Complete Your CE Test Online - Click Here Reaching target professional audiences The TIPS law enforcement and education subcommittee provided a system for training law enforcement officials to recognize and deal with human trafficking cases. This training system is not available to the public, but many people in the professional community could have a significant, positive impact on this issue. Too often, though, they have little knowledge or skills for recognizing, intervening, and helping to provide services for victims of human trafficking. Target training and networking for non-law enforcement professionals should be used to inform them about trafficking issues, identifying victims, protocols for assessing victims, and rescue and assistance programs. These professional groups include: ● ● Education professionals. ● ● Health care professionals. ● ● Social workers, counselors, child welfare professionals. ● ● Homeless and housing professionals. ● ● The legal community, including judges, attorneys, guardians ad litem, clerks of court. ● ● Volunteers and court-appointed special advocates. ● ● Restaurant and health inspectors. ● ● Massage, cosmetologist and nail professionals. ● ● Agricultural inspectors. ● ● Migrant labor inspectors. ● ● Workplace or OSHA inspectors. Human trafficking prevention often overlaps other prevention efforts, such as sexual intimate violence, domestic violence, sex education, alcohol and drug prevention, runaway/homelessness, health screenings and screenings done at hospitals in emergency rooms. Information about the trafficking system, indicators, and the effects of trafficking on victims should be included in all programs and services for youths and adults in the community where trafficking promoters live and work. Controlling, monitoring, and eliminating pornography and sexual entertainment establishments should be a major focus because of their influence on social norms, sexual markets, sexual addiction and behavior and the local economy. These businesses are a driving force in the demand for commercial sex trafficking. Prevention of human trafficking requires collaboration and networking information gathered from community organizations, educators, youth mentors, health and mental health providers, social services agencies, and faith and law enforcement communities. Best practices for prevention programs include: ● ● Programs to educate youths on the harm and risk of pornography, prostitution, runaways, human trafficking, literacy, the dangers of the Internet, and risk reduction for vulnerable individuals. Youths need training on how to avoid the traps of traffickers and gangs, and how to intervene with peers in danger and communicate that information to adults and law enforcement who can intervene. ● ● Work with allied prevention programs and services, such as those on sexual and domestic violence, migrants and immigration, sex education, alcohol and drug prevention, drug courts, social services, and services for dysfunctional families. ● ● Work with school systems, faith-based organization, human service organizations, civic, government and other innovative groups to integrate the information into existing programs and services. ● ● Work with national, state, and local organizations to focus on teaching and changing attitudes among young men about respect and responsibility as citizens, and to train adult men to work with youths as role models and mentors on positive relationships with women. ● ● Community organizations should build relationships with law enforcement officers to coordinate more efficient and effective systems for assisting victims. ● ● Employees and volunteers from these organizations can present information from their perspective at sessions for sex customers. ● ● Become involved in statewide and national anti-human trafficking organizations to learn, network, and share best practices to reduce demand, and to identify and help victims. Johns’ school first offender programs This is an example of an innovative program to address sex trafficking demand at the source of the market at the street level. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has developed a first offender diversion program, referred to as Johns’ schools. There are four Johns’ schools operating in Ohio. Each has its own structure and can work on the specifics in the community to educate individuals to avoid commercial sex and sexual exploitation of others. The Johns’ schools in Ohio are based on the model developed by the Standing Against Global Exploitation project (SAGE project). It was developed to educate individuals who purchase sex about the negative consequences of their actions, and covers six content areas: ● ● Prostitution law and street facts. ● ● Health education. ● ● Effects of prostitution on victims. ● ● Dynamics of pimping, recruiting and trafficking. ● ● Effects of prostitution on the community. ● ● Sexual addiction. Program evaluation found that 98 percent of men who participated in the Johns’ schools were rehabilitated (Fisher, Wortley, Webster, and Kirst, 2002). Another evaluation revealed that Johns reported a significant increase in awareness of negative impacts of purchasing prostitutes and in understanding the adversity facing those women. Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton and Toledo conduct Johns’ school diversion programs for those arrested for purchasing sex. In addition to paying a $300 fee, the Johns’ cars are impounded with a $150 charge if they are caught soliciting from their cars. Participants must answer pre-and post-tests and receive mandatory rapid HIV testing. Their records are expunged upon successful completion of the course. To track recidivism, their records are checked one year from the time of arrest to see whether they have abstained from commercial sex. Other strategies for deterrence include: ● ● Naming and shaming tactics such as website, TV and newspaper listings including their photographs and city of residence. ● ● Letters are sent to the men’s homes warning members of the household of the health risks the men have been exposed to when purchasing sex. ● ● Reporting on law enforcement websites. ● ● Vehicle impoundment. ● ● Restrictions on entering certain parts of town where the sex trade is prevalent. Proponents believe these methods are effective deterrents, but they are controversial because of harm done to innocent family members and the Johns’ reputations. Opponents believe that public exposure and humiliation may lead to purchasing sex again because the arrest was made public so they have nothing to lose. Law enforcement agencies investigate and shut down businesses that provide cover for commercial sex and sex ad websites like Craigslist on the Internet, making access to commercial sex more difficult. The Craigslist murders are an example of the ease of arranging sex through the Internet and what can happen when desperate, vulnerable women turn to sex to survive. Enforcement of labor laws and consumer education An estimated figure of $19 billion is illegally withheld from workers in America in unpaid overtime, minimum wage violations, and labor trafficking of migrant workers who are illegal aliens (Levine, 2010). Enforcement of labor laws is important to victims because the activity remains undetected by authorities unless the employer is reported or the victim escapes. The practice of supporting businesses that refuse to benefit from selling products that contribute to human trafficking as well as fair trade options for consumers has been used to decrease human trafficking. Page 28 Massage.EliteCME.com