Trafficking of Youth with Disabilities 
What Providers Serving Youth with Disabilities Need to Know 

Presented by 

in, MA, Program Director, IOFA 
f Advocate, Project Coordinator, 
IOFA 

International Organization for Adolescents logo (IOFA) 
Jody HaskJae Jin Pak, Sel

International Organization 
for Adolescents (IOFA) 

Meet the Presenters 

Jae Jin Pak, portrait, smiling
Jae Jin Pak 
Project Coordinator 
International Organization 
for Adolescents (IOFA) 

Jodi Haskin, portrait, smiling
Jody Haskin 

Program Director 


IOFA logo
The Trafficking of Youth wies 
Outreach & Education Project 

► International Organization for Adolescents (IOFA) 

► National Human Trafficking & Disabilities Working Group (NHTDWG) 

The National Resource Center for Reaching Victims logo
National Human Trafficking & Disabilities Working Group (NHTDWG)
logo
This project was produced by the International Association for Adolescents under award #2016XV-
GX-K015, awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. 
Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in 
this project are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official positions or 
policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. 


Learning Objectives 

Participants will be introduced to: 

► What human trafficking is 
► How youth with disabilities may be i 
► The role of a provider serving youth with disabilities in addressing 
human trafficking 
► Ways to identify and support potential or confirmed youth survivors of 
human trafficking with disabilities 



A Note on Youth, Children, & M 

Two male youths posed smiling at camera. One youth is posed pushing wheelchair, the other is posed maneuvering the wheelchair near an open car door. 
and two youth women working on a computer, one is helping the other use the computer. 

Why do 
providers 
serving youth 
with disabilities 
need to learn 
about human 
trafficking? 

Two white teenagers smiling and enjoying the flowers together.

STATEMENT 1 
Human trafficking only takes place in large cities or in other countries 
ANSWER: 
FALSE -Human trafficking takes place all around the world, 
including throughout the United States, in cities, suburbs, and 
rural areas 

What Do You Know About Youth 
Trafficking? True or False? 

Please reply to the following statement as True or False: 


STATEMENT 2 
In order to be considered trafficking, a person must be moved across a 
city, state, or country border. 
ANSWER: 
FALSE – Human trafficking does not require any movement 

What Do You Know About Youth Trafficking? 
Part 2 
True or False? 

Please reply to the following statement as True or False: 


STATEMENT 3 

Most youth who experience trafficking were initially kidnapped by their 
trafficker. 
ANSWER: 
FALSE – Physically taking someone rarely happens in a 
trafficking situation. 

W

hat Do You Know About Youth Traff icking? 
Part 3 
True or False? 

Please reply to the following statement as True or False: 


What Do You Know About Youth Traff icking? 
Part 4 
True or False? 

Please reply to the following statement as True or False: 

STATEMENT 4 
ANSWER: 

Youth under the age of 18 who trade sex acts for something of value 
are considered victims of crime. 

TRUE – The crime of sex trafficking includes youth under the age of 18 
who trade sex acts for something of value. These youth are a victim of a 
crime. 


What is 
human 
trafficking? 

a woman working in a garden in a field
a man's hand holding money, $100 bills

Definition of Human Trafficking 

Federal Law: Trafficking Vict ims Protecti on Act o f 2000 

(A) Sex trafficking in which a 
commercial sex act is induced by 
force, fraud, or coercion, or in which 
the p erson induced to perform the 
purpose of subjection to involuntary 
servitude, peonage, debt form such 
act has not attained 18 years of age; or

(B) The recrui tment, harboring, 
transportation, provision, or obtaining 
of a person for labor or services, 
through the u se o f force, fraud, or 
coercion bondage, or slavery 


Graphic: Process to Means to End
Process Means End 
Elements of Human Trafficking 


Why are youth at risk for trafficking of sex 
and labor? 

Why? 
► Access to internet 
► Desire to connect 
► Feeling misunderstood 
► Family conflict 
► Crave independence 
► Risk-taking behaviors 
► Lack experience 

An Asian, female teenager using a laptop with her headphones on

While all y outh may be targeted by 
traffickers… some groups a re at much higher 
risk 

Who is at higher risk? 
► Undocumented 
► Runaway & homeless 
► Youth with disabilities 
► LGBTQ+ youth 
► Foster care/group homes 
► Justice system/multiple placements 
► Abuse & n eglect 
► Persons of color 

A Black, male teenager looking down while standing by a fence

A white, female child sitting at a table, smiling at the camera in front of a window
1Lund, E. M., & Vaughn-Jensen, J. (2012). Victimisation of children 
with disabilities. The Lancet, (380)9845, 867-869. 

Children with disabilities are 
at least three times more 
likely to be abused or 
neglected than their peers 
without disabilities1 

The Reality 


Graphic with 3 parts, two are empty: Able-bodied = Authority 
trafficking? 
Able-bodied = 
Authority 
Why are youth with disabilities at higher risk 
for 


Graphic with 3 parts, two are empty: Myths and Stereotypes 
Myths &
Stereotypes 
Why are youth with disabilities at higher risk 
for trafficking? 


Why are youth with disabiliti 
higher risk for trafficking? 

Graphic with 3 parts, two are empty: Social Powerlessness and isolation

Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Graphic: Personal Safety, Online Safety, Healthy Relationships, Human Trafficking, Legal Rights, Value of Labor
Traffickers 
know 
these gaps 
exist, and 
exploit that 
fact. 


Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Personal Safety

Personal Safety 
Personal Safety 
Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Topics for Teaching: 
-Safe touch 
-Body anatomy 
-Physical b oundaries 
-Consent 


Online Safety 
Online Safety 
Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 


Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Topics for Teaching: 
-Passwords are private 
-Keep Personal Information Personal 
-Identifying inappropriate requests and 
behavior from online “friends” 
-What images are appropriate to share 

Online Safety

Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Healthy Relationships
HealthyRelationships 

Healthy Relationships
Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Topics for Teaching: 
• Red flags in friendships and physical 
relationships 
• Correcting the myth that people with 
disabilities may not be interested in sex 
• Stigma 


Human Trafficking 
Human Trafficking 
Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 


Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Topics for Teaching: 
• Definition of human trafficking as 
a crime 
• Signs of human trafficking 
• Reporting 
• Ways to seek help 

Human Trafficking

Legal Rights 
Legal Rights 
Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 


Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

legal Rights
Topics for Teaching: 
• Knowledge as empowerment 
• Legal rights to education, 
supports, and rights of all 
people 


Value of Labor 
Value of Labor 
Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 


Risk Factor: Gaps in Education 

Topics for Teaching: 
• Labor laws 
• Typical wages and what they legally 
must be paid 
• What a typical work day looks like 
• Knowledge of labor market 
• How to interview 

Value of labor

Risk Factor: Supports 

Graphic: Communication, Assistive/Mobility Devices, and Personal Care
Communication Assistive/Mobility 
Devices 
Personal Care 

Risk Factor: Supports 

Graphic: Educational, Housing, and Benefits
Educational Housing Benefits 
Who Are the Traffickers? 

A trafficker m ight be: 
► Any gender or sex 
► Any race or religion 
► Any economic 
background 
► Family members 

► Religious l eaders 
► Authority figures 
► Someone the youth 
knows and trusts 


Traffickers Can Be Anyone 

Case 
Example: 
Interfamilial 
Trafficking 

Two photos of the same middle-aged white woman: One photo shows the woman facing rhe camera, not smiling, and the other photo shows a side profile of the same woman,

Grooming and Control of Youth w ith 
Disabilities 

Grooming involves: 
► Identifying youth 
► Building rapport 
► Gaining 
information 
► Filling a need 

Control involves: 
► Soci al Isolation 
► Phys ical Isolation 
► Physi cal Harm 
► Coercion 
► Threats 


Case 
Example: 
Youth 
Programs 

Grooming of Youth with Disabilities 

Three profiles of older, white males not smiling and facing the camera

Grooming Elements: 
•Identify group home 
•Identify struggling y oung 
men a nd b efriend t hem 
•Provide friendship and 
drugs 

Considering the Factors – What did 
you find? 

Case Example – “Youth Programs” 

Control Elements: 
•Provide drugs 
•Threaten p olice involvement 
•Force into debt bondage 
•Withhold d rugs 


Graphic: Process is Recruitment, Means is Fraud, and End is Labor
Means 
Fraud Labor 
Process 
Recruitment 
End 
Youth Labor Trafficking: Putting it All 
Together 

Case: Administrators 


Graphic: Awareness, Identification, Follwoing Protocol and Reporting, and Support and Referral 
Awareness 
Identification 
Support & Referral 
Follow Protocol/Report 
Role o f the 
Provider 


► Educate youth with disabilities on: 
► Personal and online safety 
► Healthy relationships 
► Human Trafficking 
► Legal rights 
► Value of t heir labor 
► Share c ommunity resources 

Disability Provider Role: Prevention 

Stack of books on a desk with an apple and jar of pencils on top.

Disability Provider Rol e: Identification 

► Understand risk factors 
► Look for red flags 
► Disclose to t he youth that 
you are a m andated 
reporter 

Human 
trafficking too 
often goes 
undetected! 


Red Flags of Human Trafficking in Youth 

Red flags can be: 
► Behavioral 
► Physical 
► Situational 

IMPORTANT: What do 
you know about them 
already? And has 
something changed? 


Red Flags of Human Trafficking in Youth 

Red flags can be: 
► Behavioral 
► Physical 
► Situational 

IMPORTANT: What do 
you know about them 
already? And has 
something changed? 


Red Flags of Human Trafficking in Youth 

Behavioral 
► Frequently missing school 
► Reduced or changed 
communication 
► Fear, exhaustion, or depression 
► Sudden inability to perform tasks 


Red Flags of Human Trafficking in Youth 

Situational 
► Much older b oyfriend/girlfriend 
► Controlling friend, boss, partner 
► Has new possessions or i tems of value 
that you may question 


Red Flags of Human Trafficking in Youth 

Physical 

► Unexplained injuries 
► Untreated injuries 
► Injuries related to exposure 
► Frequent pregnancies/STIs/UTIs 


Disability Provider Role: Follow Protocol 

► Safety is first priority 
► Explai n mandated reporting 
► Interpreters and supports ready 
before you need them 
► Provi de choice and autonomy 
► Trauma-informed language 
and take your time 

Hotline for f urtherguidance. 


Disability Provider Role: Support & Referral 

Know who to call in your community. 

A community of people posing for a photo, smiling.

National Human Trafficking Hotline 

Toll-free 
Confidential 
24/7 
Interpreters 
Available 

Call: 1-888-373-7888 
TTY: 711 
Text: HELP to 233733 (Befree) 
Web humantraffickinghotline.org 


Resources for Healthcare Professionals 

ickingnow@gmail.com 
ltrafficking.org 

HEAL Network 
❑Email healtraff
❑Visit https://hea

icking 
National Human Trafficking and Disabilities 
Working Group 
❑Email nhtdwg@
❑Visit http://idisabiliti
Resources and Trainings on Persons with 
enced Traff Disabilities who Have Experi

iofa.org 

ofa.org/national-trafficking-
es-working-group/ 



If you need assistance with: If you need assistance with Identifying Human Trafficking, Resources, Training, and Technical Assistance, contact info@iofa.org
Identifying Human Trafficking 
We are 
here to 
help! 
info@iofa.org Contact info@iofa.org 


This project was produced by the International Association for Adolescents under award #2016-
XV-GX-K015, awarded by the Office for Victims o f Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. 
Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendat ions expressed in 
this project are those of the contributors and do not necessarily represent the official positions or 
policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Thank you to our partners 

“The Trafficking of Youth with Disabilities 
Outreach & Education Project”