When Lauren Pesso saw
an ad in search of a human trafficking fellow at My Sister's Place in White Plains , it was surprising to her that the issue
actually existed in Westchester . "You might see
it in your own neighborhood and not even know it," said the LMSW at a
presentation at the Somers Library on September 12th. So
raising the issue's profile at the local level is an important aspect of their
work at this domestic violence shelter and a building block in someday ending
this worldwide atrocity.
Federal Law Enforcement defines
Human Trafficking as a form of modern day slavery in which traffickers use
force, fraud, coercion and threats to transport, harbor or obtain a person to
perform commercial sex or labor acts against their will.
In 2009, an affluent
Northern Westchester community was home to such a case. 12 young girls willingly
came abroad in response to an online add for nannies which was posted by a Pound
Ridge cookbook author. Over a period of several years, they received no pay and
were forced to perform sexual acts on the resident. Typically, said Ms.
Pesso, victims are duped into a circumstance like this and being locked in a
room or chained to a radiator usually isn't the case.
Many times language
acts as a barrier between the victim and the communities they live, while the
threat of violence to themselves or family back also keeps them
contained. When a network of
accomplices exists or organized crime is involved, traffickers continually move
the victims around in order to severe any community connections that arise. As
for outreach to law enforcement, a culture of distrust is so built within the
victim that it's easy for them to assume that cops must also be dishonest.
At the same time, the
police may not have a very good reputation in the victim’s native land so the
same assumption is made here. All told,
she says, “People feel trapped even though they are free to
go.”
But victims are not
limited to foreigners coerced here with false promises. By law, anyone under the age of 18 who is
engaged in prostitution is considered to be a victim of human trafficking.
So while anyone could
be a victim, the odds increase in ratio to a person’s vulnerability. In turn,
she says, young people coming from a world of poverty, abuse or violence are
more likely to view prostitution as an escape – and their introduction usually
comes from an older relative or someone they know.
She credits the
enactment of Federal and State Human Trafficking laws to opening up local
communities to addressing the problem. Selected as a Human Trafficking site, MSP
began training law enforcement and social agencies in the practice of
identifying the problem. “That’s when we really saw an increase in referrals,”
she says.
The added attention
also alerted victims and communities members where to call to get help
but matters are
complicated when willing coercion to America
Called T-Visas, it
creates a temporary stay that allows the person to reapply for a permanent visa
as the trafficking situation is resolved. Unfortunately, very few T-Visas have
been issued because victims must cooperate with law enforcement to help
prosecute the offenders. The fear of
retribution keeps a lot people from seeking help, she says.
Either way, in this
year alone, MSP is providing services for 50 human trafficking cases.
A significant intervention, she says, “Most survivors experience a lot of
trauma.”
As it stands, she can
say that there's generally less success among younger victims. Considering their
youth and homegrown background of abuse, they may not even feel as though they
are victims and see prostitution as their most viable option. “A lot of times,
she says, “they end up going back to the trafficker.”
Nonetheless, the
numbers claim 12.3 million adults and children as victims and about 15,000
trafficked into the U.S.
For our efforts, being
on the lookout for suspicious behavior is the best defense. She cautions against
intervening yourself because that puts you or the victim in harm’s way. Notify
law enforcement or an agency like MSP, she says.
She admits that this
is a long way from solving the problem but vigilance on a small scale is really
the best we can do. In this way, she concludes, we can at least change the odds
for each potential victim.
Signs of Human
Trafficking
Few or No
personal Possessions
No Control of
financial records or ID documents
Limited knowledge
of whereabouts
Loss of sense of
time
Controlled or
restricted communication
Limited or
restricted freedom to leave work (including excessive or inappropriate security
features at the home and/or place of work
Excessively
long or unusual work
hours
Unpaid, underpaid
or paid only through tips
Living in
multiple residences in brief period
Signs of trauma,
fatigue or abuse
Excessive
fearfulness of law enforcement and/or other authority
figures
Non-cooperativeness
Minor engaged in
commercial sex and/or in sexual situations beyond age specific
norms
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