EDUCATION
The first step in the fight against sex trafficking, is prevention education. Treasured Vessels Foundation values providing necessary tools and resources to help educate our community, schools, hospitals, and churches.
We provide training for students, parents, and professionals. In some cases, Continuing Education Units are available.
What is sex trafficking?
The U.S. Department of Justice defines sex trafficking as the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act in which the 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.
Who is at risk?
Individuals from any class, religion, cultural, or ethnic group can be targeted in human trafficking schemes. There is no standard profile of a sex trafficking victim. Individuals who have experienced childhood abuse or neglect, homelessness, violence, substance abuse, and migrant workers are often targets.
ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES
(ACEs)
Children who experience abuse, neglect, and other traumas early in life can experience physical and emotional health issues later in life. They can experience these same issues from growing up in a dysfunctional household. These are Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACE’s. ACEs are traumatic experiences that happen before the age of 18 but last throughout adulthood. They can cause lasting mental and physical issues. Each resident in our program are assessed to fully understand the scope of past trauma. These 10 experiences are known to add vulnerabilities that traffickers use as leverage during the grooming phase of their exploitation.
The worst 16% of cases have experienced 4 or more of the below ACEs.
Survivors who enter TVF’s programs have experienced 8.5 on average.
10 Adverse Childhood Experiences
Even reading these can be triggering. Please practice self-care as you read further.
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Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often, swear at you, insult you, put you down and/or threaten you in a way that made you think that you might be physically hurt?
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Did a parent or other adult in the household often or very often…push, grab, slap, or throw something at you? Or ever hit you so hard that you had marks or were injured?
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Did an adult or person at least 5 years older ever touch or fondle or have you touch their body in a sexual way? Did anyone attempt or actually have oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse with you?
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Did you often or very often feel that no one in your family loved you or thought you were important or special? Or your family didn’t look out for each other, feel close to each other, or support each other?
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Did you often or very often feel that you didn’t have enough to eat, had to wear dirty clothes, and had no one to protect you? Or your parents were too drunk or high to take care of you or take you to the doctor if you needed it?
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Was your mother or stepmother often, or very often pushed, grabbed, slapped; or had something thrown at her? Sometimes, often, or very often kicked, bitten, hit with a fist or something hard? Ever threatened or hurt by a knife or gun or other weapon?
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As a child, did you ever live with anyone who was a problem drinker or alcoholic or lived with anyone who used street drugs?
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Was a household member ever depressed; mentally ill or sent to a mental hospital? Has a family member ever attempted suicide?
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As a child, were your parents ever separated (didn’t live together) or divorced?
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Did a household member ever go to prison, or was constantly in and out of jail?
Research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has shown that the complex mental health needs of trafficking survivors are typically not met with most programs that only offer weekly therapy, GED’s, and basic life skills.
WARNING SIGNS
WARNING SIGNS THAT AN INDIVIDUAL IS BEING TRAFFICKED:
A juvenile performs a sex act in exchange for something of value
Signs of physical abuse such as burn marks, bruises, or cuts
Sexualized behavior
Overly tired in class or unexplained absences
Withdrawn, depressed, or distracted
Brands on the body about making or having lots of money
Displays expensive clothes, accessories, or shoes
New tattoo (often used by traffickers or pimps as a way to brand victims. Often a name, crown, money bags, dollar signs, etc.)
Older boyfriend or new friends with a different lifestyle
Traveling with minimal or inappropriate luggage/belongings
Lacks identification or does not have control over their documentation
PIMPS/TRAFFICKERS OFTEN EXHIBIT THE FOLLOWING BEHAVIORS:
Jealous, controlling, and violent
Significantly older than female companions
Promise things that seem too good to be true
Encourage victims to engage in illegal activities to achieve their goals
Buy expensive gifts or own expensive items
Is vague about their profession
Pushy or demanding about sex
Encourage inappropriate sexual behavior
Make the victim feel responsible for his/her financial stability
Very open about financial matters
The Role of Social Media
It is no secret that social media plays a large role in human trafficking. As technology and trends change, so do the platforms and apps used by traffickers. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, youth spent more unsupervised time online, giving trafficking recruiters more access to groom unsuspecting young people. According to the Human Trafficking Institute, in 2022 the most commonly identified platforms used by traffickers to recruit victims are shown in the graph.
Over 700 survivors were recovered from trafficking in DFW last year.
Where do they go once they are recovered?