Online Gaming: The Newest Weapon of Human Traffickers: Part 1

Written by STOPP Website Staff (12/07/2018) When you hear about incidents of human trafficking you may think the victims were approached or kidnapped in public by someone that observes them from afar. But with ever-advancing technology and the rise of social media behemoths, a new and disturbing threat has been forming: online gaming. A creation whose purpose always seemed pure, gaming through the Internet allows you to talk to and game with someone across the street, across town, across the country, and across the world. According to a 2013 study, over 1.2 Billion people play video games across the globe Read More

After the Rescue: A Plea for Restorative and Complete Treatment

Written by STOPP Website Staff (11/14/2018) As a clinical psychologist, I have over the years treated women who were trafficked or sold through prostitution, sometimes by their own parents, beginning in childhood. The slavery causes untold damage to self-esteem, confidence, and independent ability. Human slavery impacts the victim in a myriad of ways. There are medical and physical issues, including wounds, burns, and fractures. Gastrointestinal conditions include Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Crohn’s Disease, weight loss and malnutrition. Reproductive issues include sexually-transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and forced abortions, genital trauma and sexual dysfunction. Of course there is a wide array of Read More

Identifying Victims of Human Trafficking in a Healthcare Setting

Written by STOPP Website Staff (11/01/2018) It is often said that healthcare workers are on the front lines in discovering victims of human trafficking. Beyond assessment, clinicians are also in a position to confidentially provide information and resources to trafficking victims that they would not be able to obtain in their everyday surroundings, information that would help them to leave the life. Anyone in a healthcare setting may be in a position to recognize human trafficking — from clerical staff to lab technicians, radiology technicians, nursing staff, security, case managers, and physicians. But given that most victims do not disclose Read More

New California Laws Target Human Trafficking With Transit, Hotel Workers

Written by STOPP Website Staff (10/24/2018) New California Laws Target Human Trafficking With Transit, Hotel Workers LOS ANGELES — Two new California state laws will require workers in certain industries to go through training to identify human trafficking as a package of legislation that advocates expect will help the state address the issue. California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law two new bills aimed at addressing human trafficking on September 27th. The bills require human trafficking awareness training in industries where workers are likely to encounter trafficking victims. The laws are scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, Read More

Michigan Kids Story

Written by STOPP Website Staff (10/18/2018) 123 Missing Children found in Michigan during sex trafficking operation Over 100 children were found safe during a one-day sweep by multiple Michigan law enforcement agencies, the US Marshals Service said Wednesday. The agency said Operation MISafeKid recovered 123 missing children Sept. 26 throughout Wayne County in a sweep aimed to identify and recover missing children and locate victims of sex trafficking. The operation had 301 case files for missing children open before the sweep, which was the first of its kind in Wayne County, according to the report. All recovered children were interviewed Read More

President Trump’s Crucial Speech against Human Trafficking on Oct. 11, 2018

Written by STOPP Website Staff (10/17/2018) President Trump’s Crucial Speech against Human Trafficking on Oct. 11, 2018 President Trump had vowed a year ago to fight human trafficking and since then, the Department of Justice and the FBI have arrested record numbers of traffickers. President Trump spoke at the White House on October 11, 2018 to a gathering of people from various U.S. agencies and departments who have been fighting trafficking. One of the guests was Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) who was the Chair of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations when they moved the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act Read More

National Campaign to Detect and Deter Human Trafficking Introduced in the Virgin Islands

Written by STOPP Website Staff (09/28/2018) National Campaign to Detect and Deter Human Trafficking Introduced in the Virgin Islands The Blue Campaign, a nationwide initiative to combat human trafficking that was originally promoted in all fifty states, was launched on September 20th in the U.S. Virgin Islands with training sessions hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The U.S. territory is made up of three islands in the Caribbean, totaling 133 miles square miles and located forty miles east of Puerto Rico. In the past, the Virgin Islands have had trouble with both sex trafficking and the trafficking of stolen babies. Read More

How to Spot Human Trafficking by Kanani Titchen – TEDxGeorge School

Written by STOPP Website Staff (09/10/2018) How to Spot Human Trafficking by Kanani Titchen – TEDxGeorge School Kanani Titchen, M.D. is an Adolescent Medicine Fellow at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, New York. She is co-chair of Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans (PATH), an anti-trafficking committee of the American Medical Women’s Association. In this talk, Dr. Titchen describes her growing awareness of human trafficking as she advanced through her early career in medicine. Since her eyes were opened to trafficking, Dr. Kanani has trained other physicians about trafficking. She has written articles for medical journals and for the Read More

Training Opportunity: Sexually Exploited Children and Adolescents

Written by STOPP Website Staff (08/16/2018) Training Opportunity: Sexually Exploited Children and Adolescents October 22, 2018 in King of Prussia, PA: Crowne Plaza Valley Forge October 23, 2018 in Mount Laurel, NJ: Westin Mount Laurel October 24, 2018 in Wilmington, DE: Double Tree Wilmington Registration: 7:30 am. Program begins: 8:00 am. Program ends: 4:00 pm. Continuing Education Credit for Counselors, Marriage and Family Therapists, Occupational Therapists and Assistants, Psychologists, Social Workers, etc. $199.99 per person for 2 or more preregistering together, or single registration postmarked 3 weeks prior to seminar date. $299.99 standard. Register online: pesi.com/express/64544 Register by phone: 800-844-8260 Read More

The Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act

Written by STOPP Website Staff (07/30/2018) A Polaris report that was based on data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline identified over 800 persons who were victimized by human trafficking through 2015, 2016, and 2017. All were in the United States working under temporary work visas. According to Polaris, “the temporary work visa system is badly broken.” The individual work visa system is a patchwork of laws and regulations. There is a lack of transparency in the system, and a lack of accountability. Workers fall through the cracks and become victims of traffickers. The Visa Transparency Anti-Trafficking Act of 2018, Read More