, as there is a growing demand for very young girls to be inducted into prostitution on account of customer preferences. A few alarming trends that have emerged in recent years are sexual exploitation through sex tourism, child sex tourism, paedophilia, prostitution in pilgrim towns and other tourist destinations, cross-border traffi cking (especially from Nepal and Bangladesh) etc. Substantial efforts have been made in the last decade or so in the area of Anti-Human Traffi cking by government institutions/state machinery, the civil society organizations, the judiciary and the law enforcement authorities. The purpose of this India Country Report is multi-pronged: Primarily, it documents the journey traversed by India in addressing the issues of traffi cking in women and children from World Congress II (WCII - Yokohama, 2002) to World Congress III on Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents (WCIII - Rio de Janeiro, 2008)1. It elucidates the good practices in the area of anti-human traffi cking in the country and also acknowledges the efforts of the government, civil society organizations, international, bilateral and multilateral agencies, survivor groups, as well as dedicated individuals in the country to combat this heinous crime. Finally, the document also explicates the processes through which prevention, protection and prosecution efforts, towards anti-human traffi cking, have evolved in India. The report will not only be a tool for presenting the anti-human traffi cking efforts in India at the World Congress III (Rio de Janeiro, November 2008), but also act as an advocacy document to identify and infl uence future programming. Details: New Delhi, India: United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime and Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, 2008. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 15, 2019 at: https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/India%20Country%20Report.pdf Year: 2008 Country: India URL: https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/India%20Country%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 157008 Keywords: Child Sex TourismExploitationForced LaborIndiaProstitutionSex TourismSex TraffickingSex WorkTrafficking in Persons |