5. TIP Report, cont’d.
TIER 1 The governments of countries that fully
meet the TVPA’s minimum standards for the
elimination of trafficking.
While Tier 1 is the highest ranking, it does not
mean that a country has no human trafficking
problem or that it is doing enough to address
the problem.
6. TIP Report, cont’d.
TIER 2 The governments of countries
that do not fully meet the TVPA’s
minimum standards but are making
significant efforts to meet those
standards.
7. TIP Report, cont’d.
TIER 2 WATCH LIST The government of countries that do not fully meet
the TVPA’s minimum standards, but are making significant efforts to meet
those standards, and for which:
a) the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is very
significant or is significantly increasing;
b) there is a failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat
severe forms of trafficking in persons from the previous year, including
increased investigations, prosecution, and convictions of trafficking
crimes; increased assistance to victims; and decreasing evidence of
complicity in severe forms of trafficking by government officials;
or c) the determination that a country is making significant efforts to
meet the minimum standards was based on commitments by the
country to take additional steps over the next year.
8. TIP Report, cont’d.
TIER 3 The governments of countries
that do not fully meet the TVPA’s
minimum standards and are not
making significant efforts to do so.
9. United States: Tier 1
Particularly vulnerable populations in the United States include:
children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems;
runaway and homeless youth; American Indians and Alaska
Natives; migrant laborers, including participants in visa
programs for temporary workers; foreign national domestic
workers in diplomatic households; persons with limited English
proficiency; persons with disabilities; and LGBTQ individuals.
All forms of trafficking are believed to occur in the U.S. insular
areas, including Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands (CNMI), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
(USVI).
10. American Youth and Commercial Sex
Trafficking
In 2016, 18,500 children were reported to the
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children,
who were classified as runaways.
11. American Youth and Commercial Sex
Trafficking
In 2016, the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children estimated that 1 in 6 endangered runaways
reported to them were likely sex trafficking victims.
86% of these trafficked kids were in the care of social
services, or foster care when they went missing.
12. Youth at Risk
Traffickers target vulnerable children and lure them into
sex trafficking using physical and psychological
manipulation, and sometimes they may resort to violence.
Any child may be vulnerable to such a person who
promises to meet his or her emotional and physical needs.
Often traffickers/pimps will create a seemingly loving or
caring relationship with their victim in order to establish
trust and allegiance. This manipulative relationship tries to
ensure the youth will remain loyal to the exploiter even in
the face of severe victimization. These relationships may
begin online before progressing to a real-life encounter.
14. Pimps are predators who seek out vulnerable victims.
While any youth can be targeted by a pimp, runaways or
children experiencing trouble at home are especially
vulnerable. Traffickers know these children have
emotional and physical needs that are not often being
met and use this to their advantage. Pimps find victims at
a variety of venues such as in social networking
websites, shopping malls, and schools; on local streets;
or at bus stations.
Targeted
15. Pimps are willing to invest a great deal of time and
effort in their victim to break down a victim’s
natural resistance and suspicion – buying them
gifts, providing a place to stay, promising a loving
relationship – before revealing their true intent.
Frequently victims do not realize the deceptive
nature of their trafficker’s interest in them, viewing
their pimp as a caretaker and/or boyfriend.
Tricked
16. A pimp’s use of psychological manipulation causes
the child to truly believe the pimp cares for his or
her well-being. Coupled with physical control this
can make a victim feel trapped and powerless to
leave. This “trauma bond” is difficult to break and
specialized intervention and services are often
necessary.
Traumatized
17. High Risk Factors – youth with increased
vulnerability
Youth who are chronically missing/run away especially 3+ missing
incidents
Youth who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, especially if it
resulted in being removed from the home or the abuse was
unreported or unaddressed
Youth who have experienced prior sexual assault or rape
Youth with significant substance abuse or living with families with
significant substance abuse
Youth who identify as LGBTQ and have been kicked out or
stigmatized by their families
18. Federal Legislation
Enacted in September 2014, the Preventing Sex Trafficking and
Strengthening Families Act, P.L. 113-183 (H.R. 4980) requires the
States to report each missing or abducted foster child to law
enforcement and to the National Center for Missing & Exploited
Children.
The Bringing Missing Children Home Act, a portion of the larger
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, P.L. 114-22, was
enacted in May 2015. Among other improvements related to
record-keeping, this legislation amended federal law to require
that law enforcement agencies notify NCMEC of each report
they receive relating to a child missing from foster care.
19. What to do – parents
Open communication is key. Share the dangers of sex trafficking with your
children and encourage them to alert you when they feel uncomfortable in
any situation. Often trafficking victims have experienced victimization in the
past, and many times this has been inflicted by individuals close to the victim.
Do you trust the people with whom your child interacts? Knowing whom your
children are with at all times is crucial to protecting their safety. When your
daughter or son is online, do you know which sites they are visiting and with
whom they are communicating? Taking the time to monitor what your
children do and who they are interacting with on the Internet is a VERY
important step in keeping your child safer. If something does not seem right,
ask questions!
20. What to do – child welfare workers
Prevention - One of the most important things you can do to protect youth is to
make them aware. Share the dangers of sex trafficking with youth and challenge
myths and misconceptions that glamorize commercial sex. Talk with youth about
online safety and how traffickers/pimps are using social networking sites to mask
their appearance and true intentions.
Intervention & Access to Services When a youth is recovered or returns from a
run incident it is important that the legal guardian express relief that the child has
been found and concern for the child’s well-being while they were missing.
Asking non-judgmental questions about how the child took care of themselves
while they were missing while noting red flags or changes in behavior can help
reveal potential victimization. Recognizing that youth are rarely able to see signs
of grooming and are even less likely to disclose victimization once it has begun
makes it imperative that professionals open the door for these concerns and
conversations. Also, once these concerns have been recognized engaging
specialized services can assist with further assessment and support.
21. What to do – all of us
History of running away or current status as a runaway
Signs of current physical abuse and/or multiple sexually
transmitted diseases
Unstable home life and/or involvement in the child
welfare or foster care system
Youth has items or an appearance that does not fit the
current situation (Examples include having money,
electronics, new clothes/shoes, hair/nails done but youth
is homeless/runaway)
22. What to do – all of us
Presence of an older boy- or girlfriend. While they may
seem “cool,” older friends or boyfriends are not always the
caring individuals they appear to be
Substance abuse of harder drugs. Pimps may also target
youth with significant drug addictions as well as use drugs
to lure and control their victims
Withdrawal or lack of interest in previous activities. Due to
depression or being forced to spend time with their pimp,
victims lose control of their personal lives
Gang involvement, especially among girls.
This report is created by the United States Department of State. It’s a very long and very comprehensive work, and it’s completed every year. What happens in the TIP Report, is that agents investigate, monitor, and report on the status of modern day slavery all over the world. There are sections in the report to educate the general public about the crisis, and even provide some possible solutions.
My issue with the TIP Report is this: many of the countries that are investigated, have been found to continue to exploit people through slavery, and it’s my humble opinion that we are a country of hypocrites.
I know I’m going to get a lot of fallout later, because I always do when I come out and say something “radical” and “offensive” like that. Happens every time. But this is where my quote came from, that I showed earlier.
Awareness without Action = Acceptance.
Our government is fully aware of the plight of so many labourers overseas, and often times right here within our borders, yet, as a nation, we continue to allow the imports to come in here. These are imports which we fully realize are made under conditions of immense suffering, the likes of which we would never tolerate here, in our great country. And yet we continue to allow the flow of these tainted goods, because we, as consumers, benefit from the low prices of those imports.
Talk about the question from Mrs. Bish – who is supposed to be looking for these kids? Is anybody looking for them? Tell two similar stories…
