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May 7, 2016 by Rachel Harper

Regional Collaboration in Combatting Juvenile Sex Trafficking Surrounding Large Events and Beyond

As part of our Regional Collaboration Project, on Wednesday afternoon, May 18 at 3:00pm (Eastern), Shared Hope International will host a national briefing call on proactive, collaborative approaches to combatting human trafficking during large events, such as collegiate and professional sporting events or conventions. As cities across the U.S. host large events, leaders benefit from observing and capitalizing on the successes and challenges of task forces and collaborative efforts demonstrated in other regions. The call will cover a wide array of issues and prove helpful to first responders, local and federal law enforcement agencies, victim advocates, health care professionals, service providers, community organizers, policy advocates, and general volunteers.

Questions such as “when should preparations begin?” will be addressed, as timing continues to surface as a primary factor. Even leaders of successful efforts consistently report that they wish they had started earlier with substantive preparations.

The panelists will share a variety of tested tactics, campaigns and investigative operations. One consistent recommendation is that strategic collaboration and planning are needed to address human trafficking during large-scale events. Not only do thousands of individuals visit cities to attend high-profile events, but volunteers and other groups may also travel to the city in efforts to address human trafficking and raise awareness. Thus, the importance of communication and united efforts between law enforcement agencies will be highlighted, as well as collaboration between law enforcement and non-governmental entities, such as the hospitality industry and service providers, which can enable better identification of victims.

For example, conducting targeted trainings within all levels of law enforcement and to personnel within key industries, as well as developing outreach plans to reach potential victims, could increase reports and needed information regarding suspected trafficking activity. Additionally, considering conscious engagement and use of media through a collaborative lens can enable stronger, more consistent messaging within campaigns designed to deter demand and facilitate shifting perspectives away from viewing victims as criminals.

Another theme which will be stressed is the need to ensure access to services for victims, through non-punitive processes. To that end, the panelists will include reasons and methods to prioritize and ensure victim-centered approaches during investigations, as well as establishing various avenues for victims to access services.

These following leaders will share successes and challenges surrounding the 2015 and 2016 Super Bowls:

Agent Marty Parker, Federal Bureau of Investigation; Oakland, California;
Sergeant Kurtis Stenderup, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office; Santa Clara, California;
Christopher Watson, Program Director, Sexually Exploited Minor Program Bay Area Women Against Rape, BAWAR; Oakland, California;
Special Supervisory Agent Ryan Blay, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Civil Rights Unit/Human Trafficking Program Manager; Washington, D.C.;
Sergeant Clay Sutherlin, Phoenix Police Department; Phoenix, Arizona;
Savannah Sanders, Human Trafficking Services Manager, SAFE (Safeguarding Adolescents from Exploitation) Action Project, Sojourner Center.

April 6, 2016 by Guest

Shared Hope joins Anti-Trafficking Leaders in Launching Generation Freedom

With the race to the White House in full swing, the leaders of various anti-trafficking organizations, faith-based organizations, clergy, etc., are calling on the future President to make anti-trafficking measures a top priority in their term. Generation Freedom is asking the candidates, if they are elected President, to allocate three billion dollars of their budget to fight human trafficking. Three presenters from the upcoming JuST Faith Summit, Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Senior Pastor Northland, Mara Vanderslice Kelly, Director of the United Way Center on Human Trafficking, and Shared Hope’s Founder, Congresswoman Linda Smith joined anti-trafficking leaders, celebrities and presidential campaign staff in a press call and national launch of the Generation Freedom last week.

Congresswoman Smith began her career fighting the ever-growing and profitable business of human trafficking while she was in office and first encountered human trafficking in Mumbai, India. The earliest efforts of Shared Hope International were primarily international, but soon the organization began to focus mainly on domestic minor sex trafficking. For Generation Freedom, gaining the endorsement of many prominent leaders and of the candidates for the presidency is vital to continuing the fight against human sex and labor trafficking.

Not only is Generation Freedom’s goal to bring an end to human trafficking, but also to provide support for victims of modern-day slavery in trafficking. To this day, many domestic minor sex trafficking victims are being labeled as “child prostitutes” and are being charged as such, regardless of their classification as minors under the law. States have claimed the arrests are providing these victims with the only safe place for them to go; however, according to Shared Hope’s Protected Innocence Challenge there are many other options beyond arrest and incarceration of the victim. Instead of continuing to stand with the thirty six states that continue to charge victims of trafficking with prostitution, Generation Freedom and anti-trafficking leaders have created a call to action for the future President: spend two cents for every dollar of profit made by traffickers and we can end trafficking and provide support to survivors. For prominent members of the anti-sex trafficking circle the coalition brings accountability to businesses that either foster trafficking or allow it to happen, while providing support to those who stand against this violent crime.

United Way’s Center on Human Trafficking and Slavery coordinates the nonpartisan effort by Generation Freedom while continuing to educate and provide facts to non-experts in the field. Human trafficking has provided a profit of $150 billion dollars to traffickers around the world and 20 million victims of trafficking. Generation Freedom has asked experts in the field to join them in signing a petition and gathering others to sign in order to present their platform to the candidates and then to Congress when a President is chosen in November. Congresswoman Smith pointed out in her statement of support that the first girl and victim of trafficking whom she encountered was the age of her middle school granddaughter. We must end slavery for the betterment of the world and America’s young people so no young girl will be subjected to this horrific crime.

Written by Jordan Selby, Shared Hope Intern, Spring 2016

April 5, 2016 by Rachel Harper

Shifting towards Justice: Non-Criminalization of Child Sex Trafficking Victims

During the 2016 legislative sessions this year, at least 10 states have introduced legislation that would protect a child from being blamed for their own commercial sexual exploitation, meaning that prostitution offenses would not apply to minors. As of August 1, 2015, 14 states and DC had already enacted full non-criminalization provisions to prevent prosecution of minors for prostitution. This means that almost half of the country has enacted or is considering legislation to protect child sex trafficking victims from being put on trial for the very conduct that constitutes their victimization. Under federal law, any child who is bought or sold for sex acts is a sex trafficking victim. Last year, in the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, Congress urged the states to treat commercially sexually exploited children as victims and direct them to services instead of punitive responses and prosecutions.

Laws that protect all minors from prostitution charges are necessary to justly respond to juvenile sex trafficking victims and safeguard child victims from being treated as criminals. No child should be unfairly stigmatized as a “prostitute,” especially by the courts. In short, there is no such thing as a “child prostitute.” Shared Hope’s policy paper, Non-Criminalization of Juvenile Sex Trafficking Victims “discuss[es] the social and legal importance of ending criminalization of minors for prostitution offenses.” Prosecuting or charging a youth for prostitution offenses based on commercial sex acts is irreconcilable with the fact that the commercial sex act, itself, constitutes the abuse, rape, and exploitation of the child, rendering that child a victim in need of restorative services. Arresting, charging, detaining, and prosecuting child sex trafficking victims can re-traumatize these vulnerable victims. Additionally, arresting youth can strengthen trauma bonds with traffickers who have warned victims that they would be arrested and blamed if they were to seek help from law enforcement or were “found out.” Youth are often further bound to their trafficker and feel isolated from society when they are arrested. In her book, Walking Prey, Holly Austin Smith shares the harmful effects of her arrest and detention:

When I was arrested by law enforcement for prostitution, I was made to feel like a criminal, like a juvenile delinquent. I felt stupid, ashamed, and ostracized by society. Days later, alone in my bedroom, I felt so abandoned, so forsaken by society, that I attempted suicide.

Implementing non-criminalization and ensuring safety for commercially sexually exploited children is a consistent concern, and states have taken varied approaches in shifting from punitive to service-focused responses. Shared Hope’s field guidance document, Justice for Juveniles – A Field Guidance Report, surveys promising approaches to implementing non-criminal responses for juvenile sex trafficking victims.

Ensuring that comprehensive, trauma-informed, individualized services are provided to these victims is vital. As the trend of non-criminalization grows, states must simultaneously increase avenues to specialized services for commercially sexually exploited youth. According to the Protected Innocence Challenge, as of August 1, 2015, 29 states plus DC have enacted some sort of protective system response to direct minors away from punishment or detention and towards services, including responses of non-criminalization and other mechanisms, such as diversion or mandatory referrals by law enforcement to child welfare. Dollars are better and more justly spent on providing services to child sex trafficking victims, instead of arresting, prosecuting and punishing.

We look forward to the day where no commercially sexually exploited child in the U.S. can be charged as a “prostitute.”

March 22, 2016 by Guest

Communities of Faith: Join in this Mission of Love

by Dan Sartor

In April of 2016, Shared Hope International will host its first JuST Faith Summit in Orlando, rallying faith communities to join the mission to eradicate sex trafficking. As a person of faith I see great potential for diverse individuals from an array of backgrounds—geographic, cultural, socioeconomic, and religious—unifying to address what is arguably the greatest social, economic, and moral scourge of our nation and our world. Once we see the pervasiveness and power of the sex trafficking industry, especially the role and impact of pornography in this industry, we see that the very fabric of society, locally and globally, is at stake. Will we acknowledge each human body and soul as sacred and worthy of honor? Once we learn the tactics of this industry and come to see the lives of the enslaved, we see that it is the most vulnerable of our world who are victimized: our children.

There is a passage from the Christian Scriptures that states, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…” (James 1:27, English Standard Version). Many trafficking victims currently are, or have been, children who were sexually abused, traversed through the foster care system, and/or fled from abusive home environments. In all the ways that matter most, these children lacked a parent who was sufficiently proximate, protective, safe, and loving.

Traffickers systematically target, groom, coerce, and then psychologically and physically enslave their young victims with traumatizing tactics which are strikingly similar to torture and war crimes. As they emerge into adulthood, the history of repetitive interpersonal trauma twists their psychological and neurological functioning. As a result, their abilities to regulate emotions, to rationally problem solve, to manage behavioral impulses, to trust, to maintain healthy relationships, and to engage in moral reasoning can become notably more challenging. As a psychologist, I see these issues manifest in post-traumatic disorders, mood disorders, anxiety, personality disorders, addictions, eating disorders, dissociative disorders, and medical conditions—many of which simultaneously exist in a single DMST victim.

Pimps regularly fashion the identity of their victims as “wives,” who in reality are the most afflicted of all widows, despairing of hope to ever know the life-giving, self-sacrificing love of another. Their world instills beliefs that they are mere objects of abuse, denigration, and abandonment. Not seeing any other reality, victims may participate in the systematic recruitment, grooming, and traumatization of new victims. Sadly, the victims often become perpetrators: victimize others or be victimized.

Yet hope lies in our sharing together in this mission of love. Love brings justice. Love restores. And love is the best prevention. In the absence of love, children are susceptible. In the absence of love, sexual addicts fuel demand for DMST in empty attempts to fulfill their spiritual and relational needs. Who better to build loving individuals, families, and societies than communities of genuine faith? To visit orphans and widows will lead us to love them!

To hear more from Dan Sartor, join us on April 20-22 in Orlando, Florida at the JuST Faith Summit!

About Dan Sartor

Dan is the Director of Counseling Services at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL. He holds an academic appointment as an Associate Professor of Psychology at the college and is also an adjunct faculty member at Richmont Graduate University in Atlanta, GA. Dan trained as a generalist in Clinical Psychology; his clinical specializations include trauma recovery, addiction recovery, sexuality issues, and crisis of faith/spiritual issues. He has taught numerous graduate-level psychology and counseling courses and is an active member of the Christian Association for Psychological Studies and the American Psychological Association. He remains passionate about the work of soul care and its long-standing history in the Church. His personal mission is to facilitate spiritual vitality and relational restoration through teaching, counseling, writing, and personal encounters in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Dan completed his undergraduate work at Moody Bible Institute, where he studied music and theology. He then earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University in Los Angeles and a M.A. in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL. Prior to joining Trinity Christian College, Dan was a core faculty member for three years at Richmont Graduate University (RGU) in Atlanta, GA, following years of private practice and teaching graduate level courses. Before entering the field of mental health, he served in general pastoral and worship-leading roles as a Presbyterian minister. From this context he pursued training in counseling and psychology to better encourage and care for those who struggle through life’s greatest challenges and deepest sorrows. Dan and his wife, Robin, have four children who span the ages—and many activities—of middle school and high school. He enjoys camping with his family, reading, music, and home improvement projects.

March 17, 2016 by Guest

These Programs have Empowered Women Worldwide

Guest Post by Ashley Macdonald

While anyone can become a victim of human trafficking, Shared Hope recognizes that traffickers target susceptible individuals. Financial instability is among the vulnerabilities that can aid a victim to fall in to the horrors of human trafficking. Shared Hope International’s Women’s Investment Network (WIN) program offers women the opportunity to engage in hands-on vocational training, leadership development, and job skills courses so they build self-esteem and achieve financial independence.

International training programs are active in Nepal, India, and Jamaica. Agriculture is the mainstay of Nepal’s economy, therefore Asha Nepal’s programs include vegetable, cow and coat farming as well as tailoring, cooking, and handicrafts. In India, Ashagram provides a range of handicraft services to fit the diverse economy. Ashagram includes a sewing center, jewelry unit, bag weaving and henna design. These programs contribute to positive integration into the global economy. In Jamaica, the economy is dependent on services. Remittances and tourism account for 30% of GDP, therefore the Theodora Project focuses on appropriate skills training that meet the demand within the tourist sector. These programs enable the student to acquire the skill set to start a small business. The WIN program looks at how providing these services can address Jamaica’s large-scale unemployment rate.

Domestically, Shared Hope runs a nine-month three-phase WIN program that focuses on computers and administrative skills. Women in the program commit 20-25 hours a week to train on-site. Shared Hope International looks for partners that emphasize the importance of helping survivors gain financial independence, reflecting the principals of our WIN program. For example, Fields of Hope, a project of On Eagles Wings Ministries, allows female survivors of human trafficking (ages 16 and up) to receive valuable job skills training, spiritual mentorship, counseling, and accountability.

Sara, a participant of our domestic WIN program, states, “I gained the confidence I needed to believe I really would be able to support my son and myself. Being part of an organization that rescues women around the world while at the same time becoming better equipped for a career has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.” These programs have empowered women worldwide. Marcia, a participant of the Theodora Project, tells us of how her financial instability led her to fall in to the horrors of human trafficking. She has been working on her financial independence for over a year now with the help of our Jamaica WIN program. Providing survivors with the skills and means of creating their own economic sustainability helps reduce the risk of re-victimization and gain independence.