Since posting the blog, I’ve received many comments, some which thanked me for shining the light on the topic and others which noted just how uncomfortable they were with the my presenting the topic. Contemporaneously the CNN piece by Elliott C. McLaughlin, “Child traffickers target runaways, ‘throwaways‘,” captured the attention of many and served to further highlight the good works of the Polaris Project organization both in the United States, as well as internationally. And in reading the CNN piece, I found resonance with the quote from the Polaris Project‘s Executive Director, Mark Logan, “The onus is on society and government to stop the trafficking of American children.”
Today I take the discussion from the national generalities to specifics, and opted to start with Texas; touching upon the cities of San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth. Why Texas? According to the Polaris Project, “38% of all calls to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline were from Texas in 2008; the U.S. Department of Justice identified the I-10 corridor as one of the main human trafficking routes in the U.S. and 25% of all certified foreign human trafficking victims have been from Texas.” I add, Texas and Texans understand the nuances of human trafficking and how a coalition of public and private collaboration must address the issue at all levels; national, state, county and city. In October 2008, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) issued a comprehensive report, “The Texas Response to Human Trafficking” (256 page pdf). Within the report, and to their credit, the commission concisely defines human trafficking:
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. It is the illegal trade in human beings through abduction, the use or threat of force, deception, fraud, or sale for the purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Every year, children, teenagers, as well as men and women from all over the world are transported within or across borders and forced to work in prostitution, the sex entertainment industry, domestic servitude, sweatshops, restaurant work, migrant agricultural work, and many other industries. Human trafficking is a multinational organized criminal industry that generates billions of dollars a year.
Traffickers often prey on impoverished individuals who may be unemployed or underemployed and lack access to social safety nets. Trafficking victims are frequently deceived through false promises of economic opportunities that await them in countries that are more affluent. Upon arrival in the new location, trafficked victims suffer unspeakable hardships and human rights abuses including physical imprisonment. Traffickers often resort to less obvious methods that are more insidious, such as debt bondage; isolating victims from the public and family members; isolating victims from their ethnic and religious communities; confiscation of passports, visas and/or identification documents; the use or threat of violence toward victims’ families and/or the victims; threat of imprisonment or deportation for immigration violations if they contact authorities; and control of the victims’ money.
In a separate report from the Texas Attorney General’s office, also titled, “The Texas Response to Human Trafficking” (93 page pdf) issued in parallel to the HHSC report, contains highlights and conclusions worthy of approbation:
- Finding 1: Young human trafficking victims find themselves involved in the legal system without someone to represent their best interests.
- Finding 2: Pursuing earned but unpaid wages for human trafficking victims is rare or non-existent.
- Finding 3: Human trafficking victims are not specifically listed in Chapter 56 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
- Finding 4: Human trafficking victims do not have a dedicated pseudonym form that provides additional protection by ensuring their names are not disclosed in public files or records.
- Finding 5: Funding for victim services is a major concern.
Within the conclusion portion of the Texas AG’s report, the authors drew from a passage within the National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse March 2008 report “Identifying the Victims of Human Trafficking” which characterizes the investigative and prosecutorial challenges applicable in Texas (and elsewhere):
“For prosecutors and investigators, human trafficking cases can pose daunting challenges. Failure to recognize trafficking victims, inadequate resources to adequately investigate or prosecute, victims who are unwilling or too frightened to cooperate, insufficient statutory frameworks, complex jurisdictional analysis and lack of training are potential pitfalls for law enforcement professionals trying to respond to the incidence of trafficking within their communities. Despite these challenges, the existence of human trafficking in our communities demands an appropriate institutional response.”
The Texas AG notes Texas must, enhance state-level prosecutions. The Texas legislators and AG must plus up tools available to address the criminal enterprises engaged in human trafficking, while also increasing victim identification and rescue (while also encouraging prosecutions). In addition increased training within both government and non-governmental organizations (NGO) and first responders is also needed. And the AG closes with the need to continue to augment existing legal tools to further improve Texas’ ability to fight human trafficking.
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A masters in criminal justice prepares people for making a difference in the fight against human trafficking and other heinous crimes.
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San Antonio:
(Shared Hope International – San Antonio Report) [160 pages, pdf]A coalition exists to address sex trafficking – San Antonio/Bexar County Task Force on Human Trafficking (led by Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and Catholic Charities). In early November 2009, Delaine Mathieu reporting for San Antonio media outlet WOAI Channel 4 provided data points specific to San Antonio in her piece “Sex Trafficking in San Antonio.” A poignant quote from the article: “The detectives we spoke to say parents have to talk to their kids about the dangers of the streets. Because while runaways are easy prey for predators, if there is an opportunity, any child will do. “It happens at the mall, it happens at the arcade, it happens at the movies, it happens at parties, it happens at get-togethers, it happens at the park… anywhere kids congregate. There’s going to be a shark waiting to pick up your kid,” he says. “And it can happen.”” Video “San Antonio Children Bought and Sold for Sex”
Dallas:
(Shared Hope International – Dallas Report) (149 pages, pdf)
The investment in addressing sex trafficking in the Dallas metro area is evidence by both the Child Exploitation, High Risk Victims and Trafficking (CE/HRVT) Unit of the Dallas Police
Department and the North Texas Anti-Trafficking Task Force which together work to address both the victims, the criminals and the demand side of the equation. In addition, the Shared Hope International Report identifies “The Letot Center is a promising practice in the Dallas area and the only identified model in the ten U.S. locations assessed by Shared Hope International that offers victims a diversion to a non-punitive placement. The Center’s short-term treatment of Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking victims has allowed for a child charged with prostitution or a related crime to bypass the juvenile detention facility and instead transition directly to the Center.“
Portions of Playground (Sundial Pictures), hard-hitting documentary from filmmaker Libby Spears and Producers George Clooney, Grant Heslov, and Steven Soderbergh, which provides an astonishing picture of the United States’ most alarming and insidious secret — the child sex trafficking in America were filmed in the Dallas metro area.
Fort Worth:
(Shared Hope International – Fort Worth Report) (157 pages, pdf)
The City of Fort Worth also falls within the foot print of the North Texas Anti-Trafficking Task Force. Interestingly, all victims identified within Fort Worth and Tarrant County were from Texas, the average age of entry into prostitution was 14.2 and average rescue is 15.3 years of age. Of those arrested for prostitution, and charged with “prostitution of self“, all were controlled by a “pimp.” The report noted, those arrested and recognized as a victim of Domestic Sex Trafficking, are treated as victims vice criminals. I found two data points especially chilling:
- It is often the case that one gang is in charge of recruiting girls from malls, schools, parties, and through acquaintances and another gang is then tasked with putting the girls through a two-week “boot camp” training process in which they are taught how to perform sex acts and are effectively brainwashed and taught what to say to law enforcement if they are apprehended.
- Homeless youth are extremely vulnerable to recruitment by traffickers/pimps because these exploiters will often target this population. In the United States 70% of youth on the street are victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The large population of runaway and at-risk youth may be vulnerable to Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the Fort Worth/Tarrant County area. In 2005 the Homeless Youth Task Force issued a report on homeless youth in Arlington indicating that there may be up to 2,000 homeless children in any given year.
I would be remiss if I failed to call out the stellar work taking place at the University of Texas – Austin Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. In their October 2009 report, “Understanding Human Trafficking: Development of Typologies of Traffickers” (32 pages pdf) they identify the four primary typologies of child trafficking as:
- Mom and Pop – Domestic Servitude – “Mom and Pop traffickers primarily engage the labor of a single, foreign-born victim for the purposes of housecleaning and childcare. Mom and Pop cases are generally operated by one or two traffickers, often a married couple from the same country of origin as their victim. The duration of servitude can be lengthy, up to 19 years.”
- Shattering the American Dream – Forced Labor – “The forced labor scenario typical of Shattering the American Dream is most similar to the slavery model we are most familiar with in earlier American history. This type commonly involves crews of migrant workers and other U.S.-born and foreign-born victims, whose vulnerabilities are exploited in the search for cheap labor.“
- The Minor Pimp – Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking – “The Minor Pimp scenario describes child commercial sexual exploitation, or domestic minor sex trafficking. In general, it involves small pimp-run operations who exploit chronic runaway minors in the sex trade.” Let there be no doubt, pimps are sex-traffickers.
- Johns’ Demand – International Sex Trafficking – “International sex trafficking cases, or the Johns’ Demand typology, represent a broad array of sex-related work operated out of old-fashioned brothels, massage parlors, spas, karaoke bars, and cantinas.”
So what is Texas doing? In June 2009, the Texas legislature passed HB 4009 and HB 533 and both were signed into law by Governor Perry. The Polaris Project describes the legislation comprehensively in their Action Center piece, “Texas Human Trafficking Legislation Signed into Law.”
I share the above to set the stage and to amplify the positive contribution being made by many within Texas (and elsewhere), and to accentuate the need for additional investment of both time, deed and funds to address human/sex trafficking. Organizations which could use your assistance are (if you have an organization please identify them to me and others in the ‘Comments’):
- Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) – I found a useful brochure for both English and Spanish speakers from TAASA, “Human Trafficking” (English and Spanish).
- Children at Risk – A Houston based child advocacy program which is a “well-known leader in understanding the health, safety and economic indicators impacting children, and educating public policy makers in their importance of improving the lives of children.“
- Polaris Project – A national organization which both hosts the National Hotline for Human Trafficking as well as comprehensive nationwide data presented in an easy to understand, and use format.
Thank you for your time.
All the best,
Christopher
National Human Trafficking Resource Center HOT LINE: 1-888-3737-888
The national toll-free hot-line is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
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Links referenced in this blog:
Playground Project
Children at Risk
University of Texas – Austin – Institute on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
WOAI Channel 4 San Antonio – Sex Trafficking in San Antonio
US Public Law: H.R. 7311:William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Re-authorization Act of 2008 (Summary)
