Source: Guardian Professional
Thursday 27 June 2013 06.30 EDT
Sam Derbali, Guardian Professional: "The Trafficking in Persons report helps place modern-day slavery high on the policy agenda, but a more accurate assessment of the Thai context is needed."
Continue reading at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development-professionals-network/2013/jun/27/tip-report-and-thailand
Thursday, June 27, 2013
This woman was sold for $23
Source: Daily Life
June 26, 2013 - 10:49AM
June 26, 2013 - 10:49AM
Labels:
Beijing,
Burmese woman,
Chinese man,
human trafficking,
Sold as a bride
Human Trafficking: A Global Plague | Global Voice Hall
CHECK THIS OUT.
Source: Global Voice Hall
http://www.globalvoicehall.com/live-broadcast/2013/forums/forums-pangaea/human-trafficking-global-plague
Source: Global Voice Hall
http://www.globalvoicehall.com/live-broadcast/2013/forums/forums-pangaea/human-trafficking-global-plague
Description:
"Human Trafficking : A Global Plague"
Event Description: Modern Slavery often referred to as "Human Trafficking" comes in many forms; sex trafficking and slavery, debt bondage/bonded labor, domestic servitude, involuntary servitude, child labor, and child soldiering name a few. In this forum moderated by Cassandra Clifford, executive director of Bridge to Freedom Foundation and hosted by Dr. Mohamed Mattar, executive director of the Protection Project and SAIS at Johns Hopkins University, we focus on exposing the scourge in the United States and examine the actions of authorities and civil society to combat it.
Location: SAIS Johns Hopkins University, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Date: Monday, April 24, 2013
Location: SAIS Johns Hopkins University, 1740 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036
Date: Monday, April 24, 2013
Moderator
Cassandra Clifford - Executive Director, Bridge to Freedom Foundation
Panelists
Dr. Mohamed Mattar - Executive Director of the Protection Project, Johns Hopkins University SAIS
Dave Rogers - FBI Supervisory Special Agent Manager of Public Corruption/Civil Rights Section
Holly Austin Smith - Survivor of Child Trafficking/ Journalist
Mary C. Ellison - Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, U.S. State Department
Evelyn Chumbow - Forced Labor Survivor
Michelle Clark - Human Rights Professional /Adjunct Professor, George Washington University
Related articles
Labels:
Cambodia,
HumanTrafficking,
Johns Hopkins University,
slavery
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Anti-human trafficking awardee to OFWs: Report sexual harassment cases | Pinoy Abroad | GMA News Online
Source: GMA News
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/314406/pinoyabroad/news/anti-human-trafficking-awardee-to-ofws-report-sexual-harassment-cases
June 25, 2013 1:30pm
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/314406/pinoyabroad/news/anti-human-trafficking-awardee-to-ofws-report-sexual-harassment-cases
June 25, 2013 1:30pm
Migrant workers' advocate Susan Ople, who was recently honored by the United States for her efforts to stop human trafficking, urged overseas Filipino workers to report incidents of sexual harassment.
Ople, former labor undersecretary and president of the Ople Policy Center, said two former OFWs intend to file complaints of sexual harassment against certain labor personnel.
Ople, former labor undersecretary and president of the Ople Policy Center, said two former OFWs intend to file complaints of sexual harassment against certain labor personnel.
In a news release on Tuesday, Ople said the two OFWs were willing to share their stories so that other OFWs seeking refuge in half-way houses abroad would be spared from sexual harassment..
"One of them had already met with our lawyers while we expect the second victim to come forward anytime this week. Though they are not involved in the "sex-for-flight" controversy, their traumatic experiences at these shelters are important to underscore the urgent need for reforms," said Ople.
The center is named for Ople's late father, who held high-ranking positions in the Philippine government, such as the posts of Senate president, Labor Secretary, and Foreign Affairs Secretary.
Ople was one of those who received the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) heroes award for 2013 from US Secretary of State John Kerry in a ceremony at the US State Department in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.
The OFW advocate called on overseas Filipinos who have stayed or continue to stay in embassy premises and OWWA-run shelters to share their experiences with the staff of the Blas F. Ople Center.
The center is named for Ople's late father, who held high-ranking positions in the Philippine government, such as the posts of Senate president, Labor Secretary, and Foreign Affairs Secretary.
"This is your chance to help others. Share what you know and we will do our best to document your experiences and convert all of these into a confidential report as basis for justice and reforms," Ople said.
The Ople Center can be reached via 833-5337 and 833-9562 or through blasoplecenter@hotmail.com.
"Sexploitation"
Accusations against embassy officials and personnel are varied:
running a sex ring, where Filipino wards are forced into prostitution;
sexual molestation; and
the so-called “sex for flight” scheme where female Filipino workers under the embassy’s custody are reportedly being offered immediate repatriation in exchange for sex.
The issue about the sex-for-flight scheme erupted even though return tickets to the Philippines are actually given out for free by the Philippine government to distressed Filipinos.
Awardee
"Sexploitation"
Accusations against embassy officials and personnel are varied:
running a sex ring, where Filipino wards are forced into prostitution;
sexual molestation; and
the so-called “sex for flight” scheme where female Filipino workers under the embassy’s custody are reportedly being offered immediate repatriation in exchange for sex.
The issue about the sex-for-flight scheme erupted even though return tickets to the Philippines are actually given out for free by the Philippine government to distressed Filipinos.
On Monday, at least three alleged victims, including one who accused a Philippine labor attaché of sexual molestation, in the "sex for flight" scandal in Philippine diplomatic posts in the Middle East have come forward in a sweeping government investigation, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said.
The official, whom Del Rosario did not identify, was the first embassy personnel to have been tagged in the scandal outside Kuwait, Syria and Jordan.
These three posts were earlier named by party-list Rep. Walden Bello as having the most number of incidents of sexual abuses committed by Philippine officials against distressed Filipinos staying in embassy shelters.
These three posts were earlier named by party-list Rep. Walden Bello as having the most number of incidents of sexual abuses committed by Philippine officials against distressed Filipinos staying in embassy shelters.
Del Rosario explained that the Philippine investigation into the scheme has been expanded to include its diplomatic posts in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, where a large concentration of Filipinos working mostly as domestic helpers are based.
Awardee
The awards were handed out alongside the release of the 2013 TIP report, which ranks countries according to their efforts to fight human trafficking.
When United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas congratulated Ople, he called her a "nanay" for her advocacy.
"Her strong advocacy for the welfare of OFWs has made her a 'nanay' in the truest spirit of the word," Thomas said in a statement released by the US Embassy. - VVP, GMA News
Related articles
U.S. honors Guyana female miner for fighting trafficking
Source: USA Today
US honors Simona Broomes, president of one of the world's few associations for women miners, for her work against human trafficking in Guyana.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/20/guyana-miner-honored/2443479/
US honors Simona Broomes, president of one of the world's few associations for women miners, for her work against human trafficking in Guyana.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/06/20/guyana-miner-honored/2443479/
Related articles
Cambodia Says Cultural Barriers Impeding Human Trafficking Fight
SOURCE: RADIO FREE ASIA
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/trafficking-06202013185022.html
2013-06-20
Cambodia on Thursday lashed out at the U.S. State Department for downgrading the country’s ranking in its annual report on human trafficking, saying cultural barriers were hampering government efforts to combat the problem.
The State Department in its 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report downgraded Cambodia a notch to the Tier 2 Watch List—the scale’s second-lowest rank—from Tier 2 for failing to “demonstrate evidence of overall increasing efforts to address human trafficking over the previous year.”
Cambodia’s Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan on Thursday said that the U.S. had failed to recognize Cambodia’s efforts to resolve its human trafficking issues.
“The report is just a show—they don’t know how much hard work we have done which has already led to great results,” he said.
The State Department refers to Cambodia as a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.
“Cambodia is moving in a downward direction,” U.S. ambassador-at-large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Luis CdeBaca told RFA on Wednesday, adding that “efforts there are falling off on the part of the Cambodian government.”
He pointed to the government’s “mixed record on victim protection,” saying that despite nearly 1,000 victims identified, “almost all victim care is done by nongovernmental organizations.”
“We think that what is necessary in Cambodia is for the Cambodian government to take victim care on its own,” he said.
According to this year’s TIP report, Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice reported 50 prosecutions resulting in 44 convictions, a decrease from the 102 prosecutions and 62 convictions reported in the previous year.
Corruption “at all levels” also blocked anti-trafficking efforts, the TIP report said.
‘Culture’ to blame
But Phay Siphan blamed Cambodia’s culture for the lack in prosecution against human trafficking, saying it is considered taboo in the country to speak out against perpetrators.
“The government stance is that we are working [to combat trafficking]—this is our principle. We have laws, measures and judicial officers to work against human trafficking. However, we need to train human resources to deal with Cambodian culture,” he said.
“In our culture, the victims are not brave enough to speak out or file complaints, or they try to resolve the issue outside of the court system. This is a culture that we are trying to work on.”
Phay Siphan said that Cambodia’s government does not “ignore” trafficking or “allow it to exist,” because the practice also goes against the country’s cultural traditions.
He admitted that “a few bad people” in Cambodia are involved in child prostitution, but maintained that “Cambodian men don’t have sex with minors.”
“Most Cambodian men are dignified—we never have sex with minors. Only foreigners do that. Most people looking for child prostitution are from Western countries,” he said.
Forced labor
According to CdeBaca, in addition to the traditional problems of child prostitution and sex tourism in Cambodia, “there is also an increasingly recognized situation of Cambodians being held in forced labor” in neighboring countries who leave seeking work and become trapped by recruiters and traffickers.
On Thursday, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had coordinated with the Malaysian government and Switzerland-based International Organization for Migration (IOM) to repatriate six Cambodian nationals who had been trafficked for work on a Thai fishing vessel.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kuy Koung said the six men were amongst 16 victims rescued by authorities in Malaysia after the Thai boat they were working on was confiscated in Malaysian waters.
The victims, who returned home earlier this week, are from Kompong Thom and Siem Reap provinces, Kuy Koung said, adding that IOM had assisted with funding to repatriate them and that the government would request additional funds from the NGO to bring the rest of the men back to Cambodia.
Kuy Koung said that Cambodians who seek jobs in foreign countries are increasingly falling victim to human trafficking rings.
Also on Thursday, RFA spoke with a man named Nget Chhek who said that he had traveled to Thailand seeking work through a legally operating company, only to have his passport confiscated by the company’s Thai manager.
He said that he was forced to work on a number of fishing boats, but had since been rescued and returned to his home in Kampot province.
Reported by Samean Yun and Ouk Saborey for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The State Department in its 2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report downgraded Cambodia a notch to the Tier 2 Watch List—the scale’s second-lowest rank—from Tier 2 for failing to “demonstrate evidence of overall increasing efforts to address human trafficking over the previous year.”
Cambodia’s Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan on Thursday said that the U.S. had failed to recognize Cambodia’s efforts to resolve its human trafficking issues.
“The report is just a show—they don’t know how much hard work we have done which has already led to great results,” he said.
The State Department refers to Cambodia as a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking.
“Cambodia is moving in a downward direction,” U.S. ambassador-at-large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Luis CdeBaca told RFA on Wednesday, adding that “efforts there are falling off on the part of the Cambodian government.”
He pointed to the government’s “mixed record on victim protection,” saying that despite nearly 1,000 victims identified, “almost all victim care is done by nongovernmental organizations.”
“We think that what is necessary in Cambodia is for the Cambodian government to take victim care on its own,” he said.
According to this year’s TIP report, Cambodia’s Ministry of Justice reported 50 prosecutions resulting in 44 convictions, a decrease from the 102 prosecutions and 62 convictions reported in the previous year.
Corruption “at all levels” also blocked anti-trafficking efforts, the TIP report said.
‘Culture’ to blame
But Phay Siphan blamed Cambodia’s culture for the lack in prosecution against human trafficking, saying it is considered taboo in the country to speak out against perpetrators.
“The government stance is that we are working [to combat trafficking]—this is our principle. We have laws, measures and judicial officers to work against human trafficking. However, we need to train human resources to deal with Cambodian culture,” he said.
“In our culture, the victims are not brave enough to speak out or file complaints, or they try to resolve the issue outside of the court system. This is a culture that we are trying to work on.”
Phay Siphan said that Cambodia’s government does not “ignore” trafficking or “allow it to exist,” because the practice also goes against the country’s cultural traditions.
He admitted that “a few bad people” in Cambodia are involved in child prostitution, but maintained that “Cambodian men don’t have sex with minors.”
“Most Cambodian men are dignified—we never have sex with minors. Only foreigners do that. Most people looking for child prostitution are from Western countries,” he said.
Forced labor
According to CdeBaca, in addition to the traditional problems of child prostitution and sex tourism in Cambodia, “there is also an increasingly recognized situation of Cambodians being held in forced labor” in neighboring countries who leave seeking work and become trapped by recruiters and traffickers.
On Thursday, Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it had coordinated with the Malaysian government and Switzerland-based International Organization for Migration (IOM) to repatriate six Cambodian nationals who had been trafficked for work on a Thai fishing vessel.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Kuy Koung said the six men were amongst 16 victims rescued by authorities in Malaysia after the Thai boat they were working on was confiscated in Malaysian waters.
The victims, who returned home earlier this week, are from Kompong Thom and Siem Reap provinces, Kuy Koung said, adding that IOM had assisted with funding to repatriate them and that the government would request additional funds from the NGO to bring the rest of the men back to Cambodia.
Kuy Koung said that Cambodians who seek jobs in foreign countries are increasingly falling victim to human trafficking rings.
Also on Thursday, RFA spoke with a man named Nget Chhek who said that he had traveled to Thailand seeking work through a legally operating company, only to have his passport confiscated by the company’s Thai manager.
He said that he was forced to work on a number of fishing boats, but had since been rescued and returned to his home in Kampot province.
Reported by Samean Yun and Ouk Saborey for RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Related articles
BBC News - Plight of girls trafficked from Nepal to India
Source: BBC
3 June 2013 Last updated at 00:48 ETHelp
It is estimated that thousands of vulnerable Nepalese women and girls fall victim to human trafficking in India each year.
Many of them are forced into prostitution, have their organs removed and sold, or end up as domestic slaves.
Volunteers and organisations from both sides of the two countries' 1751 kilometre-long open border are trying to help authorities find victims and provide them with shelter, training or a way back home.
BBC Hindi's Rajesh Joshi reports.
Monday, June 24, 2013
State Dept. Report Spotlights Urgent Need to Fight Modern-Day Slavery | American Civil Liberties Union
Source: American Civil Liberties Union
http://www.aclu.org/blog/human-rights/state-dept-report-spotlights-urgent-need-fight-modern-day-slavery
06/21/2013
http://www.aclu.org/blog/human-rights/state-dept-report-spotlights-urgent-need-fight-modern-day-slavery
06/21/2013
By Chandra Bhatnagar, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Human Rights Program at 10:32am
The State Department this week released its 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report(TIP Report), documenting the worldwide problem of human trafficking and other forms of modern-day slavery. This year's report highlighted the difficulty of identifying victims of this egregious practice. According to the report, "46,000 victims of trafficking were brought to light worldwide, compared to the 27 million that we know are enslaved."
In the United States, the identification of victims of labor trafficking remains a particularly difficult problem. As the report notes, in 2012, of the 4,746 convictions for trafficking offenses, only 518 were for labor trafficking. Of course, the actual number of victims is much higher, but in addition to the problems in victim identification, "workers fear seeking assistance because of blacklisting and other retaliation methods, including inciting fear of deportation."
The U.S. could improve this situation through more effective monitoring and enforcement of existing anti-trafficking laws, policies and practices, and the introduction of new measures where they are needed.
The H-2B temporary worker program is the perfect example. As it stands now, the current temporary labor scheme encourages rather than deters labor trafficking. Flaws in the program allow employers to exploit and abuse foreign workers, and facilitate labor trafficking. A prominent example is the Signal case, a horrifying example of modern-day slavery, where the ACLU and co-counsel represent men from India who were trafficked into the U.S. through the H-2B program with dishonest assurances of becoming lawful permanent U.S. residents and then subjected to squalid living conditions, fraudulent payment practices, and threats of serious harm.
But there are ways to improve the current system, prevent labor trafficking and adequately protect workers. A first step would be to insure that in all temporary worker programs:
- workers must have the ability to leave abusive U.S. employers and seek employment with other U.S. employers without having to leave the U.S. and return to their country of origin, a path to permanent residency and citizenship (with their families), robust governmental oversight of labor conditions, and enforcement mechanisms verifying that employers comply with the terms of the contract.
- employers must bear the recruitment/visa processing/travel costs of workers.
- the government must adopt a rigorous and streamlined process to deny visa applications of employers who have violated workers' rights under prior contracts.
Our government can and should do more to combat labor trafficking and to assist victims. As Secretary of State Kerry announced when he introduced the 2013 TIP Report "[f]rom heads of state and justice ministers to police officers and labor inspectors, we have to be tough in order to at last end modern slavery once and for all."
Learn more about human trafficking and other civil liberty issues: Sign up for breaking news alerts, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
US human trafficking report 'continues to present inaccuracies': Singapore
http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130624-431888.html
Source: Asia One
Source: Asia One
By Pearl Lee
The Straits Times
Monday, Jun 24, 2013
The Straits Times
Monday, Jun 24, 2013
SINGAPORE - The statement by the Singapore Inter-agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) added that this is because the report by the US Department of State did not take into account Singapore's laws.
Here is the press release from Singapore Inter-Agency Taskforce on Trafficking-in-Persons:
The Singapore Inter-agency Taskforce on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) has reviewed the US Department of State (DOS)'s TIP Report 2013.
While the DOS TIP Report has generally captured Singapore's key TIP efforts, we note that it continues to present inaccuracies and misrepresentations that have arisen from the lack of an objective methodology to take into account laws and domestic context in other countries that are different from the United States.
Singapore remains fully committed in our fight against TIP as we believe that this is the right thing to do to safeguard bona fide victims who fall prey to the scourge. This was our impetus to set up a dedicated Taskforce to coordinate a national effort against TIP, and the subsequent launch of a National Plan of Action (NPA) in 2012.
Key achievements in the past year
Singapore's NPA, which was developed in consultation with our partners, adopted a "4P" strategy to proactively combat TIP: Prevention, Prosecution, Protection and Partnership.
Our efforts for 2012 had been guided by the initiatives laid out in the NPA and we were able to achieve all that we set out according to the schedule.
Specifically, this includes securing a dedicated budget to fund various TIP initiatives, strengthening inter-agency coordination and heightening awareness of TIP amongst Government officials, workers and members of the public.
The Taskforce has increased the number of frontline officers and has sharpened their enforcement capabilities through training. We have also further enhanced our internal referral processes between enforcement agencies to expedite investigations.
The emphases on training and referral processes are important as they create a strong foundation that empowers our frontline officers to accurately detect and swiftly deal with TIP cases in the pursuit of justice.
Focus for the years ahead
Singapore remains committed to combat human trafficking as we progressively implement our NPA initiatives in the coming years.
We believe that our small geographical size and tough laws have generally, and will continue to, deter crime syndicates from operating in Singapore.
In early January, the Taskforce announced the launch of a TIP Public Awareness Grant, to encourage more public education initiatives that would help raise public awareness of TIP crimes.
Greater public awareness of TIP can facilitate early reporting of such incidents to the authorities. The Taskforce is in the midst of finalising the recipients of this grant, and will be announcing the recipients soon.
While we welcome the United States' efforts to produce an annual report to highlight this global issue, we continue to call on the DOS to adopt a more objective methodology to report countries' TIP efforts in future editions of its TIP Report.
This will ensure that a consistent, transparent, and measurable standard is applied to all countries taking into account the different legal structures and domestic contexts of countries highlighted in the report.
With or without the TIP Report, Singapore takes a serious view of TIP and its related issues. The Taskforce has built up the momentum and will continue to work closely with civil society organisations (CSOs) and other institutions to tackle this issue and deliver the NPA initiatives.
Labels:
Asia,
HumanTrafficking,
Singapore,
U.S. State Department
BBC News - Vietnamese trafficking victims win appeal against convictions
Related articles
Friday, June 14, 2013
Spain Addresses Human Trafficking in the Fishing Industry - The Fish Site
Source: The Fish Site
Here is the article's opening paragraph.
"SPAIN - The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has launched its report 'Sold to the Sea' in Madrid, Spain. The launch was hosted by the Spanish Secretary General of the Sea, Carlos Dominguez, who welcomed the report and called for all stakeholders in the fisheries sector to work together to address human trafficking and human rights abuses on fishing boats. "
See more at: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/20490/spain-addresses-human-trafficking-in-the-fishing-industry#sthash.37cftDxj.dpuf
Here is the article's opening paragraph.
"SPAIN - The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has launched its report 'Sold to the Sea' in Madrid, Spain. The launch was hosted by the Spanish Secretary General of the Sea, Carlos Dominguez, who welcomed the report and called for all stakeholders in the fisheries sector to work together to address human trafficking and human rights abuses on fishing boats. "
See more at: http://www.thefishsite.com/fishnews/20490/spain-addresses-human-trafficking-in-the-fishing-industry#sthash.37cftDxj.dpuf
Related articles
E. C. Gogolak's article in the NYT: "Groups Press City Council on Budget for Homeless"
Here is the URL:
This is his opening paragraph:
"New York can be an unwelcome place at night, particularly for the nearly 4,000 youths who might have no safe place to sleep. And for someone looking to take advantage, homeless young people can be easy prey."
Labels:
Homelessness,
NewYork,
Pimps,
Traffickers,
Youth
Common Sex Trafficking Language
From sharedhope INTERNATIONAL comes A Glossary of Trafficking Terms. The "list of key terms used in sex trafficking is published in Renting Lacy: A Story of America’s Prostituted Children by Linda Smith." Educational.
Check out the glossary at:
http://sharedhope.org/learn/traffickingterms/
Check out the glossary at:
http://sharedhope.org/learn/traffickingterms/
Related articles
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Asia Times Online :: Empire and trafficking in Northeast Asia
Source: Asia Times Online
Check out Markus Bell's interesting discussion at http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Korea/KOR-01-050613.html
Markus Bell is a PhD candidate in anthropology at The Australian National University. He is currently researching transnational networks of North Korean migrants.
Labels:
China,
South Korea,
Trafficking in Northeast Asia
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Detecting and tackling forced labour in Europe | Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Check out the SUMMARY of the report, DETECTING AND TACKLING FORCED LABOUR IN EUROPE, a publication from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.The summary includes a link to the full report.
http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/detecting-tackling-forced-labour-europe
European governments oblivious to forced labour conditions, says report | Global development | guardian.co.uk
Source: the guardian
Study of labour conditions in countries including France, Italy and Germany suggests up to 880,000 people being exploited.
To continue reading, go to:
Related articles
Labels:
Employment,
Freiburg,
Germany,
slavery,
Unfree labour
Monday, June 10, 2013
ECPAT-USA Releases Ground-Breaking Report: “And Boys Too” | ECPAT USA
http://ecpatusa.org/2013/05/and-boys-too/?goback=%2Egde_2590126_member_246006084
SOURCE: ECPAT-USA
==============================
URL to report: AND BOYS TOO
http://ecpatusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/AndBoysToo_FINAL_single-pages.pdf
The long-existing commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in the United States began to gain
attention after the enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) and its reauthorizations
in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2013. During this period, nearly all the attention of state and local governments, law
enforcement, and service providers has been focused on sexually exploited adolescent girls. While there has
been some increased awareness about sexually exploited boys in the U.S. over the past several years, most
law enforcement and services providers often miss them entirely or view them as too few to be counted or not
in need of services. The little notice given to boys primarily identifies them as exploiters, pimps and buyers
of sex, or as active and willing participants in sex work, not as victims or survivors of exploitation.1 Discussion
of boys as victims or survivors of CSEC is frequently appended to a discussion about commercially sexually
exploited girls. A panel discussion about commercial sexual exploitation often ends with these words: “…and
boys too.”
While awareness of commercial sexual exploitation of boys (CSEB) has paled next to that of commercial sexual
exploitation of girls (CSEG), two important studies in the past 12 years, The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children in the U.S., Canada and Mexico by Estes and Weiner (2001) and The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children in New York City by Curtis et al. (2008), have estimated that high percentages of commercially sexually
exploited children in the U.S. are boys. In order to examine why CSEB receive much less attention and to
question the widespread popular assumptions that they are willing participants or even exploiters and not
victims, ECPAT-USA has carried out a study to examine available information about CSEB, their participation in
CSEC, and services available to them. The study conducted a number of desk reviews that were supplemented
by interviews with 40 key service providers and youth agencies.
The research explored several questions relating to the existence and circumstances of CSEB: Do they exist?
What are their backgrounds? Who are their exploiters? At what age are they exploited? What are their needs
and what services are available to meet those needs? Although many of the answers were inconclusive, several
clear findings and messages stood out. Most significantly, responses from service providers clearly indicate
that the scope of CSEB is vastly under reported, that commercial sexual exploitation poses very significant
risks to their health and their lives; that gay and transgenders are over-represented as a proportion of the
sexually exploited boys; and that there is a shortage of services for these boys. The fact that boys and young
men may be less likely to be pimped or trafficked highlights the fact that even if there is no third party involved
in the commercial transaction, “buyers/exploiters” of sexually exploited children should be prosecuted under
anti-trafficking statutes.
Based on our research and responses from service providers, ECPAT-USA proposes a number of
recommendations. Two immediate needs are clear: first, to raise awareness about the scope of CSEB
and second, to expand research about which boys are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and how to meet
their needs.
1 For an example see: Cates, J. (1989). Adolescent Male Prostitution by Choice. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 6(2), 151-156. For further analysis see: Dennis, J. (2008). Women are Victims, Men Make Choices: The Invisibility of Men and Boys and young men in the Global Sex Trade. Gender Issues, 25(1), 11-25.3
========================================================================
1. Acknowledge the existence of CSE boys and young men, their risk for physical and mental health harm,
and their need for services. Include both GBTQ and heterosexual boys with attention to their different
circumstances and needs
2. Raise awareness among local and federal law-enforcement officers and foster-care agencies that boys in
the sex trade are victims whose fear of stigma and rejection exacerbates their denial and prevents them
from acknowledging their victimization.
3. Establish screening and intake systems for CSE boys at runaway and homeless youth centers and social
service agencies, and conduct sensitivity training of workers to recognize CSEB and to elicit information
from boys and to address shame and stigma.
4. Support the establishment of male-focused anti-trafficking agencies with staff trained to meet the need to
CSE boys.
5. When appropriate, encourage agencies and service providers that focus on girls to expand their mandate
to include boys, and hire and train male workers
6. Encourage collaboration among organizations that already address CSE boys and young men, and to
advocate for wider recognition among law enforcement, public health community, policy makers and the
public of their existence and harm to CSE boys
7. Conduct further research on LGBTQ youth on advantages and disadvantages of gender-specific or co-ed
service agencies.
8. Conduct research about the health impact of sexual exploitation on boys and young men.
9. Revise existing statutes to make it easier to prosecute exploiters of children even when there is no pimp or
trafficker involved.
SOURCE: ECPAT-USA
May 30th, 2013 |
ECPAT-USA:
"Today we release our report on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Boys in the United States, And Boys Too: An ECPAT-USA discussion paper about the lack of recognition of the commercial sexual exploitation of boys in the United States You can download the report by clicking here."
"Today we release our report on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Boys in the United States, And Boys Too: An ECPAT-USA discussion paper about the lack of recognition of the commercial sexual exploitation of boys in the United States You can download the report by clicking here."
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URL to report: AND BOYS TOO
http://ecpatusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/AndBoysToo_FINAL_single-pages.pdf
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The long-existing commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) in the United States began to gain
attention after the enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) and its reauthorizations
in 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2013. During this period, nearly all the attention of state and local governments, law
enforcement, and service providers has been focused on sexually exploited adolescent girls. While there has
been some increased awareness about sexually exploited boys in the U.S. over the past several years, most
law enforcement and services providers often miss them entirely or view them as too few to be counted or not
in need of services. The little notice given to boys primarily identifies them as exploiters, pimps and buyers
of sex, or as active and willing participants in sex work, not as victims or survivors of exploitation.1 Discussion
of boys as victims or survivors of CSEC is frequently appended to a discussion about commercially sexually
exploited girls. A panel discussion about commercial sexual exploitation often ends with these words: “…and
boys too.”
While awareness of commercial sexual exploitation of boys (CSEB) has paled next to that of commercial sexual
exploitation of girls (CSEG), two important studies in the past 12 years, The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children in the U.S., Canada and Mexico by Estes and Weiner (2001) and The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children in New York City by Curtis et al. (2008), have estimated that high percentages of commercially sexually
exploited children in the U.S. are boys. In order to examine why CSEB receive much less attention and to
question the widespread popular assumptions that they are willing participants or even exploiters and not
victims, ECPAT-USA has carried out a study to examine available information about CSEB, their participation in
CSEC, and services available to them. The study conducted a number of desk reviews that were supplemented
by interviews with 40 key service providers and youth agencies.
The research explored several questions relating to the existence and circumstances of CSEB: Do they exist?
What are their backgrounds? Who are their exploiters? At what age are they exploited? What are their needs
and what services are available to meet those needs? Although many of the answers were inconclusive, several
clear findings and messages stood out. Most significantly, responses from service providers clearly indicate
that the scope of CSEB is vastly under reported, that commercial sexual exploitation poses very significant
risks to their health and their lives; that gay and transgenders are over-represented as a proportion of the
sexually exploited boys; and that there is a shortage of services for these boys. The fact that boys and young
men may be less likely to be pimped or trafficked highlights the fact that even if there is no third party involved
in the commercial transaction, “buyers/exploiters” of sexually exploited children should be prosecuted under
anti-trafficking statutes.
Based on our research and responses from service providers, ECPAT-USA proposes a number of
recommendations. Two immediate needs are clear: first, to raise awareness about the scope of CSEB
and second, to expand research about which boys are vulnerable to sexual exploitation and how to meet
their needs.
1 For an example see: Cates, J. (1989). Adolescent Male Prostitution by Choice. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 6(2), 151-156. For further analysis see: Dennis, J. (2008). Women are Victims, Men Make Choices: The Invisibility of Men and Boys and young men in the Global Sex Trade. Gender Issues, 25(1), 11-25.3
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TRAFFICKING MONITOR: From the body of the discussion paper:
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Acknowledge the existence of CSE boys and young men, their risk for physical and mental health harm,
and their need for services. Include both GBTQ and heterosexual boys with attention to their different
circumstances and needs
2. Raise awareness among local and federal law-enforcement officers and foster-care agencies that boys in
the sex trade are victims whose fear of stigma and rejection exacerbates their denial and prevents them
from acknowledging their victimization.
3. Establish screening and intake systems for CSE boys at runaway and homeless youth centers and social
service agencies, and conduct sensitivity training of workers to recognize CSEB and to elicit information
from boys and to address shame and stigma.
4. Support the establishment of male-focused anti-trafficking agencies with staff trained to meet the need to
CSE boys.
5. When appropriate, encourage agencies and service providers that focus on girls to expand their mandate
to include boys, and hire and train male workers
6. Encourage collaboration among organizations that already address CSE boys and young men, and to
advocate for wider recognition among law enforcement, public health community, policy makers and the
public of their existence and harm to CSE boys
7. Conduct further research on LGBTQ youth on advantages and disadvantages of gender-specific or co-ed
service agencies.
8. Conduct research about the health impact of sexual exploitation on boys and young men.
9. Revise existing statutes to make it easier to prosecute exploiters of children even when there is no pimp or
trafficker involved.
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