Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/994766
Angeles nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of human trafficking. Po w e l l s ay s p i m p s of t e n st a r t re l a t i o n s h i p s by romancing victims, then pressure them to be intimate with someone else for money just once. The pimp may claim, "The money is for our future." Afterward, the victim may suffer physical abuse and threats against family members if they refuse to continue having sex with others or try to end the relationship. Other pimps use force and abuse from the beginning, or recruit their own relatives, or offer youths a job in the modeling or entertainment industry. (For example, two girls recently tried to board a plane in Sacramento with one-way tickets to New York, Hoffman says. They told police the ticket buyer, who was a pimp, said they would be getting paid to model and perform in music videos.) Recruitment happens at shopping malls, sporting events and even school. Pimps may even be enrolled as students — or have students working for them who befriend vulnerable peers and invite them to parties and events where they can be exploited. "I know of a case where a pimp was a student living on campus at the University of Southern California who was hooking students up with dates for money," says Powell. "Girls didn't realize he was a pimp until he put their pictures up on different websites." Ac c o rdi n g t o T H O RN, m a ny f o r m e r v i c ti m s su r v e ye d n e v e r considered themselves victims, and many continued to romanticize their relationship with their trafficker, even after exiting "the life." Less than a quarter surveyed saw their trafficker prosecuted. When asked if they would want to pursue prosecution of their trafficker, 88 percent reported they would not. What to do if you suspect a student is being trafficked This is a dilemma for educators, because many sex traf ficking victims who do not see themselves as victims are scared to talk. Educators should be mindful of not risking the well-being of students unintentionally if there are trafficking networks on campus or it is related to gang activity, because a student could face retaliation. Hoffman suggests reaching out to students privately and asking them questions devoid of blame, such as "What is going on with you?" or "Are you OK?" or "What Sacramento City Teachers Association President David Fisher, at microphone, speaks at a February press conference announcing implementation of the Human Trafficking Prevention Education and Training Act (AB 1227). He is flanked by Attorney General Xavier Becerra, left, and Assembly Member Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), who co-introduced the CTA-backed bill. " It can happen to anybody's daughter or son, at Beverly Hills High School or college." — Stephany Powell, executive director of Journey Out 26 cta.org Feature Stephany Powell