Sex Trafficking of Minors
in America's Schools:
Why Prevention Education Is Necessary
8:00 CHCEK IN; CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
Exhibitor Tables open
9:00 - 9:15 WELCOME REMARKS
JEFFREY REZMOVIC, Chief of Staff, Department of Homeland Security BLUE CAMPAIGN, The DHS Blue Campaign is the unified voice for the Department's efforts to combat human trafficking. Children and adults of all ages, genders, races, and socio-economic backgrounds may become vulnerable to human trafficking, including forced labor, sex trafficking, and domestic servitude. Jeff will tell us why schools must take an active role in fighting human trafficking.
9:15 - 10:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESS
"Human Trafficking in America's Schools : What We Have Found and Why Prevention Education is Crucial" by EVE N. BIRGE, Education Program Specialist, U.S. Department of Education. Over the last decade, the issue of human trafficking and its manifestation in our nation’s schools has become a focus for the Department of Education and countless school districts. Students in every school across America are vulnerable to recruitment by traffickers. School community members are frontline caregivers who are uniquely qualified to identify human trafficking. Eve will provide information to help you understand this issue and formulate a plan for recognizing and responding to signs of trafficking in your school and community.
10:00 - 10:45 PREVALENCE
Although many communities are battling this problem and major stakeholders are acknowledging that domestic minor sex trafficking is an emerging health crisis that is reaching epidemic proportions, there are no prevalence numbers at this time which can be a major barrier to action. LAURA J. LEDERER JD, Founder, Global Centurion Foundation, will discuss 1) reasons for the lack of statistics, 2) what is being done to quantify prevalence on local, state and federal levels, and 3) why we still need to fight human trafficking despite a lack of evidenced-based statistical data on the true scope of the problem. However, there is solid evidence to prove that youth with a history with the Department of Social Services have a 5x greater risk of being sexually trafficked. ANA CODY, Human Trafficking Specialist, US Department of Health and Human Services, will discuss the intersection between runaway, homeless, and LGBTQ youth and human trafficking, the sad reality of these issues, and the importance of prevention and intervention. She will also discuss the evidence-base runaway prevention curriculum Let’s Talk and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) current efforts to combat human trafficking among vulnerable populations.
10:45 - 11:00 BREAK
11:00 - 11:45 IDENTIFYING VICTIMS OF CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING
KRISTINA VADAS, LCSW, MSW, Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. According to Shared Hope, the #5 venue where pimps find their victims is in schools. Kristina will teach attendees 1) how to recognize potential trafficking indicators, 2) what the immediate response strategies are when a child is identified, and 3) and what referral resources are needed to begin the child's healing and restoration.
11:45- 1:00 LUNCH & LEARN
Lunch Discussion with JENNIFER A. JOHNSON, PhD, Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University, will lead a discussion entitled, "THE EFFECTS OF PORNOGRAPHY ON YOUTH."
Anti-trafficking organizations will occupy exhibitor tables to share their prevention programs for elementary, middle, and public high schools. Speak with the experts and understand that teen sex trafficking prevention programs are not sex education courses; rather, curricula that empowers students and teaches them how to stay safe from the predatory and deceitful tactics of sex traffickers.
1:00 - 2:00 UNDERSTANDING THE VICTIM MINDSET
ELISABETH COREY, MSW, Founder, Beating Trauma.com, and KATE PRICE, MA, PhD Candidate, University of Massachusetts Boston, will discuss the health consequences of sex abuse and trafficking on a child and why it takes time to build trust with police, medical, and social providers before a victim begins telling "kernels of truth." Is there such thing as a child prostitute? Are minors who are caught in the web of sex trafficking juvenile delinquents or victims of child abuse/rape who do not deserve to be criminalized? Why does their story keep changing? Why didn't they seek help when they had the chance? Are they victims or conspirators? Based on their recovery experiences from child sex abuse and trafficking, Elisabeth and Kate will discuss the importance of trauma-informed, victim-centered care as the most effective way to approach victims and bring healing and compassionate restoration to their lives.
2:00 - 3:30 PREVENTION PROGRAMMING: WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM
YVONNE WILLIAMS, author, advocate, and former coordinator for the National Educators To Stop Trafficking (NEST), will discuss how prevention programs on teen sex trafficking do not "scare students" but empowers students with knowledge and life skills that help them avoid the deceptive practices of sex traffickers who are using coercion to compel their target into commercial sex. NEST houses over 30 school curricula on teen trafficking prevention that are being used successfully in schools throughout the United States. Compare & Contrast. Find an excellent curriculum that fits your unique school demographic. ANGELLA M. ALVERNAZ, Human Trafficking Prevention Specialist for Prince William County Schools, Virginia, will share the success that her school district is experiencing since bringing a 90-minute Teen Sex Trafficking Prevention Program into their high schools. Based on motivational interviewing and change theory, the PWCS program is encouraging self-identification by victims themselves and their peers, and inspiring both educator and student to prevent and combat human trafficking in their school. Learn how their grant supported, system of inter-agency care is teaching the school community, law enforcement, and human service providers how to care for its victimized youth through trauma-informed and victim-centered approaches.
3:30 - 3:45 BREAK
3:45 - 5:00 Understanding The Role of Social Media and Video Games in Sex Trafficking
OPAL SINGLETON, CEO of Million Kids, will discuss how innocent young people are being targeted, recruited, and groomed through social media sites like Facebook, KIK, Instagram and Snapchat. The #4 venue where pimps find their victims is on the internet. Even with parents closely monitoring their children's computer activity, youth have access to smartphones that seamlessly connect to hidden apps where sex traffickers lurk. Marketers, pimps, and predators understand this is fertile ground for recruitment of vulnerable youth into a life of commercial sexual exploitation. Learn their tactics. Opal is the author of the book, "Seduced - The Grooming of America's Teenagers."
5:00 ADJOURN
