Thursday, August 6, 2020

Sex Trafficking Prevention and Intervention Organizations




Series: Related Organizations Lists
Author(s): Child Welfare Information Gateway
National organizations that provide information on child and youth sex trafficking prevention and intervention. If you are aware of any others, please contact Child Welfare Information Gateway at OrganizationUpdates@childwelfare.gov. Inclusion on this list is for information purposes and does not constitute an endorsement by Child Welfare Information Gateway or the Children's Bureau.
CAST-Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking
3751 West 6th Street
#70308
Los Angeles, California 90070
Phone: (213) 365-1906
Fax: (213) 365-5257
General Scope: CAST is a coalition of organizations who share a commitment to human rights and social justice by ending the modern-day slave trade. CAST partners with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and government agencies, locally and internationally, to build a powerful movement to end modern-day slavery. Reaching out to communities where potential victims of trafficking may reside, CAST offers client services such as providing survivors with legal representation, social services, and shelter at no charge to the client, training on identifying potential trafficking victims, and practitioners’ guides on human rights and health to inform a variety of audiences.
nadid: 26598
Center for Human Trafficking Awareness
3200 34th Street South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33711
Phone: (727) 341-4581
Toll-Free: (888) 373-7888
General Scope: The Center for Human Trafficking Awareness is a clearinghouse for training, speakers, publications, and community resources addressing human trafficking.

Training Specific: The Center provides in-person training in the Southeastern United States as well as online resources. The Center partners with the Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI) and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to provide tuition-free training. Training offerings include an in-person introductory 8-hour course for social service providers who may encounter human trafficking victims, law enforcement that may investigate the cases, and task force members.
nadid: 26563
Justice Planning Management Associates
P.O. Box 26
Winthrop, Maine 04364
Phone: (207) 377-8600
Training Specific:: Human Trafficking Intro for Law Enforcement, a free online training, provides an overview of the problem of human trafficking in the United States and the legal framework to help address it. Training includes web-based multimedia lessons with an audio presentation track, instructional graphics and text, and learner interactives. Training audiences include law enforcement and task force members.
nadid: 26596
Male Survivor (formerly National Organization on Male Sexual Victimization)
PO Box 276
Long Valley, New Jersey 07853
General Scope: Male Survivor is a nonprofit organization committed to the prevention, treatment, and elimination of all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men. This is accomplished through public education, advocating treatment for victims and perpetrators, and offering voice and experience to those developing prevention programs.
nadid: 26590
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
333 John Carlyle Street
Suite #125
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone: (703) 224-2150
Toll-Free: 1-800-843-5678
Fax: (703) 224-2122
General Scope: The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provides assistance to parents, children, law enforcement, schools, and the community in recovering missing children and raising public awareness about ways to help prevent child abduction, molestation, and sexual exploitation. The Center sponsors the CyberTipline for online reporting of the sexual exploitation or molesting of children.
nadid: 11019
National Children's Advocacy Center (NCAC) Child Abuse Library Online (CALiO)
210 Pratt Ave
Huntsville, Alabama 35801
Phone: (256) 533-5437
Fax: (256) 534-6883
General Scope: The CALiO library provides access to research and publications on human traffickingexternal link(opens in new window) and sex traffickingexternal link(opens in new window) of minors. The library also includes resources on polyvictimizationexternal link(opens in new window) (exposure to multiple forms of victimization).
nadid: 26591
National Human Trafficking Hotline
P.O. Box 65323
Washington, District of Columbia 20035
Phone: (202) 745-1001
Toll-Free: (888) 373-7888
Fax: (202) 745-1119
General Scope: The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a national, anti-trafficking hotline and resource center serving victims and survivors of human trafficking and the anti-trafficking community in the United States. The toll-free hotline is answered live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Callers can speak with the Hotline in English or Spanish or in more than 200 additional languages using a 24-hour tele-interpreting service. The National Hotline is operated by Polarisexternal link(opens in new window).
nadid: 22724
National Sexual Violence Resource Center
2101 N Front Street
Governor’s Plaza North, Building #2
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110
Phone: (717) 909-0710
Toll-Free: (877) 739-3895
Fax: (717) 909-0714
General Scope: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) is funded through a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Violence Preventionexternal link(opens in new window). The organization collects information and resources to assist those working to prevent sexual violence and to improve resources, outreach, and response strategies. The Center provides access to resources on reporting and recovery planning, serving child victims of sex trafficking, and addressing issues for specific populations vulnerable to sex trafficking, including children in foster care, missing and exploited children, adolescent boys, and Native women.
nadid: 20182
Office for Victims of Crime
810 Seventh Street NW, Eighth Floor
Washington, District of Columbia 20531
Phone: (202) 307-5983
Toll-Free: (888) 737-7888
Fax: (202) 514-6383
General Scope: The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The OVC website contains resources and research from OVC and other Federal Government agencies, local and national direct assistance information, a map of services and task forces, and related funding opportunities for victims and survivors of human trafficking, victim service providers, law enforcement, and allied professionals. The Child Trafficking and Exploitation site offers resources, forum discussions, and FAQs.

Training Specific: The OVC Training & Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) provides a diverse range of specialized training and technical assistance services related to human trafficking through its in-house subject matter experts and vetted consultants. Direct technical assistance is provided on task force formation, organizational structure, promising practices, revitalization, and other trafficking topics. In-person training and technical assistance, including distance consultation, tailored to requester’s needs, is available at no cost through OVC TTAC’s Customized Training and Technical Assistance Program. Any professional who encounters victims of human trafficking is eligible to request victim-centered training on human trafficking. OVC TTAC also can review protocols, training materials, and documents. Training audiences include attorneys, judges, law enforcement, prosecutors, social service providers, task force members, and allied professionals.
nadid: 11057
Office on Trafficking in Persons
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
330 C Street, SW
Washington, District of Columbia 20201
Toll-Free: (888) 373-7888
General Scope: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is committed to preventing human trafficking and ensuring that victims of all forms of human trafficking have access to the services they need. The site offers Blog posts, a Featured Resource, the opportunity to report a tip or request services, and visitors can subscribe to Human Trafficking’s Email and News Alerts.

Training Specific: A Resources section offers a list of organizations that provide training and technical assistance to build the capacity of service providers and communities to respond to human trafficking as it intersects with multiple systems. A short synopsis and contact information on each is provided. Training audiences include youth-serving organizations, government agency service providers, and communities who respond to human trafficking.
nadid: 26592
Polaris
P.O. Box 65323
Washington, District of Columbia 20035
Phone: (202) 790-6300
General Scope: Polaris is a nonprofit organization that operates the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC), hosts the national hotline on human trafficking, and engages community members in local and national grassroots efforts. The organization’s work ranges from working with government leaders to protect victims’ rights to offering direct outreach and services to victims. The organization provides information on human trafficking, including information on special populations such as youth involved in child welfare and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

Training Specific: Through the National Training and Technical Assistance Program, the Polaris Project works to ensure the implementation and institutionalization of anti-trafficking efforts and enhance community networking, coordination, and response. The Project offers in-person and online training as well as training of trainers, develops specialized curricula, offers consultation and technical assistance, and assists task forces, coalitions, and advocates with capacity building and sustainability. This includes providing information on Federal and State laws, promising practices, victim identification and assessment, and human trafficking trends. Training audiences include attorneys, judges, law enforcement, prosecutors, social service providers, task force members, and allied professionals.
nadid: 26593
Project REACH
1269 Beacon Street
The Trauma Center at JRI
Brookline, Massachusetts 20446
Phone: (617) 232–1303 ex. 211
Fax: (617) 232-1280
General Scope: Project REACH provides consultation and brief mental health services to trafficking victims throughout the United States. Project REACH provides case consultation to local health providers regarding individuals who have been trafficked, offering expertise on trauma and mental health to local providers.

Training Specific: Project REACH offers in-person training and distance consultation about trafficking and trauma. Project REACH works to train local service providers, including first responders and law enforcement, who will be working with specific trafficking victims about relevant issues, including information on trafficking, the psychological effects of trauma, working with trafficking survivors (such as interviewing techniques), and culturally appropriate, trauma-informed interventions with survivors of trafficking.
nadid: 26594
Shared Hope International
P.O. Box 65337
Vancouver, Washington 98665
Toll-Free: (866) HER-LIFE
General Scope: Shared Hope International is an international organization that brings together a network of committed professionals to prevent the conditions that promote sex trafficking, restore the lives of victims of sex slavery, and obtain justice for survivors. In addition, this organization seeks to inspire change through trafficking awareness campaigns and a broad range of advocacy efforts aimed at strengthening State and Federal legislative responses to sex trafficking.

Training Specific: Shared Hope International provides various training programs and resources designed to improve the identification of victims of sex trafficking and enhance agency management of these cases. Customized training is also available and designed to meet the needs of a variety of audiences that may come in contact with victims of domestic sex trafficking.
nadid: 26735
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops/Migration and Refugee Services/Anti-Trafficking Program
3211 Fourth Street NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20017
Phone: (202) 541-3000
Phone: (202) 541–3021
Training Specific: The training, Collaboration and Task Force Building to Combat Human Trafficking in Your Community, focuses on collaboration between law enforcement and social service providers; resource mapping and developing a community network of services for victims; multidisciplinary approaches to case management; no duplication of services; grassroots organizing; outreach and communication strategies; and advocacy. Training is usually offered at no cost in an in-person format or by live webinar. Training audiences include advocates, attorneys, government officials, law enforcement, social service providers, task force members, and allied professionals
nadid: 26597
Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute
803 Old Highway 8 NW, Suite 1
New Brighton, Minnesota 55112
Phone: (651) 917-2259
Toll-Free: (877) 917-2255
Fax: (651) 917-2253
Training Specific: Funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance and the Office of Victims of Crime, the Institute offers free online and classroom anti-trafficking training, including Advanced Human Trafficking Investigation Training and Human Trafficking in Indian Country-Tribal Youth Prevention Curriculum. The online course, Introduction to Human Trafficking Awareness Training, provides an overview of the problem of human trafficking in the United States and the legal framework to help address it. Training audiences include law enforcement, task force members, and adults who serve Tribal youth.
nadid: 26595
Violent Crimes Against Children
FBI Headquarters
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20535-0001
Phone: (202) 324-3000
General Scope: The mission of the Violent Crimes Against Children (VCAC) program is to provide a rapid, proactive, and comprehensive capacity to counter all threats of abuse and exploitation of children when those crimes fall under the jurisdiction and authority of the FBI; to identify and rescue child victims; to reduce the vulnerability of children to in-person and online sexual exploitation and abuse; to reduce the negative impact of domestic and international parental rights disputes; and to strengthen the capabilities of the FBI and federal, state, local, tribal, and international partners through training, intelligence sharing, technical support, and investigative assistance.
nadid: 26566
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Kids Shipped in Armoires? The Person Who Started the Wayfair Conspiracy Speaks

new conspiracy theory surrounding products advertised by the home goods and furniture seller Wayfair now joins previous unsubstantiated allegations like Pizzagate regarding worldwide pedophilic sex trafficking among the economic elite.
The Wayfair conspiracy theory that became a social media sensation on Friday began with a post to the Conspiracy subreddit, which promotes user-submitted conspiracy theories, many thinly evidenced or unevidenced, to more than a million subscribers.
"Is it possible Wayfair involved in Human trafficking with their WFX Utility collection? Or are these just extremely overpriced cabinets? (Note the names of the cabinets) this makes me sick to my stomach if it's true," redditor PrincessPeach1987 posted on Thursday, alongside a screenshot from Wayfair's mobile website featuring four storage cabinets—products named Neriah, Yaritza, Samiyah and Alyvia—that cost between $12,699.99 and $14,499.99.





Newsweek reached out to Wayfair regarding the human trafficking conspiracy theories, including a request for an explanation of the high-priced items. The company provided this statement in response:
Ads by scrollerads.com
"There is, of course, no truth to these claims. The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced. Recognizing that the photos and descriptions provided by the supplier did not adequately explain the high price point, we have temporarily removed the products from site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point."
The conspiracy theory has been elaborated on other social media platforms, particularly Twitter, expanding on the original post and its assertion that very expensive or overpriced cabinets with human names is in itself evidence of human trafficking conducted more or less in the open, with Wayfair offering humans for sale under the guise of selling cabinetry.
In chat conversations with Newsweek, PrincessPeach1987 described seeking out garage storage with their husband when they came across the expensive cabinet listings. While they at first surmised that they may have stumbled across unlisted drop shipping sales, Facebook posts also suspicious of the pricey listings made them more inclined to listen to their suspicions that there may be something more to the listings.
PrincessPeach1987, who declined to reveal their non-redditor identity, described themselves as "involved in a local organization that helps victims of human trafficking," which has led her to be "suspicious most of the time now." They characterized their Reddit post as less of a direct accusation and more of an effort to "see if anyone else had more details."
Prominent arrests—like that of Jeffrey Epstein for the alleged trafficking and sexual assault of underage girls—have shown that extensive pedophilia networks do exist, but the "details" of the Wayfair theory do not make a credible case.
epstein-jeffrey
Protestors hold up images of Jeffrey Epstein outside of a federal courthouse in New York City after his 2019 arrest. Before his death in federal detention, Epstein was charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
Subsequent elaborations on the theory included a user review on the Wayfair website for a previously unrelated, $5,000 fireproof filing cabinet, which included a 2016 user review from someone in Walnut Creek, California. The San Francisco exurb, with a population of more than 70,000, was also the location of a February arrest for human trafficking, child pornography and attempted kidnapping, which was allegedly connected to a wider child sex trafficking ring. "Walnut Sauce" is also an alleged code word central to Pizzagate conspiracy theories.
Supporters of the theory have also urged skeptics to use a Russian search engine to search for the stock keeping unit number (SKU) associated with various Wayfair products, which returns image results full of children in bathing suits. However, none of the SKU searches return images of a single child, which would seem to run counter to the implication that the Wayfair SKUs secretly provide data regarding the specific child to be purchased. In addition: following the search engine instructions with any random string of numbers returns the exact same results.
Supporters of the theory have also drawn connections to June 2019 protests by Wayfair employees, which objected to the company selling furnishings to a Texas detention facility for migrant children. The facility subsequently closed. However, protesting Wayfair employees never mentioned setting up public listings for humans.
Still, the Wayfair conspiracy theory has begun to take on a life of its own on social media and will likely become a part of the extensive mythology regarding child sex trafficking brought to national prominence in 2016 with Pizzagate.
Read more
Pizzagate alleged that a child sex and human trafficking ring operated by high-ranking Democratic Party officials was run, in part or completely, through the non-existent basement of a Washington D.C. area pizza shop. While easily debunked "evidence" began to pile up—Newsweek previously documented how transgressive public art, including footage from concerts, was falsely recontextualized as secret Satanic rituals—the crux of the claims relied on emails stolen from the personal account of Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta and published by WikiLeaks in 2016.
While the so-called "Podesta emails" contained multiple newsworthyrevelations—including the content of speeches Clinton delivered to Goldman Sachs and the leak of questions to the Clinton campaign in advance of a CNN town hall with 2016 Democratic primary opponent Bernie Sanders—Pizzagate was built on the unsubstantiated claim that certain words within the emails were in fact coded allusions to child sex trafficking. In the arbitrary associations developed by conspiracy theorists, various food words, including "cheese," "map," "walnut sauce" and, of course, "pizza," were actually coded indications of people's preferred child victims.The Wayfair conspiracy theory shares a similar pattern, drawing arbitrary inferences without any evidence.

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Child Sex Trafficking


          Child sex trafficking refers to the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, obtaining, patronizing, or soliciting of a minor for the purpose of a commercial sex act.  Offenders of this crime who are commonly referred to as traffickers, or pimps, target vulnerable children and gain control over them using a variety of manipulative methods.  Victims frequently fall prey to traffickers who lure them in with an offer of food, clothes, attention, friendship, love, and a seemingly safe place to sleep. After cultivating a relationship with the child and engendering a false sense of trust, the trafficker will begin engaging the child in prostitution, and use physical, emotional, and psychological abuse to keep the child trapped in a life of prostitution. It is common for traffickers to isolate victims by moving them far away from friends and family, altering their physical appearances, or continuously moving them to new locations. Victims are heavily conditioned to remain loyal to the trafficker and to distrust law enforcement.  No child is immune to becoming a victim of child sex trafficking, regardless of the child’s race, age, socioeconomic status, or location, and every child involved in this form of commercial sexual exploitation is a victim.
          Technological advances, in particular the Internet and mobile devices, have facilitated the sex trafficking of children by providing a convenient worldwide marketing channel. Individuals can now use websites and social media to advertise, schedule, and purchase sexual encounters with minors.  The Internet and mobile devices also allow pimps and traffickers to reach a larger clientele base than in the past, which may expose victims to greater risks and dangers.
          Child sex trafficking investigations present unique challenges to law enforcement and require a robust multijurisdictional response, with multiple agencies playing a critical role in ensuring the protection of victims and effective prosecution of offenders. The method by which most traffickers identify, recruit, market, and maintain their victims results in a unique combination of sustained violent criminal behavior with reluctant victims and witnesses. Although interviews of sex trafficking victims frequently identify traffickers and other accomplices, some child victims may resist identifying their traffickers because of fear or other means of manipulation that the pimp has exercised over them. Furthermore, the victim may only know their traffickers’ street name and cannot fully identify their traffickers.
          Child sex trafficking victims are often not recognized as victims and may be arrested and jailed. The dangers faced by these children—from the traffickers, their associates, and from customers—are severe. These children become hardened by the treacherous environment in which they must learn to survive. As such, they do not always outwardly present as sympathetic victims.  They also frequently suffer from short–term and long–term psychological effects such as depression, self-hatred, and feelings of hopelessness.  These child victims also need specialized services that are not widely available given they often have illnesses, drug addictions, physical and sexual trauma, lack of viable family and community ties, and total dependence—physical and psychological—on their abusers.
          For more information, see Federal Law on Child Sex Trafficking.
International Sex Trafficking of Minors
          One form of sex trafficking involves the cross border transportation of children. In these situations, traffickers recruit and transfer children across international borders in order to sexually exploit them in another country. The traffickers can be individuals working alone, organized crime groups, enterprises, or networks of criminals working together to traffic children into prostitution across country lines.
          This form of sex trafficking is a problem in the United States, and recovered victims originate from all over the world, including less-developed areas, such as South and Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America, to more developed areas, such as Western Europe. Once in the United States, a child may be trafficked to any or multiple states within the country. These victims are often trafficked far from home, and thrown into unfamiliar locations and culture.  They may be given a false passport or other documentation to conceal their age and true identity. They may also struggle with the English language. All these factors make it extremely difficult for these children to come forward to law enforcement.
          In addition, many foreign victims originate from nations that suffer from poverty, turbulent politics and unstable economics. Children from these countries are seen as easy targets by traffickers because they face problems of illiteracy, limited employment opportunities, and bleak financial circumstances in their home country. It is not uncommon for a foreign victim to be coerced by a trafficker under false pretenses. The child is told that a better life or job opportunity awaits them in the United States.  However, once in the United States they are introduced into a life of prostitution controlled by traffickers.
Domestic Sex Trafficking of Minors
          The United States not only faces a problem of foreign victims trafficked into the country, but there is also a homegrown problem of American children being recruited and exploited for commercial sex.  Under federal law, a child does not need to cross international or even state borders to be considered a victim of commercial sexual exploitation, and unfortunately, American children are falling victim to this crime within the United States.
           Pimps and traffickers sexually exploit children through street prostitution, and in adult night clubs, illegal brothels, sex parties, motel rooms, hotel rooms, and other locations throughout the United States. Many recovered American victims are street children, a population of runaway or throwaway youth who often come from low income families, and may suffer from physical abuse, sexual abuse and family abandonment issues. This population is seen as an easy target by pimps because the children are generally vulnerable, without dependable guardians, and suffer from low self-esteem. Victims of the prostitution of children, however, come from all backgrounds in terms of class, race, and geography (i.e. urban, suburban, and rural settings).
          Often in domestic sex trafficking situations, pimps will make the child victim feel dependent on prostitution for life necessities and survival. For example, a pimp will lure a child with food, clothes, attention, friendship, love, and a seemingly safe place to stay.  After cultivating a relationship with a child and engendering a false sense of trust, the pimp will begin engaging the child in prostitution. It is also common for pimps to isolate victims by moving them far away from friends and family, altering their physical appearances, or continuously moving victims to new locations. In many cases, victims become so hardened by the environment in which they must learn to survive that they are incapable of leaving the situation on their own.
Child Victims of Prostitution
          The term prostitution can delude or confuse one’s understanding of this form of child sexual exploitation. It is important to emphasize that the children involved are victims. Pimps and traffickers manipulate children by using physical, emotional, and psychological abuse to keep them trapped in a life of prostitution. It is not uncommon for traffickers to beat, rape, or torture their victims. Some traffickers also use drugs and alcohol to control them.
           Technological advances, in particular the Internet, have facilitated the commercial sexual exploitation of children by providing a convenient worldwide marketing channel. Individuals can now use websites to advertise, schedule, and purchase sexual encounters with minors.  The Internet and web-enabled cell phones also allow pimps and traffickers to reach a larger clientele base than in the past, which may expose victims to greater risks and dangers.
          In addition, many child victims suffer from physical ailments, including tuberculosis, infections, drug addition, malnutrition, and physical injuries resulting from violence inflicted upon them.  Venereal diseases also run rampant. Children may also suffer from short–term and long–term psychological effects such as depression, low self-esteem, and feelings of hopelessness.
CEOS’s Role
         CEOS attorneys work with the High Technology Investigative Unit (HTIU), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Attorney´s Offices around the country, and other state and local parties to investigate and prosecute cases arising under federal statutes prohibiting the prostitution of children. CEOS works to not only punish and jail offenders, but to protect the rights and welfare of the children involved.
          In addition, CEOS maintains a coordinated, national-level law enforcement focus, and helps coordinates nationwide and international investigations and initiatives. CEOS attorneys travel all over the country to conduct trainings for investigators, law enforcement personnel and others involved in efforts to eradicate this crime. Moreover, CEOS designs, implements, and supports law enforcement strategies, legislative proposals, and policy initiatives relating to federal laws prohibiting the prostitution of children.

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