Sex Trafficking
Trends and Treatment
Dr. Dan Lustig Psy.D CAADC MISA II
Vice-President of Clinical Services
Haymarket Center www.hcenter.org

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Characterizes sex trafficking as the
Recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purposes of a commercial sex act, in which the commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age.
(Clawson, 2009)
Every year 14,500-17,500 victims are trafficked into the
United States.
Majority of these victims are females, are 25 years old or younger. The average age for female sex trafficking is between 12-14 years if age. (USDOJ, 2011)

Characteristics
 Many assume these victims live or came from outside the borders of the United States; however, that is not the case at all.
 83% of the victims are documented as US citizens;
26% if these are Caucasian and 40% are African
American.
 Sex trafficking has now become the second most prolific crime in American (Woodward, 2012).
 Sex trafficking effects all socioeconomic levels(USDOJ,2014).


Assessing for Major Risk
Factors
Age, poverty, a corrupt and violent environment, a history of childhood sexual abuse, unemployment or dissatisfaction with a job, a dysfunctional family home, and mental health problems such as identity issues and learning disabilities.
 Age is one of the risk factors that can make individuals more vulnerable. The younger the individuals are, the more impressionable, and naïve.
 Having a history of childhood sexual abuse is the most strongly determinant risk factor when it comes to predicting whether individuals will become sex trafficking victims.
 Most victims also come from low socioeconomic status.
 Gender inequality is more prevalent in the more ethically and culturally diverse regions- specifically, California, New York, Texas and Florida.


Assessing for Major Risk
Factors cont
70-80% if the girls locked up for prostitution has been sexually molested or abused (Clawson, 2011).
 To avoid confusion or misunderstanding, there is a distinction between prostitution and sex trafficking that often inhibits an individual from getting treatment or reaching out for help.
 Prostitution is voluntary and does not necessarily involve a pimp, whereas sex trafficking is involuntary and involves a pimp and the use of force, fraud or coercion.


Assessing for Major Risk
Factors
Living in a dysfunctional family also means that the possibility of one of your parent s or siblings selling you to a pimp increase. About 25 % of all sex trafficking victims in America are sold to a pimp by an immediate family member.
 Children who do not feel safe and protected in their own home tend to believe that life on the street is better. About 90% of child runaways are approached by a trafficker within the first 48 hours and over 50% become a victim of sex trafficking (Woodward, 2012)

A Local Program
 COPE Program at Haymarket Center: A
Comprehensive Approach
 Evidence based trauma curriculum
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Substance Abuse Treatment
Mental Health Treatment
Medical Treatment
Moral Reconation Therapy
Access to Peer Support

Cope Program
Project COPE
Ethnicity / Race
Non-white 84%
Hispanic 9%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

COPE Program
Project COPE
Age
15% 20% 25%
18-20 Years
0%
2%
5% 10% 30% 35%
21-29 Years
30-39 Years
13%
36%
40%
40-49 Years
50+ Years
31%
18%

COPE Program
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
22%
Incidence of Use in the 90 Days Prior to Intake
42%
22%
18%
22%
20%

Current CJ
Involvement
0%
Cope Program
Project COPE
Criminal Justice Involvement
40% 60% 80% 20% 100%
93%
120%
Controlled
Environment
98%
Arrests in P90 days 33%

COPE Program
Ever Been Victimized
Ever abused/worried about abuse
Current worries about being victimized
0%
2%
10%
Project COPE
Victimization rates
20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
71%
80%
71%
High Severity Victimization
Acute Victimization
60%
11%

Low
0%
COPE Program
Project COPE
HIV Risk Scale
20% 30% 10% 40% 50%
10%
60%
Moderate 39%
High 51%

None
0%
COPE Program
10%
Project COPE
Prior substance abuse treatment episodes
20% 30% 40% 50%
22%
60%
One 22%
2+ episodes 56%

Any Lifetime
Withdrawal
0%
COPE Program
10% 20%
Project COPE
Substance abuse withdrawal and detox
30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
78%
Lifetime Detox 76%

Became Pregnant within Past Year
0%
COPE Program
10% 20% 30%
Project COPE
Biomedical
40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
9%
Moderate/High
Health Problems
20%
Ever in ER/Hosp
5+times
0%

COPE Program
Cognitive Impairment
Med/High
0%
2%
10%
Any Internal disorders
Depression
Suicidal Thoughts
Anxiety
Traumatic Related
11%
20%
Project COPE
Mental Health
30% 40% 50%
31%
38%
44%
60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
53%
Any External disorders
ADHD
Conduct Disorder
Any prior MH Treatment
9%
38%
36%
62%

Cope Program
20%
Project COPE
30% 40% 50% 0%
Low
Moderate
High
Traumatic Stress
Low
Moderate
High
Low
Moderate
High
Low
Moderate
High
Low
Moderate
High
2%
0%
10%
18%
13%
18%
20%
31%
31%
38%
44%
44%
60%
53%
49%
70% 80% 90% 100%
69%
69%

The Solutions
 Education of front line responders to be aware of the risk factors
 Recognizing the indicators of a potential victim or trafficking case, and be equipped to assist the survivor in receiving the most effective treatments and resources.
 Formalizing a standard national definition and check list that defines victimization so that victims will not be treated as criminals.
 Effective coordination of adequate services
 Prevention is a clear and promising intervention. Educating individuals on what sex trafficking is, the tricks that pimps use to lure them, the detrimental consequences of life as a victim, and the alternative paths they can choose instead.

Solutions
 Educating front line responders to the red flags(identification factors), and training them on the resources to help victims.
 General indicators for front line responders
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Lacks control over his/her schedule and/or money.
Health concerns (HIV, pain, pregnancy).
Signs of physical abuse that he/she does not want to discuss or tells inconsistent stories.
Signs of addiction/abuse
Has no personal belongings.
Poor living conditions,
Does not have family support, has been previously victimized, living with extensive security, monitored while on appointments, moved residences often, appears to have been coached how to speak.