NCMEC - Texas Regional Office’s Post

In a study in Detroit, Michigan, 74 women were surveyed and categorized into three groups: trafficking victims, those involved in commercial sex but not trafficked, and those neither trafficked nor involved in commercial sex at the time of the survey. To determine if a participant was trafficked, a series of questions were administered based on the definition of trafficking found in the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Summary of findings: * Of 74 participants, 45 women (61%) reported experiences consistent with being trafficked, while 20 women (27%) self-reported as voluntarily engaging in commercial sex, and nine women (12%) stated they were not involved in commercial sex or trafficked at the time of the survey. * The majority of those trafficked (71%) were trafficked at age 25 or younger, and 22% were trafficked under the age of 18. In contrast, most women engaging voluntarily in commercial sex entered later, after the age of 25. * 75–80% of respondents had at least one child. *Drug use began during adolescence, with 71% of trafficking victims starting drug use before age 18. Cocaine and heroin were the most commonly used drugs by trafficking victims. * 96% of those who were trafficked reported experiencing violence. 80% of those in commercial sex reported violence. Among trafficking victims, 82% endured violence from customers, and 60% reported experiencing violence from the trafficker. *Rates of unstable housing were highest among those who were trafficked, with 80% reporting living in an abandoned house, drug house, or motel. *Arrest rates were high across all groups: 96% of those trafficked and 100% of those in commercial sex and “neither” groups reported being arrested. Among trafficked respondents, 56% were arrested for commercial sex and 82% for drug-related offenses. *80% of those who had been trafficked relied on emergency rooms for healthcare, with other sources including street medical outreaches (18%), clinics or doctor’s offices (13%), and urgent care facilities (9%). *When asked if they want to pursue a different path in life, 100% of the trafficked respondents answered “yes.” When asked what barriers are preventing them from getting out of the sex industry, 87% identified drug addiction as the most significant barrier. *The participants were asked to identify their top needs. They cited food, clothing, and shelter; specialized medical care and drug rehabilitation; legal assistance and basic documentation, such as IDs or birth certificates; and lastly, a sense of community and belonging. The full publication is available at: https://lnkd.in/e5FjPtYx

Our Head of Content and Operations, Sophie Banks attended the Kids First Australia Child Sexual Abuse & Harmful Sexual Behaviours National Conference 2024 ⤵ Why? 💡 Because ChildAware is committed to ensuring that our product embeds the latest research and understandings about child abuse prevention into practical actions that organisations can take to be child-safe. 🗨 She reports that Day 1 had an excellent line-up of speakers addressing the latest, evidence-based research and practice around protecting children from child sexual abuse. Here are some of her key take-aways: ⚪ 94% of Australian 4-year-olds have access to an internet connected device (Executive Manager Investigations, Bryan Downie, eSafety Commissioner) which means prevention and education must start in the early years ⚪ Children as young as eight are being exposed to explicit content online and there is an associated increase in sexually harmful behaviour in children (Jackie Batemen, General Manager Prevention and Recovery, Kidsfirst) ⚪ The average age of children experiencing peer based sexual harassment is 11 years of age (Gabrielle Hunt, PhD Candidate and Research Assistant, ACU) ⚪ Adolescent sexual abuse has increased - known adolescents are the most common offenders (above parents/carers) (Daryl Higgins, Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies) ⚪ Given online threats, consent education, and broader preventative sex and relationships education, especially for boys is critical (Daryl Higgins, Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies) ⚪ Sibling sexual abuse is 3x more prevalent than parental sexual abuse and needs more attention (Carol Ronken (on the lands of the Kombumerri people), Director of Research, Bravehearts) ⚪ LGBTQIA+ children and young people are vastly more at risk of experiencing all forms of child maltreatment than other children (Daryl Higgins, Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies) ⚪ Adults understand and experience safety in different ways to children - we need to better attune to children, in order to protect them (A/Prof Tim Moore, Deputy Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies) ⚪ 17% of young people reported that a school staff member probably wouldn't believe them if they raised a safety issue, and 22% felt that adults wouldn't see it as their job to do something (research by A/Prof Tim Moore, Deputy Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies) These are sobering but important insights which will continue to inform our work. 👏 Thank you Kids First Australia for putting together such an incredible conference and for the incredible work that you do for children and young people. #childsafety #childsafeguarding #childsexualabuse

LONDON, May 27, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 300 million children are victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation annually, with South Asia triggering the highest number of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) alerts. These findings come from the first global estimate of the crisis by university researchers. With files containing sexual images of children reported every second worldwide, researchers highlighted that pupils “in every classroom, in every school, in every country” are affected by this “hidden pandemic.” This data appears in a groundbreaking report by the Childlight Global Child Safety Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. It indicates that 12.6% of the world’s children, about 302 million, have been victims of non-consensual taking, sharing, and exposure to sexual images and video in the past year. Additionally, 12.5% of children globally have been subjected to online solicitation, such as unwanted sexual talk, non-consensual sexting, and unwanted sexual act requests by adults or other youths. Offences include “sextortion” and abuse of AI deepfake technology. One child grooming survivor emphasised the need for stronger regulation to hold social media platforms accountable, especially as end-to-end encryption makes detecting offenders more difficult. Childlight’s global index, Into the Light, found South Asia accounts for about one-third of all alerts by online watchdogs for CSAM hosting or uploading, followed by East Asia and Pacific, which account for one-fifth of reports. However, these regions also hold 54% of the world’s population. Standardising findings by population size, North America and Western Europe are in the top three regions with the highest CSAM rates, following the Middle East and North Africa. Studies in East Asia and the Pacific, including Australia, Malaysia and the Philippines, found the past year's prevalence for online sexual solicitation of children to be 13%. However, data for South Asia is sparse, with researchers calling for urgent efforts to fill this gap. New data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) revealed 8.9 million alerts for CSAM in India last year, with 2.5 million for Bangladesh and 1.9 million for Pakistan. Childlight CEO Paul Stanfield said: “This is a global health pandemic that has remained hidden for far too long. It occurs in every country and is growing exponentially. We need to act urgently and treat it as a public health issue that can be prevented. Children can’t wait.” Video: Paul Stanfield, Childlight CEO, in Edinburgh, Scotland – credit Martin Shields #childhelplineinternational #bravemovement #stopitnow #UK #childlight

Premier Partnership and Breaking the Cycle Present: Free Taster Course To align with Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Week 2024, Premier Partnership are thrilled to announce an empowering opportunity in collaboration with Breaking the Cycle. We are offering a complimentary three-hour session on Tuesday 6th February 2024 from 9.30am to 12.30pm titled "Safeguarding Adults and Children and Inappropriate Sexual Behaviour" - a crucial exploration into understanding, managing, and preventing sexual offending. Course Overview: This immersive course delves deep into the multifaceted landscape of sexual offending. It provides a comprehensive understanding of definitions, typologies, theories, and legislative frameworks surrounding sexual offending behaviour. Topics include the complex realm of photographic images, social media, grooming dynamics, and aiding an offender. Participants will navigate through the assessment and risk management process, exploring renowned models like the Finkelhor Pre-Conditions to offending behaviour. Moreover, recognising the sensitive nature of this field, we prioritise discussions around staff support and self-care. Key Focus Areas: Understanding victim needs is pivotal. This course shines a light on trauma, Trauma Informed Care, considerations for repeat victims, and specific risks faced by individuals with physical and learning disabilities. Emphasising empowerment, participants will explore fostering a healthy internal locus of control for those at risk. Public protection measures will be central to our discussion, encompassing a review of multi-agency Public Protection Arrangements and the multi-agency approach to offender management. Effective community supervision and monitoring strategies for sexual offenders will also be highlighted. Learning Objectives: - Grasp the nuances between healthy and harmful sexual behaviour - Unravel the reasons behind sexualized behaviour in children and young people - Recognize the impacts of harmful sexual behaviour, including trauma effects - Explore empowering models and strategies for assisting young individuals - Embrace effective risk management and empowerment practices - Consider protection strategies for those vulnerable to harm This taster course is designed to equip participants with comprehensive knowledge and practical strategies essential in combating sexual offending. Our goal is to empower individuals with the tools to safeguard and support those affected by this complex issue. Join us in this crucial conversation to create a safer, more informed community. Secure your spot now for this invaluable opportunity! Book now:

I learnt from the victims that we need to safeguard our most vulnerable.   I learnt about Child Sexual Exploitation & Trafficking, Survival Sex, & Grooming from the victims themselves. They told me how they would be befriended and offered accommodation, food, money, alcohol and drugs in exchange for sexual activity. How males would ‘date’ younger girls, tell them they loved them, get engaged to them, give them that emotional connection that they crave, and, of course, sexual activity was included.   Once, I had to tell a 14-year-old in a foster home that the 21-year-old she was ‘engaged to’ had done this before; she wasn’t the first and probably won’t be the last. That they were a predatory sex offender, and this was another rejection for them, another person that they couldn’t trust. But being honest was crucial; for this 14-year-old, it started a trusted relationship between us.   While doing this work, we also met with other agencies monthly to discuss individuals who were most at risk and how we could engage and support them. During these meetings, several names as offenders kept coming up. We organised a ‘board blast’ and invited senior officers to this meeting. That is where Operation Mansfield was born. They would ply the girls with alcohol and cannabis and provide places they could go to get away from family, away from life; the result would be sexual activity. Many of the victims were in love with the abuser, but it wasn’t love; it was predatory behaviour.   See the Signs wants to ensure that people and agencies working with children know how children are targeted, what signs there could be that a child is being abused and how to work with the children and what to do to keep them safe.   Safeguarding children is something EVERYONE who works or connects with children NEEDS to know!   New Zealand is our future, children & young people are the future of NZ, Let’s safeguard the future of New Zealand together.   Please reach out via LinkedIn or my website www.seethesigns.co.nz  

In order to combat sex trafficking in a meaningful way, we need to gain a deeper understanding of how big of problem it is in our communities. Recently, I conducted some research into sex trafficking in Sarasota County, Florida and what I found is disheartening. I recently had a private tech firm research human trafficking in Sarasota County. This research was done over a recent seven-day period where this tech firm researched the use of the internet for the purpose of sex trafficking in Sarasota County. Here are there findings: * Identified 149 individuals posting 510 explicit listings/advertisements for sex services in that seven-day period. * 35 individuals created 114 listings providing “24/7”, multi-person and multilocation sex services signaling a high potential for affiliation with larger, sophisticated sex trafficking organizations. * 22 phone numbers produced 76 listings that have been flagged as potential juvenile trafficking leads. That is an indicator of 76 ads of children (not necessarily 76 individual children) being sold in Sarasota County for sex. Sex traffickers in Sarasota County post indicators of a child's age that is being sold for sex through known emojis that the purchasers know. This company uses AI to detect these emojis along with common terminology used among pedophiles who are looking to purchase children for sex. * 17% (86 listings) of the human trafficking activity detected have narcotics trafficking activity included in the listings’ content. I had the same tech firm do a similar report over nearly the same seven-day period for Spokane, Washington because of a speaking engagement I had there on human trafficking. Sarasota County's results were three times higher than Spokane. Between Sarasota and Manatee County, 225 unaccompanied migrant children were sent here between October 1, 2023 to April 30, 2024. This is according to published Office of Refugee Resettlement data. In the same period, a total of 6,378 unaccompanied migrant children were sent throughout the State of Florida. The problem with that is there is no vetting of sponsors or of the locations the children are being sent to. I have seen documented cases of where some of these children have been sent to sponsors who have forced children into sex trafficking and other terrible situations around the nation. I am concerned for the safety of the unaccompanied minor children sent to Sarasota County. I also did some research into pregnancy clinics in Sarasota County who see pregnant women with no insurance or with Medicaid. I discovered that out of 500 women these clinics see, at least 200 are pregnant migrant women in Sarasota County. Some are pregnant due to being forced into sex trafficking because they want to live in the U.S. and some are telling their stories to clinic staff. It is important that attention is brought to what is going on in Sarasota County and throughout communities across the U.S. #Florida #Sarasota #Sextrafficking

"Child sexual abuse (CSA) by adults has declined, indicating positive impacts of prevention efforts. However, #CSA by adolescents has increased. Further declines in CSA by adults are required and possible. Targeted prevention of CSA by adolescents must be prioritised. The Australian Child Maltreatment Study collected information about CSA victimisation from a nationally-representative sample. Australian CSA prevalence was 28.5%, with the following prevalence by perpetrator classes: other known adolescents (non-romantic): 10.0%; parents/caregivers in the home: 7.8%; other known adults: 7.5%; unknown adults: 4.9%; adolescents (current/former romantic partners): 2.5%; institutional caregivers: 2.0%; siblings: 1.6%; unknown adolescents: 1.4%. Women experienced more CSA by all perpetrator classes except institutional caregivers. Age group comparison showed significant declines in CSA by parents/caregivers, and other known adults; and increases in CSA by adolescents (current/former romantic partners). Individual perpetrator type comparison showed declines in CSA by fathers, male relatives living in the home, non-resident male relatives, and other known male adults; and increases in CSA by known male adolescents, current boyfriends, and former boyfriends. Given the profound suffering and often devastating effects of CSA, and viewed through the prism of historical lived experience, these declines are remarkable achievements in advancing children's rights and gender equality. The momentum gained in reducing CSA in these domains must be maintained through continued investment and support, and repeated prevalence studies can further examine the nature and continuance of this decline. However, CSA by three classes of adolescent perpetrators has increased. Most significantly, CSA by other known adolescents in non-romantic relationships, and by adolescents who are or were in a romantic relationship, are now major public health concerns. In contemporary Australian society, CSA by known adolescents in non-romantic relationships is by far the single most common category of offending. As a society, we have never done enough to ensure healthy sexual and emotional development of our youth, and especially of boys; this is particularly concerning as the vast majority of CSA is inflicted by males. The toll of this neglect is accelerating, exacerbated by social and technological challenges. These findings have major implications for families, communities, and whole of government approaches to CSA prevention, and the promotion of healthy sexual development. This evidence should inform precision public health approaches by social, education, health, and legal systems to enhance prevention of CSA by distinct perpetrator classes, including adolescents within and beyond romantic relationships." #childsexualabuse

Safe House Project Featured in National Article We are proud to be featured in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's recent article, "Preventing Child Sex Trafficking." The article discusses innovative partnerships aimed at protecting youth from exploitation, highlighting Safe House Project's collaborative efforts to provide education, resources, and support to vulnerable children across the nation. This recognition underscores our commitment to preventing trafficking and fostering safer communities. Read the full article to learn more about this important work: https://hubs.la/Q02Q0C6S0

When we talk about CSA prevention, we don't talk about sibling sexual abuse (SSA) & incest often enough, yet when children are sexually abused, the majority of abuse is committed by a family member. Often that person is a sibling. It's difficult to comprehend, but so important in order to keep children safe.  Though the research around sibling incest is outdated, in 1980 leading child sexual abuse researcher David Finkelhor reported that sibling incest may be 5x greater than incest committed by a parent. It is clear that this area of abuse deserves much more research! Because the opportunity for siblings to engage in exploration of their bodies is high, here's what parents need to know: ❗Children of all ages engage in some degree of genital exploration with themselves and with peers. ❗This exploration is considered "appropriate" or expected when the behavior stems from mutual curiosity & the children are of similar emotional development - w/in 2 yrs. (Sexual behavior can still be abusive if the children are the same age and coercion is involved.) ❗Genital exploration between young children is no longer "appropriate" if there is more than a 2 yr age difference and / or the use of bribery, force, coercion or tricks are used.  Basic steps to create safety at home: ❗Create a culture of sexual safety in your home where you are proactive about having conversations around bodies, sexual development,  reproduction, consent & relationships, & your children know that all questions are welcome. ❗Learn about age-appropriate sexual development vs. concerning sexual behaviors in children. ❗Prevent pornography exposure as best you can. ❗Learn about grooming. ❗Discuss & model physical & emotional boundaries - privacy, safe touch, consent. ❗Create a communication-rich environment where children can talk about anything. ❗Use proper names for genitals. ❗Build and nurture self-worth in your children. ❗ Supervise children's play. ❗ Keep doors open. ❗Listen to your gut. I know it's unimaginable to think about siblings sexually abusing each other, but sibling incest is more common than you want to believe & the consequences can be devastating.  For more info on children's sexual behavior, my get my book Off Limits at https://lnkd.in/gJabphn4 Do you know about Parenting Safe Children Workshops? Please consider attending. Register at https://lnkd.in/eehxS2Ts

Child sexual abuse prevention and enforcement is not a partisan issue! 📱 Online safety in the form of prevention & education will always be more effective than enforcement. Vulnerable populations, especially children & the elderly, must be treated with respect and dignity, while understanding the risk factors that make them a prime target for online bad actors. Sexting, cyberbullying, grooming behaviors, romance scams, even “pig butchering”, must be talked about openly and honestly without being taboo. While I have countless professional contacts in this field, educators like Whitney Miller and Kelly Stutts are well qualified and passionate with a mission to help educate young people and the general public about staying safe online. 👮♂️ Enforcement must be swift and targeted. Lack of trained personnel should never be an excuse for agencies to at least lay eyes on / triage incoming Cybertips, HT Hotline, and Crimestopper-type reports. Unfortunately, there’s agencies out there that have tips 2+ years old that haven’t even been glanced over; this is shameful and must change. 🤖 Technology by itself is neither evil nor good. Technology-facilitated crime can be exponentially more harmful however due to the velocity and growth factor of illicit activity. Technology is the problem- and the solution. Emerging technological solutions, such as AI, blockchain tools, hash sets, etc. must be developed and embraced to keep up with the cyber bad actor. Whether it’s online elder abuse, child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offenses, or fentanyl being sold on a darkweb marketplace, the world needs computer nerds to develop the next generation of tools to combat these global problems- and government leaders must be willing to pony up the money to pay for these tools. 🧑💻 More research needs to be devoted to evidence-based enforcement and “good-guy” wellness. Academic pioneers like Dr. Michael Bourke have done great work on the “why” motivation regarding the connections between child exploitation online offenses and contact offenses. Where’s the “compstat” of enforcement efficacy? Investigators joke about the CE offender living in mom’s basement with jugs of urine near the computer and a Samurai sword hanging on the wall but is that the guy we really want to get? - Truthfully, we need to get the serial abuser with ongoing, continual access to new children in a position of trust in the community. While we’re at it, we need to be keeping our investigators, CFAs, forensic interviewers, even court reporters and judges (shoutout Eric Oldenburg) mentally well and able to keep doing their jobs effectively. 🙏 Lastly, we must hold onto hope. It is so easy to become despondent and glum in this field. Whether it’s HSI’s Operation Renewed Hope or Team HOPE over at NCMEC, the word describes hanging onto a belief that things will get better. We cannot abandon this belief. Children depend on us! Photo: U.S. Department of Homeland Security iGuardians Campaign