Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
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However, we see three major barriers which prevent some domestic children from gettingneeded help. I also refer you to reports completed within <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> past year by Internati<strong>on</strong>alOrganizati<strong>on</strong> for Adolescents (IOFA) and End Child Prostituti<strong>on</strong> and <strong>Trafficking</strong>(ECPAT), USA both <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> which address services specifically in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> New York City area.• Children may be receiving care via state systems some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> which do notadequately understand <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> crime <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> trafficking and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore do not provide <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>specialized interventi<strong>on</strong> needed.• The state and local service systems are overburdened. Therefore, many childrenreceive minimal services and if <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are resistant, no <strong>on</strong>e looks for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m toencourage <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir participati<strong>on</strong>.• In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> juvenile justice system, if a child has participated in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> crime <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>prostituti<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are frequently dealt with as a juvenile delinquent first. Theymay also be thought <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> as a trafficking victim and state juvenile systems vary in<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir ability to <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>fer appropriate services while a child is “doing her time.”When <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> U.S. systems work as intended, services seem adequate to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> need. Anexample <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a case involving American children lured into commercial sex is a situati<strong>on</strong> inMinnesota in which we were involved in providing technical assistance because some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> victims were foreign born or are <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> children <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> foreign born parents. Alert staff in ahospital noticed a pattern <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> young teens from a particular ethnic group coming to anemergency room with illnesses and injuries which were suspicious. Her follow upuncovered a pattern <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> runaway teens who ended up in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> hands <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> criminal gangs andfound no way out. State authorities are following up <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> situati<strong>on</strong> with severalinterventi<strong>on</strong>s including services through a child sexual assault center c<strong>on</strong>nected with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>hospital, awareness raising in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> schools, parenting efforts so that families can resolveissues with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir children. It is unclear whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r this situati<strong>on</strong> would rise to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> level <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> afederal interventi<strong>on</strong> and <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>refore whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se children could be called “domestictrafficking victims” under <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> terms <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> law. Some <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> gang members may workacross state lines. The local police are investigating <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> case; whe<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r charges have beenor will be filed remains to be seen.Summary and recommendati<strong>on</strong>sAdults and children; internati<strong>on</strong>al and domestic victims <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> human trafficking all facebarriers to receiving <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> help <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y need and deserve to recover from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir victimizati<strong>on</strong>.If <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y have been victimized in our country by our fellow Americans, we should do whatwe can to “rescue and restore.”Internati<strong>on</strong>al adult victims (including children served with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir families) should have al<strong>on</strong>ger period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> time to understand <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir opti<strong>on</strong>s to cooperate with <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> prosecuti<strong>on</strong> andreceive help to escape <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir dire circumstances. They should have a period <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> servicesfrom designated providers who can gain <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir trust and explain <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir opti<strong>on</strong>s before beingremoved from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> country.68