US PROGRAMS

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking in the US
An estimated 100,000 American children are victimized through commercial sexual exploitation every year according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of any minor under the age of 18 is legally a form of human trafficking under the Trafficking in Persons Victim Protection Act. Human traffickers and pimps play on the vulnerability, lack of knowledge, and desires of children to lure them into the dark world of CSE, including prostitution and pornography. Tragically, the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that the average age of children entering into commercial sexual exploitation in the U.S. is 13.

Our motivation to implement the TIME Program model in CT is strengthened by documented cases of domestic minor sex trafficking in the state. One such case of CSEC happened in late 2004/early 2005, when Corey Davis, a.k.a. “Magnificent,” was found to have recruited minors into sex slavery and forced them to work as dancers and prostitutes. He took all of the money they earned and “controlled the girls through physical and psychological coercion, beatings, rapes, confinement, threats of serious harm, intimidation, and humiliation” (U.S. Attorneys’ Office District of CT Press Release, 2007). Two of Davis’ victims shared their stories at his sentencing hearing:

“When I went to clubs, I had to tell people I fell off stage because I had so many bruises on my ribs, face, and legs.  He would watch me or have me watched by someone else to make sure that I was working and not trying to run away.”

“He would decide what I ate, how my hair would look, and what I wore.  I felt like a slave.  I wanted to be loved.  That’s what I was searching for.  I wanted someone who would always be there for me because I never, ever had this.”

TIME: TRAINING, INTERVENTION, MENTORING, EDUCATION

TIME Model - Program Overview
In order to address the commercial sexual exploitation of children in the US, Love146 developed the TIME program model (Training, Intervention, Mentoring, Education.)

TRAINING adults who work with children is key to identifying at-risk and exploited youth in our communities. Through our trainings, adults become better equipped to prevent commercial sexual exploitation of children and to conduct appropriate INTERVENTIONS when victims are identified. During the transition from victim to survivor, children affected by commercial sexual exploitation need specialized MENTORING services to be successful in their restorative journeys. Furthermore, Love146 conducts prevention EDUCATION directly with children, equipping them to understand the grim realities of human trafficking, to better protect themselves and those around them, and to inspire these young people to join the movement to end modern day slavery.  

The TIME model utilizes various curricula and programmatic components in the following target areas:

1. Schools – Reaching teen girls, boys, and school staff
Love146 first provides training for teachers and staff to ensure that they can identify and assist high risk and exploited teens. Then we conduct a 4-session educational workshop series with teens in schools, afterschool programs, and communities. The curriculum we utilize, Tell Your Friends, was created by FAIRfund and is designed to facilitate discussion with teens on their perceptions of healthy and unhealthy relationships, commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking, the media’s image of commercial sex versus reality, and the reality of exploited youth’s experiences. Children learn to better protect themselves and those around them and are often inspired to join the movement to end trafficking.

2. Group Homes / Residential Centers – Reaching teen girls and staff
Adolescent girls in “the system” are often considered the most at risk of commercial sexual exploitation. After conducting training with the staff in these locations, Love146 conducts a 10-session intensive educational series called “My Life My Choice,” created by The My Life My Choice Project. This curriculum is intended to dispel myths about commercial sexual exploitation, build awareness of recruitment tactics by pimps, provide information on sexual health, help teens understand the link between substance use and exploitation—how it can pull you in and how it can keep you there -- raise awareness of resources and a path out of “The Life,” and help improve self-esteem.

3. Service Providers / Law Enforcement
Service Providers and Law Enforcement often have the best access to the most at-risk and victimized youth in our communities. However, a lack of understanding and adequate training amongst these professionals leads to a lack of identification and misidentification of exploited children. What may appear to be dating violence, truancy, a harmless tattoo, or drug abuse can all be signs that there is something else going on behind the scenes. Sadly, many victims acquire trauma bonds with their traffickers/pimps and do not always see themselves as victims nor do they easily trust those trying to help them. Love146 trains law enforcement and service providers to understand the psychological manipulation and brutality these victims are controlled by so appropriate intervention can take place.